Board of Trustee members educated on Quaker business practices
As Wilmington College embarks upon its second 150 years, its affiliation as a Quaker college continues to enrich the campus experience for students, faculty, staff and trustees.
PICTURED: Dover Friends Monthly Meeting house
President Trevor Bates has enjoyed getting to know the area Religious Society of Friends community through outreach to numerous Quaker meetings and their mother group, the Wilmington Yearly Meeting (WYM). Quakers founded the College in 1870 and continue to maintain a close relationship with the institution.
WC's historic affiliation with the local Quaker community is well known but many persons close to the College are unaware of the legal relationship in which the WYM must approve any amendments to the College's Articles of Incorporation, as well as approve all new members of the Board of Trustees. In fact, a majority of Board members must be Quakers.
Also, the Yearly Meeting names a College Committee whose charge is to monitor and cultivate the relationship between the College and WYM communities. Douglas Woodmansee, professor emeritus of biology, is a local Friend and leader of the Wilmington Yearly Meeting's College Committee. He gave a presentation to the Board of Trustees in fall 2020 that described the historic relationship between the entities and shared the model for Friends' business practices. A centerpiece is focused upon consensus decision-making that dates back to Quakers' early days in 17th century England.
He explained the process is designed to draw upon the expertise and perspectives of the entire group with the goals of attaining transparent and inclusive decisions. It also seeks to avoid the development of a minority with strong feelings on the topic who, under more traditional majority rules models, might feel dissatisfied with the outcome. There is an expectation that minority views will be heard, taken seriously and, if possible, accommodated.
