Outlines 11 essential qualities needed in a good school board president. (MD)

New school board members can prepare themselves to be effective board members by studying board policies, minutes of past board meetings, and contracts of each employee group; by asking questions; and by learning the legal responsibilities of the board. (MLF

The chief academic officer (CAO) must be prepared to deal with a variety of developing relationships, priorities, problems, and potentials. CAOs who survive and are successful must monitor development in many directions. (Author/MLW)

College and university trustees have important responsibilities in planning for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. In their oversight role, especially in the areas of planning and finance, they need to ensure that the institution has taken the prudent and necessary steps to reduce risk to the extent possible and to maximize the…

As colleges and universities attempt to produce additional revenue and enhance their services, more are entering into contracts with private companies. Some agreements involve lengthy commitments, and this means that outsourcing contracts require thorough review by boards of trustees, which are being called upon to act with greater diligence to…

This monograph, directed to trustees and board members of public colleges and universities, is intended to offer basic information about board and trustee responsibility; to highlight the principles of board and trustee membership; to help members keep themselves, the board, and their institution out of trouble; and to provide information on…

This paper describes the Glion Declaration II, which resulted from the Glion Colloquium of 2000, an international meeting that focused on governance of universities. The Glion Colloquium is a private initiative that includes renowned scholars and higher education leaders from leading research intensive universities in western Europe and the United…

Describes the development and implementation of an administrator merit pay plan for the North Salem, New York, public schools. The plan includes provisions for salary adjustments according to the quality of service (from "unsatisfactory" to "outstanding") and three sets of materials for administrator evaluaiton. (JBM)

Although many states have been moving toward central boards, the opposite is true in Florida. The reasons why Florida's ten regents have come under attack from legislators are outlined, and a feud between the governor and the legislature over building a quality higher education system is discussed. (MLW)

The trustee is seen as being legally responsible for an institution's meeting its educational objectives, and the best way to meet that responsibility is to ask the right questions. Some areas for questioning: budget, money management, policy, legal responsibilities, trend lines, and physical plant. (MLW)

To oversee superintendent performance, school boards can take three key steps: (1) assign accountability for managing the board-superintendent relationship to a standing committee; (2) the committee and the superintendent can agree each year on the specific leadership challenges; and (3) annually conduct an indepth assessment of the…

School board members can increase their knowledge of the budget process by the following actions: (1) meet with the school business official; (2) assemble school statistics; (3) evaluate each potential cut in its own right; (4) investigate new funding sources; (5) establish a budget adoption calendar; and (6) expect periodic reports from…

The public expects school boards to review school budgets with diligence and a determination to put the needs of students above all else. Provides a 10-step primer for better budgets, a checklist for evaluating the budget-making process, and 20 questions often raised by the public. (MLF)

Provides day care center directors with ideas on such topics as managerial courage, the process of handling the work environment, improved self-image, success secrets of good learners, high achievers, and chronic complainers.(BB)

The qualities that school boards and others expect in superintendents are not being met. Solutions include (1) better training, with enrollment in management courses; (2) internships; (3) first-year support groups; (4) inservice training; and (5) personal development. (MLF)