In Trust matches experienced mentors with the particular needs of boards seeking help in deepening their role in governance. The goal of the Governance Mentor service is to provide leaders in seminary education with access to wise counselors who understand the special challenges facing theological schools today, can respond to specific concerns of the board at your school, and, drawing on their professional expertise, can help you develop the solutions and skills you need.

Governance Mentors work with board leaders and the president by telephone, a campus visit, or through a board education event or retreat. As a resource in their work with individual boards, our mentors draw from "best of" articles from past issues of In Trust magazine and materials from the Practicing Good Faith Governance Seminars. They are also expert at guiding boards in the use of our Board Self-Assessment Package and the In Trust Governance Audit.

Focus Areas: Governance Mentors are currently available to assist in the following areas:

• Board self-assessment
• Presidential evaluation
• President-board relations
• Preparation of the board for the accreditation process
• Preparation for presidential succession
• Clarification of the role and purpose of the board in shared governance
• Development of the board's governance role in such critical areas as
  • economic vitality
  • enrollment management
  • academic programs
  • fundraising
  • making connections with key constituencies

Meet the Mentors: Click here for short biographies of In Trust's Governance Mentors.

Cost: The daily fee for the assistance of a Governance Mentor is $1,500 for member institutions and $2,000 for non-member institutions (plus travel costs associated with a campus visit). The institution will receive an invoice for services upon completion of the mentor agreement.

Requesting a Mentor: When calling In Trust to request a Governance Mentor, it is important that you be as clear as possible about the issue(s) at stake for your board. This conversation with In Trust President Christa Klein will assist in matching the right mentor to your board, a decision always confirmed in consultation with the president and/or board chair.

In Trust will send a letter confirming the details of the Mentor service, including the date of the mentor's visit to the campus, use of In Trust board development resources, and the anticipated fee for services. (If mentoring occurs solely by telephone, a letter of agreement is not required.) After the letter of agreement has been returned to In Trust, the mentor and designated institutional representative(s) pursue the details of their working relationship.

Getting Started: For more information or to request a Governance Mentor to work with your board, contact In Trust at 302-654-7770 or mentorservices@intrust.org.