Stamats QuickTakes
Insights into Research, Strategic Planning, and Integrated Marketing for Colleges and Universities by Dr. Robert A. Sevier, Senior Vice President at Stamats (quicktakes@stamats.com)
Vol. 6, no. 20: The Role of Your Board
In this issue.
SEE YOU IN 2004
It's hard to believe that this is the last issue of QuickTakes in 2003. But don't worry, we'll see you again in mid-January 2004. In the meantime, your friends at Stamats hope you have a happy, safe, and thoughtful holiday season.
ON STRATEGY: THE ROLE OF YOUR BOARD
One of the things we wonder about is, exactly what is the role and responsibility of the board? Of course, we must recognize that functions will differ slightly depending on whether or not you are a public or private, church-related or more independent institution. At the same time, there are some constants. Richard Ingram, in a really nice little book, Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards, offers a nice foundation for that conversation. He suggests that a board should (even must):
1. Determine the organization's mission and purposes
2. Select the chief executive
3. Support the chief executive and assess his or her performance
4. Ensure effective organizational planning
5. Ensure adequate resources
6. Manage resources effectively
7. Determine, monitor, and strengthen the organization's programs and services
8. Enhance the organization's public standing
9. Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability
10. Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance
What's missing from the list may be as important as what is on the list. We don't find anything about managing or being involved in the day-to-day activities of the institution.
One other comment, item 5 above, should be interpreted in a higher education setting as an active role in fundraising. Most successful board members must either have access to financial resources or be willing to secure those resources through their relationships with others.
The book is available from one of my favorite resources: www.ncnb.org -Board Source. In addition to Ingram's books, they have dozens of other books and monographs on optimizing your board.
JOIN STAMATS AT THE CIC'S 2004 PRESIDENTS INSTITUTE IN SAN DIEGO
In January, Guy Wendler, president of Stamats,
and Dr. Robert A. Sevier, senior vice president, will be attending CIC's
2004 Presidents Institute in San Diego at the Hotel Del Coronado.
They will be available for one-on-one appointments throughout the conference. To schedule an appointment, please contact Suzanne Schloss at suzanne.schloss@stamats.com.
The November 2003 issue of Policy Perspectives from The Knight Higher Education Collaborative begins with a remarkable line: Intercollegiate athletics is a lens that brings into remarkable focus the relationship of institutional values to daily practice. The larger article, "When Values Matter," is an exploration of how competitive intercollegiate athletics affects both admission practices and the nature of the academic community at private colleges and universities that practice selective admissions. Of course, the issues addressed in the monograph have direct implication for kinds of private colleges and public ones as well.
Policy Perspectives is undergoing a change. Formerly published by Knight, it will now be published by The Learning Alliance. For subscription information, contact www.thelearningalliance.info. A great resource.
THE BASICS OF AN E-MAIL CAMPAIGN
In the October 2003 issue of 1to1, I read a short article that outlines the key elements of an effective e-mail campaign. For those of us who use e-mail to recruit students or raise dollars, there are some valuable lessons here. Their tips include:
These key elements represent the basics, however, with changing legislation and tighter restrictions for e-mail providers, e-mail marketing requires an additional level of planning. State spam laws, spam bills, e-mail filters, and AOL 9.0 can and will restrict the deliverability of your e-mail programs. Understanding these issues will provide you with the necessary foundation to make smart decisions for your future e-mail programs. If you have questions relating to e-mail deliverability, please contact Sabra Fiala, Direct Marketing Executive at sabra.fiala@stamats.com.
Stamats will be hosting an Audio/Web conference on January 28, 2004 @ 1:30pm CST. Building a Brand That Matters, presented by Bob Sevier, will discuss how owning a valued brand in the minds of prospective students and donors is critical for your marketing, enrollment, and fundraising success. If students and donors are not aware of you, they will not be in your classroom or on your donor roles.
During this Webinar, you will learn how to:
To receive specifics on this program, please let Suzanne Schloss know at suzanne.schloss@stamats.com.
NEW CLIENTS
Job listings available online at Higher Educations Careers.
If you have a short position description (100 words or less) you would like posted, please forward it on to brandy.huseman@stamats.com. There is no charge for this service.
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