The Auburn University Board of Trustees is the legal governing body and has the final authority for Auburn University. The administration of Auburn University is unified in the Office of the University President, or Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Trustees appoints and delegates day-to-day, administrative responsibilities to the University President, who implements policies and procedures consistent with the mission and vision of the university.

Presidential Fund-Raising Responsibilities

Among other responsibilities as CEO, the University President controls the institution’s fund-raising activities, pursuant to Section 6.02(a) of the Bylaws of the Board of Trustees.

The University President gives day-to-day administration of the fund-raising activities to the Senior Vice President for Advancement (SVP for Advancement). Reporting to Auburn University's President, the SVP for Advancement is a member of the University Leadership and responsible for collaborating with the Board of Trustees, the Auburn University Foundation Board of Directors, the Auburn University Alumni Association and its Board of Directors, the deans of all the university’s colleges, and the athletic foundation. In addition, the SVP for Advancement oversees and is responsible for departments including Philanthropy, Engagement & Alumni Association, Communications and Marketing, Operations & Strategy, and Talent & Culture in accordance with the Office of  Advancement's mission, vision, and strategic plan. The SVP for Advancement meets weekly in President Cabinet meetings and attends monthly meetings directly with the University President. Sample meeting agendas are included as evidence for such meetings. A job description and current resume of Auburn’s SVP for Advancement are also provided as evidence.

The University President is regularly involved in donor events both locally and across the country. The University President works closely with the Office for Advancement and the Auburn University Alumni Association to attend and participate in numerous events and meetings. With the recent appointment of Auburn University’s 21^st President, attached are Office of Advancement engagement itineraries, press releases, and communications between the initial announcement in February and the University President taking office in May of 2022.

The Auburn University Foundation maintains and coordinates data tracking of annual stewardship reports on endowment and other major gifts from donors and their representatives. The SVP for Advancement serves as the President of the Auburn University Foundation and the University President serves as an ex officio member of the Auburn University Foundation Board of Directors. Meeting minutes for the Auburn University Foundation Board of Directors are provided as evidence showing presidential oversight.

The Endowment Investment Office provides endowment management support to Auburn University, the Auburn University Foundation, the Tigers Unlimited Foundation, and the Auburn Alumni Association. As a department of Business and Finance and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Endowment Investment Office’s responsibilities involve reporting endowment activities to the appropriate boards, monitoring the investment portfolios, working with the investment consultants and managers to optimize the performance of the portfolios, and other endowed related activities. The Endowment Investment Office has a director who reports directly to the CFO and collaborates with the Office for Advancement.

All gifts to the university are subject to the rules on the acceptance of gifts as prescribed by the Gift Acceptance Policy and Sponsored Projects Policy, the Auburn University Development Accounting Policies and Procedures, Auburn University Pledge Policy, and the Auburn University Endowment Fund Investment Fund Policy Statement.

Board of Trustees Committee on Institutional Advancement 

In practicing shared governance as it relates to fund-raising, the Board of Trustees created and utilizes the Committee on Institutional Advancement. The committee may consider and provide recommendations to the Board of Trustees on policies related to fundraising efforts. The committee is comprised of all voting members of the Board of Trustees, one or more faculty members, and one or more members from affiliated or support organizations. The faculty members and members from affiliated or support organizations to serve as ex officio, non-voting members of the committee are submitted by university leadership (i.e., the University Senate) to the University President. The University President then makes recommendations to the President Pro Tempore of the Board of Trustees for approval. Board of Trustees meeting minutes are provided as evidence for the Committee on Institutional Advancement.

Summary

The SVP for Advancement is appointed by, reports to, and serves at the pleasure of the University President to manage all fund-raising activities at Auburn University. Through this organizational structure and regular engagement, Auburn’s CEO, the University President, has ultimate responsibility for, and exercises appropriate control over, the institution’s fund-raising activities.