Trusteeship Articles By Topic: Board Structure And Practice

A board must establish a set of operational rules of engagement if it is going to appropriately fulfill its obligations.

"May you live in interesting times." While the source of thisexpression is unknown, its meaning is clear. The more "interesting" the times, the more challenging you will find them. Certainly this academic year proved to be among the most "interesting" in memory, and one suspects that next year will be more of the same.

Just as students leave campus after graduation ceremonies, commencements also may spell an end of the terms of some governing board members. With new people joining the cadre of continuing members, many boards choose this time of year to conduct an orientation session for new trustees, to help them learn about the responsibilities they have agreed to undertake and the institutions they will serve. Others plan board retreats away from campus, where board members and key administrators can contemplate issues of mission and future direction.

Financial and student-enrollment issues are now pressing mightily on colleges and universities. Does it seem an odd time to bring up academic affairs as the subject for a T'ship 101 article? No! It is at just such times that governing boards must attend most carefully to their institutions' missions and the quality of learning and scholarly work they provide. Declining resources can threaten that precious quality.

The September/October issue of Trusteeship featured an article by Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, addressing three seemingly competing challenges for higher education--the "iron triangle" of increasing access, improving quality, and controlling costs. Secretary Duncan identified many problems that need to be solved, including mission creep and smorgasbord curricula; alignment of curricula for K-12 and higher education; articulation agreements between two- and four-year institutions; need-based financial aid; and support and remediation of underprepared students. These problems touch the core of a college or university's mission, vision, and strategic plan.

In these uncertain economic times, leadership is among the most frequently used (and misused) terms in public discourse. And the vast literature on this topic certainly encompasses considerable discussion of the policies and practices that can equalize leadership opportunities for women and people of color. In reviewing the status of women in leadership positions in higher education, however, it is apparent that despite this work, women continue to be a largely untapped resource, at least in the upper echelons of administration and policymaking. For women who seek appointments as presidents, chancellors, or trustees on college and university governing boards, the glass is less than half full.