Walla Walla's 2025–2026 handbook divides authority among constituents, trustees and an executive committee

Documents examined

• Walla Walla University, 2025–2026 Governance Handbook, Appendix A, “Constituency.” [1]
• The same handbook, Appendix B, “Charter of the Board of Trustees,” including the executive committee provisions. [2]

Walla Walla University's published governance rules assign different work to three bodies. The constituent membership elects trustees and receives reports. The Board of Trustees sets institutional policy and approves annual budgets. Its executive committee handles university matters between meetings of the full board. These are connected bodies, but the handbook does not give them identical powers. [1, sections 2, 6; 2, Trustee Duties and Authority; Executive Committee, section 3]

“Governance” means the arrangements for making decisions and holding leaders responsible. Here, the university's 2025–2026 handbook provides the written structure. It is evidence of published rules, not evidence that a new arrangement was adopted during that academic year. We haven’t seen earlier handbooks or the minutes adopting these rules.

Who constitutes the university

Appendix A says the North Pacific Union Conference owns and operates the university. Its constituent membership—the people authorized to take part in the university's representative business meeting—includes several groups. They are the union's executive committee, General Conference executive committee members attending the meeting, university trustees and duly selected union-session delegates. Members must be Adventists in good and regular standing. [1, introduction; section 3]

The constituents' stated duties include informing themselves about university business, electing trustees and receiving the auditor's report for the previous period. An auditor examines financial records and reports on them. The handbook's requirement to receive that report does not itself tell readers what the report concluded. [1, section 2]

Ordinarily, the university's constituent meeting accompanies the union's regular constituency session. The board may provide a different time or place. Written notice must be given between 10 and 50 days before the meeting. The board may call a special constituent meeting. A written request from at least 30 percent of constituents can also call one. Only business specified in the notice may be considered at a special meeting. [1, sections 4, 7]

A quorum, the minimum attendance needed to conduct business, is a majority of constituents. Appendix A adds an important qualification. Once that quorum is established and the meeting is declared in session, those present can continue even if attendance later falls below that number. [1, section 8]

The board's role

Appendix B sets the Board of Trustees at 29 members. Its membership includes specified church and university officeholders and other designated roles. It also provides for 15 people elected by the constituents who are not employees of a church entity, except Adventist Health System. At least two of those elected people must be minority representatives. [2, Membership]

The charter gives the board responsibility for university policy, financial support and oversight of the president. Its listed powers include adopting annual budgets, approving major policy handbooks and authorizing the acquisition or sale of real property. It also receives the auditor's annual report. Regular board meetings must occur at least three times a year. [2, introduction; Trustee Duties and Authority; Meetings]

Appendix A makes the board's executive committee the nominating committee for the constituent meeting. That is the group responsible for recommending names. It must recommend 29 individuals for consideration as trustees. Appendix B separately describes the board's membership categories. These provisions should be read together, rather than treating every seat as an unrestricted nomination. [1, section 6; 2, Membership]

Structural comparison: full board and executive committee

The handbook provides a comparison within the university's own structure. The executive committee has 13 members. Its stated primary role is to administer university matters between full board meetings. For annual budgets, it reviews and recommends adoption. The full board's stated function is to review and adopt them. Recommending a budget and approving it are different steps. [2, Executive Committee, sections 1, 3; Trustee Duties and Authority]

Property authority has a specific boundary. The executive committee may authorize property acquisitions or disposals up to 10 percent of the university's net worth. Net worth means the value of assets after debts and other liabilities are subtracted. Property actions above that threshold must be dealt with by the full board. The rule does not give a dollar amount; that would require the relevant financial figures. [2, Executive Committee, section 3.7]

Voting rules also differ. Each constituent has one vote. Proxy voting—having someone vote on another person's behalf—is generally prohibited. But a two-thirds board vote may authorize it at special constituent meetings. The board and executive committee rules prohibit proxy voting without that exception. The executive committee needs nine members for a quorum. [1, section 9; 2, Quorum and Voting; Executive Committee, section 7]

Sources (2)

1. Walla Walla University, 2025–2026 Governance Handbook, Appendix A: Constituency — Primary Documents. Original language: English.
2. Walla Walla University, 2025–2026 Governance Handbook, Appendix B: Charter of the Board of Trustees — Primary Documents. Original language: English.

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Walla Walla's 2025–2026 handbook divides authority among constituents, trustees and an executive committee. Puls Strom, Nov 6, 2026. https://pulsstrom.com/c/665e4d

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