A collection of essays written for trustees and administrative leaders of universities and colleges that draws on the authors' extensive consulting experience, research into the dynamics of boards, and service as trustees, to focus on practical insights that will help readers improve governance. The primary aim of the book is to provide insight that boards can use to enhance their governing practices.

Figures and Tables Foreword by Richard Chait Acknowledgements Introduction. Thinking, Doing, Governing 1. The Evolving Board. Ways to Think About Governing Today 2)The "Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't" Dynamics of Governing 3)Is Your Board Mediocre? 4)Individual Competencies for Collective Impact 5) Right Answers; Wrong Questions 6)Spending Scarce Time Wisely 7)Ensuring Accountability for the Board by the Board 8)Curiosity. The Boardroom's Missing Element 9)The "Jobs" of Committees (of Drill Bits and Milkshakes. 10)The Culture of Boards. Making the Invisible Visible 11)The (Not So. Hidden Dynamics of Power and Influence 12)The Prime Partnership Between Presidents and Board Chairs 13)Creating the Capacity for Trying Issues 14)Strategy, Higher Education, and Boards (and Forget Planning. 15)Getting to Grips With Shared Governance 16)Governing Circa 1749 16 ¿. Half a . The Unfinished Work References About the Authors Index

Peter D. Eckel is senior fellow and director of leadership programs in he Alliance for Higher Education for Democracy in the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. He coleads the Penn Project on University Governance and serves as a trustee at the University of La Verne. Cathy A. Trower is president of Trower & Trower, Inc., a board governance consulting firm, and former research director at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.