About the Board

The role of the AASHE Board is to:

• Oversee the planning, visioning and setting of priorities.
• Support AASHE’s projects and the work of committees.
• Be responsible for the organization as defined by relevant legislation, bylaws and policies.
• Work collectively with the Executive Director to oversee the work of the organization.

Board members are responsible for governing the organization. Fiduciary responsibilities include:

• Duty of Care:  Board members will act with such care as an ordinarily prudent person would employ in their position.
• Duty of Loyalty: Board members will act in good faith and in a manner that they reasonably believe to be in the best interests of AASHE.
• Duty of Obedience: Board members will ensure that AASHE obeys applicable laws and acts in accordance with ethical practices and adheres to its stated corporate purposes and that its activities advance its mission.

• Maintain a high level of dedication and effort in promoting AASHE’s mission and programs.
• Stay informed about AASHE’s mission, policies, and programs as well as about developments in sustainability, higher education and non-profit governance.
• Participate in fundraising through some combination of the following: memberships/renewals, grants, donations, in-kind support and personal financial contributions to the organization.
• Attend Board meetings and meetings of committees. This includes carefully reviewing the agenda and related materials, preparing questions and reading and responding to correspondence between meetings in a timely fashion.
• Participate actively in Board committees, volunteer for assignments and work collaboratively with staff.
• Avoid conflicts of interest and disclose potential conflicts of interest to the Board.
• Represent the best interest of all of AASHE members.
• Respect and support the majority decisions by the Board.
• Abide by AASHE bylaws and policies.
• Participate actively in the Board’s annual evaluation and strategic planning efforts.
• Hold oneself accountable to this job description.
• Minimize meeting absences and communicate reasons for meeting absences with adequate notice.
• Communicate respectfully with each other, staff, volunteers, members and the greater community.
• Represent AASHE in a fair and accurate manner at all times, and clearly distinguish their own opinions from those of AASHE.

Directors serve for up to a five-year term and should plan to contribute approximately 15 days towards AASHE activities annually (approximately 10 hours per month depending on your Board roles). After one year of service, Board members elected to serve as committee chairs or Board officers may have additional time commitments.

Committees are part of the ongoing work of each Board member. Most members will be a member of one or more standing committees. Standing committees include Executive, Finance, Audit, and Governance (which forms the Nominations & Elections Task Force). The Board of Directors seeks nominees who will add value to these committees and other areas of focus including marketing and fund development.

The Board has established an expense policy to govern the reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses incurred while carrying out Board activities. AASHE does not remunerate directors for their participation as a Board member and participation is voluntary. In addition, many Directors cover their own travel and expenses related to the work on the Board as part of their contribution to the organization. This is not an expectation but is encouraged.

AASHE seeks to have all Board members participate in board giving annually. To achieve this goal, Directors are encouraged to make a financial contribution to AASHE each year. Contributions may be in the form of a personal financial donation or having their member organization cover some/all of Board and committee-related expenses like travel, meals and accommodation.

Access the Bylaws