The Auburn Board of Trustees, the governing body of the University, may be receiving two more minority seats.
HB 551, which is currently pending its third reading in the Alabama Legislature states the new board members should be residents of the United States who enhance the diversity of the board, according to the Alabama Legislature’s website.
The Auburn Board of Trustees currently consists of only one minority member out of 14 total members.
In addition to proposing two seats on the board, the bill also proposes that term expiration dates shall be adjusted if four or more trustees have terms expiring in the same year.
Rep. Victor Gaston, R-Mobile, is the sponsor for the bill and an alumnus of Auburn University’s graduate program.
“Auburn officials asked me to do it and I agreed to it,” Gaston said. “I think they’re correct in what they’re trying to do and that’s the reason I sponsored the bill.”
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Education and Youth Affairs on Tuesday, May 12. It was read for the second time on Thursday, May 14, and added to the calendar.
“Auburn supports balanced representation on its governing board,” said Brian Keeter, director of Auburn public affairs. “As a land grant institution with a statewide mission of providing service and fostering economic opportunity, we want our board to have a balanced representation of the state and a permanent process to help ensure both smooth transitions in governance. HB 551 works to achieve both these critical goals, and we support its passage.”
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