The newsletter for chairs of theological school boards, Vol. 4, No. 8
The new conventional wisdom
What does good governance look like?
At the In Trust Center, that’s a question we’ve grappled with for more than 30 years, and now we’re taking a deeper look at the question through research.
Over the past few years, we’ve conducted both quantitative and qualitative studies into the work of governing boards and advisory bodies of theological schools across North America. The work included visits to schools and an extensive survey.
The first thing we’ve noted in our analysis is that the conventional wisdom that the board’s only job is to “hire and fire” a president should change. The real wisdom is that the board’s role could be to “hire and keep” a good president because the research shows a strong link between frequent executive turnover and poor institutional effectiveness.
Intuitively, that should make sense: Effective leadership requires time, and turnover disrupts strategy, trust, and momentum. However, as the Association of Theological Schools has reported, the tenure of executive leaders has declined.
It’s not just the board’s role to hire a president – it’s also the board’s role to actively support, evaluate, and care for the executive and provide the tools to help her or him succeed.
You can read an article about the research here.
This would be a good discussion piece for your board. Consider: What does your board do practically to help your president succeed, and how can the board continue to care for the president? We’d love to hear your thoughts about how you answer that, or if you have questions or need help, you can reach our team here.
Thanks for all you do in theological education,
Amy Kardash
President, In Trust Center for Theological Schools
