University governing boards are often perceived as opaque entities, much like the complexities of personal relationships. An educator reflects on their ignorance of the Board of Trustees at their university, which had seen rapid leadership changes, indicative of deeper issues. After voicing concerns during a board session, they unexpectedly engaged with a trustee, leading to candid discussions about institutional challenges. Upon further exploration, they discovered that informal communications with trustees might breach governance bylaws intended to protect presidential authority, raising questions about the balance of power in university administration.
As with marriages, the only people who know what they're really like are the ones in the relationship. Sometimes not even them.
I realized that my friendly back channel might not have been entirely kosher. Recently, I finally looked at our board's bylaws. They said, essentially, that trustees aren't supposed to go around the president to make requests of university employees.
#university-governance #higher-education #board-of-trustees #faculty-perspectives #leadership-issues
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