Increasingly, teachers and administrators are being appointed and elected to boards of trustees, a situation which creates more understanding between boards and college faculties and at the same time introduces patterns of potential board conflict. Good boardsmanship is a combination of many factors, including knowledge of laws, regulations, educational practices, and trends, as well as sound judgement; both can be acquired through experience in education or in business and industry. It is generally agreed that boards should have a good balance of backgrounds and talents and not be dominated by any particular profession or viewpoint. The determining factors in successful boards are: (1) positive attitudes and expectations; (2) an understanding of the politics of education and the impact of board policy decisions on college goals; (3) unbiased relationships between the board and the college faculty; (4) a balanced board that includes well-chosen lay representatives; and (5) unprejudiced consideration of the recommendations of the college administration. Since boards are expected to serve as a check on the vested interest of internal groups, faculty and administrators should not serve on the board of the same college in which they hold a position. A survey of 14 community college boards of trustees and college presidents revealed a variety of attitudes on the benefits and problems associated with educators serving on boards. (The paper includes an enumeration of study findings.) (KL)