Program review is seen as a increasingly used tool by colleges and universities and system and state level boards to assess the quality of existing academic programs. The role of trustees in program review is that of setting broad policy goals. (MLW)

Improving the ability of students to transfer from two- to four-year institutions is an increasingly urgent issue related to concerns about social justice, finances, and educational quality. Trustees can take the lead by evaluating their institutions' transfer policies and activities to increase transfer numbers and ensure transfer students'…

A trustee of long experience outlines 13 principles for trustee participation, concerning the trustee's role, relationships with others in leadership positions, and expectations. (MSE)

The development of a policy manual by the University of Nebraska is described. Desired characteristics of a good manual include: basis in a sound codification system that provides for each area of governance responsibility, availability to all personnel and students, and loose-leaf binding. (MLW)

The educational and financial health of private colleges and universities in the coming years, it is suggested, will depend on the competence of those who are chosen to serve as trustees and regents. The National Commission on Trustee Selection's 14 recommendations for improvements in the selection process are provided. (Author/MLW)

A higher return on endowment--and knowing how and when to spend it--can help prevent large tuition increases. The extent to which endowment income can and should support operating budgets is the product not only of wise investment policies but of appropriate spending philosophies. (MLW)

Although college trustees have traditionally had limited interest in institutional financial aid policy, they should increase their awareness in this area. As competition for students intensifies and federal and state aid policies change, governing boards must realign policies with institutional mission. Merit awards are used increasingly to…

A proposed model statement for institutional practices toward students, drafted jointly by the American Council on Education and the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, is presented. It has been developed in response to concerns voiced by federal officials regarding possible abuses of students and is meant to offer a starting point for…

For board members who want to take an active role, understanding the distinction between governing and administering is key to working with the college's president. In addition, personal observation and informal discussions with campus community members can enhance understanding of fiscal practices, conditions, and campus morale. (Author/MSE)

Sexual harassment continues to be a problem on college campuses, and no institution is immune. The best defense is to develop a good policy and educate the community. (Author/MSE)

Emphasizing the necessity of developing a job security system acceptable to employees, the institution, unions, government agencies, and the courts, the author suggests that the place to start is with a review of grievance procedures and of provisions for layoffs of tenured and mid-contract faculty. (JT)

By insisting on orderly development of categorical policies, the board of trustees automatically strengthens the institution and the chief administrator's role and position. Faculty and staff are strengthened by participation in the policy development process and by knowing the parameters of university actions. (MSE)

Trustees have an important role to play in the definition of the mission of their institutions. They must monitor others, including the faculty, because they must know how things are really going. (Author/MLW)

The author argues that very wide consultation tends to discourage innovation and favor stand-pattism and that the very great benefits of openness and wide participation are flawed by apathy and non-participation, by muscle-binding legalisms, by processes which polarize two adversary sides, and by the encouragement of mediocrity. (JT)

A model position statement for the college trustee is presented that deals with the management of and decision-making for corporate equity securities. Neither selling the stock nor leaving decisions on social issues, such as the apartheid one, to corporate management is seen as a satisfactory alternative. Adoption of a position statement can guide…