Duties of the Board of Trustees:

The board has general supervision of the institution and the control and direction of all expenditures from the institutions funds. It shall, as often as necessary, elect a president of the institution under its supervision, who shall be the principal executive officer of the institution and be ex-officio a member of the board without the right to vote. The board also appoints the treasurer and secretary of the board. For full information regarding the duties of the Board of Trustees, please refer to their Bylaws.

Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1963

Northern Michigan University was established through the State Constitution (Article 8 §4). The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Northern Michigan University. The 8-member board is appointed by the governor to 8- year terms with the advice and consent of the senate (Article 8 §6).