Board of Trustees: The Whole is Greater than the Sum of the

Individuals Parts

Dr. William M. GriffinICCTA Annual Convention

June 7, 2013Chicago, IL

Presentation Agenda

• Introduction

• Theoretical Framework

• Research Design

• Findings

• Conclusion

• Griffin Framework

• Recommendations for Further Research

Background of Study• Community college trustees serve as stewards

of the public trust.

• Trustees have a dual obligation: to represent the community’s interest as well as the institutions they govern.

• Trustees need to be well prepared to engage in dialogue and debate leading ultimately to Board decisions which set the direction of institution.

Purpose of the Study

• To identify the adequacy and availability of professional development activities for 2-year postsecondary trustees that assist trustees in becoming more effective contributors when shaping higher education policy decisions.

• This study seeks to explore the adequacy and availability of professional development activities provided for both new and seasoned trustees.

Significance of the Study • To effectively serve, trustees must clearly understand

their roles and responsibilities and how their leadership or lack of affects the results of decisions they make on behalf of the institution.

• Regulatory pressures, dwindling resources, call for improved student outcomes , and competitive forces require an engaged, active and high performing board.

• Therefore, findings will provide an understanding of how to improve Board professional development activities which ultimately will affect their decisions.

Research Guiding Questions

1.What are the perceived roles and responsibilities of selected community and technical college boards of trustees’ members?

2. How, and in what ways, do community and technical college trustees believe they influence policy decisions in their institutions?

3. What professional development activities are available and are perceived as beneficial and what seems to be lacking when addressing the learning needs of all trustees?

Conceptual Framework

• Moreland & Levine (1982) Group Socialization Theory

• Tuckman & Jensen (1977) Group Dynamics Concept

• Malcolm Knowles (1970) Adult Learning Theory

• Irving Janis (1972) Groupthink Theory

Tuckman and Jensen’s (1977) Five Stages of Group Development

• Forming Stage: characterized by the individual wanting to be accepted.

• Storming Stage: characterized by changing dynamics.

• Norming Stage: a point at which the group has had arguments that help members to understand the other members’ opinions.

• Performing Stage: thrust of energy is directed toward goals and objectives.

• Adjourning: atmosphere of accomplishments.

Levine and Moreland (1982) Group Socialization

• Focuses on the passage of individuals through groups.

• Seeks to describe and explain the affective, cognitive, and behavioral changes that groups produce over the course of time.

• Seek to describe how and in what ways the individual’s and group’s commitment levels evolve over time as the group strives to be successful.

Malcolm Knowles (1970) Adult Learning Principles

How adults learn and process information is critical in creating a highly effective group.

• The learners’ self-concept.

• The role of the learners’ experience.

• The learner’s readiness to learn.

• The learner’s understanding of orientation to learning

• The learner’s motivation to learn.

Janis (1972) Groupthink Theory

Groupthink occurs when a group makes faulty decisions because of group pressures.

• Vulnerable to groupthink when:– membership consists of similar background.

– Group insulated from outside opinions.

– Pressure for unanimity override their seeking out other alternatives.

Research Methodology

• Qualitative research design

• Case study methodology: situated in the interpretive paradigm

• Case selection: purposeful and maximum variation sampling

Participating Institutions

• Maximum variation sampling the participants and site locations selected from two Midwest states.

• Institution geographically dispersed in rural, suburban, and urban settings.

• College Size: Small, medium, and large institutions.

• Single-campus institutions.

Criteria for Participants

• Eight total participants from 2 Midwest states with different Trustee appointment methods.

• Executive Director of ICCTA and WTCDBA identified seasoned and new trustees.

• Two trustees serving in their first term from Illinois and two from Wisconsin.

• Two trustees serving in at least one term from Illinois and two from Wisconsin.

Guiding Question 1: Findings

• Apparent that trustee previous business and organizational experiences did not transfer easily to their new role.

• Participants saw little difference between policy and procedures.

• Participants indicated their desire for educational activities that prepared them to immediately effective.

• Orientation at the institutions not particularly helpful.

Guiding Question 1: Implications

• Need well designed professional development activities to:a) Improve their understanding & knowledge of

their role and responsibilities.

b) Develop insights & information pertinent to the effective working of a group.

• Need to establish regularity of educational offerings throughout the year (3 – 4).

Guiding Question 2: Findings

• Trustees were quite diverse & unclear in their answers regarding how they influenced policy.

• Some trustees felt establishing policy offered the opportunity to be reflective.

• Few trustees understood the difference between a policy and a procedure and thus were not aware of the different intent of each.

• Only one trustee expressed the need for intelligent use of data in making policy decisions.

Guiding Question 2: Implications• Trustees need timely and accurate data and

information.

• Recommended steps for policy evaluation by Board:

a) Determine what areas in the college are affected by this policy?

b) What is the objective or desired outcome of this policy? c) What action has been taken or needs to be taken (such as political, economic, administrative mechanisms) in the process of implementation of the policy?

Guiding Question 3: Findings• Initial orientation to the college was neither helpful

nor informative and took too much time and effort on part of both the trustees and employees.

• New trustees need the first year to learn of the college.

• Seasoned trustees learned much by attending state and national associations meetings .

• Data & information needs to be contextualize to the college situation (relevancy – oriented).

• None noted “ working as a group” as an element to be included in professional development activities.

Guiding Question 3: Implications

• Regularly scheduled, well-constructed professional development activities for trustees must be facilitated by the college & Board.

• “Working as a unit” (group socialization) must be continually included in Board professional development activities.

• Attending state and national meetings must be equitably dispersed among the trustees.

Conclusions of the Findings

• Participants did not find the information received from college staff necessarily relevant, understandable, nor tied to their role and responsibilities.

• “Boardmanship” was lacking in their professional development activities.

• Professional development activities crafted for trustees is an investment in the community college’s future.

As a Result of the Findings:

1. All Board decisions are influenced by the dynamics of the group, therefore, an understanding of the concepts of group socialization and groups dynamics are critical for a board to become high performing.

2. Adult learning principles must be embedded into the designed of all educational activities.

3. Trustee professional development activities need to be held 3 – 4 times a year.

Overview of the Griffin Framework for

Development for Governing BoardsServes as an organizing guide to coordinate systematic

planning and presentation of all Board professional development activities.

1) To improve educational programs design, effectiveness, and relevancy.

2) To enhance efficient use of trustees and college staff time and efforts.

3) To enhance board development and performance of not-for-profit and for-profit institutions.

Griffin Framework: Effective Development for Governing Boards

Griffin Framework Elements

Element 1. Regularity of professional development activities for Boards.

Element 2. Use of adult learning principles in the designing and offering of all Board professional development activities.

Element 3. Inclusion of group socialization and dynamics concepts in all professional development activities.

Recommendations for Further Research

• To understand and identify where the new trustees will be found.

• To understand an individual’s motivation to serve on as a trustee.

• To explore new and different approach to Board functions & interactions demanded by a new generation of younger and more diverse members.

• To better understand the abilities and characteristics of Board leadership and succession planning for the leadership position of Chair.

Thank You!

Dr. William M. Griffin

References

• Janis, I. L. (1972). Victims of groupthink: A psychological study of foreign-policy decisions and fiascoes. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

• Knowles, M. S. (1970). The modern practice of adult education: Andragogy versus pedagogy. New York, NY: Association Press.

References

• Moreland, R. L., & Levine, J. M. (1982). Socialization in small groups: Temporal changes in individual-group relations. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 15, pp. 137-192). New York, NY: Academic Press.

• Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of small group development revisited. Group and Organization Studies, 2(4), 419-427. doi: 10.1177/105960117700200404