A Polity for the College was first instituted in 1945 by St. John’s College President and New Program founder Stringfellow Barr, who requested, “the type of polity that might service the college community best and would be appropriately adapted to and coordinated with the aims of the program.” Since that time the Polity has remained the college’s principal governing document, overseen by the Board in consultation with the faculty, and subject to a quinquennial review.

In 2025, this review process culminated in a re-envisioning of the college’s governing documents into three primary and interrelated texts:

• ​​​​​​Polity—focused on the college’s core shared governing principles
• Board Bylaws—guiding the self-governance of the Board of Visitors and Governors​​​​​
• Faculty Constitution—guiding the self-governance of the faculty across both campuses

These documents and historical governing documents can be found at the link below.

Download Governing Documents of the College