Minutes 10/31/2005

A retreat of the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board was scheduled to be held at 5:00 p.m. at the ASU University Club in Tempe, Arizona on October 31, and at 8:00 a.m. on November 1 pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice having been duly given.

PRESENT

GOVERNING BOARD

Don Campbell, President
Linda Rosenthal, Member
Ed Contreras, Member
Jerry Walker, Member

ABSENT: Scott Crowley, Member
On October 31 and morning
Of November 1


ADMINISTRATION

Rufus Glasper, Chancellor
Teresa Toney, Governance Manager
Pete Kushibab, General Counsel
Gloria Smith, Governing Board Assistant

CALL TO ORDER

Dinner was served at 5:00 p.m. and the after dinner session was called to order by ACCT Facilitator Vaughn Sherman at 5:40 p.m. who explained that this evening was considered to be an informal session for the purpose of getting acquainted by means of explaining what prompted board members to get involved on the Maricopa Governing Board. Mr. Sherman provided information regarding his personal involvement on the Seattle Community College Governing Board as well as the national ACCT Board of Trustees.

Each board member and recounted how they each became involved on the Maricopa Community College Governing Board. Administrative staff members provided background on their educational history and subsequent involvement with the Governing Board.

The final item on Monday night consisted of the distribution of the tabulation of the self-evaluations completed in advance of the retreat by all board members. Mr. Sherman requested that board members review the results for further consideration the following day.

The session adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

November 1 8:00 a.m.

Following breakfast, the retreat was called together at 8:30 a.m. by Mr. Sherman. Mr. Sherman called attention to the posted ground rules and asked if everyone was in agreement with them. The ground rules included:

· Observe common courtesy
· Everyone participates
· Allow each person to have their say before speaking again
· Keep remarks to the point and brief
· Encourage differences of opinion
· Respect others values and opinions
· Listen as an ally
· All ideas are valid
· No rank in the room
· Focus on interests, not positions
· Focus on the future
· Seek common ground
· Have fun

He explained that the material for the retreat had come from a number of retreats held over the years during which time he served on the ACCT National Board, as consultant for many community college nationwide, his training as facilitator and mediator, and from collaboration with another ACCT consultant, Cindra Smith. In his presentation titled Roles and Responsibilities of Community College Trustees, Mr. Sherman covered the following topics (copy of powerpoint handout included in official folder:

· Governing the college on behalf of its community.
· Trusteeship in a Nutshell (You are a member of a lay board, which as a unit:
· Member of a Lay Board
· Which as a UNIT
· Sets the Policy Direction
· Employs a CEO as the Institutional Leader
· Acts as Community Bridge and Buffer
· Establishes a Climate for Learning
· Defines Operational Parameters
· Assures Fiscal Health and Stability
· Establishes Standards for Good Employer-Employee Relations
· Assures Performance: Evaluates Policy Implementation
· Leads as an Educated Team
· Trustee Responsibilities
· Effective Boards

Mr. Sherman had participants consider and discuss a scenario revolving around the micro-management of community college president.

After a short break, Mr. Sherman next went over a powerpoint presentation (copy of handout is included in official minutes) titled Essential of Good Board-President Relations. The topics covered in this discussion included:

· Good Board-President Relations Begin, Continue and End with Good Ethics
· The Board and President Must Community openly, appropriately, even handedly
· Communicating
· The Board and President Must Know Their Separate Responsibilities
· Traditional Practice – Boards
· John Carver’s Board Description
· Traditional Practice - Presidents
· John Carver’s CEO Job Description
· The Board and president Should Each be Evaluated
· Leadership Evaluations
· The Board and President Need to Encourage Each Other in Professional Development
· Professional Development
· Facilitating the Board Process – the Sixth Essential
· Helping Facilitate Process

Participants took part in completing a questionnaire on Board and CEO roles (copy in file). Categories included: Board-CEO relationship, external relations, board policies, administrative regulations/college procedures, organizational structure, planning, educational programs and services, personnel, treatment of students, and fiscal affairs.

After lunch, board members participated in a private session consisting of the five board members and Mr. Sherman. This session began at 12:45 p.m. and ended at 2:25 p.m. The topics of discussion included:

· Board Self-Evaluation
· Walking in spirit of cooperation
· Informed and unbiased perspective
· Obligation to citizens
· Open and honest communication
· Comments from Board prior to meeting discussed and used to determine item for further discussion
· Judgments not what is best for institution
· Recruitment of minority males
· United in support of board policies

The Chancellor joined the group at 2:45 p.m. Discussion included the need for information regarding think tanks and P-20 and developing a board goal to focus on a particular use of specific dollars.

ADJOURNMENT The retreat adjourned at 3:00 p.m.

_______________________________
Scott Crowley
Governing Board Secretary