I've been enjoying the columns contributed by Sal Rinella, who is this month's guest blogger over at the Chronicle of Higher Education's "Buildings & Grounds" blog. 

Sal is a consultant and is the former president of Austin Peay State University. What I especially appreciate about his insights in this column is that he treats the chief financial officer not just as a numbers-cruncher, as part of the president's team.

This really fits with In Trust's understanding of "shared governance." The governance of a seminary (like that of a college) consists of three players -- the faculty (in their corporate role as a governing body), the board, and the "office of the president." The presidency is not just one person, but a team of decision-makers whose head is the person of the president.

In this column, Sal emphasizes learning from the economic crisis that we find ourselves in. And in this column, he suggests that before building new structures, decision-makers take a step back and make sure that they are building for the future, not the past. 

Those are good lessons for a seminary in crisis or for a strong school that's looking toward the future.