The Governance Committee of Common App’s Board of Directors recruits and recommends candidates for Board service. We welcome applications from chief admission officers at Common App member institutions and full-time secondary school counselors or counselors employed by not-for-profit college access programs.
We invite you to complete the application if you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors. If you’d like to nominate a colleague, you can do so using this nomination form. Please review the requirements below for more information on eligibility, timeline, and board service.
While titles may vary, eligible individuals work at Common App member institutions, generally hold senior policy positions within their institutions, and oversee undergraduate admissions as part of their portfolio
These attributes are always a priority to the Governance Committee:
These attributes are especially important for the coming Board application cycle:
Eligible candidates may nominate themselves by completing the Board of Directors application. Common App members can also nominate their colleagues through a simplified form. Any nominated individual who is eligible for board service will be invited to complete an application.
Mission
Common App is a not-for-profit membership association committed to the pursuit of access, equity, and integrity in the college admission process.
Vision
Be the trusted source to access, afford, and attain opportunity for all.
About the organization
The Common Application was founded in 1975 on the principle of establishing a shared admission application, thereby reducing logistical barriers and increasing access to college. Today, our membership has evolved to include more than 1,000 colleges and universities representing a wide range of higher education in the United States and overseas. This year, more than one million students will apply using the Common App, and a growing number of those students are first-generation or come from underrepresented minority populations. Our rich history provides the foundation for our future direction: to be the trusted source to access, afford, and attain opportunity for all. In further service to that vision, former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher campaign joined Common App in January 2019 and operates as one of the organization’s initiatives.
Role of the board of directors
The Common App Board of Directors is a governing board charged with setting the direction of the organization, advancing the mission, ensuring long-term financial health and sustainability, and guiding strategic policy decisions.
Each board director has a Duty of Care and a Duty of Responsibility to the organization. Together, these require board directors to exercise judgment and diligence in carrying out their responsibilities; to disclose and avoid conflicts of interest; to maintain confidentiality; and to always consider what is in the organization’s best interest, irrespective of any other affiliations they may have.
Common App has no financial gift expectation of its board members
Composition of the board of directors
When fully constituted, the Board of Directors is comprised of the following individuals:
Term length
Beginning in July 2023, Board directors serve a term of four years. A Chair-elect is identified during the first year of a new Chair’s term and spends one full year preparing to take the position of Chair. Upon becoming Board Chair, the Chair vacates their seat on the board and begins a special three-year leadership term, serving two years as Chair and one as Past-Chair.
Meeting schedule
The Board of Directors meets in person three times per year:
New board directors participate in orientation sessions in the summer following their election, and board directors are encouraged to attend Illuminate, Common App’s annual member conference.
Common App will reimburse expenses for all travel related to board obligations.
Committee service
Committees advance a significant amount of the board’s work and are supported by a designated staff liaison. They may meet in-person during board meetings but more frequently meet virtually as needed between board meetings. Committee assignments are made by the Board Chair.
All directors serve on one of the following committees: Audit, Governance, and Finance. As the needs of the board dictate, directors may also serve on a short-term task force with a specific charge.
Directors and officers liability insurance
Board directors are required to act with the care that a reasonably prudent person would follow under similar circumstances. All board directors and committee members are covered under Common App's Directors and Officers Liability Insurance (D&O). Our non-profit D&O policy provides broad coverage for both the organization and the volunteer and paid individuals who serve it. This coverage includes defense costs as well as expenses for settlements and judgments.
Additional questions
For more information, please contact us at governance@commonapp.org.
If you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors, we invite you to complete the application. If you’d like to nominate a colleague, you can do so using this nomination form.