Office of the Boards of Advisors

The Office of the Boards of Advisors is the component of the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President that administers the Boards of Advisors Program, which includes boards for the Schools of Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Medicine and Dental Medicine, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, the Friedman School of Nutrition, the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, the Tisch College of Citizenship & Public Service, and the Athletics Program as well as the International Board of Advisors.

Mission of the Boards of Advisors Program

In 1986, the Board of Trustees of Tufts University established a network of Boards of Advisors to serve as an important resource to the senior administration and to the trustees as they work to guide the further development of the university and its schools, and to expand awareness of Tufts’ excellence and contributions nationally and internationally.

There are ten boards, one for each of the schools, one for the Department of Athletics and an International Board of Advisors. These boards comprise more than 230 people of national and international stature from business, health sciences, academia and other fields. The Boards of Advisors work with the deans, provost and president to address Tufts’ needs and aspirations. While formal institutional governance and fiduciary responsibility for the university rests solely with its Board of Trustees, the Boards of Advisors bring their breadth of knowledge and experience to play a key role in the advancement of Tufts University’s reputation and capabilities around the globe.

Advisors have three primary responsibilities:

1. To be articulate spokespersons for and ambassadors of the university among alumni, friends, associates, and colleagues;
2. To advise, counsel and support the administration to further the mission of the university;
3. To place Tufts as a primary philanthropic priority by giving to the school or department served and assisting in securing additional resources essential to further advance the university’s teaching, research, and service missions.