I would position the formation of an Advisory Board as a value added service to the organization. Now armed with the information from the course, I would supplement the information with research articles and bring personal experience into the discussion. My time serving on a Board and the changes that were made in the organization after forming a Board could provide a springboard for discussion as others may have had similar positive experiences. With a properly selected Board, a school/organization has a "think tank" resource. I located an article that might be helpful to a school considering Board formation. Here is the link: http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/contributors.asp?id=1361
Carolyn,
You acutely expressed a often unrecognized value of advisory and governing boards; serving as a "think tank" for the institution. However, in order to gain the benefit from these boards, the administration has to be open to candid feedback and willing to seriously consider board input. Being open with a board can provide valuable business and education intelligence.
I appreciate your insight and hope the course provided you with a good starting point from which to enhance your board experiences and I appreciate the link you sent to the article.
Dr. Robert Roehrich
Considering the fact that our Board is a small group of involved persons, I would likely appeal to elements of time and effectiveness.
I would try to sell them on the fact that in some cases they don’t need to navigate unfamiliar waters alone and that putting together a good board of advisers would create a powerful asset that could be useful to them when they need to get objective advice, compare against competitors, gauge trends, seek new strategic positions, have introductions made or build enrollment, etc.
Timothy ,
Agreed, but be sure to establish a clear set of guidelines and policies to direct and monitor the activities of your board(s). This coupled with my previous response regarding training and development should position them well and create the confidence they need to perform as a well developed board.
Dr. Robert Roehrich
I would position the forming and functions of an advisory board as a strategic necessity due to the opportunities boards offer for organizational interfacing. Without organizational interfacing, you lack the benefit of having advisers and advocates who help drive improvements through their technical knowledge, expertise, or past experiences.
Jeanne,
Agreed, but I'm not sure I understand what you mean by organizational interfacing. If I'm interpreting you correctly, interfacing with the organization is fine, but the value of advisory boards is to provide industry and curricular advice and help the institution network within its business community to enhance opportunities for the institution and its graduates.
Dr. Robert Roehrich
