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The Good, the Bad, and the Board
Lessons from the Front Lines of Higher Education Governance
The Good, the Bad, and the Board
Lessons from the Front Lines of Higher Education Governance
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Description
Higher education governance is under pressure, and board failure can quickly become institutional crisis. In The Good, the Bad, and the Board, Dr. Mac Powell draws on decades of leadership, accreditation, and board experience-along with candid accounts from presidents and trustees-to reveal how trust erodes, factions form, and institutions recover. Blending real-world case studies, research, and hard-won lessons, this book offers a practical roadmap for ethical, disciplined, and future-focused board leadership.
Accessibility Information
Additional accessibility information
- PDF/UA-2, 1.4
- accessibility@bloomsbury.com
Hazards
The publication contains no hazards
Support for non-visual reading
Has alternative text descriptions for images
Navigation
- Page list to go to pages from the print source version
- Elements such as headings, tables, etc for structured navigation
- All or substantially all textual matter is arranged in a single logical reading order
Table of Contents
Foreword by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg
Introduction: Welcome to the Boardroom: Where Mission Meets Mayhem
Part I: The Ground Rules: Foundations, Functions, and the “What They Should Teach But Don't” of Trusteeship
Chapter 1: How Boards Work: And How They Don't
Chapter 2: The Trustee Playbook: What to Do, What Not to Do, and Why It Matters
Part II: The Bad & The Ugly: Misbehavior, Misalignment, and the Madness of Board Culture Gone Wrong
Chapter 3: Trustees Behaving Badly 56
Chapter 4: Who Hired These People?
Part III: Crisis, Chaos, and Characters -What Happens When the Boardroom Catches Fire and What It Takes to Lead Through It
Chapter 5: Crisis Calls at Midnight: Leadership Under Fire
Chapter 6: From Crisis to Clarity
Part IV: The President's Perspective: Courage, Calm, and the Long Game of Leading Trustees
Chapter 7: The Art of Not Panicking: A President's Guide to Effective Boards
Concluding Thoughts: Key Ingredients of University Governance: Alignment and Stewardship by Santa J. Ono
Appendix A: 20 More Questions Every Board Should Ask Itself
Appendix B: A Sample Board Member Selection Matrix
Appendix C: Model Elements of A Board Orientation Guide
Appendix D: A President's First 100 Days with a New Board
Index
About the Author
Product details
| Published | 29 Apr 2027 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (PDF) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 208 |
| ISBN | 9798216494553 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Series | ACE/Praeger Series on Higher Education |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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Mac Powell's book on the missteps, unforced errors and simple bad luck that afflicts many governing boards is a must read for trustees, presidents and anyone else concerned with the challenges facing higher education. It offers 'from the field' lessons in what boards should do, and more importantly what they should not do in their attempts to lead and support leaders of the nation's colleges and universities. You will thank yourself for reading this timely, concise and poignant guide to good behavior and trustee effectiveness.
Terrence “Terry” MacTaggart, former chancellor, University of Wisconsin Superior; Minnesota State University System; University of Maine System
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The Good, the Bad, and the Board is timely, substantive, readable, welcoming, even avuncular-in a good way.
Paul Gaston, author, "Higher Education Accreditation: How It's Changing, Why It Must"
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In today's polarized politics, the role of higher education boards becomes more difficult and more important. Mac Powell has combined his knowledge with his astute insights into how boards can survive and thrive today. This book is more than a nice read. It is an essential guide for every member of a college and university board.
Steve Gunderson, former member, U.S. House of Representatives (1980-1996); former president, Career Education Colleges & Universities
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The Bad, the Good, and the Board is a long overdue and immediately indispensable resource for every higher-education leader.
Charles R. Middleton, president emeritus, Roosevelt University; past president, board of trustees for the City Colleges of Chicago
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At a time when Board governance has never been more critical to the success of institutions, Mac Powell provides an extraordinarily detailed examination, with real life examples, of how excellent Boards function and the mistakes Boards often make. It's essential reading for anyone who serves on a non-profit Board as well all those who interact with one.
Larry Schall, former president, Oglethorpe University; president, New England Commission on Higher Education
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As a longtime reader of self-help and leadership books, I found this one to be the rare poolside read that delivers both the pleasure of a page-turning novel and the payoff of genuine insight.
Sunita Cook, former superintendent and president, MiraCosta Community College District; former president, Grossmont College; former board chair, American Association of Community Colleges

























