What Independent Boards Do

Set and clarify mission and purpose
An institution's mission statement should be a succinct and clearly worded description of its broad purpose, its distinctiveness, and who it primarily serves. It should enable trustees to judge the appropriateness of various institutional plans, budgeting and resource-allocation decisions, academic restructuring, and other strategic and policy decisions. Reaffirming or changing the institution's mission statement ultimately is a governing board responsibility, shared with the chief executive and faculty, and perhaps with alumni and others. It should be changed cautiously, only after campus-wide consultation with key constituents. In the end, however, the board has ultimate authority to make adjustments.

Support the president
Boards support their presidents in many ways, beginning with establishing conditions of employment appropriate to the vulnerabilities of the presidency. This includes setting fair compensation, given the enormity of the president's responsibilities and the high expectations of so many. Board members can demonstrate their support as well by faithfully attending meetings, making substantial gifts to the institution and persuading others to do so, showing interest in the issues and opportunities that preoccupy the president, and offering an encouraging word now and then--especially by acknowledging accomplishments and progress.

Additionally, boards can show support for a president by defending unpopular--but appropriate--decisions most chief executives eventually must make. This practice should not suppress critique, however; capable and confident presidents are able to benefit from candid and informed suggestions from board members. But public criticism is always harmful (and can presage trouble) even when it is followed by private apology.

Further, when disgruntled faculty or staff take grievances directly to the board (increasingly commonplace), trustees must side with the president or at least remain neutral until all facts are known. Additionally, they should quickly relate the substance of such conversations to the president. The sound practice of "no surprises" between the board and the chief executive should prevail.

Board support of the president is most evident when both parties understand their unique partnership and carry out their complementary roles in an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust, and open communication. The only place a chief executive can look to for consistent support is the governing board.

Assess board performance
Every board should assess its own performance as part of its fiduciary responsibility to ensure the institution is sound. By doing so, the board sends a signal to the entire academic community that it is committed to improved performance at all levels of the institution.

The assessment need not be complicated or tedious. A written survey completed by individual trustees and the president can provide perspective and insight that reinvigorates the entire board, enables individual trustees to become better acquainted with one another (particularly important on independent boards, which tend to be larger than public boards), and raises issues and concerns that typically do not surface during regular meetings.

A special board workshop or retreat for this purpose every three or four years can improve board and presidential morale and strengthen working relationships. It also is one of the most effective forms of trustee orientation. Because boards and presidents are likely to view their relationships differently, retreats are best organized and conducted by an experienced facilitator who can bring objectivity to the discussion.

Participate in fund-raising
Trustees are expected to make annual gifts in proportion to their capacity. Further, they are expected to help raise money--directly and indirectly. A mark of an effective board and a fully engaged individual trustee is the ability and willingness to give and to influence others to give. Trustees must set the example for others, expect giving from one another, and lead the way to successful fund-raising initiatives.

If one accepts the privilege of serving on an independent college or university board, the responsibility to serve it well and ensure its financial viability is implicit. If the institution is not at the top of the trustee's priorities to give time and money, he or she should relinquish the position. Trusteeship and philanthropy go together.

Ensure good management
One mark of a well-managed institution is that revenues and expenditures are in balance, although this principle may have little or no bearing on the quality of the academic programs or the institution's graduates. Also important to good management are the quality of the faculty and their commitment to their disciplines, their departments, and their institution; good risk-management policies and practices; the quality of the senior management team; the adequacy of student and faculty due process policies and procedures and how well the institution adheres to them; compliance with state and federal laws and regulations; the condition of the physical plant; the size and performance of the endowment--and much more.

For the board to carry out this responsibility effectively, it must review data that determine and forecast the institution's overall financial condition. The chief executive and senior administrators should prepare reports in executive summary formats that include comparative data from previous fiscal quarters or years and trend data that project the institution's probable performance. Above all, trustees should be informed, alert, and proactive with regard to their fiduciary responsibility. They must not shy away from asking for the information they need, nor should they hesitate to probe for information by asking challenging questions. Additionally, trustees must ask for clarification on issues that may be presented in an unfamiliar or unintelligible way.

Preserve institutional independence
The principles and practices of self-regulation are increasingly important, as pressures from governments for more accountability strain institutional independence. Voluntary institutional accreditation and volunteer governing boards provide a healthy distance between campus and capitol, but trustees must ensure that their institutions continue to earn the right to maximum freedom from government intrusion.

Institutional accreditation reviews can help governing boards meet their responsibility to assess the institution's performance. But it remains to be seen whether the accrediting agencies can cope with many new pressures. The continuous process of accreditation reform should be a major concern of all trustees and presidents.

Relate campus to community and community to campus
Because trustees often have one collective foot firmly planted in "the real world" and the other in "the academic world," they are uniquely positioned to serve as liaison between both. Sometimes, the board and its leaders must defend policies and explain institutional actions to their communities. Other times, the faculty and administration benefit from occasional doses of reality trustees offer. Trustees are advocates, "loving critics," institutional ambassadors, and public representatives. As such, they exercise important civic responsibilities.

A key issue trustees face is the institution's responsibility to be inclusive in its admissions, aid, hiring practices, and board composition. As the demographics of the nation continue to change, trustees should understand the practical and moral implications of this principle for their institution.