Offers a 25-question checklist for assessing whether an independent college or university governing board is adhering to best practices. The questions fall in the categories of "raise the bar," committee and board meetings, committee structure, and other initiatives. (EV)

Trustee involvement in mission, planning, and program review is discussed. New approaches to a mission statement can result in useful guides for institutional decision making in personnel and program planning, budgeting, and assessment. (MLW)

The structure and functions of the college executive committee are discussed. This committee is pivotal to the effective functioning of the board and to the support of the chairperson and the chief executive in their leadership roles. The committee can act on its own provided it does not assume powers specifically reserved for the board. The…

Discusses the growing trend of "activist trusteeship" in higher education, arguing that college and university governing boards and presidents must realize that their own effectiveness depends on their being able to support one another and negotiate their differences. Also maintains that chief executives and boards should make trustee…

A well-planned, well-executed orientation program can make an enormous difference to a new trustee or regent's future commitment and contribution to the institution. Orientation events not only carry enormous symbolic value, they also have the potential to convey a strong first impression of just how much the chief executive and board leaders…

Leading the board of a public academic institution or system of institutions is a daunting responsibility. The vicissitudes associated with open-meeting laws; the incessant quest by the news media for "scoops"; misunderstandings that can pervade appointed or elected trustees concerning their responsibilities and conduct; the advertent and…

Approaches to planning, conducting, and assessing workshops or retreats for college trustees and regents are suggested. It is claimed that the most successful workshops or retreats are those that fit into a comprehensive strategy of board development, and that it is important to decide what needs to be accomplished and to involve the board in…

This monograph, directed to trustees and board members of independent colleges and universities, is intended to offer basic information about board and trustee responsibility; to highlight the principles of board and trustee membership; to help members keep themselves, the board, and their institution out of trouble; and to provide information on…

The executive board of the college or university governing board has the central purpose of strengthening the board's performance by helping it function efficiently and effectively. Because the executive committee can undermine trustee morale by abusing its authority, the entire governing board must decide the extent of the powers delegated to the…

This monograph, directed to trustees and board members of public colleges and universities, is intended to offer basic information about board and trustee responsibility; to highlight the principles of board and trustee membership; to help members keep themselves, the board, and their institution out of trouble; and to provide information on…

Financial difficulties in colleges and universities are discussed, with a focus on a paper by Frank M. Bowen and Lyman A. Glenny, who suggest that college administrators are facing up to their responsibilities regarding fiscal and other constraints. They offer suggestions to improve policies and procedures for institutions, for governing and…

While some suggest that tensions between college presidents and their boards are high, it is proposed that most are coping successfully with difficult issues, and that their relationships are fundamentally very sound. Sources of new tension are examined, particularly the affirmative action debate and "activism" among trustees. Trustee selection…

Two developments require college governing boards and presidents to focus on executive compensation policies: the New York Regents' removal of the Adelphi University (New York) board over presidential salary and benefits, and federal legislation empowering the Internal Revenue Service to impose sanctions for excessive compensation in tax-exempt…