Introduction

As a past board secretary and frequent speaker for the  Association of Governing Boards, I can tell you that most board members need guidance and support from institutional administrators.  After all, serving as a board member of a college or university is not their permanent job, nor should you assume that they have sufficient expertise in higher education administration.  Most board members are faithful alumni and/or major donors who have a keen interest in the success of the institution.  And although the President is primarily responsible for the care and feeding of the board, the Chief Academic Officer also has a role to play. Many Chief Academic Officers are charged with leading the discussion of the board’s academic affairs committee, and most CAO’s also provide annual reports on the state of the division or reports on accreditation issues and tenure decisions. You can help your board with careful preparation of your board materials and presentations.  The checklist below is designed to prompt your thinking about your role in educating and inspiring your public or private government board.¹

1.  The cardinal rule for board members is “Nose In, Fingers Out”.  Be sure when you’re seeking board input, that you’re seeking policy direction not administrative action.

2. When developing a slide or PowerPoint presentation, consider the board room.  Use a font and font size so that all board members can see your presentation easily from their seats. Keep your slide data to a minimum and use handouts for smaller charts and graphs.  Test your PowerPoint in Situ!  Or use at least 16-point fonts.

3. Rehearse your presentation with a trusted but critical friend.  Your presentation should run for no more than 15 minutes, especially if the material is complicated.  Remember, we are dealing with Adult Learners with short attention spans. 

4. Be sure you know what is appropriate for an open meeting and what is not.  Check your state statute (or ask your legal counsel for a copy).  In general, you should assume that personnel matters, real property transactions, and potential litigation should only be discussed in the executive session of a board or board committee meeting. 

5. When in doubt…report it.  Even if a matter doesn’t technically require board approval or a vote, you should error on the side of reporting the matter to the board at the earliest possible opportunity.  If the matter involves a Million dollars, has the potential to blow up, or may result in litigation, you’ll be better served if you report it early.

6. Reporting is not the same as asking the board to put their fingers in (See Rule 1 above).  Most board members simply want to know about the problem and want to know what you intend to do about it.  They may make suggestions, but ultimately it is the administrators who have been hired to resolve the matter, not the individual board members.

7. Reduce the risk of board members talking ex parte, by not sending blast emails which may tempt board members to discuss institutional matters outside of the board room.  In discovery during a trial, all relevant emails will be reviewed… keep you attorney happy by not creating records the institution has no control over.

8. Make the rounds.  Be sure your board members know you.  Meet them for coffee/lunch and find out more about them and let them find out more about your work.  If they only see you 3 or 4 times a year, it’s hard to build trust and confidence in your leadership.  

9. Show off your staff.  The board is unlikely to know all the people behind the scenes that make your institution run smoothly.  Take the opportunity in committee meetings to introduce some of your trusted academic and administrative leaders.  

10. Manage the agenda.  You should try to ensure that the entire board has had a presentation on each area of responsibility the board has that touches Academic Affairs.  Over the course of a 3-year term be sure your board members have had the chance to learn about your entire division including, tenure and promotion decisions and processes (including research and publications), academic program development, sponsored research including human subject matter research and intellectual property, as well as enrollment, accreditation, financial aid and student programming and success.

A final word….most board members are business leaders who deal with the mundane issues of their industry.  I believe that they will enjoy your institution’s board meetings when they are presented with information about the new and cutting-edge projects and programs going on at your institution.  Remember, they have volunteered their valuable time and talents to help you advance your institution.  Make sure their time spent at your institution shows off all that is wonderful about higher education and the vast possibilities and accomplishments of our industry.

I hope you find this checklist useful.² You can reach me at [email protected] 

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¹For a more in-depth discussion of board operations, please see my AGB publication Legal Primer for Board Operations, which I co-authored with Attorney Lawrence White, AGB Press, www.agb.org.

²Although the checklist is general and intended as a reminder, I wanted to provide you with information to help ensure institutional compliance and reduce risk. I hope you find the checklist helpful. And I welcome your feedback, so let me know what I can do to strengthen this document.  Please be sure to consult with your legal counsel on matters requiring legal advice.

Mary Kennard, Esq.
Senior Consultant, Academic Search.org