What is the Whitman Board of Trustees?

The Board of Trustees is the legal governing board of Whitman College, whose primary purpose is to ensure that the college is fulfilling  its Mission Statement.

Who are the Trustees?

The Trustees are a group of (currently) twenty-one individuals. Most are alumni, while the rest are parents of students or alumni. Each Trustee is elected by the Board and can serve up to three four-year terms.

What does the Board of Trustees discuss?

Collectively, the Board:

• Reviews the budget and fiscal practices so that Whitman stays financially responsible
• Determines long-term strategy for the college and oversees its implementation
• Selects and evaluates the President of the college

What are the policy committees?

In addition to the full Board, the Board divides into three policy committees:

• The Resources Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the board on policies that are related to preserving and developing Whitman’s resources. Ex. budgets, salaries, raising capital, endowment spending
• The Whitman Experience Committee focuses on and develops policies relating to all aspects of the Whitman experience.  Ex. student life, Residence Life, diversity, athletics, life after Whitman
• The Advancement Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the board on communication, fundraising, and Whitman’s enrollment strategy  Ex.  alumni relations, fundraising, marketing to prospective students

What do the student and faculty representatives do?

There are four student and four faculty representatives on the Board, one on the full Board and one on each of the policy committees. The representatives participate in Board discussions, bringing in student and faculty perspectives, as well as thinking institutionally.

• Resources: Shelby Cutter, student / Jason Pribilsky, faculty
• The Whitman Experience: Nikki Delgado, student / Kurt Hoffman, faculty
• Advancement: Kyle Fix, student / Rebecca Hanrahan, faculty
• Full Board: Nathaniel Larson, student / Barry Balof, faculty

How can I find out more, or get my voice heard?

If you have questions or concerns about the college’s strategy or just want to find out more about how the Board works, come join us for an open forum on Thursday, November 1, at 6:30pm in the Reid Coffeehouse, or contact any of us in person or via email!

Sincerely,

The Student Representatives to the Whitman Board of Trustees

Nathaniel Larson, Nikki Delgado, Kyle Fix, and Shelby Cutter