The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Shippensburg University. There have been trustees in place since the university began as the Cumberland Valley State Normal School in 1873. John Agustus Colwell McCune was instrumental in its organization. He worked closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Common Schools as early as 1869 to establish the normal school after members of the Shippensburg community decided they wanted a normal school in their district. State Superintendent Wickersham worked with stockholders to elect where the new school would be located, and on May 2, 1870 the aforementioned elected the following men to be the first members of the Board of Trustees: S.M. Wherry, A.J. Miller, R.C. Hays, E.J. McCune, J.A.C. McCune, J.H. Hubley, John A. Craig, G.R. Dykeman, William Mell, R.C. Himes, C.L. Shade, T.P. Blair, and John Graybill. These men began the business of organizing the Normal School in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. They had to acquire land, stockholders, building supplies, builders, and employees. They established by-laws ca. 1870 that detailed the election process of members of the Board of Trustees, meetings of the board, duties of the officers of the board, duties of the committees organized from the board, and how officers of the school would be appointed. In 1914, the normal school was bought by the state. At this time, the number of trustees was reduced from 18 to 9. They would no longer be elected by stockholders and the superintendent, but by the State Council of Education. The current Board of Trustees must follow the rules and governing body of the Department of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Board of Trustees continues to be the governing body of Shippensburg University but is now called the Council of Trustees. The current role of the Council of Trustees is as follows: to make recommendations to the chancellor for the appointment, detention, or dismissal of the president following consultation with students, faculty, and alumni; to assist the president in developing proper relations and understanding between the institution and its programs and the public, in order to serve the interests and needs of both; to review and approve the recommendations of the president as to standards for the admission, discipline and expulsion of students; to review and approve the recommendations of the president pertaining to policies and procedures governing the use of institutional facilities and property; to approve schools and academic programs; to review and approve the recommendations of the president pertaining to annual operating and capital budget requirements for forwarding to the Board; to review and approve changes for room and board and other fees except student activity fees; to conduct an annual physical inspection of facilities and make recommendations regarding maintenance and construction to the Board; to review and approve all contracts and purchases negotiated or awarded by the president with or without competitive bidding and all contracts for consultative services entered by the president; to represent the institution at official functions of the Commonwealth; to take such other action as may be necessary to effectuate the powers and duties herein delegated. In accordance with the evaluation procedure established by the Board, each council shall conduct an evaluation of the president and forward the results of that evaluation with recommendation to the chancellor for submission to the Board. Board members serve six-year terms and can be reappointed by the Governor with no limit