1. Shasta CCD Board Retreat CEO Search, Accreditation & Student Success
Cindra Smith, Ed. D.
Board Facilitation and Development
November 6, 2010

2. CEO Search
One of the most important, if not the most important, decision a board of trustees makes
Clarifies needs of the district and qualities of leadership that will best meet those needs
May take 6-9 months
Results in a CEO with board, community and college support
Controlled by Board
Fair, professional
Clearly communicated

3. Steps in the Process Interim? Consultant? Design/affirm process
Institutional Assessment
Identify the criteria
Appoint Committee
Advertise and recruit
Screen Applications
Conduct Interviews
Selection & contract
Welcome & orientation

4. Interims Why and when to appoint Determine role
Follow appropriate laws and processes

5. Use a Consultant? For all or parts of the process A consultant helps
Clarify district needs
Bring people together
Avoid mistakes in the process
Provide a neutral, confidential contact for candidates
Identify and recruit candidates
Conduct background checks
Advise and support search committee & board
Drawbacks include:
Cost; Over-reliance on consultant; Lack of alignment with district needs; Skills may be available in the district

6. Who Does What? Assign Responsibilities
Board and trustee roles
Contracting with a consultant
Establish expectations
Solicit proposals, interview, select
District staff contact
Oversight
Committee
Who is on it; what does it do
Calendar

7. What Leadership Do You Need? Establish Criteria and Expectations
Who to involve in this discussion
Assess college and community needs
Opportunities and goals
Challenges and issues
A related question:
What kind of CEO can you attract? Are you a well-functioning district and board, or will the CEO be expected to address major problems?
E.g. a divided board, financial problems, accreditation status, bargaining impasse

8. Expectations and Parameters
Salary and contract discussion
Consult with district attorney
Sample contracts
Candidate pool and finalists
How many?
Committee recommendations
Ranked? Not ranked?

9. What to Avoid A board or board chair that does not function well
Lack of discussion about leadership needs
Relying on inexperienced people to do the search
Hiring a consultant that doesn’t take the time to understand the district
Inadequate time and resources
Confidentiality leaks
Unclear communication about roles in the process
Ignoring community and stakeholder needs
Not supporting the new CEO when hired

10. Next Steps

11. Accreditation & the Board Role
Your process and timeline
Workshop by ACCJC Staff?
Standard IVB
Student Learning Outcomes and Student Success

12. Standard IVB.1
1. The institution has a governing board that is responsible for establishing policies to assure the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of the student learning programs and services and the financial stability of the institution. The governing board adheres to a clearly defined policy for selecting and evaluating the chief administrator for the college or the district/system.
a. The governing board is an independent policy-making body that reflects the public interest in board activities and decisions. Once the board reaches a decision, it acts as a whole. It advocates for and defends the institution and protects it from undue influence or pressure.
b. The governing board establishes policies consistent with the mission statement to ensure the quality, integrity, and improvement of student learning programs and services and the resources necessary to support them.
c. The governing board has ultimate responsibility for educational quality, legal matters, and financial integrity.

13. d. The institution or the governing board publishes the board bylaws and policies specifying the board’s size, duties, responsibilities, structure, and operating procedures.
e. The governing board acts in a manner consistent with its policies and bylaws. The board regularly evaluates its policies and practices and revises them as necessary.
f. The governing board has a program for board development and new member orientation. It has a mechanism for providing for continuity of board membership and staggered terms of office.
g. The governing board’s self-evaluation processes for assessing board performance are clearly defined, implemented, and published in its policies or bylaws.

14. h. The governing board has a code of ethics that includes a clearly defined policy for dealing with behavior that violates its code.
i. The governing board is informed about and involved in the accreditation process.
j. The governing board has the responsibility for selecting and evaluating the district/system chief administrator (most often known as the chancellor) in a multi-college district/system or the college chief administrator (most often known as the president) in the case of a single college. The governing board delegates full responsibility and authority to him/her to implement and administer board policies without board interference and holds him/her accountable for the operation of the district/system or college, respectively.
In multi-college districts/systems, the governing board establishes a clearly defined policy for selecting and evaluating the presidents of the colleges.”

15. Board Role in Student Success

16. Role #1: Leadership
Provide, Expect and Ensure Visible, Persistent Leadership for student success
At all levels, in every area of the college
Hire the right president/chancellor who is passionate and relentless about student success.

17. Role #2: Strategic Focus and Plan
Provide and ensure strategic focus and plan that is relentless and sustained over time.
Student success is a Board priority
The strategic plan puts student success at the center.
Small number of clear priorities each year
Identify Board responsibilities for achieving priorities; evaluate board performance
Stick with the plan; monitor progress toward goals

18. Role #3: Culture of Evidence
Support a culture of inquiry, not blame
Be curious. Engage in courageous conversations about data and student performance
Expect and support research
Establish metrics for monitoring progress
Regularly monitor progress

19. Role #4: Educational Effectiveness
Support and expect doing education effectively… and by design
Know what works; stop doing what doesn’t work
Focus on what can be done
Student engagement
High expectations
Focus on the front door
Make effective practice mandatory for students

20. Final Comments, Evaluation & Next Steps