University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees minutes of meetings

The University of Massachusetts is governed by a lay Board of Trustees which has comprised between twelve and twenty-four members since its foundation in 1991. Members were originally appointed by the legislature or the board itself, but are now appointed by the governor. The board was created when the Commonwealth’s system of public higher education was reorganized in 1991. Chapter 142 of the Acts and Resolves passed by the General Court of Massachusetts in the year 1991, “An act relative to public education in Massachusetts” dissolved the independent boards of trustees maintained on all five university campuses and outlined the structure and responsibilities of the University of Massachusetts Board. The broad responsibilities of the board are “to assure that University funds are spent properly, that the University exercises appropriate stewardship of University assets, and that operating results are positive. Most day-to-day responsibility to achieve these goals is delegated to the President and staff or to the Chancellors of the campuses through the President” (source: University of Massachusetts Web site http://www.massachusetts.edu/bot/index.html).