From Rachel Toor
A former president said, “Boards are out of control—maybe panicked. This is showing up with women presidents in particular. Boards are losing confidence in presidents and going on secret interim searches, which worries me. I am hesitant to contemplate such an ’opportunity.’”
Governing boards are one of the least governed places in higher ed. More than even faculty, they think, You’re not the boss of me. And they don’t know when they need help, which, let’s face it, most of them do, because higher ed is a business unlike any other. You can be a master of the universe in the real world and still know zip about our industry. Going to college is not the same as understanding how one is run.
From another former president I got some tips that you can pass on to your excellent and hardworking trustees (we know there are plenty of them):
- Respect the boundaries of shared governance. Focus on high-level fiduciary oversight rather than micromanaging the budget or interfering with curriculum decisions. Trust your president and faculty to handle their respective areas of expertise.
- Maintain clear reporting structures. Remember that the president is your only direct report—avoid bypassing them by giving direct instructions to VPs, professors, or coaches. This prevents confusion and maintains clear lines of authority.
- Develop a thoughtful trustee-selection process that includes term limits and values presidential input. Give your president meaningful opportunities to recommend trustees who align with their vision. Be cautious about letting emeritus trustees wield too much influence in board meetings. Appointed board members shouldn’t let personal politics play a part. (Ha-ha.)
- Establish and enforce strong conflict-of-interest policies. Go beyond the basic required disclosures and create clear guidelines that prevent trustees from using their positions for personal benefit. Take action when violations occur rather than looking the other way.
- Respect the president’s authority over personnel decisions. Avoid creating “protected” employees who are seen as untouchable due to their relationships with board members. Trust your president to make necessary staffing changes, even if they affect people you personally like.
- Set realistic performance expectations and timelines. Work with your president to establish achievable goals rather than demanding unrealistic short-term results. Remember that significant changes in areas like fundraising and enrollment typically require sustained effort over time.
- Be clear and reasonable about expectations for the president’s spouse or partner. Don’t assume they’ll take on the same role as their predecessor—any involvement should be purely voluntary. Remember that many spouses have their own careers and shouldn’t be expected to perform unpaid work for the institution.
For this issue, we asked three former presidents to weigh in on their relationships with their boards. To protect the innocent, I got my new BFF Claude to help.
What?
When I ask most people how they are thinking about AI, the most frequent response is ugh. With a hand gesture.
I get it. I am a late adopter of most things. However, recently I started messing around with different AI tools.
Sure, I am aware of the reasons people fall back on to justify their resistance, some of which are serious and others simply fear-driven. But the fact is, the toothpaste is out of the tube.
Because the goal here is to protect presidents, I do a lot of editing to change prose and mask identifying details. One thing I learned AI is good at is adding voice. So, like visual filters that take out wrinkles, I gave these folks a youthful makeover.
