The Board of Trustees: An Overview

The Board of Trustees is Indiana University's governing board, its legal owner and final authority.  The board holds the university's financial, physical, and human assets and operations in trust for future generations. The board was created in 1820. Today it has nine members, six appointed by the governor, and three elected by alumni.

IU has had a student trustee for more than a quarter of a century.  In 1975 the Indiana General Assembly amended the statutes (IC 21-20-3-13), enabling the governor to appoint a full-time student to the board.

The first student trustee, Leslie C. Shively, was sworn in on Jan. 1, 1976.  The current office holder, Arthur D. (A.D.) King, a student in the IU Kelley School of Business, Bloomington, is the 17th student to hold the position.

Responsibilities of the Student Trustee

The student trustee is a fully vested member of the board with all rights, responsibilities and privileges accorded to all trustees. The student trustee participates in at least six board meetings a year, serves on board committees, takes part in various university functions and ceremonies, and completes any assigned projects. The only difference between the student trustee and all other trustees is the length of term: student trustees serve two years; other trustees serve three.

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Terms of Eligibility

All Indiana University students on all campuses, whether they are undergraduates or graduate students, are eligible to apply for appointment to the board, provided they will maintain full-time student status during their entire two-year tenure. Students must be able to confirm that they will have sufficient time to take on the responsibilities of serving on the board without negative impact on their academic careers. Undergraduates who anticipate receiving degrees during their terms must be able to document serious intent to attend graduate school, such as copies of formal applications, proof of completion of required exams such as the Graduate Record Exam, letters of intent and, if possible, letters of acceptance into a program.

Students do not have to be permanent residents of the state of Indiana to apply. Non-resident students, including international students, may apply for the position.

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The Application Process and Timeline

The application period for the 2009-2011 term ended Jan. 23, 2009. Applications will be reviewed by the 2009 IU Student Trustee Search and Screen Committee, which is appointed by the president of the university, and is composed of student representatives from IU's campuses and a representative from the Governor's Office. The committee will interview selected finalists March 27-28, 2009 and, in accordance with state law, forward 10 names to the governor, who will make the appointment. The new term will run from July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2011.

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Attend a Board of Trustees Meeting

All students interested in university governance are welcome to attend Board of Trustees meetings, and anyone interested in applying for the student trustee position is urged to do so. A list of the board's meeting dates and locations is available online. Complete meeting schedules and agendas are posted on the board's home page about two weeks before the upcoming session.

More Information

For more information, contact the the secretary of the board in Room M005 of the Indiana Memorial Union on the Bloomington campus. The telephone number is (812) 855-3762.

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Former Student Trustees

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