Transcript Slide 1

Developing
Positive Board
Relations
Dr. Daniel J. Phelan, President
Jackson Community College
Dr. Steve Johnson, President
Sinclair Community College
April 17, 2010
Welcome to the Presidency
• You are entering at a critical time in this
nation’s history…and for community
colleges as well…
• There are a lot of challenges, but there
are also a lot of opportunities…
• Think now about the legacy you wish to
leave…
• Develop early networks with others here
and work together to support each other
on your way up!
Some Context: About JCC
• Serves nearly 11,000 unduplicated
credit students annually;
• Accredited by the Higher Learning
Commission (AQIP)
• $47M enterprise; &
• Comprised of 676 full- and parttime employees
Source: JCC President’s Office, March 23, 2010
About Dan Phelan
• Served at JCC as President since 2001,
14 years as President overall;
• Has served as President of both singlecampus and multi-campus districts;
• Consults and teaches courses in higher
education administration;
• Serves as consultant-evaluator for PEAQ
and AQIP; &
• Served with traditional management and
Policy Governance Boards.
Source: JCC President’s Office, March 23, 2010
More Context: JCC Board
• Seven at-large elected board
members;
• Board meetings held monthly;
• Policy Governance structure;
• Two planning sessions each year;
• Special meetings called as needed;
• One committee – audit; &
• One Board meeting held at another
campus location at least once a year
Source: JCC President’s Office, March 23, 2010
About Sinclair
• Dayton region, Ohio
• 25,500 credit headcount students (fall
term)
• 2,400 employees (350 FT faculty,
1000 adjunct)
• $140 million annual budget
• $25 million in Foundation assets
About Steve
• Steve’s been Sinclair’s president for seven
years plus campus CEO four years prior
• This is Steve’s first board-reporting
presidency
• Is Chair of the League for Innovation
Board
• Teaches in graduate programs at the U of
Dayton and Wright State University
About Sinclair’s Board
• 11-person board
• 7 appointed by local county
commissioners and 4 by the
governor
• Board meets 8 times a year plus one
annual Saturday retreat
• Four subcommittees of the board
Strategic Core Sinclair
Board Values
9
Board Policy Governance
• The “Carver Model”
– Describes relationship between the
President and Board through policies;
– Describes what the President may not
do;
– Clear Board focus on ENDs;
– Clear Presidential focus on MEANs; &
– Accountability of President to the Board
Source: JCC President’s Office, March 23, 2010
Our Board ENDs
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Student success
Workforce development
Community development
Fiscal accountability
Learning college
Foundation studies
Diversity
Source: JCC President’s Office, ENDs: Purpose and Principles Board Policy, March 23, 2010
Monitoring Reports
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Accreditation
Student satisfaction
Mission documents
Student success
Fiscal accountability
Learning college
Employee satisfaction
College readiness
Assessment of learning
Student Aspirations
Source: JCC President’s Office, ENDs: Policy Governance Board Policy, March 23, 2010
College Scorecard
Source: JCC Institutional Effectiveness Office, February 26, 2010
Board Meeting Preparation
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Agenda
Coversheets
Minutes
Supporting materials
Board meeting packets online five
days prior to Board meeting
• Trustees have College provided
laptops
Source: JCC President’s Office, March 23, 2010
Upcoming Board Vacancies
• President’s Office provides
direction to necessary state and
township requirements
• Township handles electionrelated activities
Source: JCC President’s Office, March 23, 2010
Pop Quiz
You’re concerned about the fact that the Board
Chair, with whom you have a trusting and amiable
relationship, is leaving and not running for reelection.
The Board has told you that it is not disposed to
going out to find new trustees because they
believe that is the responsibility of the voters.
What do you do?
Multiple Choice Response:
1. Let the voters decide.
2. Urge the Board to court
potential Board members.
3. Begin a searching for potential
board members on your own.
4. Bribe the Chair to run for reelection.
Acclimating New
Board Members
• Welcome letter sent after
successful election
• Lunch with President and Board
Chair
• Orientation manual provided
• Campus tour
• Attendance to Board meeting prior
to joining the Board
Source: JCC President’s Office, March 23, 2010
Relationship Building
• Newsletter each week to keep the Board
informed of communications going on at the
College and federal, state and local matters
• Engage in professional development
together
– ACCT Leadership Congress
– ACCT Leadership Governance
– ACCT New Trustee
– MCCA Summer Institute
• The Board that learns and plays together,
stays together…
Source: JCC President’s Office, March 23, 2010
Relationship Building
(Continued)
• Regular meetings with the Chairman
• Interact with trustees regularly
– Call them in their areas of expertise
– Invite them to the home
– Invite them to campus for key events such as
graduation
– Put them in front of the public
• My 1st Axiom: “Wherever one or more trustees
gather, there the President shall also be.” You
need to be at the table with discussion among
your Board about the college, or you just might
be on the menu.
Source: JCC President’s Office, March 23, 2010
Disagreements
with the Board
• My 2nd Axiom: “Never, never surprise your
board.”
• Talk with trustees and give them a chance to air
their issues prior to the Board meeting
• Alert the Board Chair that there are issues
• After you’ve done your best and the topic is
really controversial, it’s the Chair’s responsibility
to manage the Board meeting
• My 3rd Axiom: “Choose your battles wisely…not
all bumps on the landscape are hills to die upon.”
Dominant Board Members
• On the front end: In Board orientation, explain
how Boards work
– Order of operations
– Parliamentary procedures expert
• Have a conversation with the Board Chair
• If this is an ongoing concern…
– Provide the Chair with tools
– The Chair can reach out to colleagues
– They may just want to be heard; call them so
they can air their concerns before the meeting
The Board and
College Employees
• If Board members call college employees, this
is a responsibility of the President to correct
• Have a clear understanding with employees
that when a Board member calls, the employee
immediately notifies the President’s Office
• Call the Board member
– Have their requests been attended to?
– Do they need anything else?
– Request to call President’s Office next time
• Continuing issue…contact your Board Chair
What One Trustee Knows…
• My 4th Axiom: “What one trustee knows, all
should know.” Any information that is requested
by a trustee, or that the college provides to one
trustee should be shared with all trustees
• If you’ve alerted the trustee to always
communicate with the President, then…
– The trustees are on notice that information will be
shared, eliminating temptations of “gotcha”
– Information is shared to all trustees
• If a trustee persists on talking with employees,
then speak with the Board Chair
Key Employees
• Introduction of new President’s
Cabinet members to the Board
– Cabinet members analyze and
provide the data and monitoring
reports for the Board
– Cabinet members are available to
respond to Board questions
Source: JCC President’s Office, March 23, 2010
Requests for
Personal Favors
• First of all, trustees should know
better;
• If the request is not ethically,
legally or morally wrong, then
provide the favor;
• Most trustees serve in
uncompensated positions
Walking Away
from the Dark Side
• If the request for a favor is an
ethical or legal violation, you’ve
got problems
• Say, “I’m sorry, I cannot do this
and this is why…” Always be
respectful.
• Alert the Chairman
If the Chair is Unethical…
• It is your responsibility as President to
point out the unethical behavior;
• If the Chair persists, pull aside your
Vice Chair and explain the situation;
• Counsel the Vice Chair to consult with
legal and notify the rest of the Board
what’s going on exactly;
• On all these issues, you need to be
making notes for future use.
Pop Quiz
A Board member whose daughter
is on the payroll brings up the
issue that he feels she’s under
paid in comparison to others and
asks you to look into it.
What do you do?
Multiple Choice
1. Give her a raise.
2. Do an analysis and come back and
talk to him.
3. Politely let him know that’s handled
by the HR department and asking for
special consideration begins to walk a
pretty fine line for trustees.
4. Fire the daughter.
Request for Hiring of
Family or Friends
• Your first response is to listen to what the
trustee is seeking;
• The line is crossed when the trustee says, “I
want you to hire my
son/daughter/spouse/friend.”
• This requires great tact on the part of the
President in response;
• Notify the Chair
• Axiom #5: “The President and Board Chair, and
ultimately the full Board must work well together
and trust for the health of all concerned.”
When a Trustee
Works Against
the President
• Resolve it by talking with the person;
• Frank conversation is painful but needed;
• If that doesn’t resolve the matter, engage
the Chair;
• The Chair is ultimately responsible for
your protection and care; &
• If this is still not resolved, bring the entire
Board up to speed to come up with a
strategy.
Failing That…
• Always be professional;
• You must find ways to relieve the
stress;
• Two strategies for consideration…
– Wait out the trustee
– If the effects are harming your health
or relationship with family and others,
consider greener pastures.
Remember the Phelan
Phive (Axioms that is…)
1. Wherever one or more trustees gather, there
the President shall also be.
2. Never, never surprise your Board.
3. Choose your battles wisely…not all bumps
on the landscape are hills to die upon.
4. What one trustee knows, all should know.
5. The President and Board Chair, and
ultimately the full Board must work well
together and trust for the health of all
concerned.
Video: Trustees Talk on
Relations with the
President
Discussion
of the Video
How Would You
Handle This?
The Board and the faculty labor union cannot come to
agreement on a contract. Union representatives
invite individual trustees to attend a public town
hall meeting to talk. The press is invited.
You talk with legal counsel and he has recommend
that the Board not attend.
One trustee has already responded to the union that
he would participate. Even after recommendation
from legal, he still maintains he will attend the
town hall.
What do you do?
Take five minutes to discuss.
Counsel to
Leave You With…
• I cannot emphasize enough about having a
trusting relationship with the Board;
• Focus on building and maintaining trust with the
Board Chair and the Board…guard it like gold;
• Continue to invest in these relationships
• Don’t let the title and ego get in the way of
doing your personal best;
• Do your homework; and
• Never forget yours is a role of service to
others...
Wishing You
Success and Enjoyment
• I am certain you will find success
and enjoyment at your college.
• I wish you the very best as you
take your place as President.
Conversation