Board orientation provides a unique forum for an institution to help new board members understand the roles and responsibilities expected of them. It is a chance, too, to share essential information that the college or university thinks new trustees need to know. Moreover, it is an opportunity for the institution to bring new members up to date…

Canadian public school board trustees are generally chosen by way of public ballot in civic elections. A comparison of board governance literature to a local narrative account of public school board elections exposes several gaps between espoused democratic ideals and the realities of public engagement in trustee selection. I investigate the…

How can a person be certain that the potential trustee he is considering is right for his board? How can that candidate be certain that one's institution and board are right for him? Answers to these questions are vital. Courting a candidate for the board of a private college or university means spending time and money, and with budgets…

The vast majority of research that examines public boards of trustees concerns the role and responsibility boards are given after they have been formed. However, a key step that is regularly overlooked in predicting or evaluating the performance of a board is the appointment of its trustees. To begin to address this fundamental "first…

An argument is presented opposing a previous proposal that community college boards of trustees contain student, faculty, and administrative representatives. The author feels that the interests of these and other special groups could best be served through citizens' advisory groups. (NF)

The high rate of turnover of college presidents, the scarcity of willing replacements and haphazard recruitment methods are symptoms of a lack of clearly defined administrative needs--one of the most serious management problems in colleges and universities. Directionless institutions in this revolutionary era are likely to surrender to factional…

Author feels that trustees must abandon their traditional secrecy and open their meetings to the public and to students. (GB)

This study examines the value of school board experience as a political apprenticeship for a group of 10 politicians in Canada who went on to successful careers in the House of Commons or the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Structured indepth interviews focused on the study's principal concerns: political socialization, political…

In Canada, acclamation occurs when there are not enough candidates nominated for particular seats to force election campaigns. The candidates are then automatically declared elected, and the election process is aborted. This paper identifies cohorts of newly elected trustees and tracks them through a series of elections to determine the…

Like other states, Virginia has faced serious economic challenges. In recent years, the state has had to close $6 billion in budget shortfalls. Early in Governor Mark Warner's administration, he and his administration came to an important conclusion: while money matters, the quality of higher education depends on the quality of its leaders--its…

Eighteen recommendations by the National Commission on Trustee Selection on trustee selection in the public sector, including appointment by the governor, having a nominating committee to assess needs and conduct search, and provision of an orientation program are presented. (Author/MLW)

The nature of college governing boards and advisory boards and considerations for choosing board members are discussed. Governing boards are the kind found in nonprofit colleges and are the policy-making body of the college. Advisory boards are generally found in for-profit colleges and are used more on a programmatic basis usually tied to the…

This short review examines the recent literature describing the trustee, his views, the board and its functions, and gives suggestions to improve the performance of governing boards. Included is a discussion of (1) authority and duties of governing boards, (2) presidential selection, (3) the trustee and his views, (4) arguments about the role of…

Offers ideas on ways in which private schools can recruit able trustees and recommends a seven-step process for nominating trustees, including examining the present board and school goals and needs; soliciting suggestions; ranking, screening, and meeting candidates; and selecting and approaching the final slate of nominees. (RW)