The University of Miami’s Board of Trustees, originally named the Board of Regents, was founded in 1926, shortly after the University’s opening. The board began with just a few trustees but now includes 92 members.
The board is the highest decision making body at the University and is responsible for many of the major decisions about campus. To better understand the organizational powers of the Board of Trustees, The Miami Hurricane has put together a list of various committees and members.
The board at UM is made up of “39 elected members, three alumni representatives, 17 senior members, six ex-officio members, four national members, 22 emeriti members and one student representative,” according to the UM Board of Trustees website.
Manny Kadre serves as the board’s chair and was appointed to the position in May of this year. Vice chairs Wayne E. Chaplin and William L. Morrison were also appointed this past May.
Other notable members include singer and actress Gloria Estefan, Frost School of Music namesake Phillip Frost and Student Government President Roy Carrillo Zamora.
The full list of board members can be found on their website.
Members of the board do not have any individual power but rather work as a whole and on committees to ensure that UM operations run smoothly.
One of the main initiatives that the board took on in 2021 was modifying the names of UM structures. One of these changes included renaming the Merrick Garage to the Levante Garage due to the racist views of George E. Merrick, the gararge’s namesake. They also spearheaded the $3 million renovation of the second floor of the Whitten University Center.
The committees
The six standing committees on the UM Board are the Executive, Academic Affairs, Audit and Compliance, Finance, Investments, and Student Affairs Committees. The Executive Committee meets eight to 10 times each year, while all other committees meet two to three times each year.
The Executive Committee has the authority to exercise all Board powers. It is involved in UM’s business affairs, including academic policy changes, election and potential removal of the university president, and adoption of government document amendments.
The Academic Affairs Committee is responsible for making necessary changes to academic programs and policies, being the liaison between the Board and academic schools and colleges and proposing candidates for honorary degrees to the Board after they evaluate candidates.
The Audit and Compliance Committee ensures that UM operations and policies adhere to the law and look over UM’s financial statements and tax returns. Once approved, the committee submits the tax return to the Board and then the IRS.
The Finance Committee deals with all the budget-related responsibilities of the Board, while the Investments Committee is involved with anything having to do with UM’s monetary investments, including its related policies and working with investment counselors and custodians.
Lastly, the Student Affairs Committee deals with everything related to student and campus life.
In addition to the standing committees, each school and college within UM, as well as the athletic department and library, have their own visiting committees that meet about once a year. These committees work with the dean or unit director on unit-specific plans and goals and give the standing committees updates.
As individuals, members are responsible for pulling their own weight and holding each other accountable when it comes to involvement in committees and initiatives. They are also expected to show up to and contribute to all committee and board-at-large meetings.