Location of advisory board meeting
Is it better to have the advisory board meeting at the college, or is it better to meet in a restaurant? We have had all of the meetings in a restaurant and it is very difficult to accomplish anything. We have tried many different restaurants over the years. We have a total of six people attend on average.
Joyce,
Meeting in a restaurant, as you've noted, is not conducive to accomplishing an advisory agenda. In addition to the many distractions of table service, interruptions, cluttered tables, etc., it's difficult to get your members to concentrate on the real purpose of the meeting.
I would strongly suggest you hold meetings on campus, as referenced in the course, to focus your advisory board members on the task at hand and in an environment where their input will be put into action. This also provides you an opportunity to showcase your facility and get their reactions and suggestions regarding the physical plant.
How would you introduce this change to your advisory board and how would you structure an agenda for the first on-campus meeting? Finally, how will you gauge their reactions to the change?
R. Roehrich
Perhaps to conduct the meetings at the college is a better idea. However, restaurants can work if the the meetings are conducted in a "private" area within the restaurant. There are some restaurants that have separate areas that are ideal for these types of meetings.
I tink that the bottom line is to identify a location that is central and convenient for everyone. What works for a board one year may not work for another one the following one.
I will say that we can use both of them.
The first one should be on campus,to show thwm our facilities, to know personnel and environment.
Ohter depending on the agenda could be out.
But the most important thing to me is that statement of purpose and expectations are clearly define.
The chairman selection is very important, he/she will be the leader in achieving the effectiveness of the boards.
Syndia,
You're absolutely correct and the location is determined by how you best feel you can gain your board's attention and input. If a restaurant works, then use it to your advantage.
R. Roehrich
Elvira,
Wouldn't you share your statement of purpose and expectations before you accept your board members to serve on your board?
R. Roehrich
Elvira,
Please see my posted response to Joyce Kussad on this Forum as she had essentially the same posting as yours.
R. Roehrich
I think that is correct, however, meeting on-campus gives an opportunity to inspect the learning resource system, equipment, curriculum and facilities. Once a member asked to see the set of tests that were utilized to measure learning and I thought it was great to have that degree of involvement. Also you have to make sure you comply with accrediting requirements, some require that at least one yearly meeting is at the school. I just have both meetings on campus because I find them a lot more productive and shorter.
I would like like to comment both on Syndia's & Julio's commentary. I agree with Syndia that both locations can serve an advantage. Advisory meetings that will contain heavy/weighted agendas need to have more of the participants' attention and time for discussion and/or voting. At my school, our spring meetings are usually reviewing the Institution Effectiveness Plan (a review of what has occurred in the past year and our plans for the upcoming year). This could be held at the campus in case board members request additional stats, then the information would be readily available. However, at the remaining quarterly meetings - where we are discussing day to day events or kicking around ideas for future improvements to the school's curriculum, operations, policies, etc. - a less structured environment, such as a restuarant, may serve a better purpose (creative brainstorming)...as long as you meet at an off time from the lunch or dinner rush or in a private/set aside area to minimize distractions. Here is my comment to Julio, two meetings a year did not serve our school because so much occurs in the six months between meetings that board members felt left in the dust (so to speak). It took extra time catching them up on everything happening at the school and they seldom had an opportunity to see their comments and suggestions ever get implemented or their impact to the students/school. If you are experiencing some of those feelings among advisory board members, maybe adding two more meetings would serve everyone more. Good luck!
Randall,
Thank you for your response to the two referenced postings. I concur with your supporting rationale for holding a spring meeting on campus and commend you for engaging your advisory board with your Institutional Effectiveness Plan. I'm sure it also provides you with an opportunity to “showoff†your school and highlight changes or capital improvements that may have occurred between the annual spring meetings. It's also an opportunity to showcase student work and even make special student and/or faculty recognition awards.
I also support holding four meetings a year. If a school is genuinely interested in maintaining an active and vital board, quarterly meetings provide that opportunity. By only holding the minimum number of meetings required to satisfy accreditation requirements (generally one or two), I believe schools miss out on the opportunity to gain maximum advantage from their board's involvement.
R. Roehrich
Dr. Roehrich,
Thank you for your commentary. Its good to know that I am doing the right thing pertaining to holding quarterly meetings and having the spring meeting at the campus for our advisory board.
How about meeting in the college conference room and provide refreshments. You have the best of both worlds.
Charles,
Absolutely, assuming you have the space to do so. Unfortunately, many career colleges do not have the luxury of a conference room and have to use a classroom or an off-site facility.
With access to a conference room, would you be more inclined to bring in outside resources, e.g. webinars, video feeds, etc. to enhance your meetings and/or training sessions?
R. Roehrich
My wife is a musician and the other day I went with her to an event at a local restaurant. I decided to hold my advisory meetings there from now on. This restaurant is very special, it is Italian and looks quite magnificent and elegant but at the same time has a separate room which is totally high-tech. The room has a screen huge screen that comes down with the push of a button and a ceiling mounted projector that can be connected to by any laptop. The room is quiet and private and can easily hold 25 people (I only have 7). One of the problems I have found with board members is that they want to be treated well. Before a restaurant would do the trick but we couldn't get much done, now I think I'll have the best of both worlds:)
Craig,
You're right on target with your comment: "they want to be treated well." Given that your advisory board members aren't getting paid for their time, a good meal in a great restaurant is a nice incentive for their participation. Keep in mind that the meeting agenda and content should match the quality of the environment for it to be a successful experience for you and the board. If possible, I'd suggest starting no later than six o'clock, so the meal doesn't become the primary focus of the meeting; much later and a heavy meal may also begin to drag down the participation levels.
Sorry for the delay in responding, technology isn't as effective as we expect while traveling.
R. Roehrich
Have your meetings at the school but provide some nice refreshments and food to nibble on. Always effective and you can focus at the task at hand.
Clearly, food id not the focus, but providing it does demonstrate to your members that you are considerate of their needs.
Our college has nine advisory boards for its medical, business and technical vocational programs. Most of the boards' participating professionals are required to be at their work sites throughout the day and are able to meet only in the early morning or after hours. Experience has taught us early morning breakfast or dinner meetings can be very successful with adequate coordination. The advisory boards convene in a traditionally chosen restaurant meeting room, 30 minutes prior to the business meeting, for a predetermined meal. Restaurant staff is queued to clear tables, close public access, and agendas are distributed for a 60-90 minute meeting. Generally speaking there is an 80-90% attendance rate with this format. Should specific on-site reviews be necessary we will provide catered meals on campus. However meeting space is at a premium, classes are in session from 7:15am-10:15pm, affecting a desired distraction-free and comfortable setting. Efficiently productive and effective results can be achieved with adequate internal communication and advanced preparation.
Judy,
It sounds like you have a system that works for your school. How do you prepare your advisory board members in advance of your meetings and how many items do you include in your agendas?
R. Roehrich
New advisory board members are given a one-on-one orientation prior to their first meeting. Relevant discussion materials are made available to the advisory board prior to the meeting. This year the governing board revised the mission statement and it will be included with the advanced materials. Previous meeting minutes are at place. Student representives are invited to attend to share their perspective with the advisors. Agenda items are determined by each program director and it is rare to see more than two or three past/new business items. If more issues require additional time specific programs reconvene at a later date. We remain sensitive to the professionals' time allowance for our meeting.
