Administrative/Biographical History
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Saint Michael’s College. Since 1913, when it superceded the Saint Michael’s Corporation, the Board of Trustees has taken full responsibility for operation of the college and manages its property and affairs. Although the President acts as the Chief Executive Officer of the College, the Board establishes the colleges policies and has power to carry out other functions allowed by the state of Vermont, the articles of incorporation, and the bylaws of the board. This includes promoting the mission and goals for the college, appointing the president and board and approving junior positions. The Board also authorizes tuition changes and fees, approves promotion and tenure, honorary degrees, and awards. Trustee committees take a large role in all of the functions of the Board now, but the role of the Board of Trustees has not effectively changed over the last one hundred years. The makeup of the Board of Trustees has changed over the years. The initial board was made up of seven members, with an elected president of the Board serving as President of the College. Later, the number of members was changed to eight, with four members elected to two-year terms every other year. In 1970, the Board instituted its most drastic change, upping the number of members serving three-year terms to 24. The bylaws also required ½ of the members to be members of the Society of Saint Edmund. The 1970 by-laws also established a number of committees whose memberships included SMC staff members. They also acknowledged the role of the faculty in campus affairs for the first time and they established a Board of Associate trustees that advised the regular Board. In 1980, the bylaws again changed, adding 6 members to the board for a total of 30 members. The 1980 bylaws also recognized the newly constituted Faculty assembly and the role of emeriti trustees who were allowed to vote and serve on trustee committees after serving their traditional terms. In 1988, due to the declining membership of the SSE, the membership requirement was adjusted to 1/3 SSE. In 1994, although the membership did not change, the bylaws formally acknowledged for the first time a role for the Edmundite Board of trustees that serves as advisors the President. In 2002, another major change in the membership occurred with an addition of three members for a total of 33, 1/3 of whom had to be Religious (member of the SSE or another religious order or diocesan priest), not just members of the Society of Saint Edmund. The shrinking membership of the Edmundites necessitated this change, as they were no longer able to supply members eligible for the Board.
Board of Trustees
