Dive Summary:
- Jill Derby writes for The Washington Post, examining recent problems at the University of Virginia and Pennsylvania State University.
- She recommends three telltale problems to look for in diagnosing problems with higher ed leadership.
- She focuses on 1) Weak communication between a board and president 2) Quality of board member education and training 3) Cultures that avoid answering tough questions and do little to seek out evidence.
From the article:
The fall from grace of the boards of the University of Virginia and Pennsylvania State University are a wake-up call to the men and women who govern our nation’s colleges and universities. They’ve raised a public outcry and legitimate questions about how crises at two such highly regarded universities could ever happen. Who is in charge here? How could these boards have missed the potential governance train wrecks and public relations nightmares that lay ahead? And weren’t there red flags these trustees should have seen? ...