Creating the Capacity for Trying Issues
Peter D. Eckel, Cathy A. Trower · 2023
Boards face a series of challenges over time; they may have the capacity and wherewithal to deal with some, but not necessarily all. Trying issues require boards to develop new capacities, enact new structures, and alter the focus of their work. Issues of diversity and inclusivity (and often student activism) are timely and relevant examples. Although boards have a significant leadership role to play, they are rarely poised to engage appropriately the challenging issues that most vex institutional leaders. Addressing the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion is difficult for a host of reasons specific to these types of issues, including (a) the composition (mostly White males) of boards, (b) difficulties framing the issues for action, and (c) the complexity of the issue itself. Common governance shortcomings may also come into play, including (a) a lack of sophistication on student and faculty issues in general; (b) insufficient use of data, metrics, and dashboards; and (c) the pull of competing issues. In this chapter, we explore how to improve a board&s;s capacity to deal with big challenges.