NDU - Board of Visitors Charter

A. Official Designation: The Committee shall be known as the Board of Visitors National Defense University (hereafter referred to as the Board).

B. Objectives and Scope of Activities: The Board, under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), shall provide the Secretary of Defense, through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President of the National Defense University, independent advice and recommendations on organization management, curricula, methods of instruction, facilities and other matters of interest to the National Defense University. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or designee may act upon the Board’s advice and recommendations.

C. Board Membership: The Board shall be composed of not more than twenty-one Board Members appointed by the Secretary of Defense. Three of the twenty-one members are federal ex officio members: (a) the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; (b) the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration; and (c) the Department of State Director General. The other Board Members shall be eminent authorities in the field of national defense, academia, business, national security affairs, and the defense industry.

Board Members appointed by the Secretary of Defense, who are not full-time federal officers or employees, shall serve as Special Government Employees under the authority of 5 U.S.C. § 3109. With exception of the federal ex officio members, Board Members shall be appointed on an annual basis by the Secretary of Defense, and shall serve no more than fifteen years on the Board.

The Board Membership shall select the Board’s Chairperson and the Co-Chairperson from the total Board Membership, and this individual shall serve at the discretion of the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff or designee. Board Members shall, with the exception of travel and per diem for official travel, serve without compensation.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or designated representative may invite other distinguished Government officers to serve as non-voting observers of the Board, and appoint consultants, with special expertise, to assist the Board on an ad hoc basis.

D. Board Meetings: The Board shall meet at the call of the Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the President, National Defense University and the Chairperson, and the estimated number of Board meetings is two per year.

The Designated Federal Officer shall be a full-time or permanent part-time DoD employee, and shall be appointed in accordance with established DoD policies and procedures. In addition, the Designated Federal Officer shall attend all Board and subcommittee meetings.

The Board shall be authorized to establish subcommittees, as necessary and consistent with its mission, and these subcommittees or working groups shall operate under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. § 552b, as amended), and other appropriate Federal regulations.

Such subcommittees or workgroups shall not work independently of the chartered Board, and shall report all their recommendations and advice to the Board for full deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees or workgroups have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the chartered Board nor can they report directly to the Department of Defense or any Federal officers or employees who are not Board Members.

E. Duration of the Board: The need for this advisory function is on a continuing basis; however, it is subject to renewal every two years.

F. Agency Support: The Department of Defense, through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President of the National Defense University, shall provide support as deemed necessary for the performance of the Board’s functions, and shall ensure compliance with the requirements of 5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended.

G. Termination Date: The Board shall terminate upon completion of its mission or two years from the date this Charter is filed, whichever is sooner, unless the Secretary of Defense extends it.

H. Operating Costs: It is estimated that the operating costs, to include travel costs and contract support, for this Board is $60,000.00. The estimated personnel costs to the Department of Defense are 0.6 full-time equivalents (FTEs).

I. Recordkeeping: The records of the Board and its subcommittees shall be handled according to section 2, General Records Schedule 26 and appropriate DoD policies and procedures. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act of 1966 (5 U.S.C. § 552, as amended).