Community College Board 2.0

This book provides the reader with a fresh and comprehensive approach to both considering and implementing an uncommon governance practice that emphasizes a lasting, effective, and a sustaining relationship between the board and president. This discussion encapsulates pre-hiring practices, and principles regarding CEO selection, onboarding, various board membership constructions (both appointed and elected), and new dimensions of board governance that emphasize competition, agility, transparency, effectiveness, and new business models. The discussion also includes elements of policy and by-law design, intentional governance design and development, committee structures and use, parliamentary procedures, meeting construction and effectiveness, CEO contracts and evaluation, board self-evaluation, generative thinking and planning, transparency and addressing board and organizational challenges. Given that transitioning to a new, enhanced or blended governance model can be difficult, the book will offer suggestions and guidance about how to move toward a more preferred, effective model. This component will include tools, such as a strategy canvas, and other processes to assist boards in addressing questions along the way, such as how and where to begin, how to evaluate the efficacy of the current model and how to structure the transition process and the timing thereof.

Navigating the rough waters of college governance is not for the faint hearted. But Dan Phelan is not faint hearted. He honed his philosophy and skills as an Iowa farm boy and uses the farm as a delightful metaphor to herd his ideas about governance through institutional pastures. He wins a blue ribbon at the community college fair for this elegantly written, substantive book on governance that is a joy to read., In The Community College Board 2.0: Covenant Governance, Dan Phelan uses lessons from his youth on the farm, combined with college observations, research, and his extensive and effective leadership experience to provide valuable insights and recommendations to improve college governance. The idea of a Governance Trial and the concept of Covenant Governance are explained using recent examples and understandable analysis. This publication is a wonderful resource for trustees and CEOs who are serious about improving college governance

Daniel J. Phelan, Ph.D. has served as president and CEO of Jackson College, Michigan since April 2001. He has extensive experience and training in community college governance and has served on, and held leadership positions on a wide variety of public and private organization boards. (Jackson College utilizes the Policy Governance Model created by John Carver).