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Public-College Boards and State Politics

By  Brian O’Leary, 
Lindsay Ellis,  Jack Stripling,  and  Dan Bauman
September 25, 2020

Our interactive maps show which party controls the majority of appointments to colleges’ governing boards in each state — and where the money goes.

For more information about political boards, read The Chronicle’s full investigation and takeaways.

Majority Rules

Many public flagship university board members undergo a political-appointment process, whether it be through direct appointment by governors or with the approval of lawmakers. Looking at all board members that go through any type of political appointment process, this map shows which party controls the majority of appointments to those boards in each state. (For example, North Carolina is red because even though it has a Democratic governor, its board members are appointed entirely by the Republican-dominated Senate and House.)

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Our interactive maps show which party controls the majority of appointments to colleges’ governing boards in each state — and where the money goes.

For more information about political boards, read The Chronicle’s full investigation and takeaways.

Majority Rules

Many public flagship university board members undergo a political-appointment process, whether it be through direct appointment by governors or with the approval of lawmakers. Looking at all board members that go through any type of political appointment process, this map shows which party controls the majority of appointments to those boards in each state. (For example, North Carolina is red because even though it has a Democratic governor, its board members are appointed entirely by the Republican-dominated Senate and House.)

Board members who have not been confirmed or who were appointed through a multi-step political process that was controlled by two different parties are not represented in the tally of Democratic or Republican appointees.

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Map Key
  • Republican
  • Democratic
  • Bipartisan
  • Elected
AK
VT
NH
MA
ME
WA
MT
ND
SD
MN
WI
MI
NY
CT
RI
OR
ID
WY
NE
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CA
NV
UT
CO
KS
MO
KY
WV
DC
MD
DE
AZ
NM
OK
AR
TN
VA
NC
TX
LA
MS
AL
GA
SC
HI
FL

Mapping Donations

The Chronicle identified $19.7 million that politically appointed flagship-university governing-board members made to campaigns or political causes within the states in which they serve. This map shows the ratio of donations, which exclude federal contributions, to Democrats or Republicans. In many but not all states, money largely flows from board members to the party that controls appointments.

Map Key
  • >75% Republican
  • >50% Republican
  • >50% Democratic
  • >75% Democratic
  • N/A
AK
VT
NH
MA
ME
WA
MT
ND
SD
MN
WI
MI
NY
CT
RI
OR
ID
WY
NE
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CA
NV
UT
CO
KS
MO
KY
WV
DC
MD
DE
AZ
NM
OK
AR
TN
VA
NC
TX
LA
MS
AL
GA
SC
HI
FL

Who’s in Control?

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More than 400 board members governing public flagship universities assume their roles through a multistep political process, which requires the involvement of at least two chambers of government. This table illustrates the political-party control of those chambers for each board member’s appointment and confirmation. It also indicates the percentage of each board appointed through a process controlled by a single political party. Click the states for more information on board membership and current state government control. (States designated N/A do not go through a multistep political process, though they may go through a one-step political process.)

Table Key Appointing body Confirming body
  • Single-party Republican
  • Republican / Not yet confirmed
  • Republican / Unknown
  • Independent / Republican
  • Republican / Democratic
  • Democratic / Republican
  • Single-party Democratic
  • Democratic / Not yet confirmed
All states
  • All states
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Methodology:
The Chronicle identified members of governing boards of public flagship universities as of July 1, 2020. If a flagship was governed by an institution-level board and a system-level board, the system-level board was selected.

The Chronicle analyzed 411 board members who underwent a multistep political-appointment process, identifying which members were appointed and confirmed by governors and legislative majorities of the same political party. (In a single case, New Hampshire, political-party control of an executive council, not a legislative body, was analyzed, as in that state these elected officials confirm appointments).

Appointment and confirmation dates were drawn from legislative records, gubernatorial proclamations, and, in some cases, news reports. This information was cross-referenced with political-party control information compiled by Ballotpedia, a nonprofit, nonpartisan website.

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Excluded from this analysis were board members who fill seats specifically designated for students, faculty, and staff members; alumni leaders; business leaders; and government officials, including governors and agency commissioners.

In a separate analysis, The Chronicle reviewed 535 flagship-university board members who took their positions through any political appointment or confirmation process and, with Ballotpedia, determined party control of that process. Using donation records held by FollowTheMoney, The Chronicle identified these board members’ contributions to campaigns or political causes within the states in which they serve, excluding federal contributions.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Political Influence & ActivismLaw & PolicyLeadership & Governance
Brian O’Leary
Brian O’Leary is an interactive news editor at The Chronicle, where he builds data visualizations and other interactive news products. Email him at brian.oleary@chronicle.com.
Lindsay Ellis
Lindsay Ellis, a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, previously covered research universities, workplace issues, and other topics for The Chronicle.
Jack Stripling
Jack Stripling was a senior writer at The Chronicle, where he covered college leadership, particularly presidents and governing boards. Follow him on Twitter @jackstripling.
Dan Bauman
Dan Bauman is a reporter who investigates and writes about all things data in higher education. Tweet him at @danbauman77, or email him at dan.bauman@chronicle.com.
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