CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Board of Trustees May 20, 2022 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – 2022 Board Self-assessment
On May 20 the board will have the opportunity to review and discuss returning to the practice of conducting an annual self-assessment survey. This practice was suspended during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The board began the practice in 2017 after attending a conference of the Association of Governing Boards in April. Among the best practices discussed there was annual performance evaluations of governing boards, which CWU trustees determined would be helpful to their own work. In May of 2017, then-chair of the CWU Board of Trustees, Keith Thompson, summarized the purpose of the assessment as a tool “to increase board engagement and become a more high-performing board.” The Association of Governing Boards describes board self-evaluations as a “foundational” element for good governances and “learning experiences that enable boards to identify key areas of improvement, recalibrate board priorities, ensure board accountability, and demonstrate their commitment to serve the institution.” The evaluation also may help CWU satisfy requirements of the university’s accrediting body, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. It requires that institutions demonstrate “an effective governance structure” (Self-Study Accreditation handbook, pg. 14, 2.A.1.), with “clearly defined authority, roles, and responsibilities,” and that the university’s decision-making structures be “documented and publicly available.” Following please find a draft self-evaluation survey for the board to review and revise in order to implement it in June and discuss it at the board meeting in July.
Submitted:
Approved for Submittal to the Board:
Linda Schactler Secretary to the Board
Robert Nellams Chair of the Board of Trustees
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