Office of the Provost

The provost acts as the manager, both reviewing and organizing the board of advisors; the president gives final approval.

A school, division, center, institute or other organization within the university that wants to organize an external advisory presence to guide current activities, future direction and/or fund raising must establish a board of advisors.

The president and the provost must give their permission for the establishment of a board of advisors.

Each board of advisors on campus will have these general guidelines at its core.

Each board of advisors will also have a supplemental charter defining its specific scope of work and expectations.

Each board of advisors will include a fundraising plan for Brandeis University within its supplemental charter.

General and specific board of advisors guidelines may be amended after review by the provost and with the approval of the president.

In cases where a board of advisors exists within a unit of the university presided over by a dean, the organizers of that board must also seek appropriate approvals from the dean of that unit.

Annually, the board of advisors will report to the provost on its activities and achievements against its annual plan and will articulate its future goals. The provost will discuss the report with the president.

Initial board of advisors members will be nominated by members of the Brandeis Board of Trustees, division chairs or unit heads, the university's senior administration, deans or the Office of Advancement. Nominees will be reviewed and approved by the provost and the president.

Each board of advisors will have a target of 20 members. Maximum membership levels may vary by board. Such differences will be outlined in each board's supplemental charter.

Once elected, board of advisors members will serve for a three-year term.

Membership terms will begin on Sept. 1 of the year in which the person was elected to the board. Terms will end on Aug. 31 of the third year of the membership.

Members will be eligible for reelection.

After nine consecutive years on a board of advisors, that member will be required to take at least one year off.

Each board of advisors will have as a member one current member of the Brandeis Board of Trustees.

The provost and the president may appoint honorary members to a board of advisors.

The provost and the president may appoint special consultants to a board of advisors. Special consultants will have expertise in the subject area relevant to a board of advisors. Special consultants will have input in board of advisors discussions and be eligible to vote on formal recommendations to the university.

Upon the recommendation of a board of advisors' leadership, the provost and the president may appoint emeritus/a members to a board of advisors from the pool of former members of that board.

Once a board of advisors has been established and has an active membership, those members will be involved with nominating, vetting and recommending future members.

Once a board of advisors has been established, a subcommittee of that board will identify, review and recommend future chairs to the provost and the president. These subcommittee members will not nominate themselves for the chair position.

Other board of advisors subcommittees may be established to help complete the work of each board of advisors. Subcommittee areas may include marketing, development, governance, student recruiting, corporate relations, community relations, strategic planning, etc.

The right of final approval of all new members and chairs of a board of advisors will be retained by the provost and the president.

Board of advisors members are expected to have a demonstrated interest in Brandeis University and the area of the university associated with that member's board.

Each board of advisors member will be expected to make a minimum annual contribution as identified in the supplemental charter of that specific board.

The annual contribution will support a core activity at Brandeis University in the area relevant to each particular board of advisors.

Each board of advisors member will be expected to make a major gift in addition to his or her annual support during his or her term on the board.

Board of advisors members may build consensus around the fundraising priorities for their annual and major gifts provided that these gifts respond to priority needs set forth by the provost and the president.

Board of advisors members are expected to attend board of advisors meetings and to participate in other related activities.

The board of advisors chair will serve for a three-year term.

The chair will be eligible for reelection.

After six consecutive years as board of advisors chair, that person will be required to take at least one year off as chair.

The board of advisors chair will understand his/her role in soliciting other members.

Each board of advisors will be managed by a dean, a member of the Brandeis faculty or a member of the senior administration who has been appointed by the provost and the president to oversee the area of the university that is relevant to that board. Examples include director of the Rose Art Museum, head of the Division of Science and director of the Office of the Arts.

It is acknowledged that an in-depth understanding of the university and its general practices are important to ensuring the productive operation of board of advisors. Towards that goal, the inaugural members of each board will be educated about the business of the university.

Future board of advisors members will receive an orientation on the business of the University.

Each board of advisors will convene once or twice per academic year, and members will attend in-person or via conference call.

Board of advisors meetings may include group discussions on key topics; faculty presentations; student presentations; consulting on issues facing the university or a relevant area of the university; and other group activities relevant to that board's supplemental charter.

The provost of the university will be invited to attend board of advisors meetings. The provost or the provost's designee will attend whenever possible.

The board of advisors members will provide guidance to the dean, faculty member or senior administrator who manages that board on strategic topics.

Board of advisors members are expected to serve as ambassadors for the area of the university associated with their board. As appropriate, ambassadorship may include recommending new members, encouraging prospective students to apply to the university, making connections for the provost and the president with community leaders and philanthropists, and contributing in other meaningful ways to the life of the university.

The Brandeis Board of Trustees may invite the board of advisors chairs to attend subcommittee meetings of the Board of Trustees, as appropriate, or make presentations to the trustees.

Recommendations, goals and outreach suggested by the board of advisors throughout the year, as well as in its annual report, must be reviewed by the provost.

It is acknowledged that managing a board of advisors requires considerable staff time, which must be dedicated for that purpose by the university and the relevant departments/units.

The staff person assigned to a board of advisors will take minutes at each meeting of that board and distribute those minutes to members prior to or at the next meeting of that board.

A board of advisors will not be established without an agreed-upon plan for how it is to be staffed.