Welcome
The Board of Trustees of Western Oregon University is the university’s governing body. The Board is responsible for assuring the university’s success and has broad authority to protect the university’s interests. The Board performs such duties as determining the university’s mission and strategic plan, hiring and supervising the university president, assuring the university’s assets are appropriately managed, determining the university budget, and setting tuition and fees.
The Board comprises volunteers (trustees) committed to the promise of higher education in the Mid-Willamette Valley and beyond. Trustees are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. Trustees are connected to the university, the region, and the students they serve. They are alumni, community members, and leaders in education, business, culture, and government. There are 16 trustees. Eleven of these are drawn from the general public. Three trustee members are students of the university including one undergraduate voting member, one undergraduate non voting member, and one graduate student voting member. An additional trustee member is selected from both the staff, and faculty of the university. The fifteenth trustee is the university president, who serves ex-officio without voting power. The trustees drawn from the general public serve four-year terms. Trustees selected from the students, faculty, and staff serve two-year terms.
The Board has four standing committees that address specific areas of the Board’s work: the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee, the Finance and Administration Committee, and the Executive, Governance, and Trusteeship Committee. The Board meets approximately five times per year, as do the committees. Further details of the university’s governance are defined in the Bylaws of Western Oregon University and the various statements and resolutions of the Board of Western Oregon University.
In order to ensure transparent access to the Board, each trustee’s WOU email address is included on the website, the Board reserves time for public comment at every regular meeting, and there are standing reports from the Faculty Senate, the Staff Senate, and the Associated Students of Western Oregon University (ASWOU), Service Employees International Union, and Western Oregon University Federation of Teachers, as well as the University President. In addition to posting its meeting materials and notifying the campus and other interested stakeholders of its agenda, the Board livestreams its regular meetings so members of the campus community and others can watch and listen to meetings.
We Want to Hear from you! If you have general feedback for the board, we would love to hear from you. Please click here to fill out our feedback form. Additionally, if you would like to recommend ideal characteristics of future trustees, please click here.
Contact Information
Email a Trustee
Phone: (503) 838-8888
