The Necessity for Evaluation

Regular appraisal of the president's performance is among the top responsibilities assigned to boards. And the benefits to the leader and to the institution that come from providing thoughtful feedback to the president concerning his or her work are well documented.

When done right, an evaluation of the president's performance strengthens the board/president partnership, provides a model of mutual accountability for the rest of the community to follow, and enhances the legitimacy of the presidential office. For presidents who have been in their role for an extended period of time or who are reaching the end of a contract period, a comprehensive evaluation can set the stage for enhanced performance and a deepened commitment to the institution and its unique mission and vision.

In Trust can assist your Presidential Evaluation Committee in crafting an assessment process tailored to the mission, vision, and leadership goals of your school. In Trust's work in this area builds on its position as the leading provider of educational resources and services to seminary boards, and is guided by six principles for presidential evaluation.

In Trust's Approach to Presidential Evaluation

In Trust brings a two-part approach to its work with boards of theological schools on presidential evaluation, combining

1. in-person or by telephone interviews with all board members and senior administrative officers, as well as selected other administrative staff and selected faculty; and
   
2. an online survey that is completed by all other seminary personnel, as well as alumni, students, donors, and church constituents.

A comprehensive presidential evaluation requires between two to four months to complete, beginning with your first call to In Trust and concluding with presentation of a report and recommendations to the Presidential Evaluation Committee and/or full board. Dedicating sufficient time to the process is key in avoiding evaluation pitfalls.

Steps in the Process

1. In Trust's Program Director works out the details of the presidential evaluation with the president and the chair of the evaluation committee and then issues a Memorandum of Agreement to the theological school. This document identifies the Governance Mentor who has been assigned to the project, the anticipated timeline for the work, and the fee for service.

2. In Trust's Governance Mentor works with the Presidential Evaluation Committee (the chair of which serves as In Trust's contact) in identifying who will be included in the evaluation process and in what way, developing the interview questions, and designing the online survey, with particular attention to three issues:

   • How can the evaluation process be used to stimulate a positive learning culture in the school versus adding another stressor for the president?

   • How can the evaluation integrate institutional data as a complement to personal judgments and opinions?

   • How can the process have a genuine impact on institutional performance versus just "going through the motions"?
     
     

3. An institutional representative (most often the president's administrative assistant) develops the interview schedule, providing the Governance Mentor with contact information for each person on the list. The institutional representative also distributes the online survey to persons selected for this component of the evaluation.

4. The Governance Mentor reviews a variety of institutional documents, including the position description for the president, the school's recently completed strategic plan, minutes from recent board meetings, the school's bylaws, etc.

5. The Governance Mentor conducts the telephone and/or in-person interviews and reviews the findings from the online survey.

6. The Governance Mentor prepares a written report outlining perceived strengths and weaknesses of the president's performance, along with recommendations for the president and the board. The first draft of the report is reviewed by the president and board chair. Based on their input, the Mentor refines the report and submits it to the evaluation committee.

Getting Started: For more information or to schedule a Presidential Evaluation at your school, contact In Trust at 302-654-7770 or mentorservices@intrust.org.