Responsibilities of a Trustee
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Select, support, and assess the performance of the president
- Prescribe and authorize a well-designed search process.
- Make the final decision about the selection of a new president.
- Support the president in all appropriate ways.
- Ensure the president has annual, well-designed, and carefully-done performance reviews.
- Support the president with thoughtful counsel, constructive comments and accurate, honest evaluations of performance.
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Determine the mission, purpose, vision and strategic plan
- Regularly review and adapt, if needed, the Alma College mission and purpose to ensure its adequacy, accuracy, and validity
- Know the mission, vision, values, and culture; also the policies, programs, strengths, and needs
- With the other trustees, be extensively involved in the strategic planning process
- With the other trustees formally (and enthusiastically) approve a new strategic plan developed following an extended period of consultation and opportunity for revision
- Have a primary focus on the strategy, goals, and other top priority issues.
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Participate in the board’s meetings and work
- Attend a high proportion (at least two-thirds) of board and committee meetings (unless excused)
- Prepare by reading materials and thinking critically about strategies and priorities
- Participate through thoughtful, timely and constructive questions and sharing of ideas and expertise
- Suggest agenda items periodically to help assure that significant matters are considered
- Support the majority decisions on issues decided by the board, consistent with your conscience and convictions
- Maintain confidentiality of executive sessions
- Speak for the board only when authorized to do so by the chair of the board, who normally is the only board member who speaks publicly on behalf of the board of trustees
- Strive continually to learn, to grow, and to increase value as a trustee through ongoing study of materials, joining training and orientation sessions, participation in meetings and retreats, etc.
- Advise administration about your special areas of expertise
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Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability
- Avoid prejudiced judgments on the basis of information received from individuals, and urge those with grievances to follow established policies and procedures through their superiors
- The primary contact for all matters of significance - issues and concerns for Alma - is the president, and/or the board chair
- Avoid asking for special favors of the staff, including special requests for extensive information without at least prior consultation with the president
- Avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest that might embarrass the board or Alma College and disclose any possible conflicts to the board in a timely manner
- Never accept (or offer) favors or gifts from (or to) anyone who does business with Alma College
- Avoid adjudicating personnel issues
- Serve the college as a whole, considering all stakeholders and constituencies
- Maintain independence and objectivity and do what a sense of fairness, ethics and personal integrity dictates.
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Enhance Alma’s public standing
- Be an ambassador and advocate for Alma College
- Look for and act on opportunities to advance Alma College
- Lobby state and federal governments on behalf of the college, if asked.
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Build the board as a team
- Along with preparation and purpose, bring goodwill and a sense of humor to meetings
- Cultivate and nurture warm and positive relationships with the board
- Work to know and understand the interests and needs of the various stakeholders while always maintaining the appropriate position with them; in particular, do not interfere in the relationships between the president and students, faculty and staff.
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Manage resources effectively
- Help develop and with the other trustees, formally approve the annual budget
- Exercise prudence with the board in the control and transfer of funds
- Faithfully read and understand the financial statements and otherwise help the board fulfill its fiduciary responsibility, including insistence on an annual audit by an independent auditor.
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Ensure adequate resources
- Give an annual gift according to personal means
- Give a gift to the occasional capital campaigns according to personal means
- Assist the Advancement Committee and staff by implementing fundraising strategies through personal influence with others (individuals, corporations, foundations) and making calls on prospective donors, if asked.
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Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance
- Suggest potential new members of the board to the Governance Committee
- Assist in recruitment of new trustees, if asked
- Participate in regular assessment of the board’s performance.
