As soon as Ohio University was established in 1804, the next action of the committee that established the university was to create a Board of Trustees.
Since its establishment, the Board of Trustees has served as one of the main bodies governing all aspects of OU and some parts of Athens. It will continue that role Thursday and Friday when it meets at Walter Hall.
The Board of Trustees, which meets five times a year, acts as the overseer of the entire university, including all major construction projects, budget plans and academic initiatives.
The board’s main goal is to strategize for the future of the university by maintaining its strengths and working to solve problems and challenges OU faces, said Peter Mather, secretary to the Board of Trustees, in an email.
“Its legacy will be Ohio University’s transformative learning experience, which is a direct result of the Board’s clearly articulated vision and the strategic plan that it set in motion to achieve these aims,” OU President Roderick McDavis said in a statement.
Some of the most significant resolutions and pieces of the agenda at the Nov. 1 board meeting involve major construction and renovation projects, including an updated Six Year Capital Improvement Plan, Phase One of the Housing Master Plan and the Lausche Heating Plant Replacement.
Board of Trustees Chair Sandra Anderson said improvements that preserve the integrity and quality of the buildings are critical to OU’s academic success.
“The decisions made and the work done as a result of the Capital Improvement Plan will preserve and enhance the unique beauty of this campus,” Anderson said.
The inaugural Board of Trustees also spent significant time discussing the university’s property, but unlike the current board, they had to identify what land OU would receive in conjunction with its establishment.
Originally, all of the property OU acquired was only available for rent by settlers, so the trustees spent a lot of time working to collect money before classes began in 1808, according to The History of Ohio University by Thomas Hoover.
It wasn’t until 1812 that the board established a set of rules for itself, according to the Board of Trustees’ 1804-1824 minutes.
Since then, the board has become a body that overlooks the governance of OU for the state, but Anderson said many of the trustees have a vested interest in OU as alumni and relatives of students and alumni.
“This Board of Trustees, I am so proud to work with because we are engaged and passionate about Ohio University,” Anderson said.
Although the board today spends less time directly meeting with faculty and student leaders than it used to, it added faculty perspective to its discussions five years ago.
“If we’re going to be leaders and governors of the university, we need to know all about the university,” Anderson said. “(Students) are our mission, and the faculty is a part of the team that delivers on that mission.”
dk123111@ohiou.edu
@DanielleRose84
