With the passage of the Focus on College and University Success (FOCUS) Act by the 109th Tennessee General Assembly, East Tennessee State University (ETSU) began the transition from governance by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) to an institutional board of trustees. The FOCUS Act granted the state’s six public universities in the TBR system additional autonomy to empower each individual institution to be successful as Tennessee works to achieve its goal of 55 percent of adult Tennesseans having a postsecondary degree or credential by 2025.
Eight of the ten-member Board of Trustees for ETSU are appointed by the Governor of Tennessee with confirmation by the Tennessee General Assembly. The ETSU Faculty elects the faculty trustee who serves a two-year term on the board. The Board selects a student trustee to serve each year via a process developed by ETSU student leadership. The state level coordinating body, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), provides training for all public higher education board members.
The ETSU Board of Trustees has the authority to appoint the campus president, manage the university budget and set tuition, and oversee other operational tasks. The inaugural ETSU Board of Trustees assumed formal responsibility at its first meeting called by Governor Haslam on March 24, 2017.
Meetings from 2025
2025 September 12 - Academic, Research and Student Success Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 September 12 - Audit Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 September 12 - Board of Trustees Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 September 12 - Board of Trustees Public Notice, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 September 12 - Board of Trustees (recording), Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 September 12 - Finance and Administration Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 May 23 - Academic, Research, and Student Success Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 May 23 - Audit Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 May 23 - Board of Trustees Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 May 23 - Board of Trustees Public Notice, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 May 23 - Board of Trustees (recording), Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 May 23 - Finance and Administration Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 April 11 - Board of Trustees Finance and Administration Committee Public Notice, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 April 11 - Board of Trustees Finance and Administration Committee (recording), Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 April 11 - Finance and Administration Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 February 21 - Academic, Research, and Student Success Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 February 21 - Audit Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 February 21 - Board of Trustee (recording), Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 February 21 - Board of Trustees Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 February 21 - Board of Trustees Public Notice, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 February 21 - Finance and Administration Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
Meetings from 2024
2024 November 15 - Board of Trustees Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State Universit
2024 November 15 - Board of Trustees Finance and Administration Committee, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 November 15 - Board of Trustees Public Notice, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 November 15 - Board of Trustees (recording), Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 November 15 - Audit Committee, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2025 November 15 - Board of Trustees Academic, Research, and Student Success Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 September 13 - Board of Trustees Academic, Research, and Student Success Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 September 13 - Board of Trustees Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 September 13 - Board of Trustees Audit Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 September 13 - Board of Trustees Finance and Administration Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 September 13 - Board of Trustees Public Notice, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 September 13 - Board of Trustees (recording), Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 May 24 - Board of Trustees Public Notice, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 May 24 - Board of Trustees (recording), Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 April 5 - Board of Trustees Finance and Administration Committee, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 April 5 - Board of Trustees Finance and Administration Committee Public Notice, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 April 5 - Finance and Administration Committee (recording), Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 February 16 - Board of Trustees Academic, Research, and Student Success Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 February 16 - Board of Trustees Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 February 16 - Board of Trustees Audit Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 February 16 - Board of Trustees Finance and Administration Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 February 16 - Board of Trustees Public Notice, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2024 February 16 - Board of Trustees (recording), Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
Meetings from 2023
2023 November 17 - Board of Trustees Academic, Research, and Student Success Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2023 November 17 - Board of Trustees Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2023 November 17 - Board of Trustees Audit Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2023 November 17 - Board of Trustees Finance and Administration Committee Agenda and Minutes, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2023 November 17 - Board of Trustees Public Notice, Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
2023 November 17 - Board of Trustees (recording), Board of Trustees, East Tennessee State University
