When your board meets, how much time do you spend focusing on strategic issues facing your school? If the answer is less than half of the meeting time, then your board is like many others.
In our work at the In Trust Center, we’ve found that boards often report needing to dedicate more time in meetings to issues related to the future of the institution. This includes more strategic board-level issues like succession planning (for officers of the board and key administrative leaders, not just presidents), economic vitality, mission fulfillment, and innovative partnerships.
What are the top strategic issues facing your school over the next few years?
Recently the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) published Top Strategic Issues for Boards 2018 – 2019. It includes a list of six issues for board consideration that are related to instrutional futures:
- Educational Quality
- Financial Stability
- Freedom of Speech
- Innovation
- Presidential Leadership
- Relevance
The list is not surprising. But what’s particularly valuable in this publication is the questions for board consideration for each issue. If you are thinking about how your board can dedicate time to strategic conversation and about how to guide this time, consider using this AGB resource. AGB’s Top Strategic Issues for Boards 2018-2019 is available for purchase from the AGB store.
Another resource that can aid in strategic conversation is the In Trust Center’s Wise Stewards Guide, which is available for download in English and in Spanish. A facilitator’s guide with discussion questions and how-to’s is available by emailing resources@intrust.org
