A message from Board of Trustees Chair Pamela P. Flaherty

Dear Faculty, Staff Members and Students:

Our founder Johns Hopkins offered only modest guidance when he endowed our university with his great gift. This meant that the task of defining our university, of setting its academic mission, and of recruiting its first leader would fall to the 12 citizens of Baltimore who comprised the university's first Board of Trustees. They discharged this responsibility with remarkable courage, resolve and imagination. So much of what we are today is the result of their enterprise.

Over the past several months, the standards and expectations of our first trustees have been on my mind as the university's current trustees have been immersed in a searching 14-month review of our governance structure and practices. The purpose of this review was simple: to ensure that our governance arrangements are "best in class" and capable of protecting and nurturing the university's academic mission in today's rapidly changing environment.

Ably led by Trustee Tony Coles and an ad hoc governance committee comprising eight trustees, the board engaged in an intensive examination of our activities, organization and effectiveness. Trustees participated in surveys and interviews and engaged in deep discussion, both in small groups and as a full board. One of the nation's leading experts on higher education governance worked with the board and provided invaluable context and insight. We sought to understand best practices in board governance, and then to apply these standards to ourselves. In this respect, we echoed the university's commitment to the value of critical self-study, complemented by expert, independent external review.

Yesterday, after a final round of discussion, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a comprehensive, integrated package of reforms that will strengthen the governance of the university.

Three central themes emerged from our work: a sharpening of strategic focus, even more meaningful meetings, and intensification of the engagement of individual trustees.

To facilitate these changes, the board adopted two key structural changes:

• It instituted term limits for trustees (an expectation that trustees will serve for a maximum of two six-year terms of service with the possibility of a third term in exceptional circumstances), and
• It committed to reducing the size of the board within a four-year period from 65 to 35 members.

These changes reflect changing standards of board governance generally, and our commitment to ensuring that the board is able to renew itself so that it is able to offer sound advice and counsel to the leadership of the university and to discharge its fiduciary duties in the most effective manner.

These structural changes are accompanied by a number of other changes designed to strengthen our governance.

For example, one of the key priorities that emerged from our survey was trustee desire for deeper engagement with students from across the university, including all undergraduate, professional and graduate programs. Consequently, last fall, a new Student Life Committee was formed. A broad and diverse array of students will be invited to participate as that committee works on relevant issues. This committee will substitute for the current role played by Young Trustees.

The renewed focus on strategic issues also led us to create a new Committee on External Affairs and Community Engagement. Drawing upon the university's intellectual, social, economic, human and physical capital, the committee will help develop strategies to strengthen the neighborhoods around our campuses. It also will help us shape strategic partnerships to address the broader challenges facing Baltimore City and the region. The committee has already had several meetings and has endorsed a comprehensive engagement strategy for the neighborhoods around the Homewood campus.

And finally, the board adopted a series of changes designed to ensure a meaningful and impactful post-governance role for our trustees emeriti that will, among other things, ensure that our schools' alumni advisory committees benefit from their advice and counsel.

We are convinced that these changes address the needs identified in our self-study and will enhance the ability of the Board of Trustees to guide the university in a manner that pays appropriate homage to our history and values.

As chair of the board, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow trustees for their leadership, their commitment and their willingness to think and act anew.

Sincerely,

Pamela P. Flaherty
Chair, Board of Trustees
The Johns Hopkins University