Most of my questions are being answered through this course. Sometimes when you are learning something new you don't know what to ask until you come across a situation. I am only responsible for one Advisory Board but it has 21 members. Our College offers several different majors and my board is comprised of professionals from all areas (at least two from each major). For my next meeting I plan on having break out, where they will meet with their program director and work one on one.
Linda,
Thanks for your reply; what you described is a sound strategy. You identified two of the keys to encouraging attendance and retention of board members; show them you value their input and seek ways to make it easier to attend meetings. If the board member is honest with you, and cannot fulfill their commitment, then the follow-through action of replacing them is more efficient.
R. Roehrich
I would explain to the member how much we value their imput and want them at the meetings. See if there is a way to make it easier for them to attend. Or just find out what is hindering them form attending meetings and see how I can be of help . Lastly they may just say at this time,it is now feasible for them to attend. Therfore making it easier for me to replace them.
Hildie,
Don't be too hard on yourself, your first meeting sounds like it was more productive than most. This course should provide you with additional information and insights for operating your board(s) and I expect you will have increasing success by applying your learning from this course to your board operation.
Are there any questions you have or feel there are areas that need further explanation? Are you operating more than one advisory board?
R. Roehrich
This course has been very informative about participation at meetings. I am new at this and just established my first advisory board and had our first meeting but it was more of the orientation than a meeting. I realize this now after participating in this course. During our first meeting we introduced the staff and board members, took a tour of the campus, talked about advertising and let each board member speak about their interest in the school and about our curiculumn and some things that they thought we should add or take a way.
I am now learning in mod 3 things that I need to do to make our first official meeting a productive one.
Linda,
You're right on track! Your posting indicates a well thought-out approach to addressing your board as peer professionals. Tying back to the reason they joined the board is very solid and should further reinforce their individual commitments to your school. It's interesting how much value that follow-up phone call can be to maintaining attendance and demonstrating “your†commitment to the board's importance and input.
How would you handle the situation, if you had to remove a board member because of inconsistent attendance at your board meetings?
R. Roehrich
Hildie,
Thank you for the detail in your response! The examples you presented are all good illustrations of ways to enhance board participation and effectiveness while adding support and reinforcement to the techniques included in Module 3.
You might consider adding an additional follow-up to the curriculum change by sharing with your board members each time they meet additional supporting evidence of graduate placements, which can be attributed to the curriculum change. This doesn't have to be overly detailed, just a comment at the meeting that demonstrates continued reinforcement for the change “they suggested.â€
Are there other ways that the course has stimulated your interest or strategies for enhancing board participation at meetings or other school events?
R. Roehrich
I would include how they are initial approached about becoming a member of the board and their response. If this is good then the folow up invitation and welcome package can also help to entice them to want to be at the meeting. Finally a follow up phone call to insure ttheir atendance that day. If all of this is done and they still do not show up I feel they never really wanted to be on the board and a replacement should be found.
I would include items that were generated from our meetings. For example at our meeting one of the board members suggested that our program was missing a very important subject for our students to get placed. We gathered the information about the subject plus the minutes from the board meeting and presented it to our corporate office and it is now part of our curriculumn. I also let that board member know that we had taken his advice into consideration and made the changes. I feel that if you show that thier advice is valuable and that it is used they are more likely to continue participating. I would also show my success and getting members to show for meeting by presenting documentation made at meetings.
Teri,
This is a god observation, what else could you do to enhance your attendance?
R. Roehrich
The advisory committee for my department is voluntary. Even though we serve good food, start and end on time, etc., attendance remains my biggest problem. Before I can evaluate effectiveness, I have to earn better attendance. I think that as part of a self evaluation; I need to learn to keep better notes (or delegate the task) of recommendations made at the meetings and learn to phrase them more effectively. I need to include not only that we discussed a concern or idea, but list the the expected outcomes as well.
