Transcript Considerations in the CEO Search

Shasta CCD Board Retreat
CEO Search, Accreditation & Student Success
Cindra Smith, Ed. D.
Board Facilitation and Development
[email protected]
November 6, 2010
CEO Search
 One of the most important, if not the most important,
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decision a board of trustees makes
Clarifies needs of the district and qualities of leadership that
will best meet those needs
May take 6-9 months
Results in a CEO with board, community and college
support
Controlled by Board
Fair, professional
Clearly communicated
Steps in the Process
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Interim?
Consultant?
Design/affirm process
Institutional Assessment
Identify the criteria
Appoint Committee
Advertise and recruit
Screen Applications
Conduct Interviews
Selection & contract
Welcome & orientation
Interims
 Why and when to appoint
 Determine role
 Follow appropriate laws and processes
Use a Consultant?
 For all or parts of the process
 A consultant helps
 Clarify district needs
 Bring people together
 Avoid mistakes in the process
 Provide a neutral, confidential contact for candidates
 Identify and recruit candidates
 Conduct background checks
 Advise and support search committee & board
 Drawbacks include:
 Cost; Over-reliance on consultant; Lack of alignment with
district needs; Skills may be available in the district
Who Does What?
Assign Responsibilities
 Board and trustee roles
 Contracting with a consultant
 Establish expectations
 Solicit proposals, interview, select
 District staff contact
 Oversight
 Committee
 Who is on it; what does it do
 Calendar
What Leadership Do You Need?
Establish Criteria and Expectations
 Who to involve in this discussion
 Assess college and community needs
 Opportunities and goals
 Challenges and issues
 A related question:
 What kind of CEO can you attract? Are you a well-functioning
district and board, or will the CEO be expected to address
major problems?
 E.g. a divided board, financial problems, accreditation status, bargaining
impasse
Expectations and Parameters
 Salary and contract discussion
 Consult with district attorney
 Sample contracts
 Candidate pool and finalists
 How many?
 Committee recommendations
 Ranked? Not ranked?
What to Avoid
 A board or board chair that does not function well
 Lack of discussion about leadership needs
 Relying on inexperienced people to do the search
 Hiring a consultant that doesn’t take the time to
understand the district
 Inadequate time and resources
 Confidentiality leaks
 Unclear communication about roles in the process
 Ignoring community and stakeholder needs
 Not supporting the new CEO when hired
Next Steps
Accreditation & the Board Role
Your process and timeline
Workshop by ACCJC Staff?
Standard IVB
Student Learning Outcomes and Student Success
Standard IVB.1
1. The institution has a governing board that is responsible for establishing policies
to assure the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of the student learning
programs and services and the financial stability of the institution. The
governing board adheres to a clearly defined policy for selecting and evaluating
the chief administrator for the college or the district/system.
a. The governing board is an independent policy-making body that reflects the
public interest in board activities and decisions. Once the board reaches a
decision, it acts as a whole. It advocates for and defends the institution and
protects it from undue influence or pressure.
b. The governing board establishes policies consistent with the mission statement
to ensure the quality, integrity, and improvement of student learning programs
and services and the resources necessary to support them.
c. The governing board has ultimate responsibility for educational quality, legal
matters, and financial integrity.
d. The institution or the governing board publishes the board bylaws
and policies specifying the board’s size, duties, responsibilities,
structure, and operating procedures.
e. The governing board acts in a manner consistent with its policies
and bylaws. The board regularly evaluates its policies and practices
and revises them as necessary.
f. The governing board has a program for board development and
new member orientation. It has a mechanism for providing for
continuity of board membership and staggered terms of office.
g. The governing board’s self-evaluation processes for assessing board
performance are clearly defined, implemented, and published in
its policies or bylaws.
h. The governing board has a code of ethics that includes a clearly defined
policy for dealing with behavior that violates its code.
i. The governing board is informed about and involved in the accreditation
process.
j. The governing board has the responsibility for selecting and evaluating
the district/system chief administrator (most often known as the
chancellor) in a multi-college district/system or the college chief
administrator (most often known as the president) in the case of a single
college. The governing board delegates full responsibility and authority
to him/her to implement and administer board policies without board
interference and holds him/her accountable for the operation of the
district/system or college, respectively.
In multi-college districts/systems, the governing board establishes a
clearly defined policy for selecting and evaluating the presidents of the
colleges.”
Board Role in Student Success
Role #1: Leadership
 Provide, Expect and Ensure Visible, Persistent
Leadership for student success
 At all levels, in every area of the college
 Hire the right president/chancellor who is
passionate and relentless about student success.
Role #2: Strategic Focus and Plan
 Provide and ensure strategic focus and plan that is relentless
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and sustained over time.
Student success is a Board priority
The strategic plan puts student success at the center.
Small number of clear priorities each year
Identify Board responsibilities for achieving priorities;
evaluate board performance
Stick with the plan; monitor progress toward goals
Role #3: Culture of Evidence
 Support a culture of inquiry, not blame
 Be curious. Engage in courageous conversations about
data and student performance
 Expect and support research
 Establish metrics for monitoring progress
 Regularly monitor progress
Role #4: Educational Effectiveness
 Support and expect doing education effectively… and by
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design
Know what works; stop doing what doesn’t work
Focus on what can be done
Student engagement
High expectations
Focus on the front door
Make effective practice mandatory for students
Final Comments, Evaluation & Next
Steps