Since its founding in 1909 Knox College and later Salmond College in 1971 were governed by the Council of Knox College and Salmond College Inc. The Council was appointed by, and accountable to, the Presbyterian Church's Council of Assembly, acting on behalf of the General Assembly. In January 2012, following three heavily critical reviews of Knox College in previous years - one a seven-year review conducted by the Presbyterian Church's Council of Assembly, and two other earlier five-year reviews conducted by the University of Otago - the Council of Assembly appointed a Commission to assume temporary governance of the colleges in order to address matters raised in the reviews. Part of the Commission's brief was to propose a new governance structure that would better suit the current and future needs of the colleges in an increasingly demanding regulatory environment.
This led in 2015 to the dissolution of the Council of Knox College and Salmond College Inc. and the appointment of the Board of Knox College and Salmond College. The Board comprises ten members, and is currently chaired by Professor Murray Rae, who is a Professor of Theology at the University of Otago where he teaches courses in Christian Theology and Ethics. The profile of the current Board members can be found on our Board Members Page. The Board meets monthly and, is fully accountable for running its own affairs and appointing its staff and charting its direction. The Chairman is appointed by the Presbyterian Church's Council of Assembly and accountable to them with all other Board members ratified by the Council on the recommendation of the Board Chair.
