According to the Brandeis Department of Media Relations, the Brandeis Board of Trustees elected 5 new members: Morton Ginsberg 56, Vartan Gregorian, Jonathon S. Jacobson, Dorothy Pierce and John Usdan.
The Board of Trustees is a self-perpetuating group, which typically elects from 1 to 3 new members a year, according to the Board bylaws. Candidates are identified by the Nominating and Governance Committee, which then makes a formal recommendation to the full Board of Trustees. This recommendation is followed by a vote to determine whether the nominee will receive Board membership.
John Hose, Assistant to the President, said that the goal is to have a stable Board of trustees with continuity. Members terms can be renewed twice, for a total term of 12 years, after which members must step down for a period of one year. Approximately 50% of former members are reelected after this one-year period. Trustees Barbara Rosenberg 54 and Rhonda Zinner were both reelected this year, following their required one-year hiatuses. Trustees Daniel Jick 79, Ann Richards, Robert Rifkind, and Perry Traquina 78 were also re-elected. All reelected members will serve on the Board through May 2010, according to Media Relations.
The Board used to have a mandatory retirement age of 75, at which point the board member could become a Trustee Emeriti, meaning that he/she is allowed to attend meetings but is no longer granted a vote. However, these judgments are now made disregarding age and more upon the level of interest and commitment that members show to the University, said Hose.
Hose also added that what the Board looks for in new members is that they be in a position to be financial supporters, which is universal at all universities. The expertise and knowledge base of the candidate and what connections and associations that would be helpful in opening doors and would be useful to the University or the President they may be able to bring to Brandeis. And candidates who will give the time and effort commitment and what value the candidate will add to the board.
Members tend to be above 40 in age but come from all walks of life. Although members are not required to have an extensive past relationship with Brandeis, approximately half of all members are undergraduate or graduate alumni. Whats more important is the level of their commitment to Brandeis and their desire to be involved with Brandeis at this point in time, said Hose.