New trustees have a steep learning curve. Here is how some colleges introduce them to the work and life of the institution.
Require a solid orientation. Cathy A. Trower, a consultant to boards and author of several books on college governance, says orientation should include discussions about shared governance, the college’s business model, academic cornerstones like tenure and academic freedom, and the most pressing issues in higher education, including access and affordability, free speech, preventing sexual misconduct, and diversity and inclusion. She suggests that orientation also include discussion about the two major problems that the college’s board has grappled with in the past year. That fosters “honest dialogue right at the start with big issues,” she says.
Spend as much time as possible with faculty and students, says G. Gabrielle Starr, president of Pomona College. At Pomona, trustees have the opportunity to meet and talk to students at annual retreats. That also helps build empathy and trust, she says. Other institutions may have trustees dine with faculty or students, attend a class, or go on a student-led campus tour.
Board members must understand their responsibilities, and feel connected and engaged, from the start.
Bring trustees to campus in between board meetings. At Ohio State University, for example, new trustees come and spend a series of days in between board meetings doing deep dives into the academic and operational sides of the university, including research centers, student organizations, facilities, and finance. Some trustees sit in on classes. “The more trustees know and engage, the more vested they are,” says Blake Thompson, board secretary at Ohio State.
Create opportunities for new board members to get to know seasoned ones. At Wheaton College, in Massachusetts, new trustees are invited to a summer retreat before their first board meeting in the fall. During the retreat, they usually explore one issue in depth (diversity on the board, for example). Then trustees informally gather and talk in the lobby of the hotel where they are staying. Such occasions grew, says one trustee, Mary Zygala Schleyer, out of feedback from departing trustees who said they felt out of the loop as non-alumni.
Set clear written expectations up front. Richard D. Legon, president of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, says he has heard from numerous trustees who say they were not given the full picture of what the position would mean when they were approached about joining. If a college really wants someone, it might give a soft sell about the role and the time commitment. But, he says, that doesn’t help anyone in the long run. Colby College developed a document listing roles and responsibilities, including philanthropic expectations and guidelines to discourage trustees from micromanaging.
Give trustees time to check out various committees before deciding which ones they would like to work on. Ohio State does this, with new trustees rotating through six different committees, like academic affairs and student life, master planning and facilities, and audit and compliance. At Pomona, trustees don’t have an assigned committee for the first year, so they can decide where they’d most like to make an impact. Sometimes it’s not the area most closely linked to their profession, Starr says.
Create midpoint check-ins. At Wheaton, the board’s leadership checks in with new trustees and their mentors at about the six-month mark to sound them out on their experiences and expectations. It can be a good time to catch and fix any problems early — if they have questions, if there’s something a new trustee feels she needs to do the job better, or if the new member is having problems with attendance or doing the reading before meetings. Board members also have an interview with a member of the governance committee two years into their term to evaluate their work and give them an opportunity to reflect on what they’d like to see happening on the board. Mentors are also required to check in with their mentees.
Fine-tune as needed. Collect feedback from trustees about what has worked well and what hasn’t in orientation. Use that information to make improvements for the next group of new trustees. Emory University looks for ways to maximize busy trustees’ time and best present the large amount of information. While there’s no perfect orientation, the university is always seeking to improve, says Allison K. Dykes, Emory’s vice president and board secretary. Emory tried orientations that lasted two days or were stretched out over a month, and now fits everything into one long day. Trustees wanted to “knock it all out at once,” Dykes says. The day ends with a dinner with the board chair and university president, reinforcing the most important messages they want trustees to walk away with.
