About
Board of Trustees
"To be invited to serve on a board of trustees or regents is the highest honor a college or university can bestow on an individual. Such an invitation signifies that an individual has made or is capable of making a contribution to public welfare through volunteer service in the crucial area of higher education."
-from The Commitment of Trusteeship,
published by the Association of Governing Board of Universities and Colleges
ABOUT THE WHITTIER COLLEGE BOARD
Membership on the Board of Trustees at Whittier College is an honor, a service, and a responsibility. It is the trustees' who - in consultation with others - determine, reaffirm, or change the College's purposes and mission. They approve all major institutional policies including decisions concerning the addition or discontinuation of major academic programs and major services, consistent with Whittier’s mission and financial capacity.
The duties of the Board includes appointing, supporting, and assessing the president and other officers of the College, as well as authorizing the granting of tenure to faculty, and approving earned and honorary degrees. Additionally, trustees must lead planning initiatives, assess outcomes, and monitor progress against goals. They ensure that the College has adequate resources to fulfill its mission by approving and monitoring the annual budget, protecting financial and capital assets, and prudently investing restricted and unrestricted funds.
Elected for three-year, renewable terms, Board members set an excellent collective example in personal philanthropy. They lead fundraising initiatives and are typically the College's top donors. Guaranteeing that Whittier serves as a good citizen in its relationships with other social, educational, and business enterprises through appropriate collaborations and partnerships, trustees are key ambassadors for the College.
Currently, the Whittier College Board of Trustees consists of 40 members, 30 of whom are Whittier alumni from the classes of 1937 through 1993.
