According to the American University Bylaws (Article III, Section 2), Trustees other than ex officio members and members described in Section 5 of this Article III shall be divided into three approximately equal classes. Each year, one of the classes shall go out of office and successors be elected.

Ex-Officio Trustees

Sylvia M. Burwell
The president of American University holds a non-voting ex-officio seat on the Board.

Reverend Greg Bergquist
The general secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church holds an ex-officio seat on the Board.

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling
The bishop of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church holds an ex-officio seat on the Board.

John Q. Heywood; Elizabeth A. Worden
Faculty trustees hold their non-voting positions on the Board from their executive position on the university's Faculty Senate. That is, the chair of the Faculty Senate holds a two-year term on the Board of Trustees, and the immediate past chair holds a one-year term on the Board.

Student Trustee & Trustee-Elect

Benjamin M. Holtzman (Trustee) and Anusha S. Mannam (Trustee-Elect)
Two full-time University students will hold non-voting positions on the Board, nominated by the Trusteeship Committee from among one or more candidates submitted to the Board by the University's undergraduate Student Government, the Washington College of Law Student Bar Association and the University's Graduate Leadership Council.

Updated October 2020