A Look into OHIO’s Top Decision-makers: the Board of Trustees Written and designed by Izzy Keller Assistant Digital Editor
A
t major institutions like Ohio University, each decision can lead to thousands of potential outcomes. The responsibility of running the oldest public university in Ohio lies largely in the hands of a group of 14 people: Ohio U’s Board of Trustees.
What is a Board of Trustees? In the simplest terms, a board of trustees is the top governing body of an organization whose duty is to make the best decisions possible for its shareholders. In public universities and community colleges around Ohio, boards of trustees are the primary governing body. In the state of Ohio, all 14 public universities and 23 community colleges are required to have a board of trustees, according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s website. In Ohio, members of a university’s board are entrusted with their responsibilities by the Ohio Legislature. A board of trustees must include 9-15 trustees, according to the Ohio Ohio University Board of Trustees
‒ Cary Cooper, chair ‒ Peggy Viehweger, vice chair ‒ Lorrie Platt, Scott Borgemenke, Dave Scholl, Janelle Coleman, Steve Casciani, Diane Smullen and Matthew Evans, trustees ‒ Jeff Laturell, Alumni Association Representative ‒ Ellen Gill-Franks and Sarah Ladipo, student trustees 15
Department of Higher Education’s website. Trustees are appointed by the governor with the guidance of the Ohio Senate and typically serve nine-year terms. To be re-appointed, a trustee must wait four years between terms.
Who is on Ohio U’s Board of Trustees? As of June 2021, Ohio U’s Board of Trustees consists of 14 members. Out of the 14, only nine are voting members. Voting members include Cary Cooper, the board’s chair, and Peggy Viehweger, the board’s vice chair. According to the bylaws of the Ohio U Board of Trustees, positions like chair and vice chair are elected annually. In the event of a vacancy, the trustees are able to select another member to serve as chair or vice chair during the remainder of the term. The responsibilities of the chair and vice chair are stated in the board’s bylaws. As the chair, Cooper presides over all board meetings. Cooper also has the authority to appoint members and fill vacancies on the special committees. Viehweger acts as the presiding officer in Cooper’s absence. Non-voting members include an alumni association representative, student trustees and national trustees. The job of these members is to give input, however, they do not have the power to vote because the purpose of their job is to represent Ohio U-related bodies to the board’s voting members. For example, national trustees give bobcats from around the country a seat at the table, and the alumni association representative brings issues important to the Ohio U alumni. The student trustee positions play an important role for Ohio U students
S u m m e r M a g a z i n e V , A u g u s t 2 0 2 1
