Carnegie Mellon University

University Leadership and Governance

The Carnegie Mellon Board of Trustees bears ultimate responsibility for the university, its policies, organization, financing and governance. 

The board appoints the president, to whom it delegates operating responsibilities for the university, and it provides ongoing counsel to the president, sets strategic directions, and approves budgets and policies.

The president, in collaboration with trustees and members of the university community, appoints the senior administration, including the provost, who is the chief academic officer overseeing the educational mission of the university and deans. The president also serves as a national and international ambassador for the university community and acts on behalf of the Board of Trustees, which delegates its authority to him.