Compliance Certification Report
| 2.2 | The institution has a governing board of at least five
members that is the legal body with specific authority over the institution.
The board is an active policy-making body for the institution and is
ultimately responsible for ensuring that the financial resources of
the institution are adequate to provide a sound educational program.
The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations
or interests separate from it. Neither the presiding officer of the
board nor the majority of other voting members of the board have contractual,
employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution. A military institution authorized and operated by the federal government to award degrees has a public board in which neither the presiding officer nor a majority of the other members are civilian employees of the military or active/retired military. The board has broad and significant influence upon the institution's programs and operations, plays an active role in policy-making, and ensures that the financial resources of the institution are used to provide a sound educational program. The board is not controlled by a minority of board members or by organizations or interests separate from the board except as specified by the authorizing legislation. Neither the presiding officer of the board nor the majority of other voting board members have contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution. (Governing Board) |
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[Compliance] |
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Narrative: |
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| The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is in compliance with Principle 2.2 because, as authorized by the Constitution of Alabama, Section 264, the University is governed by the Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama System. The three institutions in The University of Alabama System share governance policies and procedures in relation to degree-granting authority; governing board composition, selection, and responsibilities; chief executive officer responsibilities, selection, and evaluation; legal authority; and Board policies including those addressing conflict of interest and dismissal for cause. The Governor of Alabama and the State Superintendent of Education act as ex officio members of the Board. While the Governor is the ex officio President of the Board of Trustees, a President pro tempore is elected from the Board's own membership to serve as the presiding officer. Neither the presiding officer nor the majority of other voting members of the Board of Trustees has contractual, employment, or personal or familial financial interest in the institution. Membership on the Board of Trustees is allocated by congressional district as in the Code of Alabama, Section16-47-30; three Board members represent the congressional district in which the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and The University of Alabama System Office are located, and two members represent each of the remaining six congressional districts. These members are elected by the Board, subject to confirmation by the Alabama State Senate. This method of determining the membership of the Board has as two of its main purposes the assurance that control of the Board cannot rest in the hands of a minority of its members and the assurance that there cannot be undue influence by the organizations or interests of a minority of members. The Board follows a regular schedule of five annual meetings. The Board of Trustees website has minutes of each meeting. According to the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama Board Manual Bylaws, Article I, Section 5, Compensation of Trustees, "No Trustee shall receive pay or emolument other than his actual expenses incurred in the discharge of his duties as such; such expenses shall be paid or reimbursed from University funds upon the authorization of the Chancellor. Such authorization shall be subject to review and certification annually by the President of the Board, or, in his absence, the President pro tempore." In the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama Board Manual Bylaws, Article I, Section 6, Primary Functions of the Board, details 18 items showing that the Board of Trustees holds responsibility for a number of areas. These areas include planning, setting policies, establishing goals, making personnel decisions, reviewing and approving proposed new academic programs, and managing finances. The Finance Committee of the Board is responsible for areas of review and recommendation for approval of the following: annual audited financial statements; annual budgets; financial reports; legislative appropriations requests; budget performance reports; long-range financial plans; student tuition, fees, and financial aid programs; development and fundraising; financial exigency; depository approval; gift approval; review of campus indebtedness proposals; and other matters that may be referred to it by the Chancellor or the Board. Additional information concerning State appointments may be found in the Code of Alabama, Ethics Commission, Title 36 (Public Offices and Employees), Chapter 25, Section 36-25-3. Ethics and conflicts of interest for members of the Board of Trustees and senior administrators are addressed in the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama Board Manual, Board Rule 106. Since 2003, there have been four situations in which a trustee recused himself from voting on an issue because of a potential conflict of interest. Three of the situations involved timber issues (April 18, 2003; September 19, 2003; June 17, 2005) and one involved naming of a building (September 19, 2003). As established through the Board of Trustees and the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama Board Manual, the president of each component institution has a primary responsibility for all the factors that contribute to the quality of academic and support programs. This responsibility is stated in the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama Board Manual Bylaws Article V, Section 3. |
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