Created at the request of southern political and education leaders, the Board brings together educators, government officials, and other regional leaders to advance education and thereby improve the social and economic life of its member states. Working directly with state governments, academic institutions, and other agencies, the Board conducts research and reports on needs, problems, and developments in education; coordinates cooperative programs to upgrade training in undergraduate, graduate, professional and technical education; and administers interstate arrangements for regional educational services and institutions. These reciprocal agreements provide quality education without developing expensive specialized programs in each state.
Sixteen states are Board members: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The Board's governing body consists of eighty members. These include the governor and four others from each member state, one of whom must be a state legislator and one an educator. All are chosen by the governor for four-year terms (Code Education Article, secs. 25-201 through 25-205).
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