Last weekend’s Board of Trustees meeting welcomed four new board members: Pedro Aviles of Berwyn, Illinois; William J. Boer of Grand Rapids, Michigan; David Cok of Rochester, New York and Ray VanderKooi of Kentwood, Michigan.

These new trustees join a board of 31 members that hold Calvin administration accountable and help shape the decisions of the college.

The replacement of four previous members brings the female representation on the board from eight members down to seven, leaving the board over 75 percent male. Professionally, 46 percent of the board members are business leaders, most of them from Michigan; 26 percent hold professorial or school administrative positions. There are also several professionals on the board and three pastors.

According to Calvin’s bylaws, new trustees are appointed by the synod of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Eleven are selected on a regional basis, five additional regional representatives are selected as at-large trustees and up to 12 individuals are selected as “at-large” board members appointed by the synod upon nomination by the Calvin board of trustees. At-large trustees are elected to represent the whole governing body, rather than specific regions.

In addition, up to three individuals who are Calvin alumni are selected by the Board of Trustees and are appointed as “alumni trustees.” These nominations are provided by the Calvin College Alumni Association.

On October 22-25, the Board of Trustees met on campus to discuss upcoming decisions and hear updates from cabinet and Calvin committees.

To gain a better appreciation for discussion concerning campus spaces, Calvin staff led board members on a tour around campus of various “hot spots” targeted for renovations as part of the master plan process. They discussed the possibility of modernizing Commons Annex, the Commons and Knollcrest Dining Halls, the art department and the classrooms of Hiemenga Hall.

President Le Roy also shared key goals with the board, including completing the campus master plan, building the endowment balance and developing “the capacity and competence of the senior leadership team in the area of diversity,” according to the president’s report to the board.

Relating to personnel, the cabinet and board discussed the search for vice president of student life, which is currently underway, and the search for an executive associate to the president for diversity and inclusion, which will take place after the vice president search has been completed.

The board devoted much of its time on campus to communicating with different committees and departments and hearing updates about the past year.

“I think it was helpful for the board members to reflect on precisely what it is that we’re trying to do here,” said professor Kristin Du Mez, the faculty representative from the academic affairs committee. These conversations, she said, gave the board the chance to be “more involved in the central mission of the college.”