April 23, 2020
The Role of the Board in a Crisis
NAIS just reported on the Head/Board relationship during the COVID-19 crisis and it seems that boards are doing pretty well! 83% of Heads said that boards performed 'well or extremely' well in supporting the Head of School and 76% said that boards were engaging in appropriate decision making 'well or extremely well.' Performing 'well or extremely well' in the categories of 'assessing risks to the school' and 'engaging in scenario planning' dropped to 64% and 52%, respectively.
As a reminder of the board's role in a crisis, I will share with you these resources:
"The Role of the Board in Times of Distress"
by Jaap Winter and Erik van de Loo of INSEAD
While this article is based on corporate boards, there are important takeaways that apply to independent school boards
"A Crisis is Coming - Is Your Board on Board"
by David Wolowitz, McLane Middleton
"The Role of the Board in a Crisis"
ISCA Webinar presented on October 11, 2018
by Jim Hulbert, The Jane Group
View webinar in the ISCA Members page
While the crisis we are facing is not a singular event but rather an evolving set of challenges, it is more important than ever for the board to be engaged, collaborative and proactive in carrying out their fiduciary responsibilities to insure the fiscal wellbeing of the school and be involved in the important strategic planning required to deliver on the school's mission under a variety of scenarios.
