Whitman College Board of Trustees records

Collection

Identifier: WCA-078

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Board of Trustee records contain materials describing the function, duties, and organization of the Whitman College Board of Trustees, including the by-laws, as well as information on various members throughout college history. The collection contains records of activities such as building construction, college planning, committees, and donor relations. Types of materials include correspondence, memoranda, reports, and meetings minutes.

Dates

Creation: 1907-2012

Conditions Governing Access

Records of the Board of Trustees and its committees are closed for 30 years from the date of creation. Access to files spanning multiple years will be opened to researchers based on the date of the most recent materials. Student educational records such as credentials, grade sheets, correspondence, reports, notes, applications, and all other records pertaining to past and present students are governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and are restricted for 75 years from the date of creation. Personnel related files of the college's faculty and staff, including search, review, promotion, reappointment, tenure, and disciplinary/grievance records, are restricted for 75 years from the date of creation. Additional restrictions may apply to other materials in this collection. Restrictions are noted at the file level in the finding aid, and on red flags in the folders.

Historical Note

The Washington Territorial Legislature granted a charter to Whitman Seminary on December 20, 1859. On November 28, 1883, the legislature issued a new charter, changing the seminary into a four-year, degree-granting college. From the beginning, the institution has been governed by a Board of Trustees. The Trustees are responsible for the overarching policies that guide the trajectory of the college. Traditionally, committees of Trustees have concerned themselves with the major aspects of maintaining and running a college: finance, infrastructure, staff, curriculum, and student life.

Extent

23.7 Linear Feet (2 flat boxes, 4 manuscript boxes, 20 record cartons)

1 CDs

11 videoreels (1/2 inch)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Board of Trustees are responsible for the overarching policies that guide the trajectory of Whitman College. The Board of Trustees records contain materials describing the function, duties, and organization of the Whitman College Board of Trustees.

Arrangement

Arranged into five series: 1. Meeting Materials, 2. Committee Records, 3. Subject Files, 4. Ashton O. Donnell Files, and 5. Governing Boards correspondence.

Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures

The Whitman College and Northwest Archives cannot provide access to Audiovisual materials due to lack of required hardware. For more information, please contact the Archives.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Records have been periodically transferred by the Office of the President, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, and members of the Board of Trustees.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Dana Bronson, and the following students under her supervision: Kacey Godwin, West Bales, Rayana Weller, Colby Dragon, Zoe Henderson, and Katy Sassara.

The majority of the Trustees Records created prior to 1990 were kept in binders, and organized chronologically into two series: Meeting Materials and Committee Records. This order was maintained, and materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. The collection was arranged into series based on the original order of the records, and original folder titles were maintained when possible. Contents were not always verified against the folder titles for accuracy. While efforts were made to remove duplicate materials, there is likely some duplication across the different series because of the ad hoc manner in which these records were maintained and donated to the Archives. The entire collection was screened for restricted content by Dana Bronson in October 2019, and the appropriate restrictions were applied at the file-level.