The institution has a governing board of at least five members that is the legal body with specific authority over the institution. The board is an active policy-making body for the institution and is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the financial resources of the institution are adequate to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from it. Both the presiding officer of the board and a majority of other voting members of the board are free of any contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution.
A military institution authorized and operated by the federal government to award degrees has a public board on which both the presiding officer and a majority of the other members are neither civilian employees of the military nor active/retired military. The board has broad and significant influence upon the institution’s programs and operations, plays an active role in policy-making, and ensures that the financial resources of the institution are used to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from the board except as specified by the authorizing legislation. Both the presiding officer of the board and a majority of other voting board members are free of any contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution. (Governing Board)
Narrative:
The Board of Trustees serves as the governing board of Troy University. The Troy University Board of Trustees operates under legal authority granted by Alabama Code of Law Section 16-56-3. The Board of Trustee members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate. The Board consists of ten voting members and the Student Government Association president (non-voting). The Governor serves as the ex-officio president of the Board; and the State Superintendent of Education serves as an ex-officio member. The voting members represent eight geographical areas of Alabama with two members from the second geographical area, and one voting member serving a member-at-large who may or may not be a resident of Alabama. Members serve without compensation. Table 1 provides a list of members, geographical areas and terms of the Troy University Board of Trustees.
Table 1. Troy University Board of Trustees: Members and TermsTroy University Fact Book June 2008, p. 3.
A brief background statement for each member of the Troy University Board of Trustees is provided below.
Table 2 Biographical Sketches of the Troy University Board of TrusteesElimination of Conflict of Interest
No trustee is an employee of the University or has personal or familial financial interest in the institution. According to Section 16-56-3 of the Code of Laws of Alabama no employee of Troy University may serve as a trustee. All members serve without compensation. The Code of Ethics for Public Officials and Employees of Alabama - Section 36-25-5 prohibits the any public official to use his or her position or office for personal gain. Public officials are required by Alabama law to file an annual statement of economic interest with the Alabama Ethics Commission. Economic interest statements are reviewed by agents of the state to ensure that Board members are free of any contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution, as required by state law.
Role of the Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is a policy-making body with bylaws that state “The entire management and control over the activities, affairs, operations, business, and property of Troy University shall be completely and absolutely vested in the Board of Trustees of Troy University; however, upon general or specific authorization or delegation made or provided for in these Bylaws or other action approved by the full Board, the Board may exercise its management and control by and through such officers, officials, committees, and agents as it may deem fit and proper.” According to Article I of the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees for Troy University, the Board of Trustees sets key University policies, defines the mission, role, and scope of the University and is accountable for the financial health of the University. The Board of Trustees operates under a committee structure. The committees make recommendations to the full Board for consideration and final action. The composition of the committees, the membership and charge are explained in detail in Article IV of the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees. The oversight of the fiscal responsibility of the university is entrusted to the Board of Trustees and to the scrutiny of the Board’s Finance Committee. The Finance Committee reviews the annual budget for Troy University and makes their recommendations to the full Board for their approval. The Board of Trustees also works with the administration in establishing the financial policies for the University.
The Board of Trustees actively engages in policy-making through meetings held at least three times during the year. The minutes of the Board of Trustees meetings are available in the Chancellor’s office and on the Troy University Board of Trustee Web page. The minutes from the Board of Trustee meetings document the Board’s active policy-making role on behalf of the university and confirm that the Board approves the annual budget. The approved budget allows the University to provide the financial resources necessary to support sound educational programs. Table 3 provides a synopsis of the Board meeting dates over the past three years:
Last Updated: 08/22/2008
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