The University's Vice President for Governmental Relations serves as Secretary to the Board, and the University's Chief Financial Officer serves as Treasurer. The Board has enacted bylaws and establishes policy for the University. The President of the University is selected by the Board of Control.
Effective governance is considered a product of trust and shared responsibility.
The primary internal mechanisms for shared governance include the University Senate , Staff Council, Undergraduate Student Government, Graduate Student Council, and University, college, school, and departmental committees. After a two-year trial period under a new constitution which broadened participation by professional staff in the Senate, the 1995 Senate constituents voted in Spring 1997 to affirm the new constitution and it was approved by the Board of Control in June 1997. This constitution clarified and expanded the role of faculty and professional staff in governance of the University. The level of involvement of the University Senate in shared governance activities increased under the new Senate constitution. The Senate continued to approve new academic programs and revise instructional policies, but also became more active in other areas such as academic policy, administrative structure, and University finance.