Effective practices of community college presidents that assist in the development of an exemplary board-president team: A qualitative study

Presidents of community colleges must assist in the development of board members so the institution will benefit from a governing body that is properly equipped to govern. Because the people who serve on community college boards come from a variety of backgrounds, many new trustees look to fellow trustees and presidents for guidance. The community college president is often the most qualified to know how a community college governing board and its individual members should ideally function. It is necessary, then, for the president to assist the board in developing those characteristics that will enable them to effectively govern the institution and work as part of an exemplary board-president team.; Assisting board members in their development can be a test of a president's diplomacy and sensitivity in that the president reports directly to the board and is the agent responsible for implementing board policy. Therefore, it is important for presidents to determine what practices can be utilized to best facilitate and develop a positive working relationship between themselves and the boards they serve.; This study is qualitative in design and a case study approach was used to collect data through a semi-structured interview process. Five exemplary board-president teams were selected and members of those teams were interviewed as to the practices employed by the president in the development of that team. The research procedure involved visits to each of the five community college districts, and interviews were conducted by the researcher during those visits.; In examining the data, the researcher discovered some common responses by all of the board members and presidents. This was especially evident through the use of certain phrases or words such as, "good communication," "honesty and integrity," and "no surprises." These were all used in relation to the characteristics or practices that were needed in establishing and maintaining positive board-president relationships.