What to Consider

• Author: Cheryl Foy
• Pages: 7-12

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What to Consider

A. WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN A UNIVERSITY BOARD?

When joining a university board, you become part of the rich and enduring

history of higher education, as “[m]ost of the Western institutions in exist-

ence ve hundred years ago that survive today are universities.” For those

who are interested in becoming a member of a governing board, university

boards are attractive. Although roles are generally unpaid, university boards

have a high public prole, oer a chance to serve the community, provide

opportunities to learn from and engage with a network of individuals from

many other sectors, and provide excellent, if challenging, governance train-

ing for those board members hoping to later seek a role on a paid board.

Universities are sizeable institutions with strong roots and traditions.

Universities are exciting places that “have become one of the most

important institutions in our society.” ey are at the forefront of research

and teaching and are engaged in some pretty amazing developments. It is

inspiring to be a part of institutions that “exist to develop the human intel-

lect, to enable discernment and the search for truth, and to resist ignorance,

1 Peter MacKinnon, University Commons Divided: Exploring Debate and Dissent on Campus

(Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2018) at 90.

2 Ian Austin & Glen A Jones, Governance of Higher Education: Global Perspectives, Theories

and Practices (New York: Routledge, 2015) at 1.