Policy Search
Organization – General Provisions
| EWU Policy 101-03 | Authority: EWU Board of Trustees |
| Effective: December 9, 2022 | Proponent: University President |
Purpose: This policy establishes standard procedures for addressing or otherwise communicating with the Board of Trustees.
History: This policy revises and supersedes a previous version of the policy dated September 28, 2012. It was approved by the Board of Trustees on December 9, 2022.
Applicability: This policy applies to all persons and groups desiring to communicate with the Board of Trustees of Eastern Washington University.
1. Written Communication
Any person who wishes to bring a matter to the attention of the Board of Trustees may do so by email to boardoftrustees@ewu.edu. The Board assistant shall provide the information to each Board member. For virtual meetings, attendees are not permitted to virtually chat with trustees during the Board meeting and will need to either communicate during the open comment period or via email subsequent to the meeting.
2. Addressing the Board
a. General
Members of the public are welcome to address the Board of Trustees at regular and special meetings of the Board.
Comments should pertain to the agenda or University-related matters.
The purpose of public comments is to provide information to the Board, and not to evoke an exchange with Board members. Questions that Board members may have resulting from public comments will generally be referred to appropriate staff for response.
b. Scheduled Public Comment Periods
For each regular and special meeting of the Board of Trustees, ten minutes shall be scheduled for public comments. If no one has signed in (para d.) to speak, the Board may proceed with other business.
c. Time Limits for Speakers
In fairness to all speakers who wish to speak, and to allow the Board to hear from as many speakers as possible, the Board Chair may place reasonable restrictions upon the time for each speaker, and may ask multiple speakers on the same topic to limit their presentations.
Persons addressing the Board will typically have 2-3 minutes to speak. Speakers may not exceed established time limits unless specifically permitted by the Board Chair.
d. Sign-In
A sign-in sheet will be made available at each regular and special meeting of the Board. Members of the public who wish to address the Board must complete the sign-in sheet, providing, at a minimum, their name and the subject of their comments. When a meeting allows for virtual attendance, attendees who wish to speak must use the “Raise Hand” or similar feature and wait to be recognized. Virtual participants will be unmuted and asked to provide their first and last name for the record before proceeding with comments. All virtual comments will be audio only. The Board Chair will call on speakers in the order they have signed-in. After the last person listed has spoken, the Board may continue with other business.
e. Board Committees
Meetings of the standing committees of the Board are open to public comment when the Board has delegated authority to the committee to act on a particular matter.
f. Responsibilities and Expectations
Speakers are expected to make the best use of the public comment opportunity and to follow the rules established.
g. Special Accommodations
Anyone wishing to address the Board who needs any special accommodation should contact the University President’s office, at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting so appropriate arrangements can be made. The President’s office may be contacted by phone at (509) 359-6362, or by email to president@ewu.edu.
3. Public Records & Recording
All materials submitted to the Board of Trustees, whether written correspondence, reports, or oral statements, are considered public records and may be subject to disclosure. Board meetings may be photographed, videotaped, webcasted, or otherwise recorded. Anyone who communicates with the Board or participates in a Board meeting consents to the recording, disclosure, and publication of their name, image, and comments.
