Lewis & Weems.vp

A HANDBOOK

for

SEMINARY PRESIDENTS

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This book is publish ed in cooperation with the

Association of Theological Schools

in the United States and Canada

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A HANDBOOK

for

SEMINARY PRESIDENTS

G. Douglass Lewis, editor

Lovett H. Weems Jr., associate ed itor

Wil l i a m B. Eer dma ns Pu blishing Company

Grand R apids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.

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Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

255 Jefferson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503 /

P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K.

Printed in the United States of America

11 10 09 08 07 06 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

A handbook for seminary presidents /

edited by G. Douglass Lewis and Lovett H. Weems Jr.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN-10: 0-8028-3397-7 / ISBN-13: 978-0-8028-3397-6 (cloth: alk. paper)

1. Theological seminary presidents.

I. Lewis, G. Douglass (Granville Douglass), 1934-

II. Weems, Lovett H. (Lovett Hayes)

BV4166.5.H36 2006

230.071¢1 — dc22

2006008542

www.eerdmans.com

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Conte nts

Acknowledgments viii

Introduction xi

G. Douglass Lewis and

Lovett H. Weems Jr.

1. The President’s Vocation and Leadership 1

Daniel Al eshire, Cynthia Cam pbell, Kevin Manno ia

2 . The President’s Role in Administration

and Personnel Management 18

Ad olf Hansen, Jean Stairs, K ent M. Weeks

3. The President’s Role in Governance 35

Robert Cooley, Christa Kl ein, Lo uis Weeks

4. The President’s Role in Defining Mission

and Strategic Planning 59

Davi d L. Tiede, David Draper, Wilson Yate s

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5. The President’s Role as Academic Leader 72

Charl es E. Bouch ard, Susan This tlethwaite,

Timothy Weber

6. The President’s Ro le in Financial Management 89

Anth ony Ru ger, John Canary, St even Land

7. The President’s Role in Managing Facilities 114

Ward Ewing , Thomas G raves, Robert Landrebe

8. The President’s Role in Instit utional Advancement 126

Rebekah Burc h Ba singer, C. Samuel Cali an, Robert F. Leavitt

9. The President’s Role in Enrollment Management

and Student Issues 140

Davi d McAllister-Wilson, Craig Williford,

Davi d Neelands

10. The President’s Role with External Authorities 154

Vincent Cushin g, Donn Mo rgan, Albert Aymer

11. Personal and Professional Well-being of a President 166

Donal d Senior, Maxine Beach, Byron Kla us

1 2. The P resident’s Role as Symbolic,

Culture-forming Leader 177

Richard J. Mouw, William McK inney, Brian Sti ller

13. The Unique Is sues for Ra cial/Ethnic Presidents 189

Edward Wheel er, Michael Battl e, David Mal donado

14. The Unique Issues for Women Presidents 206

Martha Horne, Heidi Hadsell, Laura Mendenhall

contents

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15. The Unique Issues for CEOs of

University-based Theological Schools 2 20

Jame s Hudnut-Beumler, Harold W. Attr idge,

Frederick J . Finks

16. The Unique Issues for Presidents

of Canadian Theologic al Schools 233

Dorc as Gordon, Marvin De wey, Ron Me rcier

Contributors 249

vii

Conte nts

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Acknowledgments

This handbook is a project of the Association of Theological Schools in

the United States and Canada (ATS). It involved the full, diverse spec-

trum of schools from across the Association, which now consists of

more than two hundred fifty theological schools representing Roman

Catholic, Orthodox, evangelical, and mainline Protestant seminaries,

spread geographically across the United States and Canada. More than

one hundred individuals, most of them seminary presidents, were in-

volved in the project as writers, editors, critics, or advisers. It is truly a

book written by seminary presidents for seminary presidents.

The project emerged out of the desire to provide a resource for

presidents that would enable them to do their work better and, in turn,

develop more effective seminaries that are better able to serve churches

and communities across North America. Our research showed that no

comparable resource is available for seminary presidents. We hope this

handbook conveys both a depth of understanding about the nature and

role of a seminary president and practical information that enables a

president to do a better job.

We have never worked on a project like this that had such enthusias

tic involvement from so many people. They all know theological education

from the inside and are committed to its mission. They not only contrib

uted from their experience and knowledge but also testified to how much

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they learned from engaging in the project. Current and future generations

of seminary presidents owe all of them a great debt. The repayment of the

debt will come, we hope, in the form of higher quality and more effective

presidential leadership in theological schools across our countries. What a

long-term gift that will be to churches and society as a whole.

A special word of thanks must go to three key staff members at

ATS: Daniel Aleshire, Nancy Merrill, and Bill Myers. They encouraged

and supported the project from beginning to end. They also contributed

as writers, editors, advisers, and critics. Thanks also go to the Religion

Division of Lilly Endowment Inc., which funded the Leadership Educa

tion program of ATS. The Handbook for Seminary Presidents project is

a key part of that program’s work with seminary presidents. Craig

Dykstra, Vice President, Religion, and John Wimmer, Program Direc

tor, affirmed and supported the project. Joe Arnold, Executive Assis

tant, Lewis Center for Church Leadership, Wesley Theological Semi-

nary, provided administrative support for the project.

Each chapter had a team of three persons who designed and cre-

ated it. The writer/editor had primary responsibility for constructing

the chapter. His or her name is listed first under each chapter heading.

The other two persons were designated as contributing writers. A list of

all the contributors and the institutions they served is included at the

end of the book. Listed below are members of the Advisory Committee

who thought through the early design of the project and a group of out-

side readers who critiqued a first draft of each chapter. We thank all

these individuals for their valuable input.

One further note of thanks must go to ATS and its staff, who con

tinue to create and deliver a variety of resources to support theological

education. ATS will continue to develop its Website and will there pro

vide a section of resources for seminary presidents. The resources listed

at the end of each chapter of this handbook will be on the Website, and

as new resources helpful to presidents appear they will be added to the

list. We invite presidents who discover particularly helpful materials to

make ATS aware of them for addition to the Website. By that means the

community of presidents can continue to contribute to one another’s

learning, growth, and practice.

G. Doug las s Lewis, Editor

Lovett H. Weems Jr., Associate Editor

Acknowled gments

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Advisory Committee

Daniel Aleshire The Association of Theological Schools in the

United States and Canada

Charles Bouchard Aquinas Institute for Theology

Myron McCoy Saint Paul School of Theology

William Myers The Association of Theological Schools in the

United States and Canada

David Neelands Trinity College Faculty of Divinity

Cor nelius Plantinga Jr. Calvin Theological Seminary

Louis B. Weeks Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian

School of Christian Education

Barbara Wheeler Auburn Theological Seminary

Outside Readers

Bruce Birch Wesley Theological Seminary

M ichael Cooper-White Lutheran Theological Seminary at

Gettysburg

Scott Cormode Claremont School of Theology

Norman Dewire Methodist Theological School in Ohio

David Greenhaw Eden Theological Seminary

Philip Krey Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

Myron McCoy Saint Paul School of Theology

John Phelan Jr. North Park Theological Seminary

Reiss Potterveld Lancaster Theological Seminary

Russell Richey Candler School of Theology of Emory University

June Stowe Wesley Theological Seminary

Barbara Brown Z ikmund Hartford Seminary

acknowledgments

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Introduction

G. Douglass Lewis and Lovett H. Weems Jr.

Wha t’s So Special about S emin ary Presidents?

Another book about presidents and what they do? Aren’t there already

enough books on presidents, leadership, and management? True, the

shelves of bookstores and libraries, the Web, and thousands of articles

lieinwaittoinformusaboutleaders—whattheyshoulddoandhow

they should do it. The author of every book or article believes his or her

words contain something a little different and unique. We, however,

want to claim some distinction for this book.

Only those who have occupied the office of a seminary president

know the special demands, challenges, opportunities, stresses, and joys

of the job. It is not a job for everyone. At its heart it is a vocation, a call

ing. Those deciding to apply for or accepting an invitation to serve in

such a position usually have been through a serious process of discern

ment. A commitment to service and response to a call usually character

ize those who wear the mantle of seminary president most easily and

successfully.

A president stands at the center point of an institution. He or she is

on the “hot seat” of a daily struggle to understand and fulfill the semi

nary’s mission while maintaining its economic vitality. No president

can have the detailed knowledge required to make each and every com

ponent of a seminary run smoothly and effectively. Nevertheless, a pres

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ident remains ultimately responsible for the effectiveness of each com

ponent and for integrating the parts into the whole of the institution.

Such overarching responsibility requires knowledge and skill in multi

ple areas. But more importantly, it requires the ability to choose, sup

port, and hold accountable those who have the specific abilities needed

for the institution to work effectively.

There is a hard-to-define, almost mysterious, dimension of presi

dential leadership. No one chapter in this handbook addresses it specifi

cally, but many allude to it. Who the president is personally and how he

or she functions, even in small matters, deeply influence how others in

the institution perceive what is possible for the organization. It is more

than knowledge and skill. It is “persona” — the depth of a person, one’s

spirituality, one’s interaction with others. It is saying the right words on

critical occasions, being courageous and confident in the midst of crisis

and conflict, conveying hope, and enabling others to become more than

they thought they could be. There is no one pattern or prescription for

how a president performs this mysterious dimension of leadership, but

people in the community know when it is present or absent. A president

can manage an institution with specific knowledge and skills; but with-

out this more elusive dimension of leadership, success is unlikely.

The contributors to and supporters of this book maintain that

presidents are key to whether their institutions succeed or falter. Obvi-

ously a president alone does not wholly determine the health and well-

being of a seminary. But how a president functions, manages, and leads

provides the linchpin that holds the other components of the institution

together. Does this lofty claim overstate the role of president? We invite

you to read these chapters and comprehend the range of things a presi

dent must know and do and how these in turn affect and shape their in

stitutions.

Wha t Doe s It Take to Be a Success ful President?

As we noted, a seminary president’s role is best grounded in a sense of

vocation or call. Without a call, it can become a mere “job,” and the in

tense demands of the position feel weightier and more energy-

consuming. But call alone does not ensure success. It also requires indi

vidual gifts and graces. One can catalog the desirable attributes for pres

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idents, but the exact combination of personal gifts obviously varies and

“one size does not fit all.” Many different personalities can succeed in

the role of president.

The particular context and culture of the seminary are another

variable. Certain personalities match one setting and not another. No

formula can guarantee a successful match. A seminary president needs

insight to recognize the unique culture of the school and the ability to

adapt to that culture while at the same time transforming the institution

and its culture to fulfill more effectively a mission unique in time and

place.

No president, no matter how personally gifted or culturally at

tuned, can succeed without a body of knowledge and a set of skills. The

position is demanding because it requires such a broad range of knowl

edge and skills. The president does not need to know all the details but

must at least ask the right questions and pick people who have the skills

to manage each area.

This book provides the framework and some of the specific infor-

mation a president needs to survey the major tasks of the job. The vari-

ous chapters in this handbook cover the major areas of a seminary that

demand presidential attention. Each chapter defines a particular area of

responsibility and the unique role of the president in it. An analysis and

discussion of the area identify many of the critical issues likely to con-

front a president, suggest some best practices for dealing with these is-

sues, and pose some of the questions a president should be asking.

Finally, each chapter includes a section that suggests additional re-

sources for those who want or need to explore the area more deeply.

Why Do We Need Successful Seminaries?

The logic behind this handbook project goes something like this: The

ultimate goal is to affect the quality and depth of religious life in Amer

ica. The primary institutions that affect religious life are the many and

diverse local congregations in communities across North America. The

quality of the ministry in these congregations is greatly shaped by their

pastoral leadership. Pastors who are clear about their vocation, well

trained, and well sustained are more likely to develop effective minis

tries. Seminaries are a key link in the chain of calling, preparing, and

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Introduction

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sustaining pastoral leaders. Thus, we are back to the need for effective

seminaries and the role that a president plays in developing and leading

a theological school to fulfill its mission and also maintain economic vi

tality.

Within the larger context of higher education in North America,

seminaries are admittedly very small educational institutions. How can

they be so influential? First, they are a primary theological resource,

sustaining and interpreting the historic faith in the contemporary con

text. Second, they are the primary educational resource for preparing

pastoral leaders for the churches of the continent. Seminaries have a tre

mendous multiplier effect. By a conservative estimate, a pastor who

spends thirty years in congregational ministry will likely touch and vari

ously influence one hundred thousand individuals and numerous com

munity groups. No other channel has such direct impact on the religious

life of cultures and nations. A positive intervention in this chain of reli-

gious influence can achieve a tremendous payoff. Our intervention fo-

cus is on the seminary president and the key role he or she plays in the

chain.

The Association of Theological Schools, through its accrediting

and programmatic roles, and the generous funding of the Religion Divi-

sion of Lilly Endowment Inc. have helped to develop this fundamental

logic. They have invested substantially in the encouragement and sup-

port of seminary presidents in the belief that they are key actors in shap-

ing and leading theological education and thereby affect the chain of re-

ligious influence in North America.

To our knowledge, there is no other resource like this Han dbook

for Seminary Pre side nts that is so specifically focused on this critical

leadership group. Our hope is that in some small but influential way it

will contribute to the greater effectiveness of seminary presidents, their

schools, the leaders they educate, and the congregations and communi

ties they serve.

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CHAPTER 1

The President’s Vocation and Leadership

DAN IEL ALESH IRE , The Association of Theological Schools

CYNTHIA CAMPBELL, McCormick Theological Seminary

KEVIN MANNOIA, Azusa Pacific University

OVERVI EW

Introduction

Vocation

Personal Faith and Faithful Work

Privileged Work with Peers

Institutional Mission and Scholarly Administration

Leadership

Leading a Community

Leading with Awareness

Leading with Institutional Will and Personal Humility

Leading through Change

Leading by Telling the Story

Additional Resources

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Introduction

Samuel heard a voice in the night. He was attending to the needs of an

aging Eli and assumed the voice was Eli’s, so he went to the old priest,

only to hear Eli say that he had not called. Samuel went back to his cot

and, once again, heard the voice calling him. He went to Eli and discov

ered that Eli had not called this time either. Samuel returned to bed for

what was left of the night and, a third time, heard a voice. A third time

Samuel went to Eli, and a third time Eli said he had not called. There is

no reason why Samuel should have thought the voice in the night be

longed to someone other than Eli, for, as the text notes, “the word of

the Lord was rare in those days” (1 Sam. 3:1), and “Samuel did not yet

know the Lord,andthewordoftheLord had not yet been revealed to

him” (v. 7). Eli was very old, and no doubt wounded from watching his

sons sin themselves into faithlessness. After the third time that Samuel

came to him, Eli’s sadness lifted. He began to suspect that Samuel was

hearingthevoiceofYahweh.SoElitoldSamuelthat,ifheheardthe

voice again, he should answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listen-

ing” (v. 9). The voice came, and Samuel responded as instructed. The

Lord spoke, but it was a word of such judgment on Eli’s house that

Samuel was afraid to tell Eli. Eli insisted that Samuel tell him, and the

priest recognized that these painful words were surely from the Lord.

Most seminary presidents have heard this story told tenderly and

have studied it critically. The tender hearing is in the authentic piety

that brings students to theological schools, as year after year they indi-

cate that their most compelling motivation to undertake theological

study was a sense of God’s call.

The tender hearing continues in the

hopeful sermons preached at graduates’ ordination services, often us

ing this text. The critical study struggles with the judgment that is the

reason for the call. There has been sin and faithlessness, and the word

that Samuel hears is worrisome and troubling. Stories of divine judg

ment,ifnotsubjectedtocriticalstudy,cantooeasilybecomeacover

for human judgments that are inevitably more harsh and less just than

the judgment of God.

Leading a seminary gives a president more than the occasional op

portunity to wake in the night and hear voices. It may be the voices of

a handbook for seminary presidents

1. ATS Student Information Program, “Entering Student Questionnaire.”

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the funds that are needed but not yet raised, the voices of students who

have left the relative prosperity of other careers for the relative poverty

of seminary study, the voices of donors who have given sacrificially, the

voices of more needs than a school can ever hope to meet, the voices of

deep religious need in the culture, or the voices of divisive struggles in

the church. There are many voices, enough to fill the day and the night.

Some are tender and reassuring. Others are shrill, even intimidating.

Like Samuel’s call, these callings invite presidents to action — presiden

tial work is about getting up and doing things. Unlike Samuel, who

heard the multiple callings of God to do one thing, the leader of a theo

logical school receives one calling that involves doing many things.

We use the word c alling in many ways, most of which do not re

semble Samuel’s experience. Seminary students, for example, say that

they come to seminary because they have experienced a “call.” The sem

inary admitted them, but the seminary did not call them. It is different

with presidents. They should undertake this work only with a deep

sense of calling, but that calling is like Samuel’s. It is not a “calling” to

which one aspires; it is a calling that one experiences in the context of a

board or religious superior’s summons to this work.

In this chapter, we identify several issues related to vocation and

leadership. Vocation, or calling, has many facets, but we will mention

only a few. Leadership has even more, but once again, we have chosen to

address only a few of them.

Vocation

Presidential leadership in a theological school can be a source of both

deep satisfaction and exceptionally hard work. The satisfactions of

guiding an institution that forms religious leaders and informs thought

ful theological discourse are many. The presidency grants access to priv

ileged moments as donors translate their faith commitments into fund

ing for programs, students, and the future of the school. It often

provides opportunities to participate in significant denominational

decision-making and ecumenical engagement. But presidential leader

ship can also be difficult work — finding and managing the necessary

resources, dealing with difficult personnel issues, navigating the some

times complex terrain of academic governance, and attending thought

Th e Presid en t’s Vocation and Le adership

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fully to multiple constituencies. It is difficult because institutional lead

ership always is exercised in a world of competing demands and

loyalties, where a greater number of important things need to be done

than can be done. Religious work that is bound on the one hand by deep

satisfactions and on the other by persistent difficulties is best accom

plished with a deep sense of calling, of vocation.

The vocation of the presidency of a theological school, of course,

begins with the discipleship that all Christians share, and it typically

continues with the broad tasks of vocational ministry, because most

seminary presidents are ordained. Whether a president is ordained or

not, the calling of the seminary presidency goes further; it involves the

leadership of a theological school. The call to leadership in a theological

school is similar in many ways to the call to leadership in other institu

tions. Leadership of a theological school differs from leadership in con

gregations, however, because schools do not have the volunteer culture

that dominates parishes and congregations, even though those congre-

gations may have large ministerial and program staff structures. Lead-

ership of a theological school differs from a denominational agency be-

cause a seminary tends to have more diffused and shared patterns of

governance than the more corporate structures of most denominational

agencies. The call to leadership of a theological school is different only

to the extent that the culture, ethos, and structure of a seminary tend to

be somewhat unique. Rather than rehearse the more generic issues of

the call to leadership, we have chosen to explore facets of that call where

personal identity interacts with presidential work. In this way, “voca

tion” refers to the interior sense of commitment that interacts with the

institution’s call to exercise presidential leadership.

Personal Faith and Faithful Work

In an interview with three seminary presidents who were about to re

tire, former In Tr us t editor William MacKaye asked what had nourished

them and sustained them in their work.

Bill Lesher, retiring after presi

dencies at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and Pacific Lu

a handbook for seminary presidents

2. William MacKaye, “Describing the New Leader: What’s Needed in a Theological

School President Today,” In Trus t (Summer 1997): 20-23.

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theran in Berkeley, said that he didn’t know how anyone got through this

work without an active life of devotion. The other interviewees were

quick to concur. Maintaining a life of faith is as overwhelmingly obvious

as it is devastatingly difficult. Ministers who handle the holy for a living

can become oblivious to its drama in their own lives. Seminaries are

seedbeds, at least that is what the name implies, and presidents can

spend so much time hoeing and weeding the seedbed that they fail to

cultivate the faith that is central to the first calling — the call to Chris

tian discipleship. Seminary life can be spiritually enriching. Seminary

worship, preaching, and Eucharistic celebrations can be powerful mo

ments — privileges to which few other Christians have access. The

work and worry load, however, can render them ineffective. So presi

dents need to remind themselves of the obvious and take seriously their

vocation of personal faith. The rhythms of prayer and worship, and

study and service, however they are defined and practiced in the

schools’ religious communities, are crucial for sustaining believers who

are seminary presidents. They provide the personal foundation and in-

tegrity that hard work requires, and leading a theological school is hard

work.

Religious callings are often associated with difficult tasks, like

leaving Ur of the Chaldees, or taking up a cross, or getting into a shaky

boat and heading toward Rome. Leadership, by definition, is hard work.

If a seminary could go where it needs to go with little effort, if its various

constituencies agreed without fail on its directions and best course of

action, if the money just floated down from heaven, then leadership

would be easy and, probably, unnecessary. James Dittes, in a book sev

eral decades old now, reminded pastors that those troubling moments

when the people in the congregation say no, or break their promises, or

resist the gospel’s claim on their lives are the very moments that define

the pastoral vocation.

It is precisely because people in congregations

do these kinds of things from time to time that they need pastors and

seminaries need leaders. Seminary leadership is not always hard; it is of

ten far more rewarding than it is demanding. However, there are mo

ments of great difficulty in almost every presidency, moments of stress

and anxiety, moments of unrelenting complexity. A personal sense of

Th e Presid en t’s Vocation and Le adership

3. James Dittes, W he n the People Say No: Conflict and th e Call to Ministry (San Fran

cisco: Harper & Row, 1979).

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vocation can sustain presidents in these moments. Theological schools

need leaders who understand that the personal price is worth paying

and that the Bible’s image of the “yoke” demonstrates that the burden is

bearable.

Privileged Work with Pee rs

Presidential work is privileged work and, as such, involves the voca

tional understanding of this privilege and its proper stewardship. The

privilege is, first of all, one of perspective. While presidents bear the

burdens of leadership and the ever-present needs of the school, the pres

ident is often the only individual who sees the broad landscape of suc

cess painted by the seminary’s many efforts over time. Presidents see ac

complishments in a school that few others can see because few others

have the privilege of perspective. This perspective is an institutional ne-

cessity. Someone needs to be able to see the cumulative accomplish-

ments of a school and be able to talk about them to people who care for

the school and its mission. Perceiving institutional accomplishment re-

quires both the platform that the presidency provides and time to de-

vote to thoughtful viewing. Institutional successes emerge only over

prolonged periods of time, and seeing them requires someone whose

job entails carrying the institutional memory, continuing to tell the

story of what was accomplished in past administrations as well as the

accomplishments that are currently accruing to that story. The role of

principal teller of the story is a second aspect of presidential privilege.

While it is at times fatiguing to welcome guests, visitors, new students,

and prospective donors, the president engages in these rituals not be

cause the office represents power or authority but because it represents

the legacy of the school. In many ways, presidential work is privileged

work, and privilege is best exercised under the discipline of faithfulness

to a calling.

Privilege also requires patterns of interactions with others who

share similar privileges in other settings. On the campuses of most

theological schools, presidential work is lonely. A new president soon

learns not to think out loud on campus because people invariably hear

presidential musings as if they were proposals. Presidents need peers

with whom they can think out loud without repercussions in their own

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schools. They need peers with whom they can share frustrations, ten

sions, and personal stresses. Vincent Cushing, who retired after almost

two decades as president at Washington Theological Union, spoke in an

Association of Theological Schools (ATS) meeting about what he

thought contributed to his development as a president. He and David

Hubbard, long-time president of Fuller Theological Seminary, agreed to

meetoneweekendayearandcontinuedtodosoformanyyears.Thusa

Roman Catholic and an evangelical Protestant became conversation

partners. They found that their common vocation transcended the dif

ferences in their religious communions. Two distinguished careers were

supported by finding peers and committing to the discipline of periodic,

informal conversations. Presidencies are buoyed and energized by con

versations with trusted peers, by the shared discovery that the burdens

of the office are more a function of the office than a president’s particu

lar style of work or personality. Presidents benefit from having partners

with whom they can have soul-bound, honest conversations, where real

worries can be spoken out loud, and where threatening questions can be

raised. Finding these partners, for many presidents, is a vocational ex-

pression.

Instit utional Mis sion and Sch olarly Adminis trati on

The mission of a theological school is the goal toward which the school

orients its resources and effort, and the vocation of missional leadership

is the process of keeping the institution’s energy and resources focused

on that goal. Mission is not just a statement for recitation to prospective

donors or for “branding” on institutional publications. Mission is the

school’s central and primary purpose. A president cannot lead without

an institutional mission because there would be no direction for leader

ship. A president cannot serve well over time without a sense of shared

calling with the school’s mission.

Focusing on the missional goals of a theological school is seldom a

straightforward process. A theological school progresses toward its

goals somewhat like a sailboat reaching its destination when the wind is

blowing the wrong way. Leadership typically advances a school by tack

ing against the wind, not by assuming that the wind will blow in the di

rection of the goals. Tacking requires the ability to locate the goal from a

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variety of angles, the confidence to sail in directions that can appear

contrary to the goal, and the capacity to determine progress when the

wind requires sailing sideways. A sense of vocational mission is not

enough — leadership requires and consumes a great range of skills —

but all the skill in the world won’t be effective if there is no clear sense of

what needs to be accomplished and why. In the necessary meanderings

of presidential work, institutional mission forms part of the vocation of

presidential leadership.

Mission not only directs and stabilizes the work of a school; it also

grounds the president’s work and provides renewal along the way. Many

seminary presidents have described how important the mission of the

school has been as both guide for their work and support for their soul.

When the work is going well, the mission provides confidence and a

sense of accomplishment. When the work is going poorly, commitment

to the mission provides stamina to endure the stress.

The mission of a theological school is served as presidents follow

the call of scholarly administration. In seminaries, scholarship is not

only the work of the faculty; it is also the work of faithful presidents.

For several years, a group of seminary leaders met for a weekend each

summer to discuss their work. Each was in a senior administrative po-

sition; most held PhDs and had imagined that they would have careers

in teaching and research. The purpose of their meetings was to think

about their administrative work and to pursue what it meant to do this

kind of work as a form of scholarship. Max De Pree, former chair of

the Herman Miller Corporation, long-time board member of and do

nor to Fuller Theological Seminary, and thoughtful author on leader

ship, met with the group one year. He observed that seminary presi

dents tend to think a lot about the book they want to write or the

pastoral work that they will do again in the future, but they tend not to

spend as much time as they should engaging in the intellectual dimen

sions of the administrative work they are currently doing. It was an in

formal discussion, and different participants took home different

memories of the observations that were made. But several of them re

call that statement. De Pree was suggesting that seminary leadership

requires serious intellectual energy, and if senior administrators spent

their intellectual energy on the things they would be doing if they were

not administrators, they would give insufficient intellectual energy to

their administrative leadership.

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Theological schools need intellectually engaged leadership, and

one aspect of presidential leadership is accepting the call to scholarly ad

ministration. This kind of scholarship may not result in books as much

as it results in institutional work well done. Senior administrative work

requires different patterns of intellectual work than faculty scholarship

requires. Building, motivating, and sustaining senior management

teams; constructing development plans and matching those plans with

donors’ interests and commitments; and providing institutional guid

ance in the context of highly educated and often independent thinking

colleagues require intellectual effort. Good presidential work may be

the most intellectually challenging work in a theological school, and

presidents need to focus their intellectual attention on the diversity and

complexity of their tasks.

Leadership

We have focused on understanding the vocational dimensions of semi-

nary leadership. Vocation forms the environment in which this work is

done, but it does not define the tasks of leadership. Leadership in com-

plex environments has many dimensions and requires many abilities.

Like our reflection on vocation, our list here is more instructive than ex-

haustive, and it makes sense only in the context of understanding that

seminary leadership is vocational work in a religious context.

Leading a Co mmunity

The fundamental nature of leadership is embedded in community.

Leadership is not the private exercise of gifts for the gratification of the

leader. If there is no community, there is no reason for a leader. A soloist

doesn’t need a director; a choir does, and only a choir can make music

that involves the complexity and beauty of multiple parts sung by multi

ple voices. A choir leader is needed because a choir has a musical goal

that only a choir can attain. A theological school has a mission that only

a community of people working together can accomplish. It takes stu

dents, faculty, administrators, contributors, trustees, and congrega

tional and denominational constituents. The vocation of leadership in a

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theological school involves the efforts necessary to help a community

accomplish the mission that only a community can accomplish.

Because leadership is a function of the work and needs of the com

munity, one of the first requirements of a leader is a reasonable “fit”

with the community. That fit has to do with the affinity a leader feels for

the mission and work of the school, the constituency it serves, and the

legacy it bears. The person who is an ideal and effective president of one

school may be totally ineffective in another. Leadership in theological

schools is more than the exercise of certain gifts and abilities. It is the

use of those gifts and abilities within a particular community with its

unique ethos and culture, at a particular time in the community’s his

tory. Ethos and culture change over time, the needs of the community

and its mission change over time, and the effectiveness of a leader will

be as much a function of fit with the school’s identity as it is a result of

the competent use of skills, abilities, and leadership capacity.

Because leadership is one of the many gifts needed by communi-

ties with work to do, it is never a function of an individual’s desire or

ability to lead. Leadership is necessary because the community can’t do

its job if it does not have someone who provides three critical resources

for its work: maintaining focus on the mission, coordinating and guid-

ing the efforts necessary to accomplish the mission, and securing and

managing the resources that the mission requires. Presidents do not

choose to work in these areas; they are the tasks that go with the job.

These are not tasks that impose on the president’s “real” work — these

tasks are the real work. Rather than an unwanted burden, these tasks are

the means by which presidents engage their fundamental calling.

Central to the president’s job is maintaining the school’s focus on

its mission. An organization has a way of forgetting its primary goals

and investing resources and time in activities that are not central to that

mission. Different people in a community have different ideas about

what the organization should do or the ways in which it should be done.

Leadership involves providing the community with the direction and

discipline necessary for its mission. At times, the mission needs to be

reconceptualized; at other times, it needs to be refocused; and at still

other times, it simply needs to be faithfully and effectively imple

mented. Communities seldom are able to stay focused without someone

whose job is to help it stay focused on its primary mission. Leadership

helps the community stay focused on its mission.

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Schools, like all communities with a mission, need someone who

will provide overall guidance and coordination. Schools, even small

theological schools, are complex organizations, and while each serves a

common mission, their individual units have a way of going in different

directions unless there is someone whose job is to see that tasks are co

ordinated and integrated and serve the organization’s purpose. The

president is often the only person in the organization who is formally

held responsible for the work of the organization as a whole, so presi

dential leadership involves the guidance necessary to keep that work co

ordinated and integrated.

Theological schools need someone to find and manage the re

sources that are needed for their work. These resources include money,

facilities, and personnel. Presidential leadership typically involves a

close relationship with securing the needed funds and facilities, over

sight of the processes related to managing those funds and facilities,

and participation in the processes that secure the personnel. These ar-

eas of work go together, and the president cannot be responsible for ob-

taining money while others decide how to spend or manage it. Effective

presidential leadership is typically not dictatorial, but it does require

ownership of these principal tasks and the capacity to support the com-

munity by finding and securing the necessary resources.

These three principal tasks are not necessarily the work of a single

individual. In many ways, it is most helpful to understand the presidency

as a function, not just as an individual’s job. One individual can’t raise

the money, keep the books, speak to the constituency, coordinate the

overall mission of the school, and attend to the supervision of its people.

It almost always takes more than one person to do all of this. In many

schools, the job of the individual called president is to supervise and co

ordinate the work of several individuals who, together, serve the presi

dential function.

Leadership of a community is not only an institutional necessity; it

is also a requirement for the function of the presidency. For the presi

dency to work, the seminary needs capable people who form a leader

ship team, who are empowered and entrusted by the president to do

their work, and who are held accountable for getting it done.

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Leading with Awaren ess

Leadership of a theological school is always situational and relational,

and this requires presidents to be aware of the context, of their position

in relationship to others, and of themselves.

Atheologicalschoolhasaculture—asetofcustoms,values,and

typical approaches to its work — and the president needs to be aware of

this culture in order to be able to work effectively in it, to be able to de

termine what needs to be changed in it, to identify the most effective

strategies for change, and to understand the resistance that will greet

change. All leadership is contextual, but the diffuse and shared patterns

of governance in theological schools make it especially important for a

president to be sensitive to the school’s culture. Culture and custom are

more than potential threats to needed change. All communities need

customary ways of doing things because the work is complex and cus-

toms make the work more predictable and less complex. The culture of

a typical theological school reflects accrued wisdom about the commu-

nity’s work; and, to the extent possible, the president needs to embrace

the culture, understand and affirm its enduring value, use it as a re-

source for the work that needs to be done, and not see it as a roadblock

to that work.

A president functions in a particular position in a school, and ef-

fective leadership requires an awareness of this position. Presidents

bring their own personal identity to their work, and good leadership is

impossible apart from the authentic personhood of the leader. Presi

dents do not function, however, as just one of many persons in the

school. They occupy a certain position, and that position causes them to

be heard and experienced by others differently than would be the case if

they were not in that position. A thought voiced by a president can be

heard as the announcement of a new initiative, and it can invite a range

of responses that the president never anticipated. The president’s role

attracts the suspicions and recalls negative experiences that individuals

may have had with others in similar roles, and the effective leader is

aware that these are functions of the position and not the person. Being

aware of position also means understanding where the leader is in the

context of other stakeholders in the institution. On a given issue, the

president might be positioned with the board but distant from the fac

ulty. Leadership in that situation involves an awareness of where the

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leader is relative to both faculty and board. Seldom is leadership exer

cised when all the stakeholders in a school are of the same opinion as the

president, and awareness of where the president is in relation to others

in the institution is crucial for identifying the pace and trajectory for

change.

A president also needs to be self-aware. Personhood and role are

so intricately mixed in leadership that good leaders are, as best they can,

seeking to separate their personal reactions from the reactions that

would best serve the institution. This is never easy and, probably, never

completely possible, but leadership requires the discipline of trying.

Leadership requires the kind of self-awareness that contributes to confi

dence in a proposed course of action, even when others disagree. It re

quires an awareness of what precipitates anger or frustration and being

willing to manage those feelings to the benefit of the leadership agenda,

and not to personal agenda; such self-control is a critical asset to institu-

tional leadership. There are lonely moments in the leadership of a theo-

logical school, and those moments require a self-awareness that is hon-

est in ways that are able both to critique the leader’s personal agenda

and to affirm the leader’s correct assessment of a situation and the re-

sponse it requires.

Leading with Institutional Will and Personal Humility

In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins and his team of young research

ers studied companies in a variety of segments of the U.S. economy that

had broken ahead of other companies in the same segment and had

maintained their leadership position for fifteen years.

Their research is

intriguing because culture can be much too interested in short-term re

sults. Theological schools need to build for the long term. Everything

that they are about — from the commitments they promote to the grad

uates they educate — is needed for the long term.

What kind of leadership contributed to these companies becom

ing “great” and sustaining their greatness over the long term? The re

searchers interviewed the senior executives who were active with these

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4. James C. Collins, GoodtoGreat:WhySomeCompaniesMaketheLeap...andOth

ers Don’t (New York: HarperCollins, 2001).

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companies as they “broke ahead” and as they worked to maintain their

relative position over the years. The interviews revealed that these lead

ers did not define themselves by the perks of their jobs or use their posi

tions to promote personal fame. They were personally humble and pro

fessionally passionate about their companies and determined on their

behalf. Collins describes them as people of intense professional will.

There could not be a healthier or more virtuous pair of leadership quali

ties for presidents of ATS schools than personal humility and strong pro

fessional will . Humility is necessary because the successes of a company

or a theological school are always the work of the community, never of

an individual. Presidential leadership makes huge demands and requires

considerable effort. This demand and effort may seduce a president into

thinking that the school’s successes are somehow uniquely related to the

president’s work. Humility is a necessary reminder that the accomplish

ments of a community are always the results of many people’s efforts.

Professional will is the intense commitment to see that the organization

achieves its goals. A leader who pushes an organization primarily be-

cause he or she is a demanding person can be troubling, but it is another

matter to push toward the maximum organizational achievement. Pro-

fessional will involves tenacity for the organization’s mission and the ef-

forts necessary to attain it.

Leading through Change

One way of understanding leadership is that it is not necessary unless

the institution needs to move from one place to another. If an institution

doesn’t want any improvement, expansion, or redirection of its work, it

doesn’t need much leadership. Competent management can oversee an

organization that seeks only to do what it has done in the way it has

done it before. However, in this era, simple management will not be

needed for long. Organizations that do not change have a way of ceasing

to meet their missions, even if those missions themselves do not change.

Leadership in a theological school is an exercise in the art of discerning

what should change, what must change, what should not change, and for

what purposes appropriate change should be undertaken. Change is al

ways complex, it is typically resisted, and its outcome is never obvious at

the start. It is as difficult as it is necessary. Leadership involves helping

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the school discern when change is needed, identifying the trajectory the

change should take, and guiding the community across the uncharted

terrain that characterizes any change.

Change is not limited to the school. David Tiede, who retired after

twenty years as president at Luther Seminary, talked with a group of

seminary presidents about the several jobs he had had during those

twenty years. He concluded about halfway through his tenure that he

was already on his second job, and if he were to stay, his job would con

tinue to change. Leadership is like that. As the community accomplishes

certain goals and faces new and different challenges, the work required

from the president changes. The skills and commitments that led the

school well as it addressed issues that are now resolved are of consider

ably less value when the school is facing other issues and agendas. The

Luther Seminary board formalized this perception by determining that

it would reexamine the president’s job description every five years to

identify what most needed to be done and the presidential skills most

needed to help the institution accomplish these tasks.

In an important book on leadership, Ronald A. Heifetz and his

colleagues examined the kinds of changes that institutions face and that,

correspondingly, often form the primary agenda for leadership.

classified two fundamentally different kinds of change: technical and

adaptive.

Technical changes are those that are made to move the organiza-

tion along its orderly path toward increased capacity. Changes in the

administrative computing system, for example, can make a school

more efficient in its operations, and such a change can consume a mas

sive amount of energy while it is being considered, implemented, and

accepted. In the end, however, the change is a technical change. The

work is improved; the coordination is strengthened; perhaps some

money is saved in the long run. Technical change may make an organi

zation’s work fundamentally better, but it does not make it fundamen

tally different.

Adaptive change is of a different order. It is often imposed by the

changing context in which an organization does its work and the result

ing requirement for change in the organization. Religion in North

Th e Presid en t’s Vocation and Le adership

5. Ronald Heifetz and Martin Linsky, Leadership on the Line: St aying Alive through

the Dangers of Leading (Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002).

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America is changing; it is reconstituting itself in ways different from

earlier expressions. It will be impossible for a theological school to do

business as it always has in the context of these changes. Theological

schools that are related to rapidly growing constituencies must change

to meet the theological education needs of those constituencies. Theo

logical schools related to constituencies that have experienced signifi

cant numerical decline are faced with a very different set of factors as

they seek to respond to the theological education needs of the increas

ing number of part-time and bi-vocational pastors. These changes are

not so much technical adjustments as they are fundamental adaptations

of the school’s patterns of work — perhaps even its mission.

Both kinds of change can be difficult for a theological school, but

both are necessary. A part of the work of the president is to help the in

stitution figure out what change is needed, to help the community of in

dividuals who form the institution to understand why the change is nec-

essary or advantageous, and to oversee the efforts that the change

requires.

Leading b y Telling the Story

Another central feature of leadership in a theological school is telling

the school’s story. We mentioned earlier that the president has the privi-

lege of perspective. Most others in a school see only part of the whole

story of the school because that is their perspective. Faculty see the

school one way, students see it another, and the board sees it still an

other way. The president has a perspective, by virtue of office, which

both includes and transcends these more limited perspectives. Presi

dents exercise their leadership by telling the school’s story from this

privileged perspective. The story needs to be told to faculty and stu

dents so they can place their perceptions in a broader framework. The

story needs to be told to the board so they have a perspective about the

impact of their governance. The story needs to be told to prospective

donors and to major givers so they know why they should support the

school with their gifts. All theological schools have good stories to tell,

and telling the story is one way in which leadership is exercised.

The president is often the only individual who relates to all the

constituencies of a school. While this means that the president has the

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difficult task of interpreting the constituencies to one another, and

sometimes mediating among them, it also means that the president is

the one person in the institution who can share a common story with all

the constituencies. While this sometimes puts the president in the diffi

cult position of being the person in the middle, it also provides the arena

in which leadership in a community is exercised.

Additional Resources

Collins, James C. GoodtoGreat:WhySomeCompaniesMaketheLeap...

and Others Don’t. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.

This book, based on research with multiple organizations, discusses

the principles necessary to transform an institution from a good orga

nization into a great organization. Each of these principles has direct

implications for a leader’s role and function in bringing about this

transformation.

Dittes, James. Whe n the People Say No: Co nflict and the Call to Ministry. San

Francisco: Harper & Row, 1979.

This book is a classic work that recognizes the inevitability of conflict

in human institutions. Focusing on ministry in the church, it discusses

how to survive and lead in a community of people who differ from and

battle with one another and the leaders.

Heifetz, Ronald A., and Martin Linsky. Lea dership on the Line: Staying Alive

throu gh the Danger s of L e a din g. Boston: Harvard Business School

Press, 2002.

Building on the principles developed in Heifetz’s earlier book, Leader

ship without Easy Answe r s, this book discusses how leaders can survive

and succeed in difficult and challenging situations.

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 2

The President’s Role in Administration and

Personnel Mana gement

ADOLF HANSEN, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

JEAN STAIRS, Queen’s Theological College

KENT M. WEEKS, Senior Attorney, Weeks, Anderson, and Baker

OVERVI EW

Introduction

Administration

Organizational Design

Management

Decision-Making

Negotiating Differences

Policies

Procedures

Preventive Legal Planning and Management

Information Technology

Personnel Management

Building a Leadership Team

Supervision and Performance Appraisal

Promotion

Termination

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Compensation

Conflict Management

Questions

Additional Resources

Introduction

A theological school has many institutional matters to manage and

many individuals through whom this is done. Finding the most efficient

and effective ways to carry out these responsibilities is the function of

administration and personnel management.

In most theological schools the president is the chief administra

tor, having been hired by a governing board and authorized to hire all

other people in the institution in accordance with institutional guide-

lines. He or she oversees the management of the school, sometimes

through direct involvement and at other times through delegation of au-

thority. Knowing when and how to employ each of these approaches is a

sign of wisdom.

Administration

Organizational Design

Although theological schools differ in the way they are organized, all

have senior administrators who commonly report directly to the presi

dent: an academic officer, an administrative and/or fiscal officer, and an

institutional advancement officer. To whom a student affairs officer re

ports varies considerably, depending in part on how the student affairs

area is defined.

The president can provide direct supervision for only a limited

number of people. Four to six individuals, including the assistant to the

president (commonly one person with both administrative and secre

tarial responsibilities), is the most desirable number.

Individuals who have institutional responsibilities in functional

areas (such as information technology, marketing/communications, or

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church relations) do not easily fit within most institutional structures.

Therefore, alignments based on institutional mission, particular per

sonnel strengths, and available resources need to be worked out in cre

ative and productive ways.

Questions the president needs to consider and reconsider on an on

going basis in this regard are: Who needs to be at the table? Who does not?

When does a particular group need to remain the same? When does it not?

Shared governance, the delegation of authority, is a desirable qual

ity of leadership. Customarily, the faculty in theological schools have

authority over designated academic areas (such as curriculum design

and implementation) that they carry out in a manner consistent with the

institution’s governance structure and mission. The president partici

pates in this process without determining its outcome.

Many theological schools find it valuable to develop an organiza

tional chart, which gives each employee a framework for understanding

the institution: who does what, who is related to whom, and who is ac-

countable to whom.

Management

It is important for the president to be aware of his or her own style of func-

tioning, to reflect on that awareness, and to grow in self-understanding as

well as in the understanding of others. Sometimes an instrument that pro-

vides categories for organizing one’s thinking (such as the Myers-Briggs

Type Indicator) is helpful. Such an instrument may also be useful in team-

building if each member of the team completes it and participates in a pro

cess in which all members learn about one another’s style of functioning.

For time management, the president needs to set parameters for

the number of hours he or she spends in reading/reflection/writing, in

dealing with office matters, in group meetings, in individual conversa

tions, and in activities outside the institution. Sharing those parameters

with others and asking them to respect them can often be helpful, yet a

president must also maintain some degree of flexibility.

Furthermore, the president needs to determine major goals in

light of the school’s strategic plan and the time allotted for their accom

plishment. One way to do this is to identify six goals for a six-month pe

riod (known as 6 by 6), discuss them with others on the leadership

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team, focus on carrying them out, evaluate their status at the end of six

months, and then identify six goals for the next six months (all new or a

mixture of old and new).

To manage meetings, the president needs to determine which ones

to attend, what role to assume in those meetings, and which personal

views to express or not express at certain points in the process. Giving

the president’s view too early in a process will often limit discussion.

Furthermore, if it is not clear if the president is giving a personal view or

an institutional view, this may also limit discussion by creating ambigu

ity and confusion.

The president has the unique opportunity to develop a vision by

keeping in mind what he or she believes is best for the whole institution

and to express that in a manner that enables others to participate in and

share the vision. This is not an easy task. In order to maintain such a fo

cus, the president needs to ask continually: Where are my personal in-

terests and perspectives affecting my responsibility to represent the

whole institution in fulfilling its vision?

To manage his or her office, the president needs to depend on a

trustworthy, competent, and prudent assistant to carry out numerous

administrative and secretarial tasks, including receiving incoming calls

as well as visitors, taking and sharing pertinent messages, opening and

sorting mail, responding to routine correspondence, filing materials

that need to be kept, setting appointments appropriately, and protecting

the president’s time prudently. The president may save considerable

time simply by having his or her assistant ask an inquirer, “Is this some

thing I can help you with?”

In addition, a president can accomplish considerable work by be

ing a “one-minute manager,” walking in hallways and offices (covering

all of them eventually), interacting informally with employees, some

times asking deliberate questions and listening to responses, sometimes

letting others ask the questions, and sometimes just being present. De

veloping such a style can often foster effective communication.

Decision-Making

It is crucial for the president to understand which decisions he or she

needs to make and which can be delegated to others. The “old-

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fashioned” management language said, “Push the decision down” or

“Let the person at the lowest possible level make the decision.” The

newer language says, “Let the person in closest proximity to the matter

make the decision”; then, if necessary, “widen the circle.” The operative

principle in each approach is for the president not to become involved in

decision-making that trusted colleagues can carry out on their own.

At the same time, it is important for the president to identify the

strategic decisions that move the institution forward and to ensure that

they are made in a timely fashion by appropriate persons and processes.

The president should also understand the time by which a decision

needs to be made. If it is important, but not urgent, the decision can of

ten wait. If it is urgent, however — whether important or not — it needs

to be made accordingly. Postponing important decisions that are not ur

gent is not desirable but may at times be necessary.

Follow-up on decisions is essential. Letting those involved know

who is responsible for taking the next steps, by what date they need to

be taken, and to whom the results need to be reported will enable deci-

sions to make a difference in the institution. The president by his or her

own follow-up has the opportunity to set the example for the entire in-

stitution.

Negotiatin g Difference s

The question at the heart of any negotiation is, “What do you want?” If

the individuals or groups expressing their differences can articulate

this, the possibility for a resolution is much more likely. This question

can also be stated as: “What are you seeking?” or “What objective do

you have in mind?” or “What are you trying to accomplish?”

Once the president has asked the question and the differing par

ties have given a preliminary response, everyone can consider options to

reach that goal. An individual, either speaking personally or as a repre

sentative for a group, may have a particular option in mind, or the indi

vidual may not have thought of any specific options.

The president will often hear both a request (that is, what some

one wants) and a particular way to fulfill the request, stated explicitly or

implicitly. If the president doesn’t think that the request is a realistic

possibility, he or she can say no in a gracious manner. However, if the

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president is thinking no but doesn’t want to be directive, he or she can

say, “Let’s look at the options for accomplishing what you have pro

posed.”

After as many options as possible have been enumerated, includ

ing those whose implementation may be quite unlikely, the discussion

can proceed in a way that narrows the options. Sometimes an option

will emerge that is mutually satisfactory. Sometimes it will not. At other

times, there may need to be ongoing reflection regarding the two or

three options that remain.

Using such an approach will not only help the president’s own dis

cussions to be more effective but will also provide a model for others to

use in their own interactions.

Policies

It is prudent for any theological school to set forth in writing the poli-

cies that govern its administration. The more significant ones, particu-

larly those of legal consequence, are customarily approved by the gov-

erning board. The others are often left to the president, who affirms

current policies or sets in motion a process to establish new ones.

All employees must be aware of, and must follow, institutional pol-

icies. Although such policies are often shared orally, they also need to be

written in a clear, concise, and legally sound manner. They should be or-

ganized in one or more handbooks (one governing all employees or gov

erning each specific class of employees such as administration, faculty,

and staff) and should be given to each employee when he or she is hired.

Presidents also need to understand government policies that apply

to a theological school and to carry them out in ways that fulfill the reg

ulations appropriately. The president needs to see that this is done,

though he or she can delegate that task to an institutional colleague.

This also applies to church policies that pertain to a theological

school, though the extent varies to which a theological school is an inde

pendent entity with its own governing board or is controlled legally, po

litically, and/or financially by a given ecclesiastical body. The president

needs to articulate a point of view that is approved by the governing

board and that fully recognizes both institutional and ecclesiastical in

terests.

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Procedures

The president must distinguish between policies and procedures (the

latter being ways to carry out the former). He or she needs to integrate

the implementation of both.

Because details of institutional procedures are usually not under

stood quickly, the institution should have a manual that explains proce

dures that are applicable to all employees (such as scheduling, purchas

ing, printing, and mailing). Although the president customarily

delegates the tasks that relate to procedures, he or she must still be in

formed in order to follow them in an exemplary manner.

Preventive Legal Planning an d Man age ment

Compliance with federal, state, provincial, and local laws is critical if the

theological school is to reduce risk and meet its institutional objectives.

One way to monitor compliance is to undertake periodic reviews of ma-

jor institutional legal documents, including the charter or constitution,

bylaws, handbook policies, employment practices, and important pro-

cedures. The president has the responsibility for delegating or monitor-

ing such compliance reviews.

The president needs to ensure that policies and practices are con-

sistent and, if they are not, to determine why not. Some schools develop

practices that vary from their policies. If a dispute arises, this dichotomy

can create enormous problems for theological schools.

Preventive strategies also need to include an assessment of the

purpose and mission of the institution as they relate to statutory ex

emptions for theological schools. Both in the United States and in Can

ada, theological schools may be exempt from compliance with certain

laws, such as those related to employment, when the position in ques

tion involves a religious component. It is best to identify from the out

set which positions are exempt, in order to forestall challenges to deci

sions allegedly made on discriminatory grounds when in fact the

alleged preference is protected by statutory law and is required by mis

sion mandates.

An increasing source of conflict for theological schools relates to

institutional requirements of students that fall outside the normally ac

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cepted domain of “academic” requirements. The institution needs to

state clearly what personal competencies and skills students need so

that students are aware that passing courses and obtaining credits are

not the only requirements for graduation or certification.

The president must also manage his or her relationship with legal

counsel. Commonly, a theological school will retain a law firm. If a law

yer who is a board member represents a school, the practice needs to be

carefully examined because of potential conflicts of interest. The presi

dent must know when to consult counsel in order to obtain adequate

advice, but he or she also must control costs of legal services. Preven

tive practice suggests that it is far better to consult a lawyer at the be

ginning of what may become a legal problem than after the problem

has occurred, at which time advice tends to focus on how to clean up

the mess.

Prudent judgment, good faith, and professionalism will go a long

way toward the prevention of legal conflicts and will aid the president’s

focus on the mission of the theological school.

Information Te c hnology

It is essential for a president to be reasonably competent and comfort-

able using a personal computer. He or she should be able to use it for

personal e-mail (that is, receiving his or her own e-mail, though using

filters to screen and/or sort mail), for institutional Listservs (employees,

employee groups, students, trustees, alumni), and for Internet searches.

In addition, it is increasingly necessary to be able to think in computer

ization categories such as database management, spreadsheet analysis,

encryption security, and hyperlink connectivity. A president who is not

proficient in such areas needs to find someone who can help him or her

learn these skills.

The president customarily delegates the authority to manage insti

tutional technology, including the design and implementation of secu

rity measures, to an institutional colleague who oversees both adminis

trative and academic computing. To divide these tasks is less and less

desirable, because system integration is increasingly important.

Helpful practices include requiring that all employees and all stu

dents have an institutional e-mail address and that each address follow a

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uniform pattern, creating an intranet for institutional communication

(installed as the home page on each institutional computer), developing

an institutional database for all employees to access and a student data

base for students and designated employees to access, and designing a

user-friendly Website for the public to access.

A president who regularly uses these resources sets the example

for all in the theological school to follow. However, he or she needs to

thoughtfully and deliberately monitor time spent with the computer.

Personnel Management

Building a L eade rshi p Team

The administrative work of the theological school will flow more effi-

ciently and effectively if the president establishes a strong, respectful,

mutually supportive, and trusting leadership team. Building such a

team calls for competent, self-initiating team players with effective

communication skills. Within the first year of office, the president

should receive a thorough review and analysis of the staffing structure

and existing personnel to help in assessing whether change is necessary.

A strategic plan for staffing, developed in consultation with senior ad-

ministrators and in relationship to the long-range goals and financial ca-

pacities of the theological school, will provide the basis for such an eval-

uation. Everyone, from support staff to senior administrators, needs to

be committed to working together for the well-being of the school and

to supporting the vision of the governing board and the president.

The president should select individuals for employment on the ba

sis of their qualifications, skills, and abilities for particular positions.

The president needs to evaluate candidates’ qualifications in light of the

specific requirements of the theological school and the description of

the position. Commitment to equality in the workplace and adherence

to ATS standards and government regulations (such as the Employment

Standards Act, Human Rights Code, and Employment Equity Legisla

tion in Canada; and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age

Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and the Americans with

Disabilities Act of 1990 in the United States) is essential. The theologi

cal school’s employment policies and procedures need to guide the pres

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ident in developing an appropriate definition for the position, choosing

a means for advertising or posting the position (internally and/or exter

nally), and determining his or her direct involvement in the hiring pro

cess versus delegating it to another senior administrator.

Offers of appointment must be made by a formal letter of agree

ment setting forth terms of employment, starting date, length of proba

tionary period (if any), commencing salary, fringe benefits, and other

applicable matters. A job description is often enclosed. Also, an an

nouncement of the person hired to fill the position must wait until the

institution receives a signed and dated copy of the letter of agreement.

Any subsequent changes in assignment need to be discussed with the

employee, communicated in writing, and placed in the employee’s per

sonnel file.

Throughout this ongoing process of building a team, the president

needs to be precise in any and all commitments made. Putting them in

writing is a way to clarify details and recall them later. It is also a way of

following through with consistency and fairness.

Supervision and Per formance Appraisal

Providing an effective orientation is the first step in fostering a good

working relationship and producing a well-informed employee. Offer-

ing general information about the institution, its organizational struc-

ture and flow of authority, and the place of the new employee within it

(including a review of the job description) can provide a helpful context

of understanding. Introducing a new hire to employees beyond his or

her immediate colleagues can also be valuable. A handbook pertaining

to the particular employee can provide additional information that can

encourage a fulfilling employee/employer relationship.

The president should ensure that daily supervision and annual

performance reviews occur in a healthy and constructive manner. This

may mean, for example, that the president assumes the role of coaching

other senior administrators in their supervisory tasks or in ensuring

that those who supervise have access to training or development oppor

tunities in human resources. One coaching method that may be helpful

in supervision is known by the acronym GROW:

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G = Goals What do you want to achieve?

R = Reality What is happening now?

O = Options What could you do?

W = Will What will you do?

The president ensures that senior administrators conduct periodic

appraisals (at least annually, and more often during the probationary

period), to foster positive supervisory relations, promote effective com

munication, identify organizational or individual strengths and weak

nesses, agree upon a course for improvement (if required), develop fu

ture career goals and job-related objectives, and identify training

opportunities. The performance appraisal needs to be put in writing,

appropriately signed and dated, and placed in the employee’s personnel

file. In some theological schools, an employee has the right to review his

or her own file under supervision, if arrangements are made in advance

and appropriate authorization is given.

Promotion

Even though most theological schools have rather limited opportunities

for promotion, they do occur when the administration reevaluates a po-

sition and assigns increased responsibilities to it or when an employee is

a successful applicant for a vacancy. Whether or not an employee is pro-

moted or remains in a particular position, salary increases are com

monly provided on the basis of annual performance appraisals and the

institution’s policies regarding merit. The president reviews all conse

quential promotions in light of available resources and overall staffing

needs.

Termin ation

Disciplinary action normally follows a progressive model; that is, under

usual circumstances, discipline progresses from verbal to written repri

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1. See John Whitmore, Coachin g for Performance: Guiding People, Performance, an d

Purpose, 3rd ed. (London: Nicholas Brealey, 2002).

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mands, to suspension of employment, to final discharge. However,

some situations are so serious that strictly adhering to the progressive

discipline model is inappropriate, and more serious disciplinary action

up to and including termination is warranted at the first offense. Exam

ples of such situations include, but are not limited to, insubordination,

assault, theft, or fraud.

The president has the responsibility to ensure that disciplinary ac

tions are based upon transparent guidelines and principles. Before tak

ing any disciplinary action or enacting termination, the president or a

senior administrator needs to solicit appropriate advice to ensure that

the institution is meeting the legal and practical requirements of the

process. Notice of dismissal must be given in accordance with fair pro

cess within the theological school and must be consistent with the pro

visions contained in applicable laws. Compensation may be granted at

the discretion of the theological school.

The termination of a faculty member is governed by procedures

set forth by each theological school.

Compensation

The categories that commonly comprise a compensation package in-

clude salary, fringe benefits, and perquisites that pertain to one or more

classes of employees (such as tuition reimbursement for a family mem-

ber who attends the institution). Compensation package details are in

cluded in a letter of employment, or in documents that accompany such

a letter, and the president reviews such packages each year when making

plans for the new fiscal year.

The frames of reference the president uses for increases, particu

larly salary, include the salaries of other employees at one’s own institu

tion, the salaries of colleagues in similar theological schools, and the

salaries of people in the geographical region in which the institution is

located.

The president reviews current salaries, fringe benefits, and per

quisites of all employees, receives recommendations for increases (as

appropriate) from other senior-level administrators, and finalizes all

figures in accordance with available resources.

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Conflict Managem ent

If a theological school is committed to implementing its mission and

strategic goals, over time the organizational structure, faculty, adminis

tration, and staff will probably undergo change. This may precipitate

conflicts between various parties, including faculty, administrators,

staff, and the president. In inter-group relations (for instance, between

faculty disciplines), conflict is often ideological. It may develop when

various factions disagree about what constitutes the proper methodol

ogy of a discipline, or the rationale for initiating or terminating a partic

ular program.

Conflict also occurs when groups do not receive clear messages

about roles, responsibilities, and expectations, or when they sense a lack

of transparency about, and commitment to, the school’s mission, strate

gic plan, and established benchmarks for institutional well-being. In

some cases, conflict results from a clash between individual personali-

ties or working styles. In other cases, conflict centers on diversity of

gender, race, or ethnicity.

Attitudes about conflict will vary considerably from person to

person. Theological schools themselves may have particular “attitudes”

toward conflict and these will be represented in institutional policies

and procedures.

Presidents must recognize the relationship between the degree of

conflict in an institution and the level of morale. The president who

learns to promote good morale and diagnose conflict at an early stage,

and who helps faculty, administrators, and staff deal with it effectively,

fulfills one of the most difficult requirements of the role.

A trustworthy president first and foremost will model open and

effective methods for dealing with personal, interpersonal, and systemic

conflict. Offering a personal or public apology, when appropriate, can

model a way forward that is helpful for others in similar circumstances.

Clarifying misconceptions that may cause conflict and being willing to

enter a mediated process also demonstrates the president’s commit

ment to a healthy and effective administration. Encouraging open de

bate and free expression can ensure a fair hearing for diverse viewpoints

about significant issues and can enable people to deal with conflicts be

fore they become critical. Discussion and broad, creative development

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and evaluation of options will lead to resolution of complex and sensi

tive situations.

The institution needs to establish formal procedures for an em

ployee to file a grievance and needs to review grievances regularly with

personnel. Such procedures normally emphasize that it is the responsi

bility of the employee to bring to the supervisor’s attention problems or

perceived problems dealing with policy or procedural issues. In the case

of a complaint that may lead to a formal grievance, it is in the best inter

est of both parties to attempt to resolve the issue in as informal a man

ner as possible. If the complaint cannot be settled by this means and

within a short period of time, then the formal grievance procedure may

be invoked. The president needs to retain an impartial stance in order to

respond justly to all conflicted parties. If the process does not result in a

satisfactory resolution, then parties involved should follow the appeal

process defined by a particular theological school.

Questions

Clearly, a focus on what is right (strengths) is more productive than a

focus on what is wrong (weaknesses). Therefore, a president may find it

useful to ask the following questions concerning administration:

1. How can I, as president, celebrate what is right with the adminis-

tration of the institution?

2. How can I enlist others on the leadership team to do likewise?

3. How can I and others use the energy that we generate in this pro

cess to deal with what is not right?

It may also be useful to ask the same questions concerning personnel.

Th e Presid en t’s Role in Administration and Perso nnel Management

2. See DeWitt Jones, Cel ebrate W hat’s Right with the World (Star Thrower Distribu

tion Corporation, 2001).

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Additional Resources

Bennis, Warren, and Patricia Ward Biederman. Organizing Genius: The Se

crets of Creative Collaboratio n. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1997.

This book captures the spirit of discovery that pervades great groups. It

describes the free-form organization of teams that are more interested

in mission than in hierarchy. It offers a challenge, even to theological

seminaries, to capture this spirit and to encourage the leader to be a

gatherer of talent, a source of inspiration, and a bridge to the world.

Cleary, Patrick J. The Negotiation Han dbook. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe,

2001.

The author walks readers through the dynamic process of negotiation,

including preparation for it and the rules by which it is carried out. He

does this in a step-by-step fashion that translates his substantial profes

sional experience into very practical applications.

Costa, Arthur L., and Robert J. Garmston. Cognitive Coachin g: A Founda-

tio n for Re n ais san c e Schools . 2nd ed. Norwood, MA: Christopher-

Gordon, 2002.

This is a book written by educators for educators. It sets forth the prin-

ciples and practices of coaching gleaned from corporate settings and

modifies them so that they can be integrated into the life of institutions

such as theological seminaries.

Fisher, Kimball. Le ading Self-Directed Wo rk Teams: A Guide to Develo ping

New Te am Leadership Skills. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993.

This volume focuses on the development of self-directed work teams

(SDWTs) that have a supervisor who empowers them through example

and commitment rather than through agreement and control. The au

thor delineates five stages of implementing empowerment, together

with the leadership roles needed during each of these stages.

Goleman, Daniel, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee. Primal Leadership:

Reali zin g the Powe r of Emotio n al Intellige n c e . Cambridge: Harvard

Business School, 2002.

Predecessors to this volume were Goleman’s Emotional Intelligenc e (an

international bestseller) and Wo rking with Emoti o nal Intelli gen ce. In

these, as well as in this latest volume, Goleman and his colleagues ex

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plore the role of emotional intelligence in relation to leadership, both in

personal competence (self-awareness and self-management) and social

competence (social awareness and relationship management).

Heifetz, Ronald A. Leadership with out Easy Answers. Cambridge: Belknap

Press of Harvard University Press, 1994.

The author understands leadership as mobilizing people to tackle

tough problems. He moves beyond technical change (focusing on the

same, but doing it better) to adaptive change (focusing on something

different). In doing so he identifies strategic principles: identifying the

adaptive challenge, regulating distress, directing disciplined attention

to the issues, and giving the work back to the people.

Jones, DeWitt. Celeb rate What ’s R ight with the World. Star Thrower Distri

bution Corporation, 2001.

This is a twenty-two-minute video, with leader’s guide, participant

workbook, PowerPoint presentation CD, and reminder cards (

www

.starthrower.com

or 800-242-3220). It teaches what a powerful force

having a vision of possibilities can be, particularly when an organiza-

tion (and its leadership) focuses on what’s right, is energized by it, and

thereby has energy remaining to deal with what’s not right.

Katzenbach, Jon R., and Douglas K. Smith. The Wisdom of Teams: Creatin g

the High-Performanc e Organization. Boston: Harvard Business School

Press, 1993.

The authors believe that teams are the key to improving the perfor-

mance of organizations, including theological seminaries. Yet leaders

often overlook opportunities to maximize their potential, confusing

teams with teamwork, empowerment, or participative management.

The book’s thesis is that teams can turn organizations around.

Weeks, Kent M., and Derek Davis, eds. Legal Deskbook for Adminis trators of

Independ ent Colleges and Universities . Revised 2nd ed. Waco, TX: Baylor

University Press, 1999.

This loose-leaf volume is updated annually. It analyzes key legal issues

that independent institutions encounter, including matters related to

student governance, faculty, compliance requirements, treatment of re

ligious institutions, and taxation.

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Whitmore, John. Coaching for Perfor mance: Gui ding Peo ple, Per formance,

and Purpose. 3rd ed. London: Nicholas Brealey, 2002.

This book further develops what the author initially delineated in his

earlier work (1992) under the same title, though with a different subtitle

(A Pra ctical Guide to Growing Your O wn Skills). It delineates perfor

mance coaching that is based on context (awareness and responsibil

ity), skill (effective questioning), and sequence (G: goals, R: reality, O:

options, and W: will).

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 3

The President’s Role in Governance

ROBERT COOLEY, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

CHRISTA KLEIN, In Trust, Inc.

LOUIS WEEKS, Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian

School of Christian Education

OVERVI EW

Six Are as for Effective Presidential L eadership

Institutional Ethos

Community Building and Shared Vision

Formation of Databases and Institutional Research Systems

Strategic Planning and Casting a Vision of Success

Constituency and Public Relationships

Creating a Learning Environment

What Is Governance?

Definition and Key Elements of a Shared Governance System

The System Is Designed, Built, and Maintained by Institutional Leaders

The System Is Self-Correcting

The System Encourages Shared Responsibility and Joint Effort

The System Provides Flow of Information and Transparency

of Communication

The System Safeguards the Educational Task with Economic Vitality

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Govern ance and the Board

Governance and the President

President/Board Partnership

Understanding the Role of the Gatekeeper

Giving Attention to Leadership Style

Making Board Education a Priority

Defining Institutional Reality through Reliable Information

Understanding the Relationship of the Board Chair and the President

Evaluating the President

Govern ance and the Facult y

Keeping the Faculty Informed

Consulting with the Faculty on Institutional Issues

Using Faculty Expertise in Strategic Planning

A Fin al Word

Additional Resources

Six Area s for Effective Presidential Leadership

The president of a theological school is the “gatekeeper” of its gover-

nance process and also the guardian of its mission. Historically, gate-

keepers safeguarded the movement of people or commerce in or out of

the fortress or citadel. In theological education, presidential “gatekeep

ers” have the added role to protect the seminary’s educational mission

from internal or external incursions and, at the same time, to safeguard

the final authority, most usually, of a governing board in its broad

policy-making and fiduciary responsibilities. Neither a board nor an ac

ademic faculty can do its work without this presidential gatekeeping.

The effectiveness of presidential leadership will be determined by how

well the president exercises the legitimate authority of gatekeeping, be

cause it is through the governance process that the president inspires

the necessary trust, confidence, and respect to lead.

Effective presidential leadership will give attention to six areas of

the seminary’s life and practice, and governance is essential to all areas.

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Instit utional Ethos

The institution’s culture is the context in which the governance system

operates. The president has unique opportunities to safeguard the insti

tutional heritage, core mission values, theological tradition, and spiri

tual character. The president leads sacred and community activities,

gives speeches and public addresses, pursues caring consultation in

decision-making, and invites people who represent the institutional

past for anniversary celebrations and current events.

Community Building and Shared Visi on

Governance is a joint effort and calls for a shared response from several

individuals and groups within the seminary. Group dynamics and par-

ticipation, driven by a shared vision of the school’s mission, are essential

ingredients in successful governance. Community-building efforts lead

to improved decision-making, and the president is central to building

these human relationships and capacities. Participation around a shared

vision leads to wider satisfaction and greater effectiveness.

Formation of Databa ses and Institutional Re search Syst ems

All units within the governance system need adequate and accurate in

formation. Institutional truth statements are constructed upon such re

ality. This necessity requires the president to be certain that such data

bases and systems are in place and are prepared to provide the board,

administrators, and faculty with information that enables planning and

policy formation for considering the pros and cons of possible strate

gies. Good governance is built on good information.

Strat egic Planning and Casting a Vision of Su cces s

One of the primary responsibilities of gatekeeping is to focus the insti

tution’s energies upon the future. This responsibility requires patience,

listening skills, and a proper sense of timing. The president can use a

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strategic planning process, integrated with the governance calendar, to

implement the statement of mission in such a way that it becomes a vi

sion for success. The president is always reading the landscape and re

stating the vision for achieving the mission in order to absorb the reality

of new circumstances. At the center of this presidential capacity is theo

logical discernment that will form Christian community. The school’s

future is among the highest priorities for an effective president.

Cons tituency and Pu blic Re lationships

Relationships among stakeholders, constituencies, judicatories, and

regulatory agencies are fundamental to the well-being of the institution.

The president leads in strengthening these relationships, serving at all

times as a bridge and a buffer. In classical terms, the president functions

pastorally in pastoral care. He or she must devote much time to consult-

ing, listening, and understanding concerns.

Creatin g a Learning Environme n t

Gatekeeping provides the president with ample opportunities to serve

as educator. The governance units (board, administration, faculty, judi-

catories, etc.) provide a platform for the president to educate members

about theological education, the church, and educational issues. Such

times provide opportunities to capitalize on the intelligence of the

members and to influence strategic decisions and complex policy for

mation. The president leads the way for the seminary to become a learn

ing community.

The presidential gatekeeper shapes the governance landscape, and

this directly correlates to the kind and quality of the school’s graduates.

Presidential leadership in governance is a true calling.

What Is G over nance?

The concept of shared governance has become the established frame

work for the making of institutional decisions in American higher edu

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cation. Generally speaking, the concept has become well-established in

the world of theological education as boards, administrators, and facul

ties have worked together in joint efforts toward decisive policy and

planning issues. As a system, it has the power to enable presidential

leadership; it also has the potential to create adversarial relationships

and weaken presidential authority. And so it is important to understand

what governance is and what it is not.

Governance must be distinguished from authority. Authority is

the mandated power to make decisions that impact the policies and

planning of the institution. This power is derived from the institution’s

charter, bylaws, and other legal mandates. In practice, boards of direc

tors or trustees are usually recognized as having “final or complete” au

thority for the development and control of the institution. Board gover

nance gains its legitimacy from this formal authority.

At the same time, as an agent of the board, the president is seen as

having a “delegated” authority. The delegation of executive authority by

the board to the president legitimizes the president to lead the institu-

tion. The faculty is granted a “functional” authority to enable it to be re-

sponsible in the curriculum and educational policies and plans for the

institution. This shared authority, properly exercised, can strengthen

the leadership role of a competent president. Effective governance is

founded in joint effort, and this foundation is the essential platform for

meaningful presidential leadership.

Governance also differs from both leadership and management.

Leadership is manifested when influence or power is properly and ef

fectively exercised. It is courage to act for the advancement of the insti

tution. Management is the exercise of competencies to control the insti

tution’s resources and operations in an effective manner and in

accordance with the executive and governing policies. These policies

are legitimized through the shared governance process.

Definition and Key Elements

of a Shared Gover nance System

If governance is distinct from authority, leadership, and management,

then what is it? Shared governance is the self-correcting s ys tem we design,

build, and maintain to balance and direc t the legitimate interests of an ins ti

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tution ’s policy -making an d decision-making struct ures toward fulfilling the

se minary’s mission within su stainabl e economic vitalit y. Shared gover

nance includes collaboration, information sharing, interpretation, and

decision-making. In the context of various constituencies and stake

holders, shared governance is a system open to the participation of stu

dents and staff.

The above definition of shared governance employs five elements

to describe the system.

TheSystemIsDesigned,Built,and

Maintained by Ins titutional Le aders

There is no one right way to design a shared governance system. The

history, culture, and operational circumstances of the school need to be

taken into account. The governance design will depend upon the struc-

tural nature of the school. Attributes of governance will vary depend-

ing, for example, on whether the school is a freestanding institution, a

denominational seminary, or a university divinity school. Information

on the best practices and experience of others can be a valuable resource

in the design of an institutional system. Bylaws, board handbooks, and

faculty manuals are excellent instruments for communicating the au-

thorized design.

The Syst em Is Self-Corre cting

The system is a self-correcting mechanism that gauges the various

decision-making functions and provides feedback that permits correc

tive actions to be instituted. When one policy or planning unit moves

the seminary in an undesirable direction, some other element in the gov

ernance system rights the course. Effective presidential leaders can as

sess the cause and make necessary adjustments. This awareness permits

solutions that are mutually satisfactory.

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T h e Syste m Encourages Shared Responsibility

and Joint Effort

A well-designed governance system for making decisions and develop

ing policies seeks to balance the legitimate interests of the board, the ad

ministration, and the faculty. The clarification of governance responsi

bilities reduces the conflict of roles and the tension that often results

from shared authority. A balance can be struck between the board and

administration on the one hand, and the faculty on the other hand.

Boards and presidents must focus their energies on fiduciary responsi

bilities that will enable the institution to remain stable and responsive to

changing environmental circumstances. The faculty must focus on stu

dents, educational programs, and the world of ideas emerging in theo

logical education. These contrasting roles are necessary if the seminary

is to fulfill its reason for being. Therefore, a shared governance process

can balance the legitimate concerns about leadership of the board and

the president with the professional concerns of the faculty.

TheSystemProvidesFlowofInformation

and Transpare ncy of Comm unication

The system provides a mechanism for the formal flow of information

and for transparency in communication and interaction. Information is

the lifeblood of the governance system. The president is responsible for

the information system that links the components of the governance

system. Effective governance requires regular and formal meetings of

the board, the administration, and the faculty. The content of these

meetings should be institutional data that provide the basis for group in

teraction and decision-making. For broader consultation, matters of im

portance can then be communicated with other authority structures.

This pattern creates the opportunity for useful feedback and demon

strates the openness of the system of governance in the theological

school environment.

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The Syst em Safeguards th e Educational Task

with Economic Vitality

The system’s purpose is to safeguard the educational mission with eco

nomic vitality. Board members and institutional administrators can eas

ily be distracted from the central mission of the seminary when they

concentrate on finances and operations. After all, the financial strength

of the school is critical to its sustainability. The centrality of the educa

tional mission then becomes the faculty’s fundamental focus, and their

role in the governance system is to sustain and monitor institutional

purpose and fulfilled mission. Through shared governance, this joint ef

fort secures the twin bottom lines of institutional purpose: mission ful

filled with economic vitality.

Shared governance works best when other players in the gover

nance process — namely constituencies, stakeholders, staff, and stu-

dents — have their own prescribed methods for significant participa-

tion in institutional decision-making. Effective shared governance

shouldbeseenasanopensystem.Thesediversevoicescanbeheard

through ad hoc groups, task forces, committees, and open forum ses-

sions. The wise president will find ways for the board and faculty to

hear these desired voices and to invite their participation in the affairs of

the seminary.

A final word needs to be said about joint effort. Most seminaries

are small institutions and focus on few academic programs and stu-

dents. They may be small, but this does not mean that their operational

infrastructure is simple. Quite to the contrary, they can be as intricate

and complex as many large schools or small universities. Therefore, the

variety of governance tasks produces an inescapable interdependence

for the board, the president, and the faculty. This relationship calls for

the fullest communication and flow of information between structures

and a governance system carefully designed to ensure joint effort. The

enjoyment of reaching resolution on institutional challenges grows out

of the increased capacity for governance achieved through joint effort.

The president can make the governance system work well by giving

close attention to each entity that formally participates in the shared

governance system: the board, the faculty, and the office of the presi

dent.

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Governance and the Board

The governing board of a seminary is that group of people with the legal

and ethical responsibility to develop and control an institution managed

by a president and a faculty. Their role is to legitimize the institution and

to see that it functions responsibly and effectively. They fulfill this role

by safeguarding the statement of institutional mission and purpose, em

ploying the president, and providing adequate fiscal, physical, and hu

man resources to meet the needs of the school. The board also serves as

a bridge and a buffer to the school’s constituency and the public. The se

lection of board members, and a president’s influence in that process,

will vary according to institutional type. University divinity schools and

denominational seminaries will have a greater dependency upon exter

nal forces than a freestanding institution. In either case, presidents must

use their influence in the process so that individuals are selected who

have great passion for theological education.

Effective boards seek members who can provide the board with a

blend of people who have the competence for work, the capacity to se-

cure wealth, and the ability to share wisdom. Candidates for board

membership may wish to join the board for several reasons. They may

be looking for opportunities to serve in a larger arena than the one pro-

vided by their local congregations. They may also be attracted by a de-

sire for community recognition, social relationships, or loyalty to an in-

stitution. Presidents can assist in the selection process by encouraging

the board to establish a board profile of desired demographics and skills

and to work toward achieving that ideal. Other useful ways to exercise

influence include encouraging the board to form a nomination or mem

bership group charged with identifying prospective members and rec

ommending such candidates to the board to fill vacancies. Presidents

can assist such groups in their tasks by cultivating qualified prospects

and acquainting them with the institution, its mission, and its person

nel.

Boards depend upon presidents to assist them in their work.

Typically, this assistance takes the form of providing reliable informa

tion, nurturing the members through a board education program, and

inspiring the board through the exercise of visionary leadership.

The wise president will design and lead an ongoing board educa

tion program that involves assessment and evaluation processes. These

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processes may include the appraisal of “dashboard indicators” estab

lished to monitor varying attributes of the institution or to evaluate the

achievement of goals established by the board to determine its own suc

cess or failure. Evaluation may also include a process of reflection upon

past or present efforts to determine the reasons for success or failure.

Such evaluations and reflections are an excellent way to examine board

life, and the results can be a basis for an ongoing board development

program.

Board self-study is another essential form of evaluation. Standard

ized board assessment instruments are available for seminary boards,

and they should be used every three or four years to measure progress

and board quality. A board retreat is the ideal time to learn from such as

sessment instruments, and it gives the president ample time to raise and

discuss with the board its strengths and weaknesses. Improving the

quality of the board must be central to the president’s leadership, and

board self-study and awareness are the surest way to improve the quality

of the board and its governance work. In the case of boards with no

mandated length of term, individual assessment of a member’s partici-

pation in the work of the board is essential to the determination of

whether that member’s service should continue. This assessment

should be under the direction of the board, either directly or through

one of its committees, such as the executive committee or trustee/nomi-

nation committee.

The work of the board is precise, formal, and legislative; therefore,

it must have the competent input of the president and the faculty if it is

to fulfill its full responsibilities. It is for this reason that the board’s au

thority to govern is shared with the president and faculty. It would be

dangerous to forget that board members serve the school as laypersons

and with part-time, volunteer involvement. Therefore, board members

depend on assistance to do their work and on the fullest disclosure of in

formation possible to make their efforts productive. The expertise and

competencies of the president and the faculty are necessary to enable

lay members to be knowledgeable about the demands and achievements

of theological education. A harmonious relationship between the board

and the president builds trust and faithful support.

Legally a board exists only when it is in session as a quorum; yet

boards and board members have continuing roles and responsibilities.

Endowment funds, even with money managers, require oversight; fund

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raising is an ongoing activity; campus representations and advocacy are

requested from time to time; presidential searches must be conducted;

and special crises and opportunities demand immediate attention. How

a board organizes itself to complete its work determines the manner in

which these continuous functions are addressed. Seminary boards have

usually followed the pattern of setting up committees to give oversight

to the normal categories of institutional organization: academic affairs,

student affairs, finance, development, and buildings and grounds. In ad

dition, committees are assigned to special tasks such as board affairs,

audits, and investments, as well as a committee on the president.

In recent years, as institutional systems have tended to replace dis

tinct functions, boards have been learning to reorganize around centers

of action instead of committees. These board groups find focus in cur

rent strategic issues, and these may change from year to year, shifting

the nature of group work within the board. This flexible board organi-

zation keeps the work of the board in a dynamic state, eliminating the

turf protection and stagnation that often accompanies committee for-

mats. Accordingly, presidential engagement can shift from the routine

of supporting and maintaining committees to giving greater attention

to institutional issues and strategic planning.

The greatest gift an effective president can give to a board is to fos-

ter an infectious group spirit. This spirit is achieved through personal

relationships and interactions; the casting of vision with inspiration,

prayer, and enthusiasm; and the reliable and disciplined manner of

board work at its meetings. Group bonding grows out of this sense of

the board’s importance and unique role. It is this group spirit that at

tracts new members and motivates all members to greater involvement

as they hold the seminary in trust with passion and dedication. The

president needs a mutual partnership with the board chair in order to

instill this group spirit. The quality of their relationship determines the

success of the board’s work and cohesiveness.

Strong governing boards also have well-designed plans for their

annual work. A master schedule can be built around the rhythmic sea

sonal cycles of institutional requirements, such as fall enrollments and

final budget approval, faculty agreements and long-range educational

program plans, and year-end fundraising to achieve development goals

and a balanced budget. As the president and the chair of the board guide

the board in the framing of its work schedule, members become en

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gaged in the anticipation of what is needed and required for a successful

completion of the annual workload.

The regular meetings of the board can be planned and executed

against this backdrop of the annual work schedule. The president, along

with the board chair, must with vigilance prevent meetings from be

coming dull events, filled with routine business and discussion. Reports

and documents should be distributed prior to meetings so that basic in

formation is known beforehand and the board can concentrate its atten

tion and energy on the most important institutional issues.

A dynamic board meeting will have at least five elements.

1. The spir itual dim e nsion. A meditation, a personal presentation of a

spiritual journey, a faculty-led exposition of Scripture, a prayer

session — any of these establishes a meaningful context for the

work of the board and reminds each member that his or her work

is theological. Often this offering will have a more significant im-

pact on a member than any other part of the meeting.

2. The int erperso nal d imensi on . Good fellowship creates a bond, a

sense of group well-being that unites the board around its work.

The president can be strategic in providing the social glue that

produces fellowship. Special social events, including dinners,

lunches, receptions, concerts, lectures, or even group travel, draw

members together and increase their sense of belonging.

3. Board education. Every meeting should have at least an hour-long

educational session to explore some aspect of the board’s role, re

sponsibilities, and performance. Board members can learn from

feedback about their performance as a body and about the mean

ing of trusteeship. Effective presidents are always educators of

their boards.

4. Action a ssignments . When issues are presented to the board, the

variety of responses invites research and study. Items may be re

ferred to special groups, the president, or other centers of exper

tise. The board benefits from well-researched options and recom

mendations.

5. De cisi on . Each meeting will have studies, recommendations, or

policy statements requiring the formal decision of the governing

board. The plan for the meeting must include the time necessary

to arrive at a formal decision.

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Board meetings can be productive, interesting, and engaging if

these five elements are present and if presidents are responsible for at

tentively supervising their format and for providing the appropriate

supportive resources and materials.

The governance system rests firmly upon the mandates that estab

lish authority, roles, and duties. The constitution and bylaws are the ma

jor mandates; they state the general purpose of the institution and out

line the general conditions and procedures that guide board operations.

More and more, boards are designing manuals that serve as a ready ref

erence to board information, such as bylaws, statements of policies,

meeting minutes, member personal data, institutional programs, an

nual work plans, committee descriptions, an organizational chart of the

institution, the current budget, and so on. If the manual is loose-leaf in

format, it can be updated easily with annual information and current

documents. New board members find such manuals extremely helpful

in understanding their roles and responsibilities. Presidents can use

such documents as a basis for new member orientation.

Governance and the President

The president’s central role in a shared governance system is to serve as

the gatekeeper of the decision-making processes and the formation of

institutional policies. Such a shared system must be viewed as a single

governance community bonded together by several elements. These ele-

ments may include denominational identity, theological views, jurisdic

tional expectations, or requirements of a constituency, but the strongest

element will be the mission of the institution. Other elements will also

have an influence on the governance community: civil regulatory agen

cies, some employees, professional associations, and accrediting bodies,

among others. But the president stands at the center of this institutional

life, guiding the work of the board and faculty, and at the same time giv

ing attention to all of the vital relationships required by the institution’s

public.

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President/Board Partnership

No constituent relationship is more important for the president than his

or her partnership with the governing board. This partnership depends

on mutual reciprocity. It is for this reason that an effective president will

spend considerable time with the board and its members and devote

great energy to the work of the board. This relationship of mutual ex

change requires the president to define his or her responsibilities in

ways that address the context of the relationship. Bear in mind that the

board is a group with final authority and the president is an individual

with delegated authority; the board consists of part-time volunteers and

the president is full-time; the board has a continuous endurance and the

president is usually limited by a term appointment or by his or her own

sense of calling; and the board membership is made up of laypersons

and the president is a competent professional. These contrasting char-

acteristics call for the president to give priority to four ways in particu-

lar for relating to the board: gatekeeping, leadership style, board educa-

tion, and reliable information.

Understand ing the Rol e of the Gat e keeper

The effective president will value the influence of the presidential posi-

tion. The president has the authority to advance the institution and to

see to it that the institutional goals are achieved, and he or she must be

willing to exercise influence in support of the institution’s mission.

Such a role requires the best possible self-understanding and a leader

ship style that acts on informed intuition. Presidents who value their in

fluence and make strategic decisions also have little difficulty in empow

ering others in shared governance. In fact, such presidents expect

participants to ask difficult questions and draw upon their own insights

and creativity. This display of empowerment enhances the confidence

level of those with whom the work of governance is shared. It encour

ages board or faculty discussion, and it helps board and faculty mem

bers to realize the power of ideas and dreams. Above all else, the presi

dent’s control over his or her emotions, words, and actions is absolutely

necessary in the role of gatekeeper. Respect is more important than

popularity.

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G iving Atte n tion to Lea dership Styl e

Leadership is the ability to influence others toward a common mission.

Most people selected by boards for the presidency are known for their

capacity to exercise influence, be it in the academic community, with

donors, or with prospective students. Presidents who pay attention to

leadership style know the importance of articulating a vision for success

and of having the courage to act. Undergirding both will be a passion

fed by faith-filled inspiration. The effective president has a clear vision

of a future in which others participate; this vision puts the mission of

the institution into operation and empowers shared governance. Shared

vision fuels the intellectual and practical needs of governance. It is in

this context of shared vision that a president can take risks with courage

to act upon ideas, dreams, and intuition. Without this quality of vision

ary leadership, a president may exhibit courage but is doomed to ad-

versarial encounters and a breakdown in shared governance. A great

president has the capacity to inspire the school community to go where

it needs to go with courage and passion. A great president needs cour-

age to establish institutional direction and passion to influence the

minds and hearts of those who share in governance responsibilities. In

the end, the style of leadership must win hearts and minds. No member

of a board or of a faculty will follow a presidential leader who does not

lead with vision, courage, and passion.

Making Board E ducation a Priority

A wise president will recognize that the board does have continuous en

durance in its institutional roles and must be continually enabled to ful

fill its responsibilities with knowledge and understanding. Further

more, board members can benefit from learning the ways of theological

education, theology, and the nature and place of the church in society.

An ongoing program of education for trustees is an effective way for the

president to ensure that members develop their capacity to govern and

to hold the institution in trust. In this fashion, the president becomes

the educator of the board.

Every board meeting should have a formal learning opportunity

that will increase the trustees’ role in fulfilling the institutional mission.

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Other special times and events should be designed to provide extended

learning opportunities. All-day seminars designed around the expertise

of the faculty are an excellent means of bringing the trustees into the

world of theology and the church. Two- or three-day retreats provide

the luxury of ample time for exploring and discussing issues of trustee

ship and institutional governance. Governance mentors and consultants

can be secured who will present the current best practices and insights

on particular institutional needs and trends. Exchange visits between

partner seminary boards can be a useful way to learn through compari

son and contrast. And reading programs in which books, articles, and

brochures are circulated to board members can reinforce group learn

ing and provide individual stimulation toward learning the ways of ef

fective trusteeship.

The president, as board educator, can influence the quality of the

governance process through a formal and continuous program of board

development, and this program must be a high priority in the leadership

of the president.

Defining Ins titutional Reality through Re liable Information

It is the responsibility of the president to see that his or her governance

partners, the board and the faculty, have reliable information that will

enable them to do their work. This can be done through ensuring the

availability of information, providing channels for communication, cre

ating an environment for openness, and scheduling forums for interac

tion.

The quality and integrity of the information must be the responsi

bility of the president. Wise presidents avoid information overload and

inappropriate detail that creates confusion, causes frustration, and mis

leads others. Above all else, attention must be paid to the accuracy and

reliability of the information presented. The president’s integrity in the

governance process is at stake. The most useful information is that

which brings focus and understanding to the issues that are strategic to

the governance process and to the realization of the institutional mis

sion.

Boards and faculties need reliable data in several areas to do their

own work responsibly:

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1. Analysis of student enrollment will shape academic plans, tuition

pricing, and financial aid leverage.

2. Reviewing trends in ministry and tracking graduate placements

inform curricular planning and student services and are necessary

for building bridges with the school’s public.

3. Exploring performance in resource development and fundraising

helps to determine the course of institutional advancement.

4. Facilities audits create opportunities for scheduled maintenance

and renewal and replacement projects.

5. Reports on financial performance of all seminary funds enable fi

nancial planning and decision-making.

The governance process is energized when a president can add

meaning and an interpretive context to the information presented. It is

the president’s responsibility to see that all available channels are open

for information flow between governance partners and those in man-

agement who produce the data. Breakdowns in the flow of information

undermine the quality of the governance process. Good governance de-

pends upon good information, and that requires an environment condu-

cive to openness. Secrecy should be the exception, limited to sensitive

issues and matters of privacy. Presidential leadership requires public

settings or forums for the purpose of shared information and feedback.

Such interactions can inform the president on current concerns and

viewpoints. Reliable information can go a long way toward creating a

healthy climate for good governance.

In addition to the hallmarks of the president’s engagement in the

governance process listed above, two other features enhance the presi

dent’s leadership: the relationship between the board chair and presi

dent, and the evaluation of the president.

Understand ing the R e lationship

of the Board Chair and the President

The mutual reciprocity between the board and the president is best

symbolized in the exchange of authority and professional competence

between the board chair and president. This relationship is personal and

more; it must be grounded in a constant concern for the work and role

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of the board in governance and for the general advancement of the insti

tution. An open and sturdy relationship makes it possible to handle the

difficult issues and perplexing questions faced by the president. The

president’s leadership is enhanced through the thoughtful and support

ive contributions of an understanding board chair. Beyond the personal

benefits, a good relationship creates opportunities for planning and di

recting the work of the board. Dual leadership with mutual consultation

enhances wisdom about board organization, group and individual as

signments, the discipline necessary for member participation, and the

selection of candidates for board membership. The most obvious out

come of this relationship is well-planned board meetings keyed to stra

tegic issues, with supportive data, energizing and anticipatory agendas,

and the capacity for board self-assessment. A joint chair-president en

gagement in the structuring and resourcing of all plans to advance the

institution is foundational to the board’s contribution to institutional

governance. A wise president will nurture the chair-president relation-

ship.

Evaluating th e President

The practice of evaluating the president begins during the period of

candidacy and continues throughout the life of a given presidency. Pres-

idential leadership often results in accumulated grievances, a sense of

loneliness, and weariness with the responsibility of initiative. One presi

dent has called the experience “splendid agony.” The board-president

exchange inevitably leads to judgments of presidential effectiveness. At

the same time, comments and judgments are made by others inside and

outside the institutional community. It is the board’s responsibility to

implement a process of evaluation of the president. If the board fails to

do so, then the president should request that such an assessment be in

stituted. At the very least, a formal conversation between the board

chair and the president should take place. This conversation should be

summarized in writing and filed in the institution’s confidential files,

recording the major themes of discussion and the proposed action plans

to be implemented. A formal evaluation should be regularized by the

board about every four to five years. Such an assessment should be han

dled by a consultant or a third party and not by members of the board,

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faculty, staff, or students. The most effective presidential review can be

done in the context of an institutional audit, in which the evaluation is of

the institutional condition and the relationship of the president’s leader

ship to that condition. A formal evaluation should always begin with a

self-assessment by the president.

Some institutions have found the informal evaluation of the presi

dent to be more effective and meaningful to all parties. These informal

evaluations are based on a plan for continuous evaluation through a spe

cially assigned trustee committee on the president. This committee

meets during the course of each board meeting with the president, es

tablishes goals and assessment criteria to be discussed at each meeting

of the committee, and forms action plans to correct weaknesses or to

recognize achievements. Matters of communal judgments and conver

sations can be assessed at these meetings. Meeting results can then be

reported to the board in executive session. This regular process of infor-

mal evaluation greatly benefits the president by enhancing his or her

self-understanding and confidence.

In either case, formal or informal, the board and the president

should agree on the preferred method of evaluation and should insist

that it be kept confidential. The goal of presidential evaluations is to fur-

ther legitimize the presidential office and to strengthen presidential

leadership, not to demean or diminish it. If the leadership of the presi-

dent is ineffective, most presidents will know that their time is com-

pleted, and they can initiate proper action through resignation or retire-

ment. Otherwise, the board must act in the best interest of the

institution and have departure policies in place to guide the inevitable

change in presidential leadership.

The president who practices effective leadership in governance is

one who knows the rewards of being a “gatekeeper,” the satisfaction of a

full professional life, and the joy of building a successful institution that

has realized its mission with economic vitality.

Governance and the Faculty

The fundamental role of the faculty in the shared governance process is

to safeguard the centrality of the educational mission. How the presi

dent relates to the faculty and enables it to realize its governing role de

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termines the nature of the president-faculty relationship. Experience

shows that this is a most demanding expectation. Oftentimes, the vision

of the faculty for theological education is in conflict with the board’s

and the president’s vision. These conflicting visions can create tension

in matters of institutional procedures, allocation of resources, and the

governance process.

The historical development of governance systems has allotted to

the faculty a dual role in the life of the institution. On the one hand, fac

ulty members are professional educators, acting in accordance with

professional authority and in ways accountable to their guilds and their

consciences. On the other hand, faculty members are mandated with a

functional authority for the curriculum and for the professoriate. This

latter role positions the faculty within the institutional governance sys

tem and requires a measure of institutional commitment and involve

ment.

Unless the president and academic administrators can engage the

faculty fully in the decision-making ethos of the institution, the faculty

will function begrudgingly on governance issues and display an attitude

of ambivalence. Presidents who wish to keep conflict to a minimum and

to empower faculty roles in governance will give attention to keeping

the faculty fully informed, will consult with the faculty on all strategic

issues of mission and financial viability, and will utilize faculty expertise

in the formation of strategic plans.

Keeping the Faculty Informed

It is the responsibility of the president, along with the academic admin

istrators, to see that the faculty have reliable and significant information

that will enable them to do their work in governance. The same commu

nication guidelines that characterize the president’s information system

for the board apply to faculty communications. Faculties need strategic

and reliable data-sets to make judgments on educational programs and

policies. Formal channels of communication need to be in place so that

the faculty need not wonder if information is trustworthy and meaning

ful. Openness among the faculty, the administration, and the president

is essential to creating an attitude of trust and confidence in leadership.

Regular forums for interaction with the faculty on institutional issues

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will go a long way toward creating a common vision to fulfill the institu

tional mission and achieve economic vitality. Good faculty governance

depends upon good information.

Consulting with the Faculty on Institutional Issues

A wise president will take the necessary time and energy to confer with

the faculty on issues that are strategic to the institution’s well-being.

This is especially true in times of institutional stress or complex change.

The president’s capacity to listen to the suggestions and comments of

faculty before reaching a decision will ensure respect and appreciation

for the president’s role and authority. Such a practice creates a climate

of shared vision and collegiality. This presidential practice will not guar

antee consensus on all issues, but it will assure the faculty of their role in

the shared governance process. They will respect the fact that the presi-

dent has the ultimate responsibility for the decisions that impact the in-

stitution. In fact, they may even support conclusions that differ from

their own.

Consultation with the faculty may take several forms. Regular

meetings with elected faculty leaders create a steady stream of com-

munication and generate creative and responsive interaction. Occa-

sional faculty luncheons are appreciated, as are selected faculty con-

versations in the president’s office. Orientation sessions with new

faculty inaugurate good faculty-president conversations and focus at

tention on the president’s vision for the institution. Walking the cam

pus can be an excellent way to drop in a faculty member’s office and to

engage in informal conversation. Finally, the formal faculty meeting is

the supreme opportunity to consult and listen to faculty opinion and

counsel on institutional direction, although such meetings are not the

appropriate setting for conflict resolution or addressing complex fis

cal or resource issues.

Using Faculty Expe rtise in Strat egic Planning

When the president engages the faculty to identify key institutional is

sues and draws upon their expertise in planning a strategic response, the

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president demonstrates the basic pattern of shared governance. This

practice fosters a shared vision within the institution and develops a

spirit of collective leadership and responsibility throughout the entire

system. Faculty members represent a reservoir of intellectual capacity

and expertise that a president cannot afford to ignore. Rather, these

skills and knowledge need to be invested in the institution’s future and

will become building blocks in the president’s articulation of the vision

for success. Since the seminary is primarily a knowledge-driven organi

zation, it depends for its success on the ideas and wise insights of the

professors and administrators involved. Presidents are involved with

numerous nonacademic matters; therefore, the faculty’s role in strategic

thinking and response buttresses and contributes to the leadership of

the president. If faculty expertise is utilized in the strategic planning

process, the board and president can be assured that the educational

mission of the institution is central and is being monitored for effective-

ness. Finally, faculty participation in the institution’s planning ensures

that crucial issues will be effectively addressed. As the winds of change

continue to blow across theological schools, it is more important than

ever that the faculty be utilized in the governance process through stra-

tegic planning.

The faculty has a recognized and mandated role in the governance

process, and this status dare not be ignored by the president or the

board. Effective presidential leadership will win the respect and admira-

tion of the faculty and will gain the faculty’s willingness to participate in

the governance process. Shared governance, properly exercised, is the

basis for presidential leadership.

A Final Word

The most common design for institutional governance is the tripartite

system — board, president, and faculty. In this system, the president

stands central and serves as the gatekeeper to its processes. In some in

stances, other parties have roles in the making of institutional decisions.

Denominational judicatories, alumni organizations, the student body,

and even staff employees may have representation. As institutions be

come complex and extend their educational services to branch cam

puses or extension programs, it is not unusual to have such activities un

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der the governance leadership of a board of advisors. These additional

partners in the governance system call for the same presidential atten

tion as the standard structures of board or faculty.

A wise and effective president will understand the intricacies of

the institutional governance design and seek to balance the legitimate

interests of all parties. Remember, it is through the governance system

that presidential leadership is deemed effective when the educational

mission is sustained with economic vitality. The president’s role in gov

ernance is pivotal.

Additional Resources

Chait, Richard P., Thomas P. Holland, and Barbara E. Taylor. The Effective

Board of Trustees . Phoenix: The Oryx Press, 1993.

Chait, Richard P., Thomas P. Holland, and Barbara E. Taylor. Im proving the

PerformanceofGoverningBoards.Phoenix: The Oryx Press, 1996.

Chait, Richard P., William P. Ryan, and Barbara E. Taylor. Gove rn an c e a s

Leadership. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2005.

Fisher, James L. The Board and the Preside nt. New York: Macmillan Pub-

lishing Co., 1991.

Hesselbein, Frances, Marshall Goldsmith, and Richard Beckhard, editors.

Th e Organization of the Future. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers,

1997.

Holland, Thomas P., and David C. Hester, editors. Building Effective Boards

for Religi o u s Organizati o ns . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers,

2000.

Houle, Cyril O. Governing Boards. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers,

1989.

Ingram, Richard T., et al. Governin g Independent Colleges and Universities.

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993.

In Trus t Magazine. www.intrust.org.

McCarter, Neely Dixon. Th e Presid ent a s Edu cator. Atlanta: Scholars Press,

1996.

Schein, Edgar H. Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1985.

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Useful Websites

Association of Governing Boards (www.agb.org)

The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada

(

www.ats.edu)

BoardSource (

www.boardsource.org)

Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (

www.case.org)

InTrustInc.(

www.intrust.org/resources)

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

a handbook for seminary presidents

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CHAPTER 4

The President’s Role in Defining M ission

and Strategic Planning

DAVID L. TIEDE, Luther Seminary

DAVID DRAPER, Winebrenner Theological Seminary

WILSON YATES, United Theological Seminary

of the Twin Cities

OVERVI EW

Why Presidents Invest Leadership in L istening: T he Listening Post

Leadership Begins with Listening

Listening Before Planning

Knowing Whom You Serve

How Presidents Authorize Others: The Bully Pulpit

Preparing the Way for a Mission Statement

Measuring and Reporting Results

How Presidents Lead for Results: The Learning Laboratory

Focus on Performance

Faithfulness

Effectiveness

Efficiency

Why Presidents Thrive When the Vision Is Shared

Additional Resources

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Why Presidents Invest Leadership in Lis t ening :

The Listening Post

The new president has just been elected with applause for an inspiring

vision. Faculty prepare to head back to their offices, and board members

are checking their departure times. Then a business leader declares,

“This school needs a strategic plan!” The room falls silent. Is this mere

corporate talk? Or is it an oracle to the school? How will the president

respond?

Leadership Begins with Listening

We all want our institutions to be excellent. For some that means im

proving what the school is doing or recovering a remembered past. Fac

ulty want time for scholarship. Perhaps the president is only being asked

to be effective in raising more support, pursuing what David H. Kelsey

has called a “problem-solving approach.”

“Ifwejuststayontheroad,

we will surely arrive where we are going.”

But what if the preferred future requires a new direction? Who

would know? How will the school rally to its mission and realign its

strengths to make it happen? Perhaps the very criteria of quality will be

challenged. It is risky to put new wine in old wineskins.

Liste ning Before Planning

Listening is an active part of leadership, preparing the way for planning.

Wherever the president came from, now everyone wants to be

heard. The president’s socialization and loneliness begin with listening

to people other than personal friends. Students, faculty, board mem

bers, donors, and academic and church leaders have valid stakes in the

a handbook for seminary presidents

1. David H. Kelsey, To Understand God Tr uly: What’s T heological about a T heological

School (Louisville: Westminster, 1992), p. 25.

2. For two excellent assessments of the risks of leadership, see Robert Terry, The

Seven Zones for Leadership: Acting Authe n tic ally in St a bility an d Chaos (Palo Alto: Davies-

Black, 2001); and Ronald A. Heifetz and Martin Linsky, Leadership on the Line: Staying

Alive throu gh the Dangers of Lea ding (Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002).

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school’s future, but their concerns and wisdoms differ. The president’s

leadership begins with sorting out the interests and wisdom of various

groups, even mapping them. What does each voice have to say to the

whole school?

A wise consultant appeared at the door of a new president, in

quired about the president’s hopes, and attended to institutional reali

ties. Then she met with the faculty. Her first question was, “Who is your

customer?” The groan was audible. How crass! “OK!” she said. “Let me

rephrase the question. Who depends on you to do a good job?”

The first response was both profound and cynical: “God!”

“Wow!” said the consultant. “I’ve never heard that answer. I’ll ac

cept it. But do you have a more proximate customer?”

When the laughter subsided, the discussion began. The first an

swer was “the students.” But the conversation continued. The answer

was, “The communities that call our graduates to lead them!” Then the

question came, “How well are you serving them?”

To hear the answer, the seminary’s listening post had to be set up

outside the school. Careful listening to the answer had to take place be-

fore a mission and plan could be formulated, let alone adopted.

An alumnus wrote to the president, “Quit preparing your gradu-

ates for a church that no longer exists.” The president reported this

sharp word to faculty and board. Everyone first nodded, and then won-

dered. “For what church should we prepare our graduates?”

This listening is both practical and theological. It is practical, even

political (your title, after all, is “president”), because schools are held in

trust. As Yogi said, “You hear a lot just listening!” But the president be

gins to differentiate the voices, asking each group for the counsel they

can best bring, and always listening for their sense of the institution’s

core purpose and how this calling can be best exercised. Listening gains

power when the stakeholders hear one another, when faculty members

overhear the president reciting their concerns, or when the seminary

community hears the voices of those who call its graduates. Until the

varied groups hear one another, the school and its president are talking

to themselves.

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Knowing W hom You Serve

A theological school becomes a lively enterprise when it knows whom it

serves, what they need from the school, and how well they are being

served by everyone’s effort.

Peter F. Drucker is a great teacher of this lesson — specifically for

seminaries. “A mission statement has to be operational, otherwise it’s

just good intentions. A mission statement has to focus on what the insti

tution really tries to do and then do it so that everybody in the organiza

tion can say: This is my contribution to the goal.”

These practical concerns require theological wisdom, especially in

time of crisis, to discern “What is the real threat and opportunity?” or

“What in the world is happening?” or “What are we called to be about in

the name of God?” Listening is theological because the seminary will

embody its understanding of God. For better or worse, the answers will

express the witness of a tradition. It is not about the president’s private

vision but about leadership in a community. The convictions vary from

Roman Catholics, to academics, to evangelicals, to confessional Chris-

tians, to liberal Protestants, to Pentecostals. The president of a seminary

must ask questions in such a way that the tradition can hear its answers.

A presidency then becomes a “bully pulpit”: echoing and focusing

the distinctive witness of a theological heritage and articulating the ben-

efits of the school’s mission. Planning, in turn, becomes a venture of

mobilizing the promise of this enterprise.

How Presidents Authorize Others: The Bully Pulpit

No leader has a “bully pulpit” without a message, an audience, and a

context. As the president gains authority in defining the institution’s vo

cation and action plan, members of the community pay attention in

hope (and fear) that the plan is more than talk.

The president’s role in strategic planning and mission gains and

a handbook for seminary presidents

3. Peter F. Drucker, Managing the Nonprofit Organization (New York: HarperCol

lins, 1990), p. 4.

4. Among the many methods for “strategic planning,” Bryan R. Barry has written a

concise book titled Strategic Planning Workbook for Nonp rofit Organizations (St. Paul:

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 1997).

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loses strength by who is invited into the effort. A president lamented,

“Our faculty and board genuinely want to move ahead, but we have a

few torpedo artists in both places so eager to assert their power that

they will stop the ship, even against their best interests.” A counselor ad

vised, “Remember the rule of five! Five people of integrity and courage

can move any organization if they are engaged, never co-opted, but

called upon for their wisdom.”

Who knows whether the number is five? But it certainly isn’t one,

and it’s not twenty. When presidents write strategic plans on their own,

no matter how aspiring and professional their consultants make them

sound, the plans go on the shelf until key legitimators assent. The en

gagement of others is not simply a function of their offices or commu

nity clout.

One of the president’s most critical moments is discerning who

will be engaged from varied constituencies in the planning. In some con-

texts, the president is required to rely on the people sent to the effort by

the faculty, university, or church. At a school where church officials ran

almost everything, they still demanded a strategic plan. The president’s

weary frustration was expressed in the title: “Memories of Excellence.”

If they want their president to lead, communities will find their

own ways to extend trust to the president so that able people who will

help are in on the planning. This is a shared task of prayer and calling,

not personal power or alliances. It is worthy of care.

Preparing the Way for a Mission Statement

The president represents, articulates, and advocates the mission long

before a mission statement is formally adopted. The seminary’s calling

is the mantle of leadership, and the president soon feels its weight. The

lonely, risky, and inspiring venture of stating and restating what has

been and needs to be heard never ends. No mission statement can guar

antee engagement. But when an institution adopts a formal mission

statement, it has given itself a mandate to move toward a preferred fu

ture and has authorized the president and others to lead. A viable mis

sion statement announces what the institution promises to do, for

whom, and to what benefit. It is a common ground for planning what to

do and when.

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From the moment of its adoption, the president constantly and

persistently recites the mission statement, then listens for others to ap

peal to it in critical discussions and welcomes their appeals to it. Its

value is first tested in the clarity it expresses about the seminary’s core

work as this work affects varied constituencies. Its durability is proved

in its coherence in helping to guide, prioritize, and justify the semi

nary’s strategic decisions.

Adopting a plan to accomplish the mission is also a moment for

thanksgiving, as a prayer at the beginning of the day, not its end. The

plan is dynamic and incomplete. It does not give a map to perfection, but

a compass and mileposts for a sustained journey.

When the journey has been launched, what leadership is needed

from the president?

Mea suring and R eporting R esults

Many seminary presidents invest deeply in helping their schools to lis-

ten and in framing statements of shared conviction, even aspiration.

They are often chosen for their gifts of articulating, inspiring, and com-

municating the heart of the matter. These abilities are crucial, lest semi-

naries lose their way. But presidents also must measure and report the

results. “I know what counts,” said one president; “now I need to learn

how to count.”

A new vice president for administration and finance read his semi

nary’s strategic plan. “This is amazing,” he said. “In many years of busi

ness strategy, I have never seen such a rich plan, so inspired with the ed

ucational task. Where is the operational section?”

The strategic plan is the institution’s lesson plan, defining the

president’s homework. The president must be a continual learner, mod

eling inquiry for the community and teaching the seminary how to

learn.

Theological schools are often superb at teaching, but challenged

whenitcomestolearningtogether.

Faculty seldom think they “report

a handbook for seminary presidents

5. Presidents will do well to become acquainted with the excellent learning re

sources designed for them by the Association of Theological Schools (

www.ats.edu)

and for the good governance of their schools by In Trust Inc. (

www.intrust.org).

6. See Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The Art an d Practice of the Learning Or

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to” anyone, and some board members can’t understand why the presi

dent doesn’t either manage people better or replace them. Old jokes

about “herding cats” will persist. As a board member said, “How can so

many smart people be so organizationally naïve?” Another noted, “I

hope to see our academic experts bring their powers to this mission.”

Presidents lead by teaching the board, faculty, staff, and constitu

ency the lessons the school must learn to steward its resources and rela

tionships to accomplish the desired results.

A plan that identifies real

work to be done gives administrators, board leaders, faculty, and con

sultants opportunities to collaborate toward institutional effectiveness.

In a consultation with seminary presidents and board leaders, Max

De Pree

once said, “No one can accomplish more than about five major

things in a given year. When someone comes to me with an idea, I take

out my list and ask, ‘Which of these five things should I replace on my

list, or is this something you should do?’” His stunning comment struck

home with several new presidents. Most were trying to do too much.

Again, five may not be the right number, but what things will re-

quire focused attention from the president in the coming year? Without

simply becoming the manager, one of the president’s leadership tasks

will surely be to identify who is responsible for accomplishing which

goals and how the human and financial resources will be tracked.

Th e Presid en t’s Role in Defining Mission and Strategi c Pl anning

ganization (New York: Doubleday, 1990); The Fifth Disci pline Fieldbook: Strategies an d

Tools for Building a Le arning O rganization (New York: Doubleday, 1994).

7. See Chapter Five, “The President’s Role as Academic Leader.” The point in this

chapter, however, is that the president’s role in defining mission and strategic planning is

a form of educational leadership. In his study The President as Edu cato r (Atlanta: Scholars

Press, 1996), Neely Dixon McCarter observed how the compounding of expectations on

the presidency have reached the point that “most people, including many presidents,

think presidents are involved in almost every conceivable activity except education”

(p. 32). Presidents who have been professional educators may also grieve the loss of their

classrooms and the expertise of their academic “work.” But a seminary with a clear edu

cational mission and a plan to move toward a preferred future gives its president not only

a “bully pulpit” but also a public classroom where teaching involves good content, sound

methods, and energized engagement by learners.

8. Max De Pree has been the CEO of Herman Miller Furniture Company and chair

of the board at Hope College and a board leader at Fuller Theological Seminary. Semi

nary presidents will do well to read his book, Leadership Isan Art (New York: Dell, 1989).

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How Presidents Lead for Results:

T he Learning Laboratory

In 1994, the Association of Theological Schools concluded its “quality

and accreditation project” with the adoption of new standards for “the

good theological school.”

These standards accommodate the remark

able diversity of theological schools and traditions that have emerged as

major forces in the past half century, rivaling the earlier establishment

of the eastern Protestant divinity schools.

Instead of measuring all of

the theological schools in the United States and Canada by one tradition

of quality, the new standards challenge every school to be clear about

the benefits of its mission, accountable for its effectiveness in accom

plishing its mission, and efficient in its work.

FocusonPerformance

Institutions of higher education often resist efforts to measure their

own performance. They grade their students and count all the publica-

tions of every tenure candidate. When asked for their institutional re-

port card, however, seminaries often appeal to broad claims of academic

excellence and spiritual integrity. But with a clear mission and a strate-

gic plan to accomplish identified goals in stated time frames, a school

has the ingredients for accountability, and the president can develop an-

nual “dashboards” to measure results.

As an actionable plan develops, the president’s message becomes,

“Our mission statement promises benefits to others. Our plan will au

thorize leaders and hold them accountable to our faithfulness to our

promise, our effec tiven ess, and our effic ien cy. ”

a handbook for seminary presidents

9. See the collection of essays interpreting the new standards in the ATS publication

Theological Edu catio n 30,no.2(Spring1994).

10. H. Richard Niebuhr’s classic study T he Purpose of the Church an d Its Ministry

(New York: Harper, 1956) identified “the idea of a theological school” as “an intellectual

center of the Church’s life” (p. 107). The quality of a theological school was then assessed

in accord with this “idea” by its being “that place or occasion where the Church exercises

its intellectual love of God and the neighbor” and “by bringing reflection and criticism to

bear on worship, preaching, teaching and the care of souls” (p. 110).

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Faithfulne ss

Faithfulness means at least two things: (1) fidelity to the tradition and

(2) keeping the promise made in the mission statement and plan. The

deep measure of the fidelity to the faith itself undergirds the authentic

ity and credibility of everything the school does. Presidents must know,

defend, and testify to this faithfulness with their minds, hearts, and

strength. Still, such faithfulness is not readily measured in institutional

“dashboards.”

The school owes it to its stakeholders to measure its faithfulness in

doing what it promised in its mission and plan. How will the world

know you are doing your job? Did you promise to educate leaders? How

many did you produce on what schedule? Is your purpose to provide

scholars for the theological faculties of the twenty-first century? Where

have you placed your graduates in the past five years? What are the re-

sults of your efforts? In the real world of performance, if it is worth do-

ing, it is worth counting, at least annually.

Many donors are impressed by the superb teaching and publica-

tions of faculty, but they will make financial investments when they see

results that make a public difference. The clearer the accountability for

results, the more persuasive is the case for development.

Effectiven ess

Effectiveness is now the primary standard for accreditation. The num

ber of books in the library and ratio of earned research doctorates are

still meaningful measures. This is graduate education, after all. But ac

creditation now presses the schools for measurements of what has been

learned. Visiting committees want to see the institution’s strategic plan,

particularly the educational strategies or curricula by which schools in

tend to accomplish learning goals. Then the accreditors ask, “By what

measures do you track effectiveness?”

Strategic plans that only define advancement goals for new con

struction or funding endowments have rudimentary measures of effec

tiveness. “How much did we raise?”

If the plan promises to advance the educational mission of the sem

inary, the academic leaders of the institution are accountable, at least an

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nually. “What is being taught and learned that will strengthen the effec

tiveness of our educational mission? Are our courses and requirements

serving this mission or some other agenda? What are our learning goals

(cognitive, affective, relational, practical, contextual, etc.)?” Faculty de

velopment is key. A school reveals its strategic commitments in faculty

hiring, promotion, and support of study, research, and writing.

Effi ciency

Efficiency is the institutional stewardship of surviving and thriving.

This concern is addressed more thoroughly in Chapter Six, “The Presi

dent’s Role in Financial Management.” The president’s unique leader

ship is best exercised on the revenue side of the budget, making the case

for the mission and plan, rallying support within and beyond the school.

Presidents must be unfailingly hopeful, but they must also be honest.

If a seminary’s mission and plan are not undergirded by a sound finan-

a handbook for seminary presidents

11. Daniel Aleshire, executive director of the Association of Theological Schools, re-

cently made the remarkable proposal that “At its best, theological education is leadership

education.” See “What Is the Value of Seminary-Educated Religious Leaders?” pre-

sented at the Presidential Leadership Intensive Week, December 2002, available at the

ATSWebsite(

www.ats.edu). As varied traditions enter this venture with care for the

leadership their communities need, the differences among the traditions and their

schools will appear in their definitions of what the graduates will be expected to have

learned concerning (1) their knowledge of the Christian story; (2) their understanding of

how this faith will be persuasively communicated or proclaimed in various contexts;

(3) their competence to lead these communities with deep respect for their local knowl

edge; and (4) their identity as Christian disciples who are called to make disciples. Each

of these kinds of “learning” is subject to distinct measures.

12. In GoodtoGreat:WhySomeCompaniesMaketheLeap...andOthersDon’t(New

York: HarperCollins, 2001), his study of good organizations that became great ones, Jim

Collins identified seven concepts at work in the organizations that made the leap to great

performance. His account of “the Stockdale paradox” illustrated the importance of con

fronting the brutal facts, yet never losing faith. A prisoner of war in the Hanoi Hilton,

Admiral Jim Stockdale endured years of torture and humiliation in the confidence of see

ing his family again. Collins asked, “Who didn’t survive?” Stockdale replied, “The opti

mists...theyweretheoneswhosaid,‘We’regoingtobeoutbyChristmas.’...Youmust

never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which you can never afford to lose

— with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever

they might be” (p. 85).

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cial model, tracked with business plans, the school risks making prom

ises without knowing the truth. When the president has not invested

due diligence in financial planning, the hazards of institutional exigency

can overshadow all planning, and the auditors will rule.

A president and school who have an able vice president for admin

istration and finance are blessed. “Able” does not mean rigid or control

ling, trying to run the school by the financial faucets. “Able” means

managing the costs of personnel, finances, and facilities in service of the

educational mission. It also means having the financial intelligence to

alert the president to early financial signs of difficulty and opportunity.

In an ideal world, it means having a financial officer who can build an

economic model that the president understands of the future of the

seminary’s revenues and expenses.

Once a year, the president will present an analysis of “the state of

the seminary” with primary reference to the seminary’s competence

and capacity to achieve the goals of its mission and strategic plan. For

the first year or two, it may be difficult to gain much attention for this

presentation, but over time, by whatever “dashboards” or measure-

ments the school is tracking its faithfulness, effectiveness, and effi-

ciency, the results become clear and comparable. Then the institution’s

strategic intelligence matures, illuminating the consequences of critical

decisions and revealing the president’s strategic leadership.

Why Presidents Thrive When the Vision Is Shared

The president’s role in defining mission and strategic planning is played

on the stages of the listening post (listening and differentiating), the

bully pulpit (articulating and communicating), and the learning labora

tory (teaching and tracking). On every stage, the president bears the

seminary’s hope. Presidents thrive when the vision is shared.

Presidents often wonder how they got themselves on these stages

and how they can get out alive. Was this just ego need or a calling? The

vision can blur, especially when a respected faculty member attacks the

president’s integrity or a massive setback intrudes.

New presidents will find consolation in asking those who have

survived and thrived in the role, “How did you make it this far?” The sto

ries are inspired and humble.

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One president tells of speaking in dismay to a board chair only to

be interrupted in a direct tone of voice, “Remember, it is still God’s

church. You are not alone in this.” Another recounts agonizing about

what to say to the community in the financial strains that followed the

destruction of September 11, 2001. Then he stopped. For the first time

he saw what was happening in the school: people were pulling to

gether, engaged in exciting education; he saw new programs, the cele

bration of achievements by faculty, the presence of supportive donors,

a new chapel going up. His words began to flow in a stream of con

sciousness that simply told the story of what this school was doing and

why it was an important school and what it meant to the church and its

relationship to God.

Peter Senge’s term for this confidence is “shared vision.” “A

shared vision is not an idea. It is, rather, a force in people’s hearts, a

force of impressive power. At its simplest level, a shared vision is the an-

swer to the question, ‘What do we want to create?’ Shared visions derive

their power from a common caring.”

The apostle Paul testified to “a still more excellent way” beyond

human virtues or powers (1 Cor. 12:31). Because the mission is God’s,

the president finally bears God’s faith and hope and even God’s love in

the imperfect instrument of this school and this servant leader. No

matter what, this faith, hope, and love are enough for the president to

thrive and seek to advance the seminary’s calling and strategic commit-

ments.

Additional Resources

Barry, Bryan R. Strategic Planning Workbook for Non profit Organizations.

St. Paul: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 1997.

Blackaby, Henry T. and Richard. Sp iritual Leadership: Moving Peo ple on to

God’s Agend a. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2001.

Collins, James C. GoodtoGreat:WhySomeCompaniesMaketheLeap...

and Others Don’t. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.

De Pree, Max. LeadershipIsanArt.New York: Dell, 1989.

a handbook for seminary presidents

13. Senge, The Fifth Discipline , p. 206.

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Drucker, Peter F. Man a gin g th e Nonp rofit O rganiz ati on. New York:

HarperCollins, 1990.

Heifetz, Ronald A., and Martin Linsky. Lea dership on the Line: Staying Alive

throu gh the Danger s of L e a din g. Boston: Harvard Business School

Press, 2002.

Kelsey, David H. To Understand God Tr uly: What’s T heological about a Theo

logical Sc hool. Louisville: Westminster, 1992.

McCarter, Neely Dixon. Th e Presid ent a s Edu cator. Atlanta: Scholars Press,

1996.

Nouwen, Henri J. M. IntheNameofJesus:ReflectionsonChristianLeader

ship. New York: Crossroad, 1989.

Senge, Peter M. The F ifth Discipline: The Art and Practi ce of the Le arning Or

ganization. New York: Doubleday, 1990.

¾¾¾. The F ifth Disc i pline Fi eldbook: Strategies and Tools for Buil d ing a

Le arning Organization. New York: Doubleday, 1994.

Terry, Robert. The Seve n Zo nes fo r Le adershi p: Actin g Authentically in Sta-

bility and Chaos. Palo Alto: Davies-Black, 2001.

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

Th e Presid en t’s Role in Defining Mission and Strategi c Pl anning

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CHAPTER 5

T he President’s Role as Academic Leader

CHARLES E. BOUCHARD, Aquinas Institute of Theology

SUSAN THISTLETHWAITE, Chicago Theological Seminary

TIMOTHY WEBER, Memphis Theological Seminary

OVERVI EW

The Evolution of Academic Leadership

Key Issues in the President’s Role as Academic Leader

The President’s Relationship with the Dean

Faculty Recruitment and Development

Program Development

The President as Keeper of the Tradition

Shaping a Learning Community

The President as Educator

Four Essential Habits for the President as an Academic Leader

Asking the Right Questions

Balancing Tradition and Innovation

Being Persons of Evident Learning

Cultivating Courage

Additional Resources

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The Evolution of Academic Le a dership

The evolution of the university presidency has been amply documented.

In the eighteenth century, the office of the president was more pastoral

and spiritual; later its duties became administrative; in our own day, it

has become primarily concerned with fundraising.

The seminary pres

idency, on the other hand, has absorbed all these tasks and more. In the

midst of this rapidly expanding job description, how does the seminary

president find time to be an academic leader? The president must avoid

two extremes: becoming an academic micro-manager (coercing the fac

ulty and rendering the academic dean superfluous) and becoming an ab

sentee landlord of the seminary’s academic mission.

Key Issues in the President’s Role as Academic Lea der

The Presid ent’s Relationship with the Dean

The president’s responsibility to create an effective relationship with

the dean is the most crucial and the most delicate of his or her responsi-

bilities as an academic leader.

It begins with hiring, which because of

the dean’s unique role in the seminary must be done with wide consulta-

tion of faculty, trustees, administrators, and students. The process

should be guided by the president, and he or she must make the final de-

cision. The president must select someone with proper credentials and

experience, but also someone with whom the right “chemistry” exists.

This is a highly prudential judgment, and the factors that lead to the fi

nal choice may or may not be recognized and affirmed by other constit

uencies. In the end, the president must often rely on instinct and experi

ence, informed by consultation, in making the final choice.

Th e President’s Role as Academic Leader

1. See, for example, Judith A. Rile, “The Changing Role of the President in High

er Education” (

http://www.newfoundations.com/OrgTheor y/Rile72 1.html). She

quotes G. Schmidt, The Old Tim e Coll ege Presi de nt (New York: Columbia University

Press, 1930).

2. See Leo I. Higdon Jr., “Making the Team: One of the Best Legacies That a Presi

dent Can Leave Is a Strong Management Team,” Chroni c le of Higher Education, Decem

ber 5, 2003, pp. C1 and C4. Creating this team starts with the president/dean relation

ship.

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Many presidents inherit deans from their predecessors. Even if the

president is certain that he or she can establish a strong working rela

tionship with the dean, it is still prudent to build in a six- or twelve-

month evaluation period and let the dean know that at the end of that

period they will assess their working relationship and their ability to

form an effective team. If the president has doubts from the start, or if

problems emerge early on, he or she should not assume that the situa

tion will improve with time. The president should discuss any concerns

immediately and explicitly, and, if necessary, move to replace the dean

no later than the end of year one. This will be especially awkward if the

dean is tenured and will remain on the faculty. If both dean and presi

dent are truly committed to the school, however, they should be able to

reach an acceptable solution.

The dean, as Jeanne McLean has pointed out, is “middle” manage

ment — in the middle between the president and the faculty and some-

times in the middle between the faculty and the board.

Sometimes the

board wants the dean to run interference for it or to make the faculty

“play ball” in order to achieve certain business-like goals, while the fac-

ulty wants the dean to act as advocate, especially with regard to salary,

promotions, and benefits. Because the president is usually the board’s

primary contact, it can be difficult for a dean to know exactly where he

or she fits in. Even simple logistics can be problematic: Does the dean

attend board sessions or only committee meetings? Does the dean sit

“at the table” with voice or only observe? How autonomous is the dean’s

relationship with the committee he or she chairs? Must the dean always

voice the president’s view, or can he or she speak from his or her own ex

perience and priorities?

Trust and mutual respect are essential. It is important for dean and

president clearly to delineate authority, to decide which decisions will

be made by consensus and which will be solely the responsibility of just

one of them. If they agree at the outset that the dean will be responsible

for some decisions, then that authority should remain with the dean,

and the president should be very careful not to undermine or second-

a handbook for seminary presidents

3. See Jeanne McLean’s book, Leading from the Cent er: The Emerging Role of the

Chief Academic Officer in T heological Schools (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1999). This book

is required reading for any president who wants to understand the stresses of the dean’s

job.

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guess the dean. “Good boundaries make for good administration,” as

one president put it. (Above all, presidents should avoid letting them

selves become the middleman between the dean and the faculty. A presi

dent should never allow individual faculty members or sub-groups to

make end-runs around the dean. This is a fatal mistake that can be made

despite the best intentions, especially because new presidents may be

naïve or too willing to make a good initial impression by being helpful.)

It is important that, in their dealings with one another, they make differ

ences explicit. While these differences should not ordinarily become

public, the president and dean need to know what they “agree to dis

agree about.” This can be difficult, but it is vastly preferable to hidden

agendas or unspoken resistance that interferes with every decision and

that can ultimately ruin the relationship.

Administratively and symbolically, it is important to discuss who

will chair faculty meetings. This can be a touchy issue, because even

though the president is the chief executive officer, the faculty reports to

the dean, and the dean has a specific responsibility to lead and form the

faculty as a whole. If the president does not chair the meeting, he or she

should remember that he or she is never not the president; therefore, any

interventions should be prudent and well considered so that the presi-

dent does not unwittingly preempt the conversation and stifle expres-

sion of views that are essential for good policy making.

Faculty Recruitm ent and Developme n t

Recruiting and hiring faculty is fraught with difficulties. One president

reports that in fifteen years he has had only one stress-free hiring:

“Even though I thought we had developed a solid hiring policy, every

single time some crack appeared that created suspicion and disappoint

ment.” Hiring is difficult for a number of reasons. First, department

members do not always agree on what the department needs, and some

times they are in total disagreement. Second, there is often tension

about the relative priority of pastoral presence, academic scholarship,

and teaching ability. Third, in schools that have strong denominational

ties there is often pressure, or even policy, that limits the number of can

didates who may be considered. Finally, faculty priorities may be in ten

sion with strategic priorities established by the board or the president.

Th e President’s Role as Academic Leader

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Hiring processes vary widely. In some schools, the president is a

member of the search committee; in others, the president has a very cir

cumscribed role. (One president laments, “In my seminary, the presi

dent gets the last word, literally yes or no, and not much else.”)

Institutional practice for hiring faculty should be consistent. The

president should avoid at all cost the impression that the process

changes from one search to the next. The bias should be toward having a

written policy that spells out the process and can be a point of reference

for all involved. This may be in the faculty manual or simply an adminis

trative policy, but it should be available to all and observed scrupulously

unless formally amended.

The president may or may not be actively involved in specific fac

ulty searches, but the president’s vision for the school must influence

hiring from beginning to end. He or she must always direct the strategic

priorities — flowing from the strategic plan — that shape the search.

The president’s role in deciding who to hire is not just a question of how

many faculty or of which departments get new members first. It re-

quires a clear vision of what the institution is to be in five or ten years —

“hiring for mission” so that the vision becomes reality. The president’s

vision and the basis upon which the final decision will be made should

be clear to everyone before the search begins. A good example of this

would be an institution’s commitment to diversity. A search may yield a

good candidate and yet fail to advance the institutional commitment to

diversity. The president must be the one to continue to lift up the insti-

tution’s overall commitment, even to the point of reconstituting or ex

tending the search. The alternative is what we might describe as a form

of institutional “impulse buying” — acquiring an attractive candidate

even though he or she is not what the institution needs to meet its strate

gic goals. Like an artist before a canvas, the president must view the in

stitution and its future from a distance in order to know just what shade

and what shape will complete the picture.

As in many other areas, the best way to assure a successful search

rests on two things: consultation and clarity. The search should begin

broadly, with consultation with students, program directors, individual

faculty (especially those who will be most affected by the hiring), the

appropriate trustee committee, and the faculty as a whole. This last

point may seem obvious, but even the best-intentioned president can

unconsciously adopt a “divide and conquer” approach in hiring.

a handbook for seminary presidents

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In some institutions, the president serves as a member of the

search committee; this allows the president to signal a no on a particular

candidate early in the process. If the president is going to say no, the ear

lier this is done the better for all. If the president is not on the commit

tee, he or she should reserve the right to veto certain candidates early in

the process. The president must also take care to specify, if it does not

already appear in written policy, exactly what his or her role will be.

Does the president merely rubber stamp the decision of the search com

mittee, or is their work consultative? Can they submit a divided vote, or

are they to achieve consensus on their recommendation? Do they rank

candidates or submit one name only? Is the president free to choose

none of the candidates they recommend? If the rules are clear from the

start, it is much more likely that the final decision will be accepted (even

if not fully supported) by everyone.

Program Development

The Master of Divinity program will remain the heart of the seminary

curriculum, yet there are pressures that will make it necessary for semi-

naries to engage in ongoing program assessment and planning in order

to remain not only solvent but responsive to the needs of the church.

The first pressure is that in many denominations there are too

many seminaries and too few students. A second factor is the fact that

many prospective students find themselves in situations that prevent

them from completing their studies in three or four years of full-time

study.Theyplaceahighvalueonconvenienceandefficiency,andthey

do not necessarily perceive as benefits longer and more traditional pro

grams, faculty credentials, or on-campus residence. Traditional schools

are competing with other educational providers who are selling a prod

uct rather than a process.

Th e President’s Role as Academic Leader

4. See the Knight Higher Education Collaborative, “The Mission and the Medium,”

Policy Pers pectives, July 2000, p. 4. The report notes that as colleges and universities (and

seminaries) find themselves grouped together with a range of other educational provid

ers, they are perceived more as vendors than as institutions. This is causing a shift from

the traditional metaphor of “the gown” to “the badge.” The gown “denotes a rite of pas

sage, the culmination of a journey in which the student has met a succession of increas

ingly difficult challenges in more than one domain. Symbolically, as well as literally, the

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These factors can create conflict for presidents as academic lead

ers. On the one hand, presidents are the first “quality control” officers

and must ensure a high level of program quality. On the other, they must

keep their institution financially healthy. This often means proposing

new programs (or new packaging). Faculty have other priorities. Faced

with the prospect of a new program initiative, they are likely to think

first about their own immediate interests, especially schedules, time for

writing and research, and workload. As one president notes, “Seminary

faculty are generally clueless about the financial issues that drive semi

nary education. Their concern is — rightly — maximizing the educa

tional experience. They tend to see attempts to increase enrollment as

an assault on academic excellence.”

Presidents need not initiate every new program, but they must de

velop an entrepreneurial sense that will enable them to identify emerg

ing trends and determine how the seminary can best respond to these

trends without drifting too far from the school’s core mission. Presi-

dents who fail to ask, “Should we be involved in this?” may end up pro-

ducing the theological equivalent of buggy whips. It is important that

presidents understand their role as leaders of strategic planning. They

should suggest broad areas of program development (usually in conver-

sation and consultation with other faculty and administrative leaders)

while leaving precise implementation details to the dean and the faculty.

This means avoiding the impression of micro-managing the program

and undercutting the dean and the faculty, while still playing an impor-

tant role in developing new initiatives or redirecting traditional pro

grams. Presidents must also ensure that program development propos

als are supported by solid data. This is a tedious (and sometimes

expensive) process, but it is the only way to build new programs on a

firm foundation. Presidents should expect the board to ask, “How do

you know there is a market for this program?” and should be prepared

with an answer that includes solid research.

a handbook for seminary presidents

gown extends over the student’s entire body.” The badge symbolizes “a contrasting ap

proach that certifies a learner’s mastery of a particular set of skills. Its purpose is to pro

vide a credential, and [it is] about singular steps and achievements.”

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The Presid ent as Keeper of th e Tradition

There is probably not a president out there who has not received a letter

or a phone call asking, “Are you aware that your [faculty member/staff

member] [did/said/promoted] this?” Such calls are bad enough when

they come from concerned alumni; they are even worse when they come

from bishops, pastors, or denominational officials.

Presidents are often in the paradoxical position of having to repre

sent and preserve the church’s tradition and at the same time promote

dialogue and academic inquiry. While universities have both culture and

policies that protect academic freedom, it is much more complicated

within the seminary world. We want to promote inquiry and to pursue a

fuller understanding of God’s truth, but in many traditions there are

clear boundaries of where God’s truth is not.

New presidents must quickly identify the neuralgic issues in their

denominations. They must develop a working relationship with faculty

builtonmutualtrust.Facultyhavetobelievethat,intheeventofatruly

conflicting situation, the president won’t “hang them out to dry.” They

in turn must acknowledge the president’s wider responsibilities. On the

eve of a controversial publication, for example, a faculty member at one

seminary requested the president’s permission to send out a “fact sheet”

to denominational officials. When the controversy broke, the church ad-

ministration was prepared to speak in an informed and constructive

manner to the public.

In many denominations, faculty speak for the church; to the extent

that they do, they must speak prudently. Some presidents have found it

helpful to urge the faculty to see themselves as an organic whole, with

responsibilities to one another. The president might say, “If you write or

lecture on a controversial topic, ask your colleagues about how it will af

fect them or how they think it will affect the seminary.” This attitude

can avoid division and contribute to a deeper sense of shared mission.

Sha ping a Learning Comm unity

Even though seminaries differ in many important ways from universi

ties, university standards have affected us, and not always in a positive

way. In some instances, such as the understanding of scholarship, we

Th e President’s Role as Academic Leader

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have picked up bad habits of arcane and excessively individualistic schol

arship. We have also tended to focus too much on scholarly publication

as the only acceptable form of scholarship outside of the classroom.

Even though few would dispute the importance of serious, sus

tained scholarship (and such an affirmation is important in North

America, where there are strong strains of pragmatism and even anti-

intellectualism), seminary presidents are still charged with the responsi

bility of preparing women and men who can preach the gospel, making

a difference in real lives. Scholarship and teaching must always be di

rected “toward salvation,” however we each define salvation. In this

sense, seminary presidents must encourage theological scholarship that

matters for the church and for the world.

This means two things. First of all, presidents should try to avoid

the pointless dichotomy between “academic” and “pastoral.” In semi

nary work, these two areas must necessarily go hand in hand and must

inform one another. Second, presidents must sometimes be proactive in

directing, or at least suggesting, scholarship that the church and the

world truly need. This may involve research grants or released time to

encourage faculty to explore such areas. Presidents should model the

combination of academic and pastoral work in their own publications,

speeches, sermons, and leadership. Presidents must also show an aware-

ness of valuing the varied gifts within the faculty and the faculty mem-

bers’ desire to address differing audiences. Some seminaries have found

faculty collaboration on a common project — for example, a volume of

thematic essays — to be a very effective way of building a community of

scholars.

T he President as Educator

The president’s educational role should not be underestimated.

In the

past, seminary presidents were usually chosen from the faculty. Today,

a handbook for seminary presidents

5. See In the Company of Preachers, ed. R. Siegfried and E. Ruane, by the Faculty of

Aquinas Institute (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1993).

6. See Robert L. Payton, “Presidents as Public Teachers,” in The Advancement Presi

dent and the Academy: Profiles in Institutional Leadership, ed. Mary Kay Murphy (Phoenix:

Oryx Press, 1997), pp. 3-10. Thanks to Carolyn Wright and Michael Havercamp for re

search assistance on this chapter.

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they come from their own faculties occasionally, but far more often

from other seminaries, from universities, from pastorates, or even

from church management or administration. Some have rarely taught

in a classroom. Presidents who arrive with an academic background

have the advantage of familiarity with the rigor and culture of at least

one academic discipline. On the other hand, the difficulty of moving

from faculty peer to CEO should not be underestimated. Many presi

dents fail precisely because they are unable to negotiate this transition.

Presidents without academic experience have a different chal

lenge. They must take special care to build rapport, acquire respect for

academic culture, and gain familiarity with faculty scholarship and

teaching. Academics or not, presidents will have to acquire a new disci

pline, namely, theological education. Careful attention to books and

professional journals in theological education will not only enhance on-

the-job learning but will also stimulate creative, strategic thinking.

It is also important to make the public relations or communica-

tions office aware of faculty scholarship and to actively cultivate con-

nections between that scholarship — which is often not readily accessi-

ble to the general public — and the media. “Pitching stories” to the

media on important faculty writing is an excellent way to do this. Some

faculty resist this because they resent having to “dumb down” their

work. Helping them to see this as “public preaching” and training them

to field media questions and translate scholarship into more accessible

language can help them feel more confident.

Classroom teaching is a valued task (and often a respite from the

usual office routine) for nearly every president, but most find it difficult

to maintain a regular teaching schedule. For those who can manage it,

teaching provides a highly effective way of staying in touch with stu

dents, with one’s academic discipline, and with the challenges that fac

ulty face day to day in the classroom. Even though the president’s vision

has to be broader than any individual classroom, there is no substitute

for firsthand experience of student abilities and problems.

Travel and other presidential responsibilities may make it impossi

ble to teach a full-semester course. If so, team-teaching, lecturing in

one’s area of expertise in other classes, and teaching in Internet-based,

summer, or cohort programs provide other opportunities.

The president must also “teach the trustees.” People join the

boards of educational institutions because they are interested in higher

Th e President’s Role as Academic Leader

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education. Seminary trustees often serve because they are looking for

theological and spiritual enrichment. They should learn what the fac

ulty members of their seminary teach and why that is important. The

president sets the tone for this and should provide occasions to teach the

board about the seminary’s educational mission. Many seminaries pro

vide “trustee enrichment” or “board education sessions” at each meet

ing. Whether led by a faculty member or an outside expert, they are an

excellent way to enhance board participation.

There are two other kinds of presidential teaching. The first is

what we would call “public teaching,” which occurs when the president

is asked, “What does the seminary [or the denomination] think about

this particular issue?” Using the public relations office, the president

will have to respond to important theological or social questions.

Many

Catholic seminary rectors found themselves unexpectedly (and un

pleasantly) thrust into this position during the clergy sexual abuse cri-

sis. When the spotlight shifted from the abuse itself to the causative fac-

tors, rectors and presidents were asked, “What is your seminary doing

to ensure that this will not happen again?” As in most other instances of

media crisis, a “no comment” was not an option. Rectors and presidents

had to try to explain what they had done or were doing to ensure high

standards of professional conduct.

The second type of presidential teaching can be called “prophetic

teaching.” Presidents can be prophetic teachers when they initiate,

rather than respond to, discussion of a certain topic. The manner in

which this is done is determined largely by the extent to which the de

nomination enters into discussion of public policy issues. The Catholic

tradition, for example, lobbies actively on certain issues, and bishops

frequently issue statements or pastoral letters on them. If the seminary

represents a “public” religious tradition, it is important to engage the

crucial issues of the day. The president will usually be the official

spokesperson; he or she might even issue a media release with thoughts

on some important event. If this kind of participation in the public

square is appropriate to the school’s tradition, it can be a highly effec

a handbook for seminary presidents

7. Rita Bornstein, “The Authentic and Effective College President,” The Chronicle

of Higher Edu catio n, July 30, 2004, p. B16, makes some helpful suggestions for public

communication.

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tive way of teaching and raising awareness about the contribution one’s

seminary makes to public discourse and to the common good.

Four E ssential Habits for the President

as an Academic Leader

Presidents must cultivate at least four “habits” (in the sense of practices

or disciplines) if they are to be successful academic leaders: they must

ask the right questions; they must balance tradition and innovation; they

must be persons of evident learning; and they must cultivate courage.

A sking the R ight Questions

We have already noted irrelevance as one of the occupational hazards

ofacademiclife.Itissimplyafactoflifethatthepeopleweserveare

sometimes not asking the questions that scholars want to answer.

Asking the right questions also helps to maintain a sharp edge on the

seminary’s theological mission. Seminary presidents must be inten-

tional about this at a time in history when psychological and therapeu-

tic models of ministry threaten to overwhelm more traditional models

that emphasize academics and critical thought. The president meets

countless people and sees many perspectives on the church’s role in the

world. Successful presidents will learn to mine this experience and ar-

ticulate for the seminary the questions that are important to the church

and world in this time and place. This is crucial if the president is to

lead what Ronald Heifetz describes as “adaptive” rather than merely

“technical” change.

Th e President’s Role as Academic Leader

8. Lack of public awareness about what seminaries do and why they are important is

a serious problem. See the Auburn Seminary study by Elizabeth Lynn and Barbara

Wheeler, Missing Connections: Public Perceptions of Th eological Educ ation and Religious

Leadership (New York: Auburn Studies Series, 1999). The lack of public awareness of

what seminaries do or why they do it is an important issue every president must attend to,

not only to extend the seminary’s educational mission beyond the campus, but also to as

sist fundraising.

9. See Ronald Heifetz’s book withMartin Linsky, Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive

through the Dangers of Leading (Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2002). Meeting an

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Bal ancing Tradition an d Innovatio n

Some presidents fail because they grasp “the tradition” too tightly and

miss important cultural shifts that affect the preaching of the gospel; oth

ers neglect the tradition because they never saw a cultural trend they did

notlike.Thegospelisoneandtrue,butitisaffectedbythetimeandplace

in which it is preached. It has been said that the Reformation was possible

largely because Martin Luther knew how to use the printing press. As aca

demic leaders, presidents must attend not only to what is taught and stud

ied but also to the manner in which the teaching and studying are done.

Be ing Pe rsons of Evid ent Le arning

Whether they come from academic backgrounds or not, presidents must

have intellectual curiosity; they must read widely and bring theology into

dialogue with other important disciplines such as business, finance, so-

cial sciences, and medicine. Their own learning and intellectual inquiry

will inspire the faculty in their teaching and their scholarship. It will keep

faith vital in a secular world, and it will secure the seminary’s place as an

important social institution.

Cultivating Co urage

It has been said that there are only two kinds of courage: the courage to

die and the courage to get up in the morning. Most presidents would dis

agree. They have found that there are daily challenges that require sus

tained courage: hiring, firing, carrying on building projects, making

changes in strategic direction, and admitting failure or bad judgment

are just a few. One of the most important skills the president must ac

quire is the habit of well-tempered courage to take calculated risks —

and to persuade others to accompany him. This courage is necessary to

face the “little deaths” that a president must face in order to meet the de

mands of office: the death of anonymity, the death of certainty, and the

a handbook for seminary presidents

“adaptive challenge” requires that a leader “raise the heat” to a “productive level of stress”

so that significant change occurs within the organization.

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death of scholarship are just a few examples.

And yet, these deaths are

not merely painful; rather, they are purifying and a necessary part of the

process of professional growth.

Additional Resources

Bornstein, Rita. “The Authentic and Effective College President.” The

Chronic le of Higher Edu cati on , July 30, 2004, p. B16.

This article traces the significant changes that accompany the move

ment from presidential candidacy to the actual role as the primary insti

tutional leader. This movement warrants a diminished individualism for

the sake of institutional representation, creates “asymmetrical relation

ships” as one’s social life becomes work, and can hinder a president’s

freedom to be vocal on public issues. To fulfill one’s role as president

without compromising one’s personal identity, the author suggests an

identification of a shared vision amid diversity, openness to divergent

viewpoints, more subtle forms of political involvement, limiting exter-

nal involvement, and honest accountability with trusted friends.

Coll, Edward G., Jr. “The Advancement President and the Faculty.” In The

Advanceme nt Preside nt and the Academy: Profiles in Institutional Leader-

ship, edited by Mary Kay Murphy, pp. 136-44. Phoenix: Oryx Press,

1997.

Increasing financial pressures demand a new kind of president — “ad-

vancement specialists” skilled in long-term strategic planning, effective

management, and fundraising. Coll recommends an intentional dis

tancing from the role of chief academic officer, responsibilities that

should be delegated corporately to the deans, department chairs, and

the provost. He advocates aggressive fundraising to prove oneself early

in one’s presidency and maintaining open communication to avoid an

“insensitive administration” reputation.

Diamond, Robert M. “Curricula and Courses: Administrative Issues.” In

Field Guide to Academic Leadership, edited by Robert M. Diamond, pp.

135-56. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002.

Th e President’s Role as Academic Leader

10. See Charles Bouchard, “New Presidents Consider Death and the Presidency”

(ATS newsletter, Colloquy, March/April 2005).

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Good teaching, use of technology, and strong off-campus experiences

are not enough to ensure that a school is providing an excellent educa

tion. Ongoing assessment and curriculum development must become

an institutional practice. This article explores the design of curriculum

and provides models for use. Administrative leaders assume a key role

in appointing and supporting a curriculum task force. Strong curricu

lum proposals will incorporate outcomes assessment, provide a clear

outline of competencies sought by a program or major, ensure that

goals will be reached, and integrate new technologies, community ex

periences, and internships.

Guskin, Alan E., and Mary B. Marcy. “Pressures for Fundamental Reform:

Creating a Viable Academic Future.” In Field Guide to Academic Lead

e rship, edited by Robert M. Diamond, pp. 3-14. San Francisco: Jossey-

Bass, 2002.

This article predicts that, in the next ten years, financial and societal de-

velopments will warrant serious reform in the administrative and edu-

cational practices of colleges and universities. As costs of higher educa-

tion outstrip institutional resources, society is demanding increased

accountability via student learning outcomes. Increasing workloads

and hiring non-tenure track faculty are not viable long-term solutions

for financial shortfall. In order to safeguard faculty work life and con-

tinued student learning, institutions of higher learning are called to

change academic structure (academic calendar, assessment of learning,

faculty workload) and incorporate new technologies.

Higdon, Leo I., Jr. “Making the Team: One of the Best Legacies That a Pres

ident Can Leave Is a Strong Management Team.” The Chronicle of

Higher Education, December5,2003,pp.C1andC4.

Short presidential terms demand quality management teams to carry

institutional vision. This article outlines three action steps to assemble

and maintain a strong senior management team. New presidents must

(1) set the tone from the beginning to calm anxieties, keep good people

on staff and attract others, and employ a collaborative leadership style

in corporate decision making; (2) assemble a management team to

match institutional values; and (3) build dynamic teamwork through

trust, communication, collaboration, and alignment (presenting a uni

fied front).

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Knight Higher Education Collaborative. “The Mission and the Medium.”

In Policy Pers pe ctives 9, no. 3 (July 2000): 1-9.

One of a series of excellent essays on leadership, “The Mission and the

Medium” describes two paradigms for education, namely, the more

traditional “gown” approach, which covers the whole person and aims

at character formation as well as knowledge, and the emerging “badge”

approach, which focuses on discrete skills and achievements and tends

to be proprietary and consumerist in nature. The emergence and rapid

growth of the badge approach presents a serious challenge to seminar

ies and other traditional professional education programs.

Krebs, Paula. “Drifting Away: At Some Point Every Academic Who Moves

into Administration Has to Set Aside Scholarship.” The Chronicle of

Higher Education, January21,2005,p.C1.

One of the “little deaths” that administrators face — the loss of time for

scholarship — can be a major trauma to the new president. But it has its

rewards, Krebs says, especially if it provides an opportunity for schol-

ars to put their “money where their academic mouth was,” by advanc-

ing the values they only wrote about before.

Lynn, Elizabeth, and Barbara Wheeler. Mis sing Connections: Public Perc ep-

tions of Th eologic al Education and Religious Leadershi p. New York: Au-

burn Study Series, 1999.

An analysis of research by the Auburn Center for the Study of Theo-

logical Education, “Missing Connections,” shows how little public

awareness there is about the mission and value of seminaries to society

at large.

McLean, Jeanne. LeadingfromtheCenter:TheEmergingRoleoftheChief

Academic Officer in Theological Schools. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1999.

McLean’s seminal work outlines all aspects of the dean’s job and shows

how it is a vocation as well as a job. It includes “Advice to Prospective

Deans” and statistical profiles. Chapter 3, “The Dean-President Rela

tionship,” provides an excellent basis for discussion of collaborative

leadership.

Payton, Robert L. “Presidents as Public Teachers.” In The Advanc eme n t

President and the Academy: Profiles in Institutional Leadership, edited by

Mary Kay Murphy, pp. 3-9. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1997.

Th e President’s Role as Academic Leader

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College presidents must maintain their societal role as steward of the

norms and standards of truth and reason — the foundation of liberal

education. Not authoritative tyrants or “public relations apologists,”

presidents must be public teachers and facilitators of continual dia

logue. Payton stresses the need for presidents to return regularly to the

question of the institution’s purpose (teaching, research, and service to

society).

Rile, Judith A. “The Changing Role of the President in Higher Education.”

2001. Available at

http://www.newfoundations.com/OrgTheor y/Rile72 1

.html

. Accessed July 26, 2004.

This article discusses the changing role of the office of president as in

stitutions respond to societal developments. The Industrial Revolution,

the financial crunch of the 1960s, and the demographic changes of the

1990s forced college presidents to adapt to the times or close. “Friend

raising” and fundraising are the primary responsibilities of the modern

institutional president. The college president today has power derived

less from position and more from the collegially accepted norms and

values of the institutional community. The dwindling population of

traditional students, growing ethnic diversity, and increasing use of

distance learning programs is changing the demands of the college

president once again and charting the path for the future.

Shaw, Kenneth A. T he Successful Presi de nt: “ Buzzwords” on Lea de rship.

Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1999.

Former president of the University of Wisconsin System and current

president of Syracuse, Kenneth “Buzz” Shaw offers practical advice on

how to overcome inevitable obstacles in leading an academic institu

tion. More “insights and guidelines” than a leadership “cookbook,”

Shaw discusses conflict resolution, use of power, motivation, working

with groups, crisis leadership, and future selection and training of aca

demic leaders.

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 6

The President’s Role in Financial Management

ANTHONY RUGER, Auburn Theological Seminary

JOHN CANARY, University of St. Mary of the Lake,

Mundelein Seminary

STEVEN LAND, Church of God Theological Seminary

OVERVI EW

The Economic Purpose of a Theological School

Role and Responsibility of the President

Finance Office and St affing

Audit

Audit Content

Accounting Control

Board Audit Committee

Budgeting

Purpose of Budgets

Budget-Building Process

Revenues

Expenditures

Compensation

Retrenchment

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Financial Reporting and Analysis

Regular Reports

Full Costs versus Incremental Cost Analysis

Analysis of Campaigns

Institutional Borrowing

Investments

Cash Flow and Short-Term Investments

Long-Term Investments

Asset Allocation

Spending Rates

Social Responsibility in Investing

Regular Reminders for Presidents

Additional Resources

The Economic Purpose of a Theological School

Any discussion of financial management in theological schools can

quickly turn into a specialized accounting and investment discussion

full of arcane terminology and technicalities. Those conversations are

important and have their place. But the crucial “big picture” questions

are strategic: What is the economic condition of the whole school? Is it

healthy? Are there areas of financial weakness? Are there “stable and

predictable sources of revenue” that will sustain the school?

Where

does the school seek growth in revenues? Are expenditures exceeding

revenues? Are there “hidden” assets and liabilities?

What should be the goal of financial management in a theological

school? What is the economic purpose of a theological school? For-profit

organizations, of course, point to the goal of profit, or maximizing the

wealth of the shareholders, as a perpetual and predominant economic

purpose. Not-for-profit organizations, like theological schools, do not

have owners or shareholders expecting cash dividends or an increase in

a handbook for seminary presidents

1. The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, Stan

dards of Accreditation, section 9.2.1.2.

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their share price. A theological school has religious and educational pur

poses, to be sure, but what, then, is its economic purpose? Richard M.

Cyert, former president of Carnegie Mellon University, answers that the

economic goal of a nonprofit should be, minimally, “economic equilib

rium.” What is economic equilibrium? Cyert offers a three-part answer.

First, to achieve economic equilibrium the not-for-profit organiza

tion must conduct its mission with adequate quality and quantity. In

stead of dividends and increases in share value, the various stakeholders

in the institution (both internal and external stakeholders) must be rea

sonably satisfied that the school is educating a sufficient number of stu

dents, contributing to the intellectual and spiritual life of the church,

and serving the needs of its constituents consonant with the school’s

purpose. Failure to perform the mission implies that the economic ac

tivity of the institution — how the money is used — is misaligned or that

the resources are sorely inadequate.

Second, Cyert specifies that the organization should maintain the

purchasing power of its financial assets. In other words, the organiza-

tion should be as financially strong (or stronger) than it was last year

and the year before. The school’s wealth has to keep up with inflation. If

the organization is financially weaker each year, one can readily see that,

unless things change, the mission will have to be curtailed or dimin-

ished in quality.

Third, the organization should maintain needed facilities in ade-

quate condition. Deferring maintenance is not a sound practice. Ne-

glected buildings take their revenge through higher costs for repair and

a dispiriting appearance. Just as financial assets should be maintained

on an ongoing basis, physical assets needed for the mission of the school

should be maintained for the long term.

Cyert’s definition of economic equilibrium is a minimum stan

dard. It maintains the school in its current condition. Probably all presi

dents and trustees would like to build a healthier, stronger institution

rather than just maintain the status quo. Indeed, achievement of new fi

nancial strength and health is a worthy goal. But if circumstances and

external conditions are unfavorable to growth and seem to lead the

Th e Presid en t’s Role in Financial Management

2. Richard M. Cyert and Chris Argyris, “Managing Universities in the 1980s,” in

Leadership in the ’80s: Es sa ys on Hi ghe r Education (Cambridge, MA: Institute for Educa

tional Management, 1980).

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school into decline, the president should strive to reverse the decline and

at least achieve the stability of economic equilibrium.

Role and Responsibility of the President

Several presidential roles described in other sections of this Handbook

include a significant financial dimension. Strategic planning, educa

tional leadership, facilities management, and institutional advancement

all have significant impact on the financial well-being of the school. As

those topics are covered elsewhere, this section will focus more nar

rowly on the specific money-related topics of audit, budgeting, invest

ing, and similar matters.

The president’s responsibility in this area is a straightforward man

agerial and leadership role. Boards are particularly focused on the “bot-

tom line” of financial health, as are major donors, so it behooves the presi-

dent to give priority attention to the school’s financial condition and

performance. While there may be a chief financial officer charged with

specialized duties in this area, the policies, practices, and results ulti-

mately are the president’s responsibility. The CEOs of for-profit compa-

nies immersed in financial scandals may try to deflect responsibility onto

financial officers, but by and large they are held accountable for the activi-

ties on their watch. The same holds true for theological school presidents.

Finance Office and Staffing

Ensure that a competent staff is hired in the finance office. The chief fi

nancial officer should be able to oversee the staff responsible for all ac

counting, including the specialized tasks of accounts receivable, accounts

payable, cashier, and payroll. In some schools the financial aid director

also reports to the finance office. Depending on the size of the school and

budget constraints, most schools will have to have one person perform

several job duties. Staff should be adequate to ensure that reports are

timely, inquiries are answered, and the service obligations of the office are

routinely met. Staff inadequacies in this office, especially in the chief busi

ness officer and chief accountant, create costly and complex problems.

Staff should have a good relationship to students, faculty, and

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staff. The finance office should be relied upon as providing dependable

information in a pleasant setting. While the finance office often takes

the financial welfare of the school to heart, responsible financial behav

ior and concern for the financial integrity of the school are the obliga

tion of all staff. The finance office should be cast in the role of Ebenezer

Scrooge only for the skit at the Christmas party.

Audit

Every year independent auditors should examine the financial records

of the school.

The audit assures various stakeholders — trustees, do

nors, grant-making organizations, sponsoring denominations, accredit

ing agencies, government bureaus — that the financial statements in the

audit are not fictional or incompetent concoctions but have been exam

ined by independent accountants who verify their reasonable accuracy.

Presidents do not need to spend much time on the annual audit, but

the time spent should be quality time. The chief business officer and the ac-

counting staff do most of the work. The audit, as a year-end report, should

be accompanied by other year-end longitudinal summaries of key indica-

tors of financial vitality.

These longitudinal summaries should show a

number of years — at least three, but preferably five — so that long-term

revenue and expenditure trends may be observed. The important task of

the president is to understand the audit and other year-end financial state-

ments, interpret the results to various constituencies, and address the

problems revealed in the audit, audit process, and other year-end reports.

Audit Content

The report on the audit usually contains at least three financial statements.

One is the balance sheet or statement of financial condition. This state

Th e Presid en t’s Role in Financial Management

3. An independent audit is required by the Standards of Accreditation , section 9.2.2.2.

4. Some examples of key financial and enrollment indicators may be found in The

Strategic Infor matio n Re po rt provided biennially by the Association of Theological

Schools. See also KPMG LLP and Prager, McCarthy & Sealy LLC, Ratio Analysis in

Higher Educ ation: Mea suring Past Pe rformance to Chart Future Directio n, for Ind epe nd ent

Institutions (1999; 4th ed., KPMG LLP).

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ment shows the condition of the school on the close of business on the last

dayof the fiscal year. It shows, as of that frozen moment, the things of value

the school owns (assets), the definite financial obligations the schoolhas to

pay (liabilities), and the net equity or wealth (net assets) of the school.

The

balance sheet shows whether or not a school is heavily in debt. Although

most theological schools have little long-term debt, or have a manageable

amount of long-term debt, it is possible that large and significant obliga

tions can put considerable stress on the school’s scope of activity. The bal

ance sheet also shows the amount of financial assets, such as cash and in

vestments, and physical assets, such as land, buildings, and equipment.

The statement of activities shows the revenues and expenditures

of the school for the past year. This statement may not match exactly the

school’s internally generated statements comparing revenues and ex

penditures to the budget. This is because schools may use different ac

counting rules for their budgets than auditors must use in the audit. For

instance, schools will use an endowment spending rule for the budget

rather than actual income and gains, as auditors must. Similarly, some

schools “exclude” unrestricted bequests from current income, directing

those bequests, by policy, to long-term investments, but auditors must

include them. A good practice is to ask the chief financial officer to pre-

pare a schedule reconciling any differences between the audited finan-

cial statements and the statement of actual versus budget revenues and

expenditures.

The audit also shows a statement of the sources and uses of cash

and contains a number of explanatory notes.

Accounting Control

The audit is also an opportunity to make sure that sound accounting

procedures and controls are in place. Auditors should test internal con

trols. They should make sure check signing limits are maintained, in

voices are signed by department directors, deposits are prepared and

deposited by separate personnel, bills are paid from original invoices,

bank balances are reconciled in a timely way, purchasing is carefully

a handbook for seminary presidents

5. The term “balance sheet” comes from the “balance” or equality in the equation:

assets = liabilities + net assets.

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controlled, and other well-established control procedures are followed.

A “management letter,” a separate report of comments and recommen

dations prepared by the auditor regarding accounting procedures and

controls, should accompany audits.

Small schools sometimes have difficulty in efficiently and eco

nomically meeting all the criticisms encountered in the management let

ter. The president and board audit committee should carefully review

the management letter recommendations along with the business offi

cer’s response, and then determine if the auditor’s recommendation

should be followed. Problems described as material weaknesses and re

portable conditions in the management letter should be addressed in

thenearterm.

Audits may be delayed or late for many legitimate reasons, but a

pattern of chronically late audits implies a weak accounting function

and bears investigating.

Board Audit Committee

One sound practice is to establish an audit committee of the board. This

could be a small committee for convenience. At a minimum the audit

committee should meet with the chief business officer and the auditor

to discuss the statements, the management letter, and the business offi-

cer’s response to the letter. The audit committee should have an oppor-

tunity for a private discussion with the auditor. The audit committee

would thereby be in a position to recommend changes in the school’s ac

counting operation and, as appropriate, recommend retaining or chang

ing auditors.

Budgeting

Purpose of Budgets

The budget is a powerful management tool. It shows in detail how the

school plans to acquire resources and allocate or expend those re

sources. As such, it is probably the most concrete, thorough, short-term

mission blueprint of the school. As a planning document it embodies

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the next steps the school will take to fulfill its long-term plans and prior

ities. In addition to its unique status as a planning document, the budget

is also a control tool. Part of the control involves the short-term moni

toring of revenues and expenditures so that the school can measure

progress toward financial goals, as well as provide a means for manage

ment to intervene when there are revenue shortfalls or excess expendi

tures.

The budget is the president’s budget. The president will bear re

sponsibility for all major decisions, plans, and priorities imbedded in

the budget, and therefore he or she must participate fully in the review

and development of the budget. The business officer should bear the re

sponsibility for compiling the proposals and decisions, producing the

budget drafts, and providing analyses, projections, suggestions, and as

sistance throughout the budgeting process. Some presidents will make

some or all budget decisions, keeping their own counsel, with technical

help from the business officer. Many presidents, however, rely on a

small group of senior administrators (often including the chief business

officer, chief academic officer, and chief advancement officer) to serve

as advisers and problem solvers in the budget-building process. Group

cohesiveness, maturity, and trust are essential, as budget building often

involves difficult and painful choices.

Each school should have two budgets. The operating budget

should list all the revenues and expenditures associated with the ongo-

ing annual operation of the school. The capital budget should show the

revenues and expenditures associated with strengthening the financial

and physical capital assets of the school. For instance, the capital budget

should show anticipated gifts to the endowment, and/or the gifts and

expenditures anticipated for a special building project. Often capital

projects stretch over several years; it therefore makes sense for capital

budgets to show all the years of projected revenue and expenses until

the projects’ completion.

Both budgets should be in balance. That is, revenues should meet

or exceed expenditures. The budgets should be built using policies de

signed to achieve economic equilibrium. For instance, part of the defini

tion of economic equilibrium calls for the maintenance of needed facili

ties in adequate condition. This means that the operating budget should

have sufficient allocations for ongoing maintenance, and the capital

budget should have funds allocated for major repair and replacement of

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the buildings, building components, and equipment. Because the ex

pense of major repairs and replacements varies considerably from year

to year, an excellent practice is to include a line item in the operating

budget for an allocation to a reserve fund for major repairs and replace

ments. The major repair and replacement reserve fund may then be

used in the capital budget as the source of funds for major repair and re

placement projects.

Budget-Building Process

A typical budget-building process starts with the senior administration

determining guidelines for budget building. These guidelines may in

clude assumptions about the number of students to be enrolled, how

long-range plans and special efforts are to be reflected in the budget,

and specifications on the amount by which expenditures are to be in-

creased or decreased. Department directors, with help from the busi-

ness office, can review the departments’ past financial performance in

preparation for proposing the new fiscal year’s revenue and expendi-

ture. Department directors’ budget proposals are forwarded to the

business office and, eventually, to the senior budget-making group.

Conventionally, proposals for upcoming budgets originate with

the several department heads or cost center managers, using the guide-

lines mentioned above. The president and his or her budget-making

group review these proposals. There are no objective standards as to the

proper allocation of funds to different departments, but some bench

marking or comparative studies may be useful. The Institutional Peer

Profile Repo r t produced by the Association of Theological Schools

shows each school’s proportions of revenue compared to those of peer

schools. Differences from peers may be interpreted in a number of

ways, as the school may enjoy efficiencies in certain areas of operation

that peers do not. Conversely, a school’s expenses may be out of line

with others. The comparisons may be useful and thought-provoking but

certainly should not be determinative.

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Revenues

The popular book Good to Great by Jim Collins advises leaders to “face

the brutal facts.”

Budget revenues should start there. The budget is no

place for unrealistic expectations about enrollment or fundraising. Bud

geting is an occasion to face squarely the question of whether revenues

can increase, and if so, by how much. Presidents and advisers should ask

tough questions. Can tuition rates be increased without diminishing en

rollment or inducing excess borrowing by students? Can enrollment be

increased in what has been a low-growth environment? Are we confident

in our giving expectations? While it is helpful and motivating to have ag

gressive goals for fundraising, the budgetary expectations should be

achievable, based on careful analysis of the giving history of known do

nors. If the school has an endowment or investments, the tough ques

tions should continue. Does the budget use an equilibrium spending

rate, or does it draw down extra amounts to cover expenditures? How is

that problem to be dealt with? Endowed schools seriously jeopardize

their future through the habit of overspending.

Expe nditures

Theological schools are blessed with committed faculty and administra-

tors who always want to do more to improve the school and the quality

of its programs. Few of the proposals they submit to the budgeting pro

cess will be truly wasteful or utterly ill-conceived. Inevitably, good ideas

for increased expenditures outrun the available funds. In broad terms,

the budget-building challenge on the expenditure side is to allocate the

available funds carefully amid many competing ideas. Strategic or long-

range plans may be highly informative and useful, as they may identify

the priorities that should be funded and, directly or indirectly, the areas

of lower priority.

Operating expenditure budgets are generally organized into de

partments or cost centers. Authority to expend funds from the line

items and responsibility for keeping expenditures within budget rest

a handbook for seminary presidents

6. James C. Collins, GoodtoGreat:WhySomeCompaniesMaketheLeap...andOth

ers Don’t (New York: HarperCollins, 2001).

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with the administrator or manager assigned responsibility for the cost

center. Having two or more administrators assigned to a cost center

tends to cause confusion. Similarly, each capital project is usually bud

geted so that responsibility can reside with a single manager.

Compensation

Compensation of employees typically represents 55 to 70 percent of the

operating budget. Consequently, cost-of-living increases in compensa

tion and benefits have a major impact on the expenditure budget, espe

cially when inflation is high, as in the 1970s. Recent increases in medical

insurance premiums have hit budgets hard. These realities imply that

special care must be taken when expanding the roster of employees.

One employee costing $50,000 per year ties up one million dollars of

capital.

New permanent positions, as a matter of good stewardship,

should be crucial to achieving the school’s mission and should either

help the school generate additional revenue or be fully funded for the

foreseeable future. Retrenchment is sometimes necessary and always

difficult; the likelihood of retrenchment is reduced if schools avoid un-

necessary sprawl by careful and well-thought-out expansion of em-

ployee rosters.

The school should compensate employees at a fair wage for their

area of expertise or skill level. Compare the school’s compensation to

that of local, regional, or national salary surveys and set guidelines or

benchmarks for pay at the school. The Association of Theological

Schools’ Annual Data Tables (available on the ATS Website), the Fact

Book , and the Strategic Information Re port contain useful information

concerning faculty and administrative officers’ compensation.

The distribution of compensation increases is a complex topic.

Many schools make across-the-board increases (often on a percentage

of salary) to all employees who remain at the same rank and level of se

niority. This approach has the virtue of treating all employees consis

tently. Some schools will additionally increase the compensation of a

Th e Presid en t’s Role in Financial Management

7. It takes $1,000,000 in endowment to generate $50,000 per year using a spending

rate of 5 percent. A faculty member costing $100,000 requires $2,000,000 in capital in

vestment in order to generate that much annually.

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limited number of employees on the basis of meritorious performance.

Advocates for merit pay assert that good performance is thereby en

couraged, and the retention of excellent employees is strengthened. Ad

vocates of equal raises note the difficulty of establishing and adminis

tering a consistent and fair set of criteria for merit raises, and they argue

further that an equitable ethos is fostered.

Retrenchment

Schools with persistent, serious deficits will have to consider retrench

ing faculty as well as administration and staff. This should not be done

lightly or casually, but only when serious financial problems confront

the school. Faculty, including tenured faculty, may be terminated if

there is a situation of financial exigency. In some instances, school poli-

cies define financial exigency and the procedures the administration

and board are obligated to follow as they consider the termination of

faculty. In the absence of written definitions and procedures, the presi-

dent should take care to make sure that decisions are reached carefully

and evenhandedly and that the actions taken may be successfully de-

fended from accusations of bias, favoritism, or a lack of consultation

and due process. The financial exigency of the school must be substan-

tial and real, to the point where the future viability of the school’s mis-

sion is at risk. That said, the school should not wait to act until its exis-

tence is threatened.

The advice and commentary in this book is not intended to be

used as legal advice; that is especially true when dealing with the com

plexities of faculty contracts and terminations. The advice and guidance

of the school’s legal counsel should be sought early in the consideration

of faculty terminations.

Financ ial Reporting and Analysis

Regular Repor ts

Ongoing financial reporting and analysis should be part of the business

officer’s regular duties. The president should typically receive a state

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ment of monthly revenues and expenditures, comparing the actual reve

nues and expenditures to the budget. The business officer should also

interpret the statement for the president and board, explaining whether

or not the performance shown in the statement is likely to improve or

deteriorate by year-end. Department directors should receive regular

reports on their expenditures versus budget. Monitoring of financial

performance follows from an effective reporting system.

Full Costs versu s In creme n tal Cost Analysis

Presidents need to understand the financial implications of program

matic decisions. Financial analysis of proposals is a key step. The chief

business officer is best equipped to conduct such analyses, as he or she

has access to and familiarity with all the available financial information

and is likely to have knowledge and experience in cost accounting. The

president, however, should always investigate, with the business offi-

cer’s help, the financial implications of budget proposals, program ini-

tiatives, and other plans. The paragraphs that follow discuss some of the

types of financial analysis and problems often encountered.

In budgeting and planning it is important to distinguish between

what might be called a “full” cost analysis and an incremental cost analy-

sis. For instance, a full cost analysis of a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) de-

gree program would list costs of the DMin office, the cost of adjunct

faculty, allocated costs of regular faculty teaching in the program, and

allocated overhead costs for space and general administration. In many

schools the full cost of the DMin program, so accounted, exceeds the tu

ition receipts. On a full cost basis, the degree often loses money. Should

the degree be dropped? Would that save money?

In most cases dropping the degree would hurt the school finan

cially. How is that possible if costs exceed revenues? Dropping the de

gree certainly ends the tuition associated with the degree. What costs

would be saved? Only the incremental costs, that is, the costs d irec tly in

curred by the program. Unless the school terminates regular faculty

when it ends the DMin program, no regular faculty compensation is

saved. Those costs and all the administrative overhead costs continue.

Although the degree loses money on a full cost basis, the tuition receipts

— the incremental revenue from the program — often cover the incre

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mental direct cost of the program — that is, the costs of the DMin office

and the adjunct faculty. Put another way, the program may lose money

on a full cost basis, but it may cover its incremental costs and make a

positive contribution to overhead. The analysis of incremental revenues

and costs thus determines a break-even financial standard for a program

— that is, that the program covers its direct incremental costs. Of

course, the school may apply a higher financial standard and decide that

the program should cover its full costs or a certain portion of its over

head.

A similar methodology may be applied to proposals for program

expansion. For instance, a proposal to offer classes at an extension site

should examine carefully all the incremental costs directly associated

with the new site. Thus rent, staff at the site, adjunct faculty, travel, local

expenses for recruitment, identifiable added costs on the home campus,

and other direct costs should be tallied as part of the ongoing costs. If

regular faculty teach at the remote site as part of their regular responsi-

bilities, the cost of their time should not be considered a direct incre-

mental cost of the site. On the other hand, the cost of travel and lodging

at the site would be an incremental cost of the site. The cost of the dean

on the home campus, the president’s office, the business office, and all

the rest of the shared overhead costs of the whole school should not be

included in the incremental analysis. Once the incremental costs are

fully compiled, one may compute the number of class registrations

needed to break even. As in the previous example, the school may decide

that it must have better financial performance than break-even viability

and that the site should provide a substantial contribution to overhead.

If new programs or centers do not cover their incremental costs

from program receipts, the president, along with his or her advisers and

the board, must decide whether or not the new program or center

should be launched or continued, and whether it should be subsidized

by the general revenues of the school. If the new program or center is

considered a key expression of the school’s mission, it may be justifiably

subsidized, so long as all parties recognize and affirm that the subsidy

for this high priority program implies fewer resources and possible cut

backs for other projects, programs, and needs.

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Analysis of Campaigns

Special fundraising campaigns should be subject to incremental cost

analysis. Sometimes a campaign “goal” combines all expected receipts,

adding annual fund receipts and bequests to the amounts that the spe

cial or capital campaign solicitations are expected to yield. This is done

to have an impressive fundraising figure for public relations purposes.

There is nothing particularly wrong with conflating all of these sources

of funds, provided that the administration, board, faculty, and other key

constituents understand that the conflated total does not represent

“new” money for the school, and that in fact a considerable portion of

the campaign total would be received in the normal course of business

— even if there were no special campaign. Indeed, it is not unusual to

find out that the incremental gain from the campaign — the actual

“new” money raised through the special efforts of the campaign — is

less than half of the conflated total. Any special campaign for funds

should be carefully analyzed to determine if the campaign has the objec-

tive of strengthening the school’s financial structure and to what extent.

Some capital gifts and special grants cost money, or at least obli-

gate the school to spend more money. This is most often the case when

foundation grants are restricted to new programs or activities. The new

grant monies fund new grant activities — that is, new expenses that

were not part of the normal course of operations before the grant was

received. The new money flows out to new expenses. The net financial

gains from some restricted grants are very small, limited to a modest al

location of the grant for overhead expenses. Additionally, the expiration

of the grant may result in the school funding the expenses previously

covered by the grant. This happens often enough that foundations rou

tinely require grant applicants to explain how funding will be secured

after the grant expires.

Another occasion for gifts that cost money, or at most break even,

is when new funds are raised for new programs. One example is a new

endowed chair. If a school receives new money to endow a chair and ex

pands the faculty roster by hiring a new faculty member to fill the chair,

the bottom line of the budget is not necessarily improved. The new ex

penses for salary, benefits, and other items associated with the new fac

ulty member can consume all the new endowment revenue generated by

thegiftofachair.Ontheotherhand,ifacurrentfacultymembercould

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be appointed to fill the chair, the bottom line for the school is strength

ened considerably, as expenses remain the same while endowment reve

nue increases.

Of course, new chairs with new occupants and foundation grants

that spur the school in new directions make the school better because

they increase the teaching and learning of the school and advance the

school’s mission. Financial analysis is needed to ascertain whether or

not they also help the bottom line, making the whole school more finan

cially secure.

Instit utional Borrowing

Colleges and universities commonly borrow large amounts to finance

new buildings, laboratories, athletic facilities, and the like, principally

with the aim of attracting more students.

Such borrowing is less com-

mon in theological schools. Why are theological schools hesitant to bor-

row and more likely to seek capital funding from donors? The habit may

be an expression of church and ecclesial traditions and values, but it

could also be attributed to hardheaded realism about potential revenue

increases. Investment in new facilities and program capacities may im-

prove the environment and potential of the school, but they don’t neces-

sarily produce the large increases in tuition revenue that colleges and

universities are betting on. If new revenues are not forthcoming, princi-

pal and interest payments on the debt could burden rather than benefit

future programs.

Inves tments

Presidents need not be experts in investing, but as with any area of over

sight the president should have a thorough understanding of what the

school is doing and should have enough knowledge of the field to be

constructively critical. Relying solely on trustees produces mixed re

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8. Martin Van Der Werf, “Colleges Turn to Debt to Finance Their Ambitions” and

“Poor Bond Ratings Don’t Deter Some Colleges from Seeking More Debt,” The Chroni

cle of Higher Education, March 19, 1999, pp. A38ff.

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sults. Surprisingly, many trustees who are accomplished business lead

ers do not have the experience or perspective needed to guide the school

to excellent long-term investment performance. Thus the president’s re

sponsibility is to make sure the investment committee is well equipped

and continually educated on sound principles and perspectives on insti

tutional investing. Some trustees, unsure of their knowledge, defer to

the sometimes erroneous instincts and impulses of other, high-status

trustees, and thereby inadvertently hurt the school. The best defense is

to have well-educated trustees with a thorough understanding of the

school’s well-thought-out, written strategy, which should include the

following.

Cash Flow an d Shor t-Term Investm ents

The business officer is usually charged with handling the issues involv-

ing cash flow. These duties include managing the bills that are due and

investing excess operating cash in interest-bearing accounts, such as

money-market accounts. Cash flow management, in some situations,

requires the school to have a line of credit to meet payroll and other ex-

penses when the school is short of cash. Extensive use of credit is a sig-

nal of financial trouble and should be monitored and investigated. The

school’s auditors should look closely at cash management in order to

help the school maximize its return and assure careful control.

Long-Te rm Investments

Schools with nonexpendable endowments and other monies that are

not needed for operations may invest those funds for the long term and

use a portion of the investment return to support the operations of the

school. The term “endowment” is usually used loosely to describe all the

monies invested for the long term. More precisely, the long-term invest

ments may include (1) nonexpendable funds that donors have given to

the school with the restriction that the principal not be expended (such

funds are often called “true” endowment and are also known as “perma

nently restricted” net assets); and (2) expendable funds that the board

has directed to be retained and reinvested for the long term. These are

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often referred to as “board-designated” funds, as distinct from “donor-

restricted” funds. The term “quasi-endowment” refers to such board-

designated funds.

As mentioned, donors may permanently restrict the use of the

principal. They may also restrict the use of the return. They may indi

cate, for instance, that the return is to be used for scholarships. If the do

nor restricts the return to a specific purpose, the return must be ac

counted for with “temporarily restricted” funds — that is, the funds

must be specially earmarked until expenditures are made that fulfill the

donor’s restriction. When expenditures fulfilling the restriction are

made, the temporarily restricted funds are released from their restric

tion. Donors may also restrict the purpose of expendable gifts and

grants; those gifts and grants must also be classified as temporarily re

stricted.

Schools may also be the beneficiaries of trusts or gifts held and

managed by trustees or by a denominational foundation external to the

school. These funds function as endowment in that they are invested for

the long term and provide a return to the school. The school does not,

however, actively manage them. Insofar as these amounts are substan-

tial, a theological school should consider adjusting its internal invest-

ment and spending policy so that the combination of assets held inter-

nally and externally are appropriately allocated and the combined

spending or draw rate from internal and external sources meet the equi-

librium standard. A well-managed endowment connotes good manage-

ment on the part of the school and its trustees, and it engenders confi

dence in potential donors that their gifts to the school will be wisely

invested and prudently used.

In many independent schools a board committee takes responsi

bility for oversight of investments. In schools that are part of a larger

university, diocese, or religious order, or whose investments are man

aged by a denominational entity, the theological school may not have or

exercise direct control over investment policy. In most cases where a

school has direct responsibility for investing, the board committee de

velops investment policies, hires the investment managers, evaluates

performance, and changes investment management when appropriate.

Schools with large endowments or schools that are heavily dependent

upon investment returns often find it wise to employ independent in

vestment counsel as a resource for the investment committee in an ef

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fort to be sure that this crucial resource is excellently managed. The role

of the independent counsel is to assist in creating investment strategies,

developing appropriate policies, selecting investment managers, evalu

ating performance, and investigating issues of interest to the commit

tee. Such independent counsel does not invest money directly but as

sists the investment committee in managing the managers. Schools

whose endowment plays a smaller strategic role may not find it cost-

effective to hire independent counsel; in those cases the schools will

tend to rely on the expertise of the committee members or the resources

of their money managers.

A sset Allocati on

Asset allocation is a key decision in investing. Many academic studies

have confirmed that asset allocation is a key determinant of the total re-

turn from an investment portfolio; some say that asset allocation deter-

mines 90 percent of the return. What is asset allocation? It is the deci-

sion to invest in various “asset classes” or types of investments. There

are many asset classes. Stocks, bonds, real estate, and money market

funds may each be considered an asset class. In addition, there are asset

classes within asset classes. There are various kinds of equities or

stocks, such as stocks of large companies, small companies, and interna-

tional companies. Asset classes may include different styles of investing,

such as investing in “growth” stocks or in “value” stocks. The idea of

“passive” investing, in index funds, has gained some popularity in re

cent decades. Bonds or fixed-income instruments also have varieties in

terms of their yield, quality, term, and issuer. “Alternative investment”

asset classes have also gained attention in recent years. This category in

cludes anything that is not a traditional stock or bond investment and in

cludes hedge funds of many kinds, private equity, and real assets.

What should the asset allocation strategy be for a theological

school? Proper fiduciary oversight may be achieved through a range of

strategies. The investment committee should select a strategy that prop

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9. The Commonfund provides education and investment services for educational

institutions and other nonprofits, and it is considered by many to be of service for smaller

endowments. See its Website:

www.commonfund.org.

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erly weighs and balances both risk and return. Percentage allocations

for asset classes should be adopted for the long term. Without such

long-range targets, the investment committee may be tempted to “time”

the market — that is, to guess whether or not stocks will outperform

bonds, or vice versa, over the next three months. Professor J. Peter Wil

liamson of Dartmouth notes, “If short-term shifts in asset allocation are

to be based on hunches, or a ‘feel’ for the market, whether on the part of

trustees or professional managers, then skepticism is appropriate.”

Most experts recommend establishing long-term asset allocations and

rebalancing investments in them to their long-term proportion each

quarter.

Spending Rates

Long-term investments generally produce two kinds of return: (1) they

generate income in the form of dividends on stocks and interest pay-

ment on bonds; and (2) the price of a stock or bond may also change. An

increase in the value of stocks or bonds is called appreciation. A de-

crease in the value of investments is called depreciation. Thus the total

return to an investor is the income plus the appreciation or minus the

depreciation.

From year to year portfolio returns vary widely. Because a school

needs a stable source of revenue, a school will typically employ a spend-

ing formula to determine the amount of investment return that should

be budgeted. The formula is designed to smooth out major fluctuations

in investment returns. The most common spending formulae tie the

amount to be spent to an average market value of the portfolio.The most

common formula in use in higher education is to spend a percent of a

three-year (twelve-quarter) average of the endowment market value.

The percent should be a long-term equilibrium rate such as 5 percent.

There are variations that take inflation into account as well.

The once-popular policy of spending just the incom e (interest and

dividends) from endowment and reinvesting all the appreciation has se

vere drawbacks. The most significant is that the decisions about invest

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10. See J. Peter Williamson, Funds for the Future: College End owment Managemen t

for the 1990’s (Westport, CT: The Common Fund Press, 1993), pp. 7-156.

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ments are distorted by the need for income. For instance, most of the to

tal return from bonds comes in the form of income, that is, interest

payments. By contrast, most of the return from stocks comes from ap

preciation. If a school spends only income, it could be tempted to em

phasize bonds rather than stocks to increase the flow of interest pay

ments. Many excellent investment opportunities for appreciation and

growth might thereby be missed. The total return approach of spending

a specified percentage of the endowment market value permits the in

vestment managers to invest for the best long-term health of the school

without an unnecessary constraint of income generation.

Return is either spent or reinvested. The endowment spending

rate plus the endowment reinvestment rate equals the endowment’s to

tal return. One approach to the spending/reinvestment rate decision is

to try to balance the needs of the present (for spending) with the needs

of the future (for reinvestment). There should be enough reinvestment

in the endowment that it will keep pace with inflation, so that in the fu-

ture the institution will have at least the same level of endowment sup-

port it has enjoyed in the present. Such a rate would be an equilibrium

spending rate, designed to maintain the purchasing power of the in-

vestments. Experts in the 1960s and 1970s concluded that a spending

percentage between 4.5 percent and 5.5 percent for an endowment in-

vested 60 percent in stocks “probably” would keep pace with infla-

tion.

This finding became, for all practical purposes, the norm for

U.S. colleges and universities, as many adopted a spending rule of 5

percent of the average market value of the endowment over the past

three years.

A president is strengthened if the equilibrium spending policy is

firmly enforced by the governing board. A widespread perception that

the spending policy may be violated — through special appropriations,

or special circumstances, or chronic deficits that, in effect, increase the

spending rate — puts enormous pressure on the president and adminis

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11. Mana ging Educatio nal En dowm ents: Report to the Ford Foundation by the Advi

sory Committee on Endowment Mana gement (The Ford Foundation, 1969); and Funds for

the Future: Re port of the Twentieth Cen tury Fund Task Force on College and University En

dowment Polic y, by the Twentieth Century Fund, Inc. (McGraw Hill, 1975). Investment

returns in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s confirm the earlier finding that 4.5 to 5.5 percent

spending would keep pace with inflation over the long term.

12. Williamson, F unds for the Future, p. 111.

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tration to permit the overspending to continue. In those instances the

president must make heroic efforts to educate the board and the admin

istration, faculty, and students that equilibrium must be achieved and

that fiscal discipline is required.

Social Responsibility in Investing

Some denominations and schools choose to reflect their ethical and so

cial commitments in their investments.

Threepopularwaysofachiev

ing this aim are (1) screening the portfolio to avoid owning stocks of

corporations whose products or business activities are disapproved of

and to seek investments in corporations whose behavior is praisewor

thy; (2) engaging in shareholder advocacy with particular corporations

on particular issues, including initiating and voting on proxy resolutions

and lobbying directors; and (3) practicing community investing, that is,

finding ways to assist disadvantaged communities by providing capital

for local investment. Issues of social responsibility in investing are com-

plex, and considerable study and discussion are likely to be required to

reach a consensus in the governing board.

Regular Reminders for Presidents

Managing finances is a complex but critical task for any institution. A

president should delegate most of this responsibility to a competent fi

nance office, but a president needs to remind himself or herself regu

larly of critical issues and principles and should monitor these regularly.

The following are some of these critical issues:

•

Responsible financial management of a theological school should

help the school perform its mission with adequate quantity and

quality while preserving or enhancing the purchasing power of the

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13. According to the June 2002 National Association of College and University Busi

ness Officers survey of participating colleges and universities, 27 percent of schools em

ploy some social criteria in investing.

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school’s financial assets and maintaining needed facilities and

equipment in adequate condition.

•

It is important to pay attention to the annual audit of financial

statements. The audit provides an external professional review of

the accuracy of the school’s accounting records and the adequacy

of control procedures.

•

The annual operating and capital budgets of the school are a

uniquely detailed and powerful expression of the school’s plan for

its mission. Budgets should be balanced and realistic. Faculty and

staff compensation typically dominate the expenditure budget and

make cost reduction and retrenchment difficult.

•

Proposals and plans for new programs, projects, or campaigns

should be analyzed to determine their true financial impact on

the school. Incremental cost and revenue analyses are especially

useful in decisions to launch new programs or fundraising cam-

paigns.

• Investments should be well managed by trustees, who may use

consultants to assist them as appropriate. Asset allocation is cru-

cial in determining total return. The spending rate should be low

enough to permit reinvestment of returns so that the principal will

keep pace with inflation. Some schools apply social responsibility

criteria to their investment selection.

Additional Resources

Anthony, Robert N. E ssentials of Acc ounting. 6th ed. Reading, MA:

Addison-Wesley Longman, 1997.

This book by Robert Anthony is a basic introduction to financial ac

counting, designed for those who have little or no prior knowledge or

experience. Although it is not crucial for the chief executive to have this

knowledge, it is helpful when one attempts to understand the financial

statements in the audit.

Association of Theological Schools. Fa ct Book.

The ATS Fact Book and Annual Data Tables (

www.ats.edu)show

industry-wide financial trends, including revenues, expenditures, li

brary data, compensation, and numerous other tables.

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Association of Theological Schools. Institutional Peer Profile Report.

ATS’s Institutional Peer Profile Report compares the recipient school to

selected peers along a wide range of enrollment and financial data.

Association of Theological Schools. Strategic Information Report .

ATS’s Strategic Information R epo rt shows the recipient school’s finan

cial data on assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenditures in a graphic

format. Some comparisons are also included. Enrollment data and

trends are also included.

Aubur n Studies (Auburn Theological Seminary) (

www.auburnsem.org).

Aubur n Studies reports on research conducted by Auburn’s Center for

the Study of Theological Education. Publications include studies of

theological school revenues, student educational debt, faculty, board

members, and various other topics. Supplemental background reports

and resources are available also.

The Commonfund (

www.commonfund.org).

The Commonfund (formerly The Common Fund) provides education

and investment services for educational institutions and other non-

profits and is considered by many to be of effective service for smaller

endowments. It has numerous publications in addition to the William-

son book cited below.

In Trus t.

In Trust magazine specializes in governance in theological schools, es-

pecially at the board level, and consequently frequently publishes arti

cles regarding financial policies and the fiduciary duties of trustees.

KPMG LLP and Prager, McCarthy & Sealy LLC. Ratio Analysis in Higher

Edu cation: Measuring Past Perfor mance to Ch art Future Direction, for In

dependent Institutions. 1999.

This book explains financial ratios, based on audited financial state

ments, which measure the viability and financial performance of the

school. Some of the ratios are in the Strategic Information R epo rt pro

videdbyATS.

Schneider, William, Robert DiMeo, and D. Robinson Cluck. Asset Manage

ment for Endowments and Foundations.New York: McGraw Hill, 1997.

This is an excellent overview of the issues involved in investing.

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Williamson, J. Peter. Funds for th e Fut ure: College Endowment Manageme n t

for the 1990’s . Westport, CT: The Common Fund Press, 1993.

This book is an excellent and thorough overview of college and univer

sity investing.

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 7

The President’s Role in Managing F acilities

WARD EWING, General Theological Seminary

THOMAS GRAVES, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond

ROBERT LANDREBE, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

OVERVI EW

Introduction: Two Cases

The Role of the President

Working with the Board

Strategic Planning

Important Questions to Ask

Potential Problem Areas

Financing Capital Projects

Life-Cycle Budgeting for Annual Refurbishment and Renewal

Additional Resources

Introduction: Two Cases

People become presidents of seminaries for many different reasons, but

rarely is it because of their expertise in maintaining buildings and facili

ties. Two stories illustrate this point.

The new president was attending her first meeting of the facilities

committee of the board of trustees. She was aware that deferred main

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tenance was a major problem for the seminary. The purpose of this

meeting was to hear the report from the engineering firm that had been

hired to assess the extent of the problem and to estimate costs for

repairs. As the engineer began his report, talking about flashing, re

pointing of buildings, wood-frame versus steel-frame construction,

conductors, and windowsill deterioration, she looked around at the

members of the committee and realized that many were confused. She

had served as the senior pastor in an old Victorian downtown church;

she had dealt with old buildings in that position and had learned a great

deal. The engineer moved on to describe some of the wiring and fire

protection problems. When one of the more knowledgeable members

of the committee asked what “M/E/P/FP” stood for (mechanical, elec

trical, plumbing, fire protection), she suddenly had the sinking feeling

that she knew more about buildings and maintenance than any trustee

on the committee. What was she to do? As a woman, her voice might be

largely ignored with regard to buildings and maintenance. As president,

she could not spend a great deal of time with the facilities committee,

yet given the severity of the problems and the lack of competency in this

committee on these issues, how could she prevent these tasks from de-

manding far too much of her time?

In another similar story, the new president was also meeting with

the facilities committee as it was receiving the report regarding the plans

for remodeling three of the buildings on campus. He listened politely to

the architect, to the mechanical engineer who was a member of the com-

mittee, to the developer who was helping to arrange the financing, and to

the city rector who seemed to know a lot about old buildings. They talked

about heating systems that included fan-coil units and cooling towers on

top of the building. They talked about ADA standards in the halls and the

bathrooms. They talked about multiple water services with one-inch and

one-and-a-half-inch services needing upgrading. They talked about con

stant pressure booster systems with duplex pumps, cushion tank, and

controls, about heating and cooling load calculations, steam condensate

receiver, and feed pumps. They talked about electrical service, amperage,

HVAC equipment, total electrical loads, and deficiencies in code compli

ance issues. As his eyes glazed over, the president got the sinking feeling

that he was in way over his head when it came to being involved in the

decision-making processes for the seminary’s facilities. He realized that

this was a technical field in which he had almost no knowledge; yet, the

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long-term implications of the decisions that would be made about such

items would be very important in the life and mission of the seminary.

Theseminaryhadarecordofpoorlymadedecisionsthatdidnotsolve

problems but produced more of them. Inadequate and non-functioning

facilities had added dramatically to a sense of dissatisfaction and low mo

rale among faculty and students. How could he provide leadership when

he was so inadequately prepared to deal with this critical issue for the

quality of life at the seminary?

Most presidents can relate in some way to these two examples be

cause most theological schools have facility issues, inadequate staff, and

often inadequate expertise to deal with the issues. The president’s pri

mary duty cannot be focused on facilities, as there are other issues of

leadership, program, personnel, and development that demand greater

attention. The way a place looks, feels, and functions, however, greatly

influences what people will feel and what they will perceive is possible

for them and for the school. Inadequate or poorly functioning facilities

have a major negative impact on the quality of life in the seminary. The

president must provide strategic leadership to ensure appropriate main-

tenance and improvements to facilities. This chapter will look at the na-

ture of that leadership and how the president can prevent these issues

from taking too much of his or her attention and time.

The Role of the President

While it is easy to say that the president’s attention cannot be focused

primarily on buildings, it is much more difficult to understand the ap

propriate role for the president in this area. Many factors influence

what is appropriate: the physical condition of the facilities, the age of the

facilities, the costs involved in physical plant refurbishment and mainte

nance, the quality of the plant and maintenance staff, and the expertise

available for planning and implementing projects. An additional factor

is the existence (or lack thereof) of plans for funding renewal and re

placement, responding to deferred maintenance, systematically refur

bishing buildings, maintaining current facilities, evaluating and mod

ernizing heating and electrical utilities, and responding to special needs

like those found in the library or related to information technology in

structional needs.

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Whether facing severe facility problems or planning for major

renovations or new construction, the president will have to take a lead

ership role in planning and setting priorities. Fortunately, taking such a

role does not mean that the president must directly manage studies,

contracts, or personnel, nor is it necessary for the president to have

great knowledge about infrastructure, construction, or building codes

(though some knowledge wouldn’t hurt). As in other areas of the semi

nary, leadership involves keeping the focus on the mission and vision of

the school; developing and guiding an appropriate process; recruiting,

hiring, and appointing qualified and talented people; asking probing

questions; keeping the issue in front of the board; maintaining coopera

tive relations with the town; and seeking to balance long-term budget

planning with immediate problems.

Working with the B oard

The president must ensure that the board is given appropriate informa-

tion to deal with long-term facilities issues. In the absence of presiden-

tial leadership, boards may focus on immediate pressing problems

rather than on long-term solutions, on fighting off alligators rather than

on draining the swamp. When this occurs, decisions often respond to

particular crises but neglect long-term planning with appropriate bud-

geting. Combine this short-range focus with the reality of overall re-

stricted financial resources and we have the primary causes of accumu-

lated deferred maintenance in many of our schools. The president and

senior administration must continually encourage the board to focus on

the long-term issues and to deal with the financial implications.

The president’s leadership begins with personnel. Whether there

is a single chief operations officer (COO) or whether those functions

are included in the job description of another senior administrative offi

cer, such as a vice president for administration, the president and this of

ficer must work together in focusing on the long range by developing an

appropriate planning process. The facilities committee of the board

(again, there are many different structures in different schools) must

take the lead in directing and implementing this planning process. This

means that a facilities committee chair must be interested in buildings

and infrastructure and must have or develop an ability for guiding the

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planning process. The chair does not need to have expertise in the field;

in fact, such expertise can interfere with an appropriate process when

the chair believes that he or she knows the proper solution. Clergy who

serve in older, downtown congregations often can serve well in this ca

pacity. A president knowledgeable about facilities will take an active

role in recruiting appropriate leadership; a less knowledgeable presi

dent must find trustworthy experts (e.g., architects, engineers, or con

tractors) to assist in putting together a good team.

Too often the talents of board members do not include skills in en

gineering, architecture, and construction. When this is the case, the

chair of the facilities committee, in cooperation with the president,

must recruit additional volunteers who have these needed skills to serve

on the committee (either as committee members or as resource per

sons, depending on the bylaws of the board). This situation provides an

opportunity to involve volunteers who have needed technical skills.

These volunteers become more engaged and committed to the semi-

nary, gaining satisfaction by sharing their professional experiences and

training.

Finally, the head of maintenance must have the ability to gather the

data needed for the studies involved in long-range planning. Having a

board committee chair, a COO, or the head of maintenance, none of

whom understand the necessity of focusing on planning, will add to the

president’s difficulty in developing long-term solutions.

Strat egic Planning

The planning process is not overly complex, but it does involve much de

tail work. While the president is not usually deeply involved in planning

for facility maintenance and improvement, knowledge of the process and

constant pushing toward completion (including annual updates) will be

the primary factors that determine if a responsible plan is developed and

implemented. Once knowledgeable and skilled personnel are in place,

the main task for the president is to keep the group focused on the mis

sion and vision documents for the school and to insist that accurate and

timely information regarding the program is available. The planning

group must have clear descriptions of the educational program and de

mographics of the school — the number and nature of the student body,

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the sizes of needed classrooms, the size and needs of the faculty, ex

pected changes for the future — that will determine the facility needs.

While there are many different planning processes, all basically

follow the same steps: identify the problems (or opportunities); analyze

the seriousness of the problems (or the importance of the opportuni

ties) by weighing costs and benefits; set priorities for dealing with the

improvements; and develop a plan for funding. The first step is for the

staff (or an outside consultant) to prepare a “facilities audit” for each

building on campus. Projects that are small in scope or cost are desig

nated as part of the annual budget for operations and maintenance. The

remaining identified projects will become part of the long-range plan

for facilities renewal and replacement. A well-functioning facilities

committee, working with staff, will analyze the extent of these prob

lems for each facility and set priorities for the projects. Finally, the pres

ident is ultimately responsible through the COO to see that the facilities

audit is updated on a regular basis, possibly annually.

Impor tant Questions to A sk

Important questions must be asked as part of setting priorities. The

president’s role (possibly through the COO) is to be certain that these

probing questions are addressed. A president’s knowledge of facilities

can be a great help in developing the questions. A list of questions might

include the following (these are in priority order, but are not exhaustive

of all possible questions):

•

Are current conditions hazardous? Are they life threatening in any

way?

•

Is the seminary in legal compliance?

•

Do the problems affect accreditation requirements (e.g., library,

classrooms)?

•

What requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

apply to this project? Even if not required, can we make the build

ing more accessible?

•

What will the future cost be if we do not do the needed repairs

now? Will doing the work now save money in the future? How

much? Can the work reasonably be deferred?

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•

How critical is this project for the mission of the school?

•

Will the proposed work reduce utility costs? How much? How

long will those savings take to cover the expense?

•

Should we seek to preserve this historic building? Is the building

beyond saving? Will preservation attract more support than re

placement with a new building? Will the results of renewal of the

historic building be functionally and aesthetically successful? Can

we make the building ADA compliant?

•

How long will the project take to complete? How will it affect op

erations while it is under way?

•

Howwillwepayforit?

In setting these priorities, it will be important for the director of

admissions to submit trends and projections, for faculty to discuss ped

agogical implications for classroom remodeling, for the director of the

library to be involved regarding plans for the library, and for the vice

president for institutional advancement to comment regarding fund-

raising potential. The president is responsible for seeing that all parties

are included and provide appropriate data.

If the president, the COO, and the chair of the facilities committee

of the board do not ask such questions and expect as complete answers

as possible, then the director of maintenance (staff) and the board will

tend to make their recommendations and decisions based largely on

cost and available financial resources. The result may be cheaply done

work, continued accumulation of deferred maintenance, and an ap

proaching financial crisis.

If the input from the broader seminary constituency is not in

cluded, there is increased risk that the project will not be appropriate in

scope, programming needs will be inadequately included, and the users

of the facility will be dissatisfied with the completed work.

Potential Problem Areas

There are particular areas that may be overlooked until they become a

major problem. Few board members truly understand the needs of the

library. Information technology (IT) is of growing importance in the

classroom, in the library, and as a communication tool for all constitu

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encies on and off campus. Making older buildings accessible to persons

with disabilities is desirable and may be legally required when other

work is done. Food service and student housing may continue for years

before there is any remodeling and upgrading of the standards. These

areas all relate in one way or another to the mission of the school. As is

implied in the series of questions above, next to life-safety issues and le

gal compliance, fulfilling the mission of the seminary is the highest pri

ority. The president does not need to be an expert regarding the library,

food service, IT, or accessibility, but he or she must be certain that ap

propriate input and expertise regarding these areas are part of the plan

ning process.

Major facility renewal or construction, while forward looking,

usually raises anxiety for at least some community members, resulting

at times in anger. People tend to be protective of space, and everyone has

an opinion regarding how space should function, be arranged, be deco-

rated, and be used. The president must deal with the community’s anxi-

ety and anger in a way that does not allow it to disrupt or misguide the

process. It is easy for the president to be blind-sided, thinking that he or

she is doing a good thing for the community. Regular communication

and a process that encourages “buy-in” of key stakeholders will help

avoid much conflict and anger.

Financ ing Capital Projects

Once the project priorities are set, the plan is completed by addressing

the question of funding. Funding of large capital projects typically

comes from four sources: (1) a plant reserve fund created from special

gifts, unrestricted bequests, unrestricted endowment, and annual in

come; (2) a capital campaign; (3) debt; and (4) realization of the value of

certain campus assets, such as collectors’ items (art work or library

books), land, or asset value of buildings (rental possibilities).

While the first source, a plant reserve fund, is an important tool

for financing capital projects, few seminaries have the capability of de

veloping such a fund.

The second possible source of funding is a capital campaign. The

president’s role in developing such a campaign is covered in Chapter 8

of this handbook.

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The third possible source is debt. The use of borrowing must be

carefully planned so that the debt can be repaid in a manner that does

not negatively impact other budget priorities. Great care must be taken

if debt service is to be included in the operating budget. Identification of

a particular revenue stream outside the regular operating budget is one

way to repay debt with minimum repercussion. Tax-exempt bond fi

nancing may be a possible method of reducing the cost of debt incurred

in any development. Crucial in any of these arrangements is getting ex

pert legal and financial advice.

The fourth source of funding — the realization of the value of cer

tain campus assets — involves creativity and discipline. Schools may

own valuable paintings, important artifacts that could be in a museum,

or books that are important collectors’ items but less important for aca

demic purposes. Such assets may be sold, and sometimes they realize

large sums for the school. The basic criteria guiding the process of di-

vesting of assets, after appropriate safeguards for gift restrictions, is

whether or not an item is essential to the mission of the school. Again,

the president must be active in ensuring that these criteria are appropri-

ately applied. When assets such as valuable books from the library col-

lection are sold, if the publicity around these sales is not clear and fo-

cused on the mission, the public will see the sale as “selling the seed

corn,” as seeking survival of the institution while diminishing its func-

tions. One seminary sold a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, a valuable col-

lector’s book with little academic importance; thirty years later this sale

is still seen as a sign of the school’s financial fragility. In the sale of as

sets, the president must make certain that mission criteria are applied

and appropri ately publicized so the public understands and can support

the action.

The proceeds from realizing the value of capital assets should be

invested in capital projects or board restricted endowments. If the funds

are simply used for the annual operations, then, in fact, the asset value

of the school is diminished. The obvious impression (probably true)

that the school is financially insecure will diminish financial develop

ment potential.

Many campuses have large unused asset value in land purchased

for future expansion or in under-utilized buildings, both old and new.

Through the use of innovative techniques, these can create an income

source for capital renewal and replacement. The simplest way to realize

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this unused asset value is by renting space. For larger projects (and

therefore greater financial return), the seminary may choose to work

with a private developer to remodel space or build new facilities. Op

tions include a development that the seminary owns and controls, some

sort of land-lease arrangement, or an outright sale such as developing

condominiums.

The president’s role, again, is to ask probing questions. In one

case,aseminarywasayearortwoalonginworkingwithadeveloper

when the president learned (by talking with another seminary presi

dent) that, even though the seminary was a tax-exempt institution, there

were methods by which it could sell the federal and state tax credits it

was accumulating by refurbishing a historic building — a sale worth

several million dollars. Development is a complex area; the president

(with the COO) must keep asking questions and seeking information.

(See Matthew 7:7.) The COO implements the plan.

Finally, the president must play a significant role in raising support

for whatever plans and projects for renewal and replacement emerge. At

this point, the president who feels ill-informed technically will discover

how much he or she needs to know about facilities. One needs to know

at least enough to tell the story so others can get on board. This role is

obvious in a capital campaign. It is also important to build constituen-

cies among faculty and staff, on the board, and among alumni/ae and

other supporters. Raising support begins with communicating that

there is a problem, involving key people in developing plans to respond

to the problem, and then supporting those key people as together the

president and leadership recruit advocates for raising the necessary

funds and implementing the plans.

Life-Cycle Budgeting for

Annual Ref urbishment and Renewal

How did so many seminaries end up with large backlogs of deferred

maintenance? Answer: one year at a time. In a school where income is

restricted, denominational support limited, students unable to bear the

burden of high tuition, and program expenses constantly rising, the

most difficult task is to develop a plant reserve fund that will allow an

nual maintenance of facilities before the entire building needs major

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work. This is the key to avoiding excessive accumulation of plant prob

lems: the president along with the chair of the board, the COO, and the

chair of the facilities committee must develop guidelines for regular

plant renewal and become disciplined in following them. If the presi

dent and the COO do not support and encourage such action, it will be

ignored by others.

“Life-cycle cost analysis” is a method commonly used to calculate

the funds needed for regular plant renewal. Based on the replacement

cost of each building on campus and the life expectancy of the build

ings, maintenance staff can develop a reasonable budget target, using

this method. Manuals and software are available to assist staff. The col

leges and universities that have used this method discovered that, as a

rule, the annual target for the budget for regular plant renewal equals 1.5

to 3 percent of the replacement value of the campus facilities. Given this

number, one can quickly see how excess space or space that is not main-

tained is costly to the school and why it will hasten the move toward fi-

nancial crisis as deferred maintenance accrues.

Presidential leadership in the area of facility maintenance does not

require special expertise or an inordinate amount of time, but unless the

president and top administrators insist on appropriate planning and

budgeting for facility renewal and replacement, most institutions will

follow the easy way of deferring large expenditures until a crisis has de-

veloped.

Additional Resources

Note: Most of the materials available regarding maintenance and capital

renewal are written for large colleges and universities. Most seminaries

are considerably smaller. This will require the COO to discern which

material is applicable.

Publications

Kaiser, Harvey H. Crumbling Academe: Solving the Capital Renewal and Re

placement Dilemma. A publication of the Association of Governing

Boards of Universities and Colleges, 1984.

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Though not very recent and out of print, this short monograph was the

most complete resource we were able to find. It discussed all aspects of

deferred maintenance and capital renewal. While written for larger in

stitutions, the information is easily translated for smaller schools.

Two magazines frequently have articles that are pertinent to this topic

and that give references to additional information: NACUBO Busin ess

Officer and Unive r sity Busines s. Two recent articles that were helpful

with this chapter are:

Biedenweg, Rick. “Why You Need Life Cycle Planning.” University Business,

March 2003.

Medlin, E. Lander. “The Deferred Maintenance Dilemma.” NACUBO Busi

ness Officer, March 2003.

We bsites

Several Websites provide useful resources. As with the other resources,

they are primarily aimed at larger institutions.

College Planning and Management Magazine (www.peterli.com/cpm/in-

dex.shtm

)

Diversified Intelligence (

www.telligence.net)

Pacific Partners Consulting Group (

www.ppcg.com)

VFA (

www.vfa.com)

Regarding issues of accessibility, there are Websites focused on Ameri

cans with Disabilities Act compliance. The National Organization on

Disability is a not-for-profit organization that focuses on accessibility

issues and provides advocacy and helpful information to ensure full in

volvement of people with disabilities.

National Organization on Disability (www.nod.org)

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Sec

tion (

www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada)

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 8

The President’s Role in

Institutional Advancement

REBEKAH BURCH BASINGER, In Trust , Inc.

C. SAMUEL CALIAN, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

ROBERT F. LEAVIT T, St. Mary’s Seminary and University

OVERVI EW

Introduction

What Is Institutional Advancement?

Defining the President’s Advancement Role and Responsibilities

Articulate the Mission of the Institution and Translate It

into Fundraising Objectives

Participate in Shaping the Advancement Work Plan

Lead in Cultivating Major Donors, Including Planned Giving Prospects

Hire Professionally Expert and Theologically Mature Fundraising Staff

Remember the Importance of Theological Fit

Encourage Board Participation in the Advancement Program

Getting Star ted: Strategies for the Early Years of a Presidency

Escalate the Learning Curve

Cultivate Planned Giving

Check Institutional Performance against Industry Standards

Meet and Spend Time with Donors

Undertake Capital Campaigns

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Consider Foundation Funding

Maintain an Excellent Development Staff

Conclusion

Additional Resources

Introduction

Whenever two or three seminary presidents are gathered together, it is

not long before the conversation turns to money. Survey after survey

identifies fundraising and resource development as being at the top of

the list when it comes to institutional concerns of leaders in theological

education. Almost no president these days is exempt from fundraising,

and success in financial development has become synonymous with ef

fective leadership.

To be sure, most institutional stakeholders understand the impor-

tance of the school’s connections with alumni/ae, church leaders, and

prospective students, but when it comes to allocating the president’s

precious time, consensus points in the direction of fundraising. It is sim-

ply assumed that presidents will be involved in securing the friends,

funds, and connections necessary to undergird the mission of the insti-

tution.

Not surprisingly, new presidents can feel as though they’ve been

tossed into the deep end of the institutional advancement pool — and

without a lifeguard in sight. Fortunately, most learn to enjoy the ad

vancement waters, and many become quite expert swimmers.

Wha t Is Institutional Advancement?

The phrase “institutional advancement” applies to the wide range of ac

tivities that contribute to the realization of the mission and purposes of

a theological school. The functions most often bundled under the ad

vancement rubric include fundraising, alumni/ae relations, public rela

tions, church relations, and student recruitment. Strengthening ties

with church and civic leaders, keeping track of alumni/ae, publicizing

the school, and engaging in fundraising are interrelated functions, with

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each building upon and complementing the others. All are necessary to

the forward movement of the institution, and all are worthy of the presi

dent’s attention.

Yet when board members, faculty, and other constituents speak of

the president’s role in institutional advancement (used almost inter

changeably with financial development), what they usually have in mind

are fundraising and donor relations. There may have been a time when

seminary presidents did not have to concern themselves with such mat

ters, but if so, those days are long past. For more years than any of us

care to remember, theological schools in the United States and Canada

have lived with chronic financial shortfalls, and the situation grows ever

more urgent by the year. Writing in the early 1990s, Leon Pacala, who

had just retired as executive director of the Association of Theological

Schools (ATS), observed:

The nature of theological school leadership is influenced by

the requisites of financial development to a greater extent than

anyothersinglefactor....Asaresult, there is a growing dis-

tinction between presidents who come to office with a clear

recognition and acceptance of these requisites for their leader-

ship roles and those who do not.

Expectations of the president’s leadership in fundraising have only con-

tinuedtoincrease.

Defining the President’s Advancement

Role and Responsibilities

Although this chapter focuses on the role of the president in institu

tional advancement, this does not mean that he or she should (or must)

go it alone. Indeed, the strongest advancement programs are the result

of a team effort, with the president, development staff, board members,

and other key volunteers all doing their part on behalf of the institution.

Yet the president’s commitment to and involvement with advancement

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1. Leon Pacala, “The Presidential Experience in Theological Education: A Study of

Executive Leadership,” Theological Education 29, no. 1 (Autumn 1992): 25.

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activities are critical to the success of those activities, beginning with

the following essential tasks.

Articulate th e Mission of th e Institution

and Transl ate It into Fundraising Objectives

It is a truism of fundraising that money follows mission, and the presi

dent is the public embodiment of what the institution is said to be about.

Seminary presidents who can translate mission and vision plans into a

winsome, compelling case for support are the most effective in garner

ing that support. Mission clarity not only propels the institution for

ward with confidence but also encourages would-be friends to invest in

the purposes and future aspirations of the school.

Presidents are the chief and most frequent spokespersons for their

institutions, and by their words they build confidence among key con-

stituents in the gift-worthiness of their schools. They have the joyful

role and responsibility of communicating to constituents, “We are all

engaged in the task of divine development (spiritual formation) that

unifies heart, mind, and soul as well as resources of time, talent, and

money into a totality of stewardship before God.”

Par ticipate in Shaping the Advan cement Work Plan

There is nothing like putting plans in writing to hold the feet of staff and

volunteers to the fires of accountability, and all the more so when it

comes to fundraising. Effectiveness in advancing the institution begins

with both a well-thought-out operational plan for the short term and a

longer range strategic plan for advancement goals and activities.

For presidents who are new to the development function, participa

tion in shaping a fundraising work plan is an excellent entry point into the

development process. The plan lays out the entire program for the CEO

and makes evident the linkages between the various activities. In short,

planning documents provide a checklist against which the president, staff,

and volunteers (including board members) can assess the progress of the

advancement effort at various points along the timeline. A solid plan also

helps to focus the president’s priorities and workload in fundraising.

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Lead in Cultivatin g Major Donors,

Inc luding Planned Giving Prospec ts

It is the president’s responsibility to seek out and establish relationships

with potential generous supporters who will become lifelong friends of

the school and whose gifts can assure the institution’s future economic

vitality. High-end donors and prospects expect to have the president’s

attention. In turn, the president needs to understand his or her work

with donors as an extension of his or her leadership ministry.

Seminary presidents who are fortunate enough to work with an ef

fective development staff can look to these individuals for help in design

ing strategies for reaching out to different segments of the school’s con

stituent base. For example, non-alumni friends of the school may not

have the same issues or interests as alumni. The former are more future

oriented, while the latter may have longer memories and attachments

that impede certain types of development. Different methods are needed

to reach these groups with messages that increase their confidence, en-

gage their imaginations, and engender energy for development.

Hire Professionally Expert and

Theologi cally Mat ure F undraising St aff

The president must hire fundraising staff whose skills and sense of call

prepare them for the challenges of raising funds in support of theologi

cal education. When institutional funds are tight, adding staff in the de

velopment office can be viewed as an unnecessary or impossible luxury,

especially by faculty and other campus personnel. However, without ad

equate staffing, the president too often is pulled into levels of fundrais

ing that are time consuming and that may actually work against the

long-term financial goals of the school.

A primary consideration in hiring a chief development officer

(CDO) is to find someone who is authentic and passionate in his or her

commitment to the school’s mission and vision. It also helps greatly if

this person is able to envision creative connections among donors that

are not immediately obvious. A solid relationship between the president

and his or her CDO rests on the duo’s ability to work together on proj

ects, a realistic understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses,

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a commitment to setting and meeting program targets, and, above all, a

willingness to speak the truth to one another with candor and care. As

an experienced president advised, “Get the best person you can find for

the leadership position and be willing to try special arrangements to

have the most competent person you can afford. Never hire anyone who

is untrained in systems or organizational development. Managing data

and keeping it under control is essential to a well-run development oper

ation.”

Rem ember the Impor tan ce of Theologi cal Fit

The difficulty in finding good development staff encourages some pres

idents to overlook the importance of matching the personal faith com

mitments of a prospective fundraiser with the theological underpin-

nings of the organization, and this is a grave mistake. For a fundraiser to

accurately and personally convey the uniqueness of a seminary’s mis-

sion and program to the donors, he or she must understand and embody

the theological tradition of the school. To paraphrase Henri Nouwen,

seminaries must seek out fundraisers for whom every word spoken, ev-

ery advice given, and every strategy developed is tested by a heart that

knows God intimately.

Encourage Board Par ticipati on

in the Advancement Program

At those theological schools where the board is active and effective in

helping to advance the institution, the president spends considerable

time educating and encouraging trustees for their assignments. In fact,

some longtime presidents devote as much as 50 percent of their time to

nurturing board members for development success. This is no small

commitment for a president, but board members who benefit from this

kind of interaction with the president report high levels of satisfaction

with their own service to the institution.

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Th e Presid en t’s Role in Institutional Advancement

2. See Henri J. M. Nouwen, In th e Nam e of Jesus: Reflecti o ns on Christian Leadership

(New York: Crossroad, 1989).

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In addition to board members, there are usually key volunteers,

such as former board members, advisory board members, women’s

guilds, alumni/ae, or persons who have special interest in the seminary

and its mission, who can provide significant time, contacts, and per

sonal resources. They too require special presidential time and attention

in order to involve them effectively in advancement activities for the

seminary.

Gettin g Started: Strat egie s for the

EarlyYearsofaPresidency

Esc alate the Le arning Curve

The financial fragility of most seminaries demands that presidents em

bark on a crash course in the basics of institutional advancement even

as they are adjusting to the many other challenges of the job. New-

comers to the presidency should seek to acquaint themselves with the

language, conventions, ethical practices, and performance standards of

the fundraising profession. And they must be prepared to put their new

knowledge to work almost immediately in assessing the strengths and

weaknesses of the school’s development program and in suggesting in-

novative strategies and tactics.

Fortunately, learning the rules of the development game is not

much of a problem these days, thanks to the rich array of helpful books,

newsletters, Websites, seminars, and workshops from which new presi

dents can choose. In addition, presidents speak with appreciation of the

valuable learning that comes from interaction with peers who have en

joyed success with fundraising. Five or more years into the job, many

seminary heads look back with appreciation on the wise counsel pro

vided by fundraiser mentors from institutions of similar size and theo

logical tradition — experienced leaders who were willing to share what

they had learned over the years through trial and error. Other newly ap

pointed presidents are fortunate to discover fundraising mentors within

the school itself — an expert, seasoned chief development officer, for

example, or a board member with a personal history of fundraising suc

cess.

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Cultivate Planned G iving

While it is impossible (and unwise) for presidents to double as planned

giving officers, it is essential that presidents have at least a rudimentary

grasp of the instruments of the trade. A massive intergenerational trans

fer of wealth is under way in Canada and the United States, estimated at

$40 trillion and climbing, and it is crucial that seminary leaders talk

with longtime friends about their estate plans. The good news is that

many denominations and religious bodies employ planned giving staff

and are more than willing to make these experts available to their semi

naries. The wise president seeks out this kind of assistance early on and

takes full advantage of the help. Development staff members should all

have some basic knowledge of planned giving principles and methods.

Where possible, it is very helpful to a development program to have one

person who can focus fully on planned giving.

Check Institutional Per formance

agains t In dus try Standards

In addition to acquainting themselves with the characteristics of an ef-

fective institutional advancement program, new presidents must ac-

quaint themselves with the track record of their school’s advancement

activities. Assuming the school has a good development database, it

should not be much of a problem for staff to pull together a quantitative

analysis of the fundraising program. And even at schools where

recordkeeping by the development office has been less than ideal, the

president should press for good management data. The data needed in

cludes the following:

•

the number of donors who give for general operations; for capital

purposes only;

•

annual fund giving at various gift levels (e.g., major gifts of $5,000

or $10,000 and above; $1,000 to $5,000; $500 to $999; $250 to

$499; $100 to $249);

•

the top ten annual fund donors to the institution during the past

five years and the top ten capital donors during the past five years;

•

the percentage of alumni/ae giving for each of the past five years;

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•

the number of congregations supporting the seminary, in what

amounts, for what purposes, and the frequency of gifts;

•

the pattern of giving by board members, and by faculty and staff;

•

the churn rate — that is, how many people who gave the previous

yearfailedtogiveinthecurrentyear;

•

the number of new names that were added to the database each

year and what portion ended up giving (the quest for new names

that are productive is an important measure of whether communi

cations programs and publicity are working).

While it is challenge enough in many institutions to consolidate

key quantitative data, assessing the qualitative aspects of the develop

ment program can be even tougher. As a solution, many presidents turn

to a development audit conducted by an outside expert for help in judg

ing the effectiveness of the current program. An audit provides the op-

portunity for a thorough and impartial review of all components of the

current fundraising effort, including the following:

• the fundraising work plan and the school’s planning documents;

• support constituency, their past performance and future possibili-

ties;

• fundraising case statements, appeal letters, and brochures;

• general purpose print pieces and marketing activities;

• board leadership and participation in fundraising, including board

minutes for the past year;

•

technology, budget, and staff (including position descriptions) in

support of fundraising.

Board members and others expect the president to be involved in

suggesting the best methods for meeting the school’s funding goals, to

introduce techniques or strategies that maximize the efforts of limited

staff, and to hone in on the best funding sources for the school. With a

head full of new fundraising knowledge and an audit report in hand, the

new president is better prepared to meet those expectations.

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Meet and Spen d Time with Donors

Over the past forty years or so, the funding future of graduate theologi

cal education in North America has shifted away from religious bodies

and church-wide support and onto the pocketbooks of individuals. As

Daniel Aleshire, executive director of ATS, warns at every opportunity,

general church subsidies for seminary education are rapidly declining,

the trend will not be reversed, and leaders in theological education

should look elsewhere for support. So while it is important for seminary

presidents to be visible in local congregations and at regional and na

tional denominational meetings, it is essential that they increase the

time they spend with major donors in one-on-one situations.

During the crucial first year on the job, new presidents should seek

to meet personally with as many of their schools’ most generous bene

factors as is possible. At a minimum, the president’s development port-

folio should include the ten or more donors who have contributed the

most dollars during the past three years. It is also a good idea for the

new leader to seek appointments with program staff at foundations

from which the school has received or hopes to receive a grant. Add in

civic and church leaders, alumni/ae, and prospective students, and the

president’s advancement plate fills quickly. As one longtime seminary

head responded when asked how much time a new president should ex-

pect to spend on development work: “At least 50 percent in a ‘normal’

year,andduringacampaignasmuchas80percent.”

Undertak e Capital Campaigns

At some point most seminaries will find it necessary to undertake a con

centrated effort to secure capital gifts for new buildings, the refurbish

ment of old buildings, new programs, scholarships, endowments, etc. A

successful capital campaign requires a good base of annual donors and

lists of significant prospects for large gifts. Thus, a successful annual

fund is an essential first step in a capital effort. Such campaigns may re

quire additional development staff, outside consultants, a feasibility

study, and a commitment of more time and leadership from the presi

dent. The primary prerequisite, however, is a clear and persuasively ar

ticulated case of mission and goals for the seminary and the need for ad

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ditional funds to achieve those goals and fulfill that mission. The full

understanding, commitment, and involvement of the board are also es

sential.

Consider Foundation Fundin g

Foundations are great places to turn when seeking funds for building

projects, student scholarship endowments, or start-up support for new

programs or technology. However, very few foundations provide grants

for current operations or for continuation of existing programs. Nor are

foundations likely sources of quick money. Most operate on a strict

timeline, with two or three proposal review meetings a year. That means

it can take as long as six to nine months from the point of proposal sub

mission until a grant check is received at the school. That said, however,

foundation grants can be a tremendous boost to seminary communities,

and presidents should be on the lookout for foundation funding oppor-

tunities that fit with their seminaries’ priorities.

Maintain an Ex cellent Devel opment Staff

Unless the situation within the development office is completely out of

hand, it is a good idea to give continuing staff the opportunity to rise to

new challenges. We’ve all seen how personality differences can influ

ence performance, and a change in leadership style may bring fresh cre

ativity and energy to a seemingly tired and uninspired fundraising team.

The simple step of introducing measurable goals for the development

program very quickly separates out staff persons who don’t or won’t fit

with the new president’s expectations. Performance indicators worth

tracking include:

•

the number of contacts, based on an agreed-upon configuration of

types (e.g., twenty-four face-to-face contacts per month, thirty

phone calls per month, thirty letters per month);

•

the number of new donors worked with;

•

the number of lapsed donors returned to the giving fold;

•

the number of increased gifts over the previous year.

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If, after a reasonable period of time (six months or so), or based on

recommendations from a development audit, it is apparent that a

change needs to be made in the development staff, do not drag out the

decision and action. It is up to the president to encourage trusting rela

tionships among the staff and with potential donors so that all parties

can become a blessing to one another. Conflict in the development of

fice almost always sets a fundraising program back, discourages donor

confidence in the school, and saps a president of precious time and en

ergy. Decisive action, as painful as it may be, is the only solution to a

problematic personnel issue.

Conclusion

The days are past when seminary presidents did not need to concern

themselves with institutional advancement (if indeed there was ever

such a time). The pursuit of money is a constant and pressing aspect of

seminary leadership. It is also a joyful responsibility if viewed through

the lens of ministry. When seminary presidents ask for support in ways

that invite donors to give as agents of God’s grace, and when donors re-

spond with faithful, generous hearts, seminaries will have all that is

needed to support their mission, vision, and programs.

Additional Resources

Books

Dove,KentE.Conduc ting a Successful Capital Campaign. Revised and ex

panded edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.

This revision of an already good resource provides newcomers to fund

raising with everything they need to know about planning for and car

rying out a capital campaign. The information is presented in hand

book format and includes helpful checklists, suggestions for campaign

reports, and sample publications.

Dove, Kent E., Jeffry A. Lindauer, and Carolyn P. Madvig. Condu cting a

Successful Annual G iving Program. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001.

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This book provides a complete guide to planning and managing the

school’s annual giving program. The authors address such important

topics as the case for annual support, best approaches to direct mail,

making the most of special events, strategies for personal solicitation,

and tips on foundation relations.

Jeavons, Thomas H., and Rebekah Burch Basinger. Growing Giver s’ Hearts:

Treating F undraisin g as Minis try. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.

Based on a three-year, nationwide study of fundraising programs of

faith-based organizations, this book explores the dynamic interplay be

tween encouraging spiritual development of donors and raising essen

tial resources for ministry.

Rosso, Henry A., et al. Achieving Excellen ce in Fund Raising. San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1991.

This volume provides a detailed introduction to all aspects of a compre-

hensive fundraising program, explaining the profession’s major princi-

ples, concepts, and techniques. Now considered a classic in fundraising

circles, the book is a must read for every seminary president.

Schumacher, Edward C. Buil ding Your Endo wment. San Francisco: Jossey-

Bass, 2003.

This book provides step-by-step guidance on understanding and imple-

menting an endowment program. Included is help in making the case

for endowment, selecting fundraising vehicles most likely to attract

gifts for endowment, and strategies for soliciting and renewing gifts.

Willmer, Wesley K., editor. A dvancing Small Colleges. Washington: CASE

Books, 2001.

The strategies for success in alumni/ae relations, communications,

fundraising, marketing, and enrollment management outlined in this

book are as applicable for seminary development staff as for

fundraisers working in small college settings.

Zimmerman, Robert M., and Ann W. Lehman. Boards That Love Fun drais

ing:AHow-toGuideforYourBoard.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004.

This easy-to-use workbook is an ideal resource for boards and presi

dents who are finding their way together into the world of fundraising.

The authors provide information on board structure and its impact on

raising money, outline the concepts that will empower board members

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to ask boldly and thank sincerely, describe the wide variety of methods

nonprofits use to raise money, and show how to recruit board members

who can help with fundraising.

Newsletters

Seminary Development News

Seminary Development News is published twice a year by the Develop

ment and Institutional Advancement Program (DIAP) of the Associa

tion of Theological Schools and features articles by experienced devel

opment officers and presidents. It is available online at

www.ats.edu.

Successful Fund Raisin g and Th e Major Gifts Re port

Successful Fund R aising and T he Major Gifts Report, both from

Stevenson, Inc., Sioux City, Iowa (

www.stevensoninc.com), provide easy

to read and practical advice on structuring an effective, well-run devel-

opment program.

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 9

The President’s Role in

Enrollment Management and S tudent Issues

DAVID MCALLISTER-WILSON, Wesley Theological

Seminary

CRAIG WILLIFORD, Denver Seminary

DAVID NEELANDS, Trinity College Faculty of Divinity

OVERVI EW

What Is Enrollment Management?

Recruitment and Admissions

Strategic Marketing Plan

The President’s Role

Financial Assistance

Effective Tuition Rate

Deconstructing the Si los: Structuring for Enrollment Mana gement

The Metrics of Enrollment Management

The President’s Role in Spiritual Formation

Conclusion

Additional Resources

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Wha t Is Enrollment Management?

Presidents often see fundraising as their most important role, and they

have a special relationship with the Development Office. Since the

1970s, many new presidents have been referred to as “development

presidents.” But if a president’s primary concern is funding, he or she

will also need to be an “enrollment president” and will want to establish

a similar relationship with that side of the seminary’s advancement pro

gram. This requires more than simply getting more involved in student

recruitment. Beyond the work required to bring a student to the first day

of class is all the work it takes to keep a student in seminary and moving

effectively toward graduation and placement. Furthermore, an enroll

ment president must ensure that enrollment objectives are balanced

with other objectives, including the budget. This whole process has be

come known as “enrollment management.” This chapter will explore

the key issues in enrollment management.

What’s at stake? In a large percentage of ATS seminaries, tuition is

the biggest revenue source and falls in that precious accounting cate-

gory of “unrestricted income.” Each new full-time student is like a

three-year grant of $30,000, not including the additional income gener-

ated through denominational funding per student, room and board, and

other auxiliary services. As seminary enrollments have become more

volatile in the rate of retention and more dynamic in the hours per stu-

dent, and as competition for seminary students has increased, new pres-

idents are discovering that tuition revenue is no longer a relatively reli-

able and stable source of income. By the same token, they are finding

that a surge in enrollment can float the school across dangerous finan

cial shoals. Moreover, as the demographic nature of student bodies has

changed, particularly with the infusion of second-career students, many

seminarians also become significant donor prospects.

Enrollment requires the attention of the president for other equally

important reasons. First, the bad news: students can be the source of the

president’s greatest involvement in legal issues. Several areas of federal

law and many state and local ordinances are implicated in the recruiting,

funding, housing, feeding, and teaching of seminary students.

Now, for the good news: the work of an “enrollment president”

can profoundly affect the mission and the ethos of the seminary. Stu

dents are the school’s mission, or at least are the primary means by

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which a seminary accomplishes its mission. Students are the organic

link between the president and the faculty and between the seminary

and the church. Their needs and their concerns challenge the operative

assumptions about the curriculum, community life, and theological

commitments of the resident academy. A president may not have

enough time to transform the quality and character of a faculty, but he

or she must have time to affect the nature of the student body.

Most importantly, God has entrusted these students to the semi

nary’s care. Their call to ministry is the spiritual source of the semi

nary’s energy, and a seminary’s interaction with them can be a source of

its own renewal. The seminary can be a great blessing to them, and, if

treated faithfully, they will rise up and call their alma mater “blessed” in

ways that profoundly strengthen the institution.

Recruitment and Admissions

At one time, the Admissions Office simply processed applications. The

church sent students to seminary, and few seminary applicants applied

to more than one institution. Moreover, the demographics were simple:

young males straight out of college who were clear about their voca-

tional direction and were ready to be full-time seminary students.

Whatever “recruitment” was done occurred on college campuses where

this “traditional” student could easily be found.

Now, recruiting seminary students is much more competitive. In

most cases, the cost of educating clergy has shifted from the church to

the student. That means younger prospective seminary students are be

having more like prospective college students: they are shopping. At the

same time, the diversity of the seminary enrollment and the increased

complexity of degree and non-degree offerings have meant that there

are many more market niches to probe.

This new reality has caused most seminaries to become familiar

with the mind-set and methods of recruitment marketing. This fact has

brought an expansion in the staffing and an increase in the budgets of

Admissions Offices, with the bulk of the work focusing on recruitment

rather than admissions. There has also been an increased profes

sionalization of both the recruitment and admissions processes. And fi

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nancial aid has become an important factor in determining the nature of

each entering class.

This means that presidents of seminaries now have to attend to

this vital operational division of the institution. They need to compete

for the best staff. They need to be a part of the shaping of the schools’ re

cruitment messages, in addition to maintaining high standards for ad

mission. And they have to respond to an increasing demand for market

ing and financial aid budgets to ensure a certain level and quality of

enrollment.

Strat egic Marke ting Plan

The elements of an effective recruitment program should include:

1. a Website providing contact information or, better yet, on-line in-

quiry and application functionality;

2. advertising placed in denominational publications and regional

media outlets;

3. visits by seminary representatives to colleges, key churches, and

other venues where prospective students gather;

4. a set of printed informational material;

5. a schedule of regular mailings to those who have inquired and ap-

plied;

6. opportunities to host prospective students individually and in

groups on campus;

7. a staff that is market oriented, high energy, and goal driven.

Effective seminary recruitment in today’s competitive environ

ment requires that these strategies be deployed according to a strategic

marketing plan. This plan should include:

1. market analysis that takes into account the seminary’s missional

objectives, programs, reputation, competitive position, and demo

graphic profile;

2. institutional “branding” that carries consistently across the entire

seminary’s communications and that considers the prospective

student to be the primary audience;

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3. high quality “look and feel” for all print and electronic material

packaged to match the findings of the market analysis;

4. targeted placement of advertising and recruitment visits deter

mined by the market analysis;

5. identification and cultivation of “influencers,” who help candi

dates make decisions about seminary;

6. a set of discrete and accountable recruitment goals.

This marketing plan should be an integral part of the overall institu

tional strategic planning process. Strategic planning should consider

what level of enrollment is achievable. It is an occasion for the board and

the faculty to take a clear-eyed look at the institution’s current reputa

tion and competitive position and to understand the limitations im

posed by internal factors like scarce financial aid and external factors

like geography and denominational weaknesses, even as it considers the

opportunities for more aggressive recruitment. The stakeholders of the

institution must also consider what enrollment is de sirable. Almost cer-

tainly, the possibilities for expansion involve adding elements of demo-

graphic, cultural, and theological diversity that would change the semi-

nary’s existing ethos and practice. Some schools may have to consider

scheduling and curricular changes in order to adapt to the “non-

traditional” students. And strategic planning should consider what level

of enrollment is sustainable. Increases in enrollment impact all areas of

the budget, and, because seminary enrollments are more volatile today,

it is prudent to plan to be pleasantly surprised by enrollment increases,

instead of scrambling to make up a shortfall.

The Presid ent’s Role

The role of the president in recruitment is fivefold:

1. to insist that student recruitment be guided by a careful marketing

plan;

2. to approve the overall marketing message;

3. to hold staff accountable for recruitment goals;

4. to provide budget and technological resources commensurate

with the importance of tuition revenue;

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5. to align the development of academic programs with student mar

keting strategies by upholding both mission and budget as the

frame in which everyone is held accountable.

In order to accomplish the final point, the president must give time

and leadership internally to interpret and help faculty, staff, administra

tion, and board to understand the enrollment management process and

the critical role it plays in the seminary’s aims of fulfilling its mission

and remaining economically vital.

Financial Assistance

All seminaries provide some form of financial assistance to help stu

dents bear the increasing cost of seminary education. The best ap-

proach is to bundle financial assistance as a package that includes aid

coming from the seminary’s budget and from outside sources. The ele-

ments of the financial assistance package can include:

• merit-based scholarship aid

• need-based financial assistance

• denominational grants and loans

• government-guaranteed student loans

• government work-study positions on campus

•

campus employment for the student and/or spouse

•

paid internships in ministry settings.

Sometimes the availability of post-seminary placement opportunities

are part of the services a seminary offers to make seminary education fi

nancially feasible.

The critical nature of financial assistance to enrollment manage

ment requires a new level of professional staff who is able not only to

comprehend the many new federal, state, and church regulations and

procedures in this area, but to understand it as a part of the overall en

rollment management program of the seminary.

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Effective Tuition Rate

A critical policy decision is the way the effective tuition rate is set. Semi

naries can control the effective tuition rate by holding the growth of the

nominal, published rate. Alternatively, tuition can be “discounted” by

charging less for a full load or by granting merit or need-based assis

tance for some or all students. Discounting gives the seminary greater

budgetary control and can be a powerful factor in the student marketing

strategy. Like undergraduate colleges, seminaries are divided over the

use of “merit” scholarships as a tool in shaping enrollment. On the one

hand, seminaries can get caught in the trap of a bidding war with com

petitor schools and endanger the seminary’s internal egalitarian culture.

On the other hand, merit aid helps a seminary target candidates deemed

to be of high quality.

The awarding of seminary financial aid should be guided by a care-

fully wrought internal policy and may be awarded either by staff or by

committee. The Financial Aid Office/officer plays a pivotal role, attend-

ing to the financial aid policy, the budget, and the laws and regulations

governing the awarding and reporting of government student loans. This

office is also the place where information about outside grants and loans,

internships, and campus employment are researched and promulgated.

The president’s role is to ensure that the financial aid process, in-

cluding the management of government student loans, conforms to the

law and is aligned with the student marketing plan.

Deconstructing the Silos:

Structuring for Enrollment Management

One method of increasing the quality and number of students is to de

velop a transparent and seamless coordination between all of the func

tions of enrollment management. This goal may turn out to be harder to

accomplish than it first appears to a new president. Decades of con

scious and subconscious departmentalization among recruiting, admis

sions, financial aid, registrar, student services, placement, and alumni

offices create silos that can seem impenetrable. The unique forms, lan

guages, processes, foundational approaches, and differing styles and

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skills of personnel in these areas can all be used to justify a multitude of

reasons to prohibit coordination among them.

Presidents also often face the challenge of changing the style of the

enrollment-related departments from protection and enforcement of

rules and regulations to service to students. For example, at some semi

naries the Registrar’s Office personnel perceive their main purpose to

be guarding the academic integrity of the seminary. However, they

could better serve the seminary by appropriately expanding their pri

mary focus to assisting and advising students in course selection. Exam

ples can be listed for any of the departments within the enrollment man

agement process.

Where should enrollment management be lodged organization

ally? In some institutions the functions are distributed, with some under

the dean on the academic side of the house and others under the admin

istrative side. Many presidents tackle these challenges by combining all

of the enrollment functions and offices into one department under the

leadership of a vice president of enrollment management (VPEM).

Usually the VPEM reports directly to the president and serves on the se-

nior leadership team. Some seminaries have also created a new enroll-

ment management committee of the board to provide counsel for the

president and VPEM. These two steps (direct reporting to the president

and the creation of a board committee) reinforce the importance of this

new approach and can communicate a powerful message to the semi-

nary community. Relocating all of the physical offices in close proximity

to one another sends a visual message that all of these staff members are

now focusing on student service as a team, not on individual priorities.

The Metric s of Enrollment M an agement

Numbers, statistics, charts, acronyms, and abbreviations abound in the

art and science of enrollment management. Understanding basic infor

mation contained in these figures allows the president to identify the most

important variables in successful enrollment management and to focus

on determining the health of the enrollment efforts of the seminary.

While the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) provides

precise definitions and methods for measuring most of the areas listed

below, some are more art than science. ATS allows individual seminar

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ies to determine how they wish to measure these imprecise areas. Please

consult the ATS Website (

www.ats.edu) and manuals for this informa

tion. Also, ATS provides the annual Institutional Peer Profile Report,

which includes pages of helpful comparison of these data between your

seminary and up to fifteen “peer” schools that you select. Most presi

dents keep a copy of this report easily accessible for their use.

A conceptual tool for monitoring the effectiveness of the recruit

ment/admissions program is a concept called the “admissions funnel,”

moving from inquiries to applicants to students.

•

Number of inquir ie s: the total number of people making inqui

ries to a seminary through any means.

•

Percentage of applicants from inquiries: ameasureofthe

number of people who move from inquiring to completinganap

plication.

• Percentage of applicants to accept ance s : ameasureofthe

number of applicants who receive acceptance compared to the

number who apply.

• Percentage of acc e ptances to enrollment : ameasureofhow

many applicants actually enroll. This number demonstrates the ef-

fectiveness of a school’s overall enrollment management process.

From 66 to 70 percent may be an appropriate target.

• Avera ge cost to recruit: a number that results from dividing the

entire operational costs needed to recruit and matriculate a stu-

dent by the actual number of students enrolled in a given year at an

institution.

•

Total institutional head count: the total number of students

(full-time and part-time) enrolled at the school, excluding audits.

•

Full-time equivalency (FTE): A measurement equal to one

student enrolled full-time for one academic year. Total FTE en

rollment includes full-time plus the calculated equivalent of the

part-time enrollment. The full-time equivalent of the part-time

students can be determined first by deciding how many hours per

academic semester is regarded as full-time and then dividing that

number into the total enrollment hours of all part-time students.

ATS has guidelines for determining hours needed to be counted

as full-time, which can be found in the ATS Annual Report Form

instructions for the ATS-EF-1 form. Usually a school’s registrar

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who has filled out the ATS Annual Report Forms can educate a

new president on this calculation. In any case, this figure is one of

the most important in enrollment management.

•

Bill able hours: the total number of credit hours taken by all stu

dents in a given term or academic year, multiplied by the cost of tu

ition.

•

Avera ge class load per student: the total billable hours divided

by the total number of students enrolled during a school term.

•

Faculty to student ratio: the measurement of the ratio of fac

ulty to students at an institution. It is determined by dividing the

FTE for students (explained above) by the FTE for faculty as de

termined by the ATS formula and an institution’s decision as to

what constitutes a full-time load for its faculty members. Too large

a faculty to student ratio is considered by many to indicate a lower

quality education setting; too small a ratio means too high an in-

structional cost per student, which can present budget problems

for the school.

• Retention r ates: ameasurethatislookedatintwoways.First,

what percentage of the students who originally enroll eventually

graduate? With current enrollment of more part-time students, it

is increasingly difficult to accurately measure the percentage that

graduate. A second, and perhaps more important, retention num-

ber is what percentage of students who were enrolled one semes-

ter actually enroll for the following semester? The number is de-

termined first by subtracting the number who graduate and the

newly enrolled students in the new semester. The remaining num

ber of students is divided into the number who have enrolled for

the new semester. This percentage is the current retention rate.

Schools are learning that they must track and encourage each stu

dent to enroll the following semester. Otherwise, particularly with

part-time students, they can easily fail to register for a variety of

reasons. Many students are lost along the way due to the inatten

tion and lack of active pursuit of them by the seminary staff.

Finally, this retention number can help the seminary better plan

the level of enrollment it can count on for the future. A president

should be alert to how his or her seminary compares in retention

of students to other seminaries. A low retention rate may indicate

a major systemic problem at an institution.

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An “enrollment president” understands these metrics and uses

them to guide both management and strategic planning. For example,

the recruitment metrics and attention to retention rates helps ensure

that the cost of recruiting and matriculating students is used efficiently.

When projecting billable hours for a new budget, many schools review

how their billable hours have increased, decreased, or stabilized over a

three- to five-year history. They then determine a conservative budget

number based on tuition rate increases for the upcoming year and the

average of the billable hours over the time period they reviewed, plus

any impact new initiatives might have on FTE. If a school’s projections

are overly aggressive and not attainable, they find themselves in a budget

reduction mode within a budget year, which mostly discourages faculty,

staff, and students and takes the institutional focus away from the stra

tegic initiatives for growing and fulfilling the mission.

The President’s Role in Spiritual Forma tion

The word “formation” is being used frequently by theological educa-

tors, like a group of contractors wondering why the concrete isn’t set-

ting up properly. One problem is an old one: the lack of academic pre-

paredness as shown in the inability to write and think at the graduate

level. In addition, two new issues have to do with the lack of formation

in what Joseph Hough calls “the Christian identity.” First, more stu-

dents now enter seminary with little knowledge of the Bible, liturgy, or

the basic doctrines of the church. Second, many students lack voca

tional formation and are now categorized as “searchers” or “seekers”

because they are not sure what they intend to do with their theological

education. In previous generations, there might have been concern

about the lack of preparedness or sophistication among entering semi

narians, but there was little concern about their earnestness or lack of

Christian identity. These are the new “formation issues.”

The formation issue comes to the president from two directions:

the faculty and the church. Often, our desire is to push the blame back up

stream to lack of formation in the church. In the past, the seminary com

munity itself provided a simple, sturdy framework for formation. Now,

the diversity among the student body and its part-time nature present ad

ditional challenges. Differences in gender, theological background, eth

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nicity, age, and life experience further complicate the process of forma

tion. Part-time students who come on campus and take only one or two

courses are difficult to engage in other more formational activities such as

chapel, discussion groups, common meals, prayer groups, and so on.

Traditionally, faculty advising and counseling with students was

understood to play the central role in student formation, but this role

is also made more complex by the diversity of enrollments and the in

creased presence of part-time and commuter students. Typically, semi

naries looked first to curricular reform, trying to find ways to inte

grate the disparate disciplines and contextual education through its

field education requirements. Most now recognize that formation is

not just about courses. It also has to do with other aspects of commu

nity life: worship, counseling, small group experiences, dormitory, li

brary, and food service. These issues cut across the divisions of the

seminary, though they may be lodged administratively with an office/

dean/director of “student affairs” or “community life.” A critical issue

for a seminary is whether it can understand “community life” as part

of the enrollment management process, whose goal is not only to

bring students into the seminary but to sustain them through their ed-

ucational and formational program into the ministry to which they

have been called.

What is the role of the president in formation? Perhaps the most

important thing is to acknowledge the issue and identify the intentional

and unintentional formation forces at work in the institution. The presi-

dent’s role is then to signify the importance of formation as the tran

scending issue in seminary education. The president must ensure that

the community practices hospitality and justice for all segments of the

student body. And the president also plays an important symbolic role.

In today’s seminary the president is often perceived as the CEO, con

cerned only with money and management. It is vital that the president

be one of the spiritual leaders of the community. This involves both for

mal acts, such as preaching and leading in worship, and the many infor

mal ways a president comes to know and share in the spiritual struggles

of seminarians.

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Conclusion

Presidents look for ways to get their institutions moving and steer them

when it sometimes seems like they are just spinning their wheels on a

slippery slope. There is a good rule for cars that are in that predicament:

put the traction under the wheels that turn. Your time spent as an enroll

ment president will give you traction and new energy, because it relates

the administrative and governance functions with the greatest source of

institutional vitality.

Additional Resources

We bsites

The Association of Theological Schools (www.ats.edu)

The Association of Theological Schools is the primary resource. Men-

tion has already been made of the comparative reports that are avail-

able from ATS. Other information and resources are available through

its Website.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (

www.case.org)

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is

the professional organization for advancement professionals at all lev-

els who work in alumni relations, communications, and development.

CASE offers a wide range of publications and services.

STAMATS (

www.stamats.com)

STAMATS is a for-profit consulting firm specializing in providing in

tegrated marketing solutions to higher education. Their Website offers

a rich variety of seminars, publications, and consulting services.

Graduate and Professional School Enrollment Management (

www.gapsemc

.com

)

Graduate and Professional School Enrollment Management

(GAPSEMC) is an organization that has worked many years with sem

inaries and other graduate schools on issues of recruitment and admis

sions.

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The following publications may also be useful, though they are written

primarily for an undergraduate market:

Dennis, Marguerite. A Pra ctical Guide to Enrollment and Re tenti on Manage

ment in Hi gher Edu cati on. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Co.,

1998.

Penn, Garlene. Enrollment Manage ment for the 21st Cent ury: Institutional

Goals, Accountability and Fiscal Responsibility. ASHE-ERIC Higher

Education Report, Volume 26, Number 7. Washington: George Wash

ington University Graduate School of Education and Human Develop

ment, 1999.

Seidman, Alan. College Stude nt Rete ntion: For mula for Stude nt Success.

ACE/Praeger Series on Higher Education. Westport, CT: Praeger Pub

lishers, 2005.

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 10

The President’s Role with External Authorities

VINCENT CUSHING, Washington Theological Union

DONN MORGAN, Church Divinity School of the Pacific

ALBERT AYMER, Hood Theological Seminary

OVERVI EW

Introduction

Relating to External Agencies

Initiate Relationships

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Make a Strategic Plan

Step Carefully When Necessary

Keep the Board Informed

Church and Accrediting Agencies

Reporting to Agencies and Academic Freedom

Working with Accrediting Agencies: Best Practices

Other Concer ns : Legal Counsel and Auditors

Conclusion

Additional Resources

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Introduction

The presidency of a school involves numerous institutional tasks. It is

important that the president focus on those key institutional tasks that

only the president can address. One task that requires presidential at

tention is the maintenance, and indeed the development and enrich

ment, of key relationships with external authorities. Note that the em

phasis is on relationship and institutional well-being, and not the mere

meeting of a prescriptive list of regulations. This larger view of develop

ing meaningful institutional relationships will necessarily entail being

institutionally accountable. The task is more than filling out forms,

more than rendering a perfunctory accounting, and more than merely

acknowledging an external agency. It entails presenting the institution

in its best light as a graduate school of theology and ministry.

In developing relationships with external authorities, the presi

dent needs to be sure that the institution’s work and response are char-

acterized by due diligence. Particular agencies have specific require-

ments, and these requirements govern the shape of an institution’s

response. Responding to these requirements necessitates oversight of

details to be sure that an institutional response is on target. In all cases, a

president needs to make an informed judgment on the degree of ac-

countability accorded an external agency and to respond to what is le-

gitimately asked — no more, no less. If an agency wants more detailed

information it will usually make that request in terms that are clear and

helpful.

Relating to External Agencies

Who or what are these external authorities? Every theological seminary

is broadly accountable to at least three external authorities, from each of

which come legitimate calls for accountability with an eye to reviewing

the integrity of the educational endeavor as carried out by a particular

institution:

•

the church, in regard to educating a range of ministers, both lay

and ordained;

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•

the state, in terms of licensing, charter, observance of non-

discrimination guidelines, safety, and building laws;

•

accrediting agencies, which are concerned both with institutional

functioning and with the development of curricula and the main

tenance of professional and academic standards.

Even when a school of theology or seminary is not specifically account

able to a particular church (e.g., in the case of interdenominational semi

naries), or not accountable to the state by virtue of separation of church

and state, it nevertheless has enduring relationships with both entities

that affect its educational program and institutional licensing. Finally, in

seminaries that participate in the Student Federal Loan program or

Work Study program, there will be a relationship with the U.S. Depart

ment of Education.

Initi ate R e lationships

In most cases, the best approach to dealing with external authorities is

one initiated by the president, characterized by personal relationships,

and done in a timely fashion. Delay, obfuscation, and careless or sum-

mary treatment inevitably spell disaster and serve neither party well. In

all cases, the president will need to draw upon institutional resources as

well as an array of personal skills. The task, as always, is to read the cli-

mate as accurately as possible and to design the best strategy to address

the particular regulatory agency.

A new president should send a letter of notification to all agencies

with which the institution has a relationship to inform them that he or

she is now president. If someone on the president’s staff knows the ap

propriate contact person, then the president should write to that per

son. In this letter, ask for confirmation of the date of the next accredit

ing visit and ask to be placed on the mailing list for workshops and

forthcoming information.

It is essential that accurate information be filed in a timely fashion

to meet deadlines. The president must oversee this and make sure that

staff will prepare the material and submit it to him or her for review.

When possible, the president should confer with knowledgeable

people — other presidents and key institutional personnel — to get a

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reading of the regulatory landscape of church, state, and accrediting

agencies. This should involve a candid, in-depth discussion of possibili

ties and pitfalls, potentially sensitive areas, and issues or practices that

might adversely affect an institution. Part of this conversation should be

the listing of key people who can be potentially helpful or harmful to a

school.

Communicate, Co mmuni cate, Co mmuni cate

David Hubbard, the late, esteemed president of Fuller Seminary, offered

sound advice for dealing with interested public constituencies: commu

nicate, communicate, communicate. This is true when things are going

well, but even more so if things are not going well. Nothing substitutes

for a reasonably open line, a friendly spirit, and a cooperative approach.

A president’s job is, of its nature, a public position, and the president

should be ready to look to the institution’s welfare and well-being. Insti-

tutional well-being is supported by sound, accurate, and timely commu-

nication. There is just no room for personal pique or institutional

grudges. The president will do well to show that he or she will walk the

extra mile, even when that entails travel or long discussions with accred-

iting agencies or church officials. Effective communication will include

the following three tasks.

Assemble a packet of infor mation for the agency

in acco rdance with the agency’s requireme nts.

This information packet should include, first, a personal cover letter

from the president, highlighting the mission of the school and its wish

to be in a productive relationship with the agency. In this letter, the pres

ident addresses directly the queries or concerns of the regulatory

agency.

Second, the information packet should provide other supplemen

tal information that might be helpful, including the following:

•

the most recent institutional catalog describing degree programs,

faculty, institutional governance, and accreditation, both special

and regional;

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•

when appropriate, enrollment data and key financial issues, espe

cially endowment;

•

student financial aid;

•

a summary statement of goals and future directions;

•

assurance of policies of non-discrimination and equal opportunity

employment;

•

any specific additional items in which the agency expressed an in

terest.

Familiarize yourself with the age ncy and with

signific ant agency personnel who h ave a legitimate

role with respect to your institution.

Obtain pertinent information from the agency on current regulations,

working policies, or confessional statements that have a bearing on your

institution and have significant import for your institution’s educa-

tional mission.

Be clear on the nature of the current inquiry to your institution. Is

it in regard to a normal review, to a new issue that has arisen, or a past is-

sue that was or was not addressed?

Review files for past reports, official letters, and agency actions in

regard to your school. Go back at least as far as the last state, church, or

accrediting agency visit and review the actions that were recommended,

how they were or were not implemented, and what your institution’s re-

porting history has been to that particular external agency.

Initi ate conversations with other schools that have had interaction

with the external age ncy with which your school is interacting.

Findouttheir“take”onthatagencyanddiscusswhatyouarepreparing

to address. Be especially alert to the particular agency’s working poli

cies that challenge an institution in substantial ways. Listen carefully for

peculiar idiosyncratic actions characteristic of the external agency and

their import for your institution.

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Make a Strategi c Pl an

Presidents should recognize the key role of strategic planning and as

sessment in responding to external authorities. A school will fare well in

addressing church, state, or accrediting concerns if it has implemented

those internal institutional processes that sound evaluation entails. This

is best achieved when an institution undertakes, on its own and prior to

any external prompting, the strategic planning needed and remedial ac

tions called for that enable it to fulfill its mission more effectively.

Particular key areas for review are:

•

fiscal soundness according to recognized criteria;

•

quality of faculty as professionally assessed;

•

curriculum goals and processes for review;

• orientation, composition, and operation of the board;

• student admission criteria (e.g., program, numbers, geographical

distribution);

• faculty development;

• building of endowment;

• physical facilities;

• student welfare, and especially financial aid;

• short- and long-term goals for the institution.

This list, by no means exhaustive, highlights the vital link between

reporting to external authorities and maintaining internal institutional

health. The maintenance of quality is best achieved through strategic

planning that is active, implemented, and reviewed annually by the ad

ministration and board. If an institution does not monitor its ongoing

health, it risks having problematic issues arise without warning.

Step Carefully W hen Neces sary

The president needs to understand clearly that he or she is the chief

spokesperson and protector of an institution and must be prepared to

do all that is necessary to ensure the inherent autonomy and culture of a

graduate academic institution. With most church agencies and accredit

ing agencies (but not all), the president serves the institution best by es

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tablishing a friendly, candid institutional relationship with the authori

ties of the agencies. The president should cultivate such relationships

even when there is no “official business” to conduct.

In some instances, however, the president may need to step care

fully, to respond courteously but in a circumspect way to inquiries. This

can be a particularly sensitive issue in regard to accrediting or church

agencies. In regard to accrediting agencies, it can happen that a visit

takes on the appearance of a review of an institution by the inspectors

general, thereby creating an atmosphere of defensiveness and occa

sional mistrust.

When a denomination treats its seminary or school of theology as

an “owned” subsidiary corporation, claiming that it is not for the school

to decide how it shall respond to inquiries or assessment, similar mis

trust can emerge. Additionally, confusion can arise when divinity

school trustees have officially divided loyalties: as an official of the insti-

tution and as a representative of the church. In this case, the president

needs to educate the board to understand that the school has certain in-

herent rights and that full commitment to the institution is needed for

the institution’s well-being.

At root, the conflict is between legitimate concerns of the church

and the need for a school to exercise the institutional integrity and au-

tonomy proper to a graduate school. The president’s task is to maintain

a balanced tension and educate all parties about the role of a graduate

school in both contexts of society and church.

Keep the Board Informed

Finally, the president should keep the chairperson and the executive

committee of the board of trustees fully informed about how the rela

tionship with external agencies is faring. The board of trustees is not in

any sense an external agency. Indeed, it is the very foundation of an in

stitution. No board reacts well to being surprised by a difficulty with a

church, state licensing agency, or accrediting agency. Indeed, some

board members may have contacts with officials in such agencies, in

which case their assistance can be of inestimable help. In any case, the

board members must be kept informed and their guidance sought in ad

dressing a specific concern.

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Church and Accrediting Agencie s

Accountability to church agencies, judicatories, general conferences,

and dioceses will vary from denomination to denomination. Some de

nominations have a separate authorization agency. In this case, a de

nominational seminary will relate to this agency on a regular and consis

tent basis, because it is a “way of life” for that denomination and its

seminaries. The president will do well to stay informed on a range of de

nominational requirements and to respond promptly and carefully to

periodic reviews or serious inquiries. It is especially important in relat

ing to church agencies that trust and confidence be fostered. The presi

dent should spend significant time each year with the professional staffs

of local, regional, and national denominational offices. In some denomi

nations, annual gatherings of the seminary presidents are held. These

become important opportunities for developing networks among col

leagues and also for becoming aware of emerging trends and require-

ments.

When a seminary trains persons for another denomination, it

needs to relate to that denomination’s authorization agency. At a mini-

mum, a president needs to be familiar with that denomination’s guide-

lines and timelines. Clearly, churches and denominations have choices

regarding the schools they will approve or encourage their ministerial

candidates to attend. Moreover, the informal network of communica-

tion between and among denominations operates quite effectively. In

every case of denominational review or inquiry, the response must be

custom-tailored to the particular culture of that denomination and to

the concerns of denominational officials.

The president needs to make sure that he or she, or a trusted and

acceptable alternative member of the staff, represents the institution at

key church conventions or assemblies where the school’s name, pro

gram, or actions are likely to be discussed. Seek introductions to key

officials to tell them of the institution’s interest in having an open, coop

erative relationship with the denomination. If warranted, invite denom

ination officials to visit the institution.

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Reporting to Agen ci es and Academic Freedom

It can happen that a church or denomination is not sensitive to issues of

academic freedom. Each school should have in writing its understand

ing of what academic freedom entails at that institution. When issues

about curriculum or instruction arise, as they do now in more than a

few denominations, the task for the president is both sensitive and dip

lomatic. The president has to attend both to the possibly bruised sensi

bilities of faculty and to the occasionally aggressive queries of a church

or denomination. In all cases, the task is to bring light rather than heat.

No faculty member should have to answer directly to a church agency,

even though this practice exists. A faculty member is part of an aca

demic collegium that ought to be characterized by processes for profes

sional internal review, debate, and the exercise of due process to ensure

faculty welfare. The task of the president is to remain in open communi-

cation with all parties and to insist that the school can best handle the is-

sue within professional canons and institutional due process. Issues

cannot be hurried, processes need to be observed, and equity must be

served. Difficult as it may be, the president needs to be both guide and

active mediator in this type of issue, and he or she must aid both faculty

and church in coming to a reasonable and just adjudication of issues.

Working with Accrediting Agencies: Best Practic es

Working with accrediting agencies is certainly one of the president’s key

roles. Tasks include decennial accreditation reviews, interim periodic

review reports and visits, annual reports, and scheduled follow-up re

ports and/or visits stemming from specific agency requirements. Each

is important and merits careful attention. A president needs to work on

two levels: both fostering amicable relations and implementing written

guidelines and regulations. In the case of seminaries and schools of the

ology, this also entails participating in annual or biennial meetings of

the Association of Theological Schools and regional accrediting agen

cies, serving on committees and visiting teams as time and schedule

permit, and observing within the institution the best practices recom

mended by the accrediting agencies.

The president should have a comprehensive understanding of the

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standards and regulations of the accrediting agencies of his or her insti

tution. There are six regional accrediting agencies in the United States.

Most accrediting agencies have published a number of helpful docu

ments that need to be read and implemented. Observance of these pub

lished guidelines will usually assure smooth passage through accredita

tion visits and periodic reviews. The guidelines also provide excellent

starting points for strategic planning and internal evaluation. They also

cover the areas that most visiting teams will be reviewing when they en

gage in institutional assessment. The president’s comprehension of the

standards of the accrediting agencies will enable him or her to guide the

institution in its satisfaction of those requirements.

Other Concerns: Legal Counsel and Auditors

Are there other agencies to which a school is individually accountable?

A distinction must be made between official accountability, such as ac-

countability to accrediting agencies, churches, and state licensing agen-

cies, and the normal accountability that a school owes to interested con-

stituencies such as alumni/ae, public supporters, and the general public.

Two areas, however, do merit consideration: relations with legal counsel

and accounting regulations. Both are increasingly important in institu-

tional life and both merit special attention. The guidelines are simple:

first, be sure that everything you say to counsel is true and presents a

rounded, accurate picture, and second, be sure that the certified over-

view of financial records and transactions accurately reports actual op

erations. A host of negative experiences will be avoided when the presi

dent makes a professional commitment to candor in legal counseling

and to accuracy in reporting finances. Understandably, the president

may rightly require that confidential conversations remain private, but

that is distinctly different from not being candid with legal counsel or

certified auditors.

New presidents upon assuming office should schedule a meeting

with legal counsel for the seminary. Legal counsel should not beamem

ber of the seminary’s board. Ask counsel to summarize legal issues or

concerns that have been raised by the seminary in the past two years. In

addition, ask counsel when best to consult with him or her and how

such consultation can become part of the president’s routine. A presi

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dent needs to talk to counsel about any matter that concerns employ

ment, property, fiduciary responsibilities, rights of students, due pro

cess for faculty, trustee liability, and any issue that might result in

litigation.

Accuracy in reporting is necessary in regard to statements of fi

nancial position. Recently in North America there have been painful ex

periences of certified audits not accurately portraying the financial situ

ation of a few large corporations. The same can and sometimes does

happen with institutions of higher education. This is a mistake. Negoti

ations can take place regarding what, in good practice, may be included

and released in financial information, but care must be taken that what

is released is a fair representation of the financial situation of the insti

tution.

A new president should schedule a meeting with the firm that pro

duces the seminary’s audit and financial statements. Ask the auditor to

review the audited fiscal reports and management letter (with responses

from the seminary) for two prior fiscal years, and note any concerns the

auditor highlights. If an institution participates in federal loans, have

the auditor review the last two audits of the federal loan program. Next,

review the terms of the contract that the auditing firm has with the sem-

inary and when the contract is subject to renewal. Finally, seek the audi-

tor’s opinion about the best practices for your business staff.

Conclusion

The presidential burden is, indeed, taxing. Experience teaches us that

observance of regulations is time consuming, demanding, and never

ending. Experience also teaches that it is to the distinct advantage of a

school and to the credit of the president when he or she pays careful at

tention to working cooperatively with external agencies. To fail to do so,

or to be careless in meeting deadlines, filing reports, and attending to is

sues, inevitably leads to tension and occasionally leads to an official

warning or institutional rebuke. No president wants to undergo such

professional disappointment, nor will a functioning board ignore it.

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Additional Resources

The Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada

(ATS)

ATS is very helpful in assisting schools to meet the Standards of Ac

creditation. Presidents will find both the staff and the available printed

materials very helpful.

Guidelines for ministerial education

Churches or judicatories sometimes publish official guidelines for min

isterial education, both ordained and non-ordained, such as the Roman

Catholic Program of Priestly Formation .

Reference works for specific church bodies

Reference works such as The Episcopal Churc h Annual or the Catholic

Directory can be very helpful. These volumes contain valuable infor

mation on the number of congregations, demographic distribution, as

well as various institutional and congregational locations regionally

and nationally.

Regional accrediting agencies

Most regional accrediting agencies have published helpful material on

such issues as outcomes assessment or how to prepare a response to

agency queries. They are frequently willing to provide professional

staff assistance when requested.

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 11

Personal and Professional Well-being

ofaPresident

DONALD SENIOR, Chicago Theological Union

MAXINE BEACH, Drew Theological Seminary

BYRON KLAUS, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary

OVERVI EW

Introduction

Provide for Leisure Time

Nourish the Pastoral and Spiritual Dimensions

of the President’s Role

Find the Necessar y Supports

Personal Ethics and Boundaries

Family and Spouse

Contract

Leaving the Presidency

Additional Resources

Introduction

The role of a seminary president can be demanding, and it takes its toll

on the physical and spiritual well-being of the one who holds this public

office. From the outset, for his or her own good as well as for the sake of

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the institution, the new president should be attentive to avoiding undue

stress and to taking the necessary measures to ensure a healthy way of

life. This is not just common sense but also a form of leadership by ex

ample. Faculty, staff, and students should be able to look to the presi

dent as an example of Christian leadership that can be dedicated and ef

fective without being self-destructive.

Provide for Leisure Time

The role of the Sabbath in our Judeo-Christian tradition reminds us that

making a place for rest is integral to a physically and spiritually healthy

life. Exodus 31:15 reminds us, “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh

day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord.” The diffuse demands of

the president’s role can easily lead to long days and nights on the job.

There are so many events, so many people to be met, so much paper work

to be done, perhaps a lot of travel. No one is invincible, and a frenetic

schedule will take its toll on a president’s well-being and ultimately impact

job performance and family life. Too many presidents of seminaries burn

out prematurely and have to leave office because of the physical and emo-

tional stresses of the job. It is important, both for the president and for the

institution, that from the outset the president strives to lead a well-

balanced life that makes room for rest and relaxation.

Everyone has his or her own way of relaxing, but common wisdom

has reminded us of some constants. Work in some amount of physical

exercise each day, whether this is a brief walk in a quiet spot or a regular

visit to a gym or a quick swim. Often these moments apart also serve to

calm one’s nerves and to put difficult issues in perspective. For more ex

tended times of leisure it is good to get away from the concerns of the

president’s office all together and to do something different. One presi

dent who grew up in a rural community found great satisfaction and re

freshment in tending to his garden and growing his own vegetables at

home. A game of golf or tennis—aslongasitisnotsimplyanother

venue for business — can also be restorative. So, too, are other pursuits:

the opera, hobbies, etc. The key is to be determined not to let the job be

all consuming and to find time for physically and spiritually refreshing

diversions built into your schedule.

Regular vacations during which the president is able to get physi

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cally and mentally away from the job are also crucial. These should be

built into the contract and taken seriously. The pressure of work to be

done should not be used as an excuse to forgo vacation time. Remember

that the president’s job is not done in a day, and one has to pace one’s en

ergies for the long haul for the sake of the institution.

Nourish the Pastoral and Spir itu al Dimensions

of the President’s Role

While the leader of a school of theology should make use of the best

practices of good management developed in business and other profes

sions, the spiritual dimension of the president’s role should not be for

gotten. First of all, the president should be attentive to his or her own

spiritual life. Financial concerns, the stresses and strains of personnel

issues, the fast pace of one’s daily schedule — all of these administrative

concerns can drown out or flatten the spiritual dimension of our lives.

We should resolve to intensify our spiritual life in this role, giving time

to prayer and devotions, recalling God’s presence in our lives and in our

decisions. While traditions differ in how one’s Christian life is nour-

ished, many presidents find it useful to schedule a few days each year for

a spiritual retreat — time set aside for reflection, rest, and quiet prayer

in a place of beauty conducive to the spiritual life. It is also helpful to

have a trusted friend or mentor who can serve as a kind of “spiritual di-

rector” to whom one can entrust anxieties and cares and speak honestly

about one’s spiritual life.

The president or rector of a school of theology is also a spiritual

and pastoral leader for the institution. While this role is conceived dif

ferently in various schools and traditions, all schools of theology look to

the president as an exemplary Christian and a thoughtful leader whose

values are consistent with the gospel. Many presidents who are or

dained find it helpful to occasionally preach and lead worship in a parish

or local congregation. Others who have a particular theological or pro

fessional background find it useful to lead workshops for pastors or

programs in continuing education. These occasions help presidents of

theological schools to keep in touch with the life of the church and re

mind them of their own calling as Christian leaders. International

travel, especially to developing countries, is also very useful and salutary

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— giving one an understanding of the global church, sharpening one’s

sense of economic justice, and providing a perspective on one’s work of

theological education for the sake of the whole church.

There are often occasions in the life of an institution when the presi

dentwill berequired to assume a particular pastoral role:a special anniver

sary, the death of a student or faculty member, a crisis in the collective life

of the institution, a shattering world event such as the outbreak of the Iraq

war. At moments like these it is often the president who guides the institu

tion to respond in an appropriately Christian way. Being attentive on a

daily basis to personal and professional spiritual responsibilities can better

equip the president to be of pastoral service to the school community.

Find the Necessary Suppor ts

Successful presidents understand the importance of finding support in

others as the pressures of the job mount. Obviously the president should

ensure that his or her key administrative colleagues and office support

staff are competent and trustworthy. A style of administration that in-

cludes proper delegation is also crucial. The president cannot do it alone.

Over time the new president will see opportunities to delegate some

tasks and responsibilities to others within the institution. It is important

to know when to “let go” of some tasks, rather than trying to keep con-

trol of everything. Presidents should also be self-conscious about their

use of time. Time management is a personal matter that requires discov-

ery of an individual style. If a new president is coming from a faculty role

or from a more solo type of work, he or she may be initially overwhelmed

by the multiple meetings, phone calls, e-mails, and complex issues that

come tumbling into his or her daily schedule. The president has to give

thought to how best to manage his or her time and how best to use the

skills of the staff in organizing the day and sorting out the traffic that can

come through the office. In other words, presidents should work smart

— finding ways to delegate properly, looking out for more effective ways

of managing time, and pacing the work of their office. These practices go

a long way toward reducing stress and fostering well-being.

Finding some trustees or other sponsoring officials who can be

discreet and trusted sounding boards when difficult issues arise is also

an important source of support. In most cases this should be the chair of

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the board, but sometimes a president might have more personal rapport

with another trustee to whom he or she can occasionally turn as a

trusted friend and counselor. There can be no substitute for a friend

outside of the institution from whom the president can count on receiv

ing guidance and support, one who knows him or her well enough to be

able to listen and, when necessary, to challenge him or her, and one who

has nothing to gain from the friendship with a president. Such friends,

who may be neither educators nor clergy, can tell the truth and give a re

alistic perspective about the president’s concerns.

Another helpful source of support is the experience of peers from

other institutions. Many presidents testify that talking with a fellow

president from another school can be a great source of comfort and wis

dom. A president who may feel beleaguered by financial pressures or

discouraged by an antagonistic faculty or staff member can find real re

lief in learning that many other presidents face the same problems and,

in some instances, have found ways to alleviate them. This, in fact, is one

of the advantages of taking time to attend programs sponsored by the

Association of Theological Schools (ATS) or by other professional soci-

eties. Besides the benefits of getting away from the campus for a few

days and having the stimulant of hearing new ideas, attending these

meetings also brings one into contact with peers who can be a genuine

source of wisdom and support. And one need not feel obligated to par-

ticipate in every session or event. Here, too, is potential time for rest and

reflection mingled with opportunities to learn and interact.

Personal Ethics and Boundaries

Presidents are not guaranteed sainthood in assuming their office. They

are just as human and frail as they were before becoming president of a

school of theology. Yet the public nature of the president’s role and its

impact on the tone and spirit of the seminary require that the president

more than ever before lead a life of integrity and virtue. This renewed

commitment to Christian discipleship should also be evident in the vir

tues of truthfulness, compassion, a sense of justice and fairness, and a

spirit of hope that the president brings to his or her leadership of the

seminary. The legitimate expectations of the seminary community that

their president will be a person of faith and lead a life of virtue can be a

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stimulus to renewing one’s spiritual life and to asking God for the grace

to live up to these new responsibilities.

While seeking the support of colleagues and friends is essential, as

mentioned above, the president must also be aware of possible pitfalls and

maintain proper professional boundaries in dealing with others. The po

sition of president holds power within an institution, however small the

school may be. There may be individuals who give great attention to the

president because of this power and position, and that can be flattering to

one’s ego and sense of worth. It is possible to maintain a productive work

ing relationship with such individuals, but in some instances this situation

could also be full of danger. Other factors can also bear risks: the isolation

of the president’s role can lead to feelings of loneliness and being cut off

from others in the organization; fatigue or stress can weaken one’s good

judgment. Many people will not want to say no to the president; maintain

ing proper personal and professional boundaries helps reassure a presi-

dent’s colleagues that he or she is trustworthy. The president, as a respon-

sible leader and as a Christian, will want to be alert to situations where

professional and spiritual intimacy could stray into an inappropriate rela-

tionship. The relationship of an employee with the president of the insti-

tution is never equal, and it is the responsibility of the president to main-

tain the proper spiritual discipline in such situations and to prevent them

from becoming a personal and professional disaster.

While maintaining professional boundaries with staff and con-

ducting oneself in a mature and honorable manner have always been an

expectation of the president of a school of theology, the present climate,

in which so many instances of harassment and abuse have commanded

the headlines, should make a Christian leader all the more alert to this is

sue. Here reducing stress, maintaining good health, and pursuing a vig

orous spiritual life combine to help the president avoid the pitfalls of ig

noring professional boundaries and exploiting relationships with others.

Family and Spouse

A president with a family obviously does not come alone to this respon

sibility. The role of the president is too difficult to take up without the

support of his or her spouse and family. The decision to uproot from fa

miliar surroundings and move to a new location is a cause of stress on

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any family, particularly on adolescent children. One’s spouse and family

have to be part of the decision to accept this role.

It is important to understand the expectations of the board and the

seminary community about the role of the president’s spouse and family

in seminary life. Also important are the living arrangements for the presi

dent and his or her family. While these expectations may be unwritten,

they are still very real. If those expectations are incompatible with the

convictions of the president’s family, then there should be clear negotia

tions about the possibility of changing expectations. No doubt the spouse

of a president should find some “niche” in the life of the seminary where

he or she can make some contribution and have appropriate connection

to the life of the school. Regardless of the spouse’s own professional ca

reer, the realities of the seminary presidency usually involve some visibil

ity for the president’s spouse and, to some extent, the family as well. The

key is finding the right level of involvement that is compatible with the

commitments and desires of one’s spouse and with the reasonable expec-

tations of the president’s public role in the community. To ignore these is-

sues in the beginning is to invite tensions and difficulties over time.

In many respects the life of the president can be a solitary one. The

president and spouse will have few peers on campus who will under-

stand exactly what the pressures of the presidency may be. The presi-

dent often has information about the institution or personnel that can-

not be shared with others. Or the president may have opinions about

individuals or situations that it would be inappropriate to express in

front of others in the institution. Relationships with staff and faculty

cannot become too familiar. To help offset such isolation, various de

nominational caucuses within ATS provide a place for peer support for

both president and spouse (e.g., the Fellowship of Evangelical Seminary

Presidents). ATS also provides programs for new presidents and other

opportunities for professional development. These programs can be a

source of information, inspiration, and personal support for a president

and his or her spouse.

Contract

Obviously many elements go into a proper contract between the new

president and the institution: fair compensation, adequate benefits,

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housing, length of service, lines of accountability, and so on. Each insti

tution has its own way of drawing up contracts. Presidents should not

be passive or hesitant about asserting their value to the organization at

the times of contract renewal, or else they risk having a bad contract,

which in turn can lead to feelings of hostility and victimization. ATS

has data that can help a board and president calculate fair compensa

tion. The attention to one’s personal and professional well-being dis

cussed above underscores some elements that can be overlooked in

forming the contract or work agreement between a president and the

seminary. The contract should include a satisfactory amount of vacation

time, and perhaps also, as some have done, a designated amount of time

for spiritual renewal such as some days for retreat. Some contracts have

included membership in a local health club as part of the compensation.

The contract might also include opportunities for attending profes

sional meetings and participating in professional development pro-

grams for presidents. While the expected role of one’s spouse and fam-

ily may not be spelled out in the contract, the contract negotiations are

an opportune time to discuss this issue.

The time of renewing the contract can also be an opportunity for

the president to invite feedback from trustees and others in the institu-

tion about the quality of his or her work and relationships within the

seminary community. Some have established a special committee on

the board that periodically confers with the president about his or her

well-being. The renewal of the contract can be a good occasion for this

committee to swing into action. The contract renewal is also an appro-

priate time to set new goals for the president in conjunction with the

board or church body.

Leaving the Presidency

For new presidents just entering their role, it may seem premature (or

ominous) to discuss leaving the presidency! But even if the completion

of one’s service as president may be years away, there is merit in think

ing about it from time to time at the outset of one’s presidency. Aware

ness that one “holds” an office rather than “owning” it can be salutary.

Some seminaries have set terms of office for the president; others may

have the president serve indefinitely at the will of the board; but in every

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case the term of the president is finite. At some point, God willing, the

president will leave office and turn to another task or ministry: teach

ing, pastoring, consulting, or just enjoying a leisurely retirement.

The sure prospect of eventually leaving the office can give the

president what the ancient spiritual writers called a sense of “detach

ment” — that is, the healthy realization that one is not irreplaceable or

invincible. Presidents are called to serve for a time and should give their

full commitment to doing so. But, at the same time, they do not have an

exaggerated sense of their own importance that could lead to arrogance

or an exaggerated anxiety from a fear of failing. One long-term presi

dent refrained from putting too many personal mementoes in his offi

cial office to remind himself that the office belonged to the seminary

and not to him. Such an attitude can help prevent one from being “wed

ded” to the job — leaving time and space for one’s spiritual life and for

taking care of one’s health. It can also help the president be aware that

many others in the institution are also important to its ongoing success.

Paradoxically, having a sense of the transitory nature of the job can help

a president be more committed to it and more effective in carrying out

its responsibilities.

Additional Resources

Bakken, Kenneth L. The Call t o Wholenes s: Health as a Sp iritual Journey.

New York: Crossroad, 1985.

All persons are in need of healing in every aspect of life. The author, a

physician specializing in preventive medicine, integrates learning from

both science and religion to present a holistic approach to well-being

that is rooted in an understanding of Christian principles.

Bass, Dorothy C. Rec eiving the Day: Christian Practic es for Opening th e Gift

of Time. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.

Time management is more than scheduling. In this book on the spiritu

ality of time, the author invites readers into a way of living that is both

alert to contemporary pressures and rooted in ancient wisdom. She

identifies specific practices for ordering the day, the week, the year, and

the lifetime — practices that enable us to live more richly and rightly in

time.

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Cicero, Marcus Tullius. “Laelius: On Friendship.” In T he Good Life. Trans

lated by Michael Grant. Penguin Classics Series. Harmondsworth:

Penguin, 1971.

Cicero’s treatise on friendship is worth returning to from time to time.

Daugherty, Rose Mary. Gro u p Spiritual Direction as Support fo r Ministry.

New York: Paulist Press, 1995.

A helpful guide to spiritual direction in a group setting, Daugherty’s

book can be applied to many situations in which people wish to deepen

their sense of God’s presence in their workplace.

Jones, Kirk Byron. Res t in the Storm: Self-Care for Cle rgy and Othe r Care

givers. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2001.

Jones’s book contains practical advice on ministry and spiritual ques

tions for more effective leadership.

Kisly, Lorraine, ed. Ordinary Gra ces: Chr istian Teachings on the Interior Life.

New York: Bell Tower, 2000.

This is a good desktop volume for dipping into from time to time. One

Jesuit commentator put it: “this book is ‘spiritual reading’ in the old

fashioned sense of the term.”

Larsen, Bruce. There Is More to Health than Not Being Sick. Waco: Word

Books, 1981.

The intent of the book is to give hope about oneself and one’s physical

well-being. It explores spiritual healing that is both biblically based and

clinically sound.

Moore, Thomas. Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating De pth an d Sacred

ness in Eve ryday Life. New York: Harper Perennial, 1994.

Moore is a psychotherapist whose Christian faith informs his wide no

tion of spiritual attitudes.

Muller, Wayne. Sabbath: Finding Res t, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy

Lives. New York: Bantam Books, 2000.

Muller’s book is a useful resource for theological practice and reflec

tion. This highly engaging book is a best-seller on the more popular

reading charts.

Muto, Susan, and Adrian Van Kaam. G rowing thro ugh the Stress of Ministry.

Totowa, NJ: Resurrection Press, 2005.

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Co-founders of the Epiphany Association, which assists clergy, reli

gious, and lay persons in deepening the life of the spirit, Muto and Van

Kaam offer helpful strategies for moving through stress rather than try

ingtogoaround it.

Oswald, Roy. Clergy Self-Care. Washington: Alban Institute, 1991.

A practical volume written by a seasoned church consultant that con

tains nuggets of wisdom for leaders at every stage and in every setting

of ministry.

Rolheiser, Ronald, O.M.I. The Holy Longing: The Se arc h for a Chr istian Spir

itu ality. New York: Doubleday, 1999.

The book is accessible but not squishy, learned but not supercilious.

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 12

The President’s Role as Symbolic,

Culture-f orming Leader

RICHARD J. MOUW, Fuller Theological Seminary

WILLIAM McKINNEY, Pacific School of Religion

BRIAN STILLER, Tyndale University College and Seminary

OVERVI EW

The Core Task

Naming and Shaping “the Main T hing”

The Presidency as Teaching Ministry

Teaching Outside the S eminary

Presence in the Community

Barriers to and Avenues for the Public Role

Teaching Inside the Seminary

Addressing the Larger Issues

Internal Audiences

Students

Faculty Members

Staff and Adminis trat ors

Potential Students

Alumni/ae

Tru stees

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Donors

Church Leaders

Nurturing “Inner” Resources

Additional Resources

The Core Task

When Derek Bok announced that he was stepping down as Harvard’s

president in 1990, he remarked that he would have some strong advice

for his successor. University presidencies have gotten very complicated

in the last few decades, Bok observed, and the danger is that presidents

will become exclusively managers and disconnected from the center of

the institution, which is, of course, intellectual education and research.

Bok said he would highlight this danger by advising his successor that

he would not be able to keep this from happening unless he was aware

of the problem from the very beginning. “You are going to have to be

much more creative in keeping it from occurring than I was,” he said. A

university president, Bok insisted, must observe very carefully what is

happening in the minds of other people and what is happening intellec-

tually in order to see how the university can pick and choose among new

opportunities thrown up by changes in each of these areas.

While presidents of theological schools obviously face some differ-

ent challenges than the presidents of large universities, leaders in theolog-

ical education do well to heed Bok’s general advice. If anything, the danger

he points to is increased when the management of the practical dimen

sions of congregational and denominational relations are added to the

mix. In all of this, a seminary president must be intentional about main

taining a focus on the overall mission of theological education. “Intellec

tual education and research” — which Bok rightly notes are at the center

of what any institution of higher education is about — will surely take on a

different tone in a theological school than in other academic contexts. But

however we may spell out the aims and purposes of theological education

in our diverse seminary settings, scholarly reflection that nurtures vital

teaching and learning is essential to the theological school’s mission.

In a talk he has often given to new Association of Theological

Schools (ATS) presidents, Robert Cooley identifies several “burdens” of

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presidential leadership, including “the burden of accumulated griev

ances.” In stepping into the presidential role, Cooley observes, a leader

immediately becomes the symbolic bearer of various institutional sins —

even some sins about which he or she may be completely unaware. This is

a poignant example of the symbolic dimension of presidential leadership,

but that dimension also includes many positive things, not the least being

the way in which the president is the symbolic bearer of the school’s mis

sion. The presidency brings with it an unavoidable obligation to represent

in a special way in words and deeds, not only the basic aims and purposes

of the seminary, but — even more — its highest aspirations.

Naming and Shaping “the Main Thin g”

Not all presidents will fulfill this obligation in the same way. Seminary

communities — more so than many other kinds of academic institutions

— draw upon various spheres of expertise in choosing their leaders.

Some come from the faculty ranks and others from pastoral and denom-

inational leadership contexts. Still others are recruited from parachurch

ministries or from various segments of public life. There is no one-size-

fits-all formula for exercising missional leadership in theological educa-

tion, but this much is clear: that kind of leadership must be exercised.

Some presidents will do so out of a long history of academic involve-

ment. Others will bring gifts that come from experience in other fields of

leadership. Whatever the background, a seminary president must at the

very least see to it that all who have a vested interest in the success of the

theological school are regularly reminded of — and inspired to maintain

their commitment to — “the main thing” in theological education.

Indeed, it often falls to a person stepping into the presidential role

to sharpen the school’s focus, articulating in fresh ways matters that

may have been taken for granted by a previous leader — and thus may

have been obscured in the minds of many others. Nor is this sharpen

ing/articulating role merely a matter of helping the seminary commu

nity better understand what it is doing. The president is not merely a

symbol and a clarifier of the institutional mission; he or she is also re

sponsible for actively shaping an organizational culture that is appro

priate for the carrying out of the school’s mission. A seminary can have

a clear understanding of its mission but be poorly served by its commu

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nal culture — that is, by the way it organizes in the light of an explicit

understanding of its core tasks and its life together — as it faces those

internal and external obstacles and opportunities that have a direct im

pact on the effective pursuit of its mission. It is the centrality of this

culture-shaping role that Edgar Schein highlights when he observes

that “the only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and

manage culture.”

The Presidency as Teaching Ministry

As Neely McCarter has stressed in his important book on the seminary

presidency, the office brings with it an important and unique teaching

ministry.

It is as a teacher that the president not only functions as a

symbol of the school’s mission but also takes responsibility for the

shaping and proper pursuit of that mission. Furthermore, to use an old

distinction, the president teaches both ad intra and ad extra: the presi-

dentteachesbothtotheinsideandtotheoutsideoftheseminarycom-

munity. The “internal” audience is rather easy to define; it includes all of

those who are directly involved in the life of the seminary community.

The “external” audience is the more difficult to delineate. We will look

at the extra audience first, then the intra. Lastly, we will conclude with a

brief word of encouragement to make room for the necessary “inner”

preparation for these roles.

Teaching Outside the Seminary

Presidential leadership should not only focus on the cultural formation

of the internal life of the seminary community but must also be directed

toward the ways in which other communities understand and shape the

patterns of their lives together. Obviously, seminaries must care deeply

about the cultural patterns of the churches they serve. Because churches

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1. Edgar Schein, O rganiz ation al Culture and Lead ership, 3d ed. (San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass, 2004), p. 2.

2. Neely McCarter, The President as Educator: A Study of the Semin ary Presid en cy

(Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1996).

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themselves have a mission to the larger human community, the cultural-

formation concerns of a seminary leader must have a broad scope.

Presence in the Co mmunity

The record of theological schools in fulfilling their external teaching role

has not been an outstanding one. In 1998, researchers at the Auburn

Center for the Study of Theological Education visited four U.S. cities

and interviewed leaders in various sectors of public life about their views

of religious leaders and their education.

Their conclusion was stark:

“Seminaries are virtually invisible to leaders of secular organizations

and institutions, even those in the seminary’s own region.” Seminaries

are known to religious leaders of their own traditions and to some large

and nearby congregations, but they are rarely seen as civic or educational

assets. And seminary leaders are as invisible as the schools they serve.

There were exceptions, of course: African American seminary

presidents tended to be known in the black community, and liberal rab-

bis were said to be visible on social issues. But generally speaking, semi-

naries and clergy were seen as not being present at the tables that count.

That presence is missed by many secular leaders. Some of those

interviewed wished that religious leaders would speak out on controver-

sial issues or sponsor social programs once run by governments. Even

more expressed the desire that religious leaders would at least “raise the

moral tone, not by advocating for a specific kind of morality, but by re

mind[ing] us of the ‘tough questions.’”

BarrierstoandAvenuesforthePublicRole

Why is the public teaching role of seminaries and their presidents — the

larger task of cultural formation, namely shaping the patterns by which

human beings organize their collective existence — not more evident

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Th e Presid en t’s Role as Symbolic, Culture-forming Lea der

3. Elizabeth Lynn and Barbara G. Wheeler, Missin g Connecti ons: Public Perceptions

of Theologi cal Education and Religi ous Leadership (New York: Auburn Theological Semi

nary, 1999).

4. Lynn and Wheeler, Missing Connections, p. 9.

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than it is? The answers are complex. Most seminaries are small, even

tiny, institutions and their presidents are pulled in many directions. The

central activity of many schools is the preparation of persons for minis

try in particular denominational traditions — churches whose members

and leaders are not all of one mind on public issues. A visible public role

on social issues can risk alienating large portions of the president’s key

constituencies.

Other schools, by contrast, have a long history of engagement with

social issues. Some seminaries have played highly visible roles in the So

cial Gospel movement of the early twentieth century, providing both sup

port for and opposition to World War II and the Vietnam conflict, and

promoting racial justice, gender equality, and the gay rights movements. It

is important to attend to the theological basis for these activisms.

Often, the most significant role of the seminary president is to

provide encouragement and support for faculty and students as they ex-

press their social convictions. Occasionally, however, presidents them-

selves are in a position to take direct action in support of a particular

cause, either as educators or as advocates. Some care must be taken,

however. New presidents sometimes struggle to recognize that their

voice often carries more weight than they were accustomed to in previ-

ous roles. Casual observations are sometimes read as proclamations

from on high: “Well, I heard the president of the seminary say....”

How can a theological school president exercise the teaching of-

fice beyond the walls of the seminary campus? It is important, first, to

root such a public role in the mission of the school itself. This can take

time in a seminary that has not expected such activity from its presi

dents. As Christians and as citizens, presidents have the right to speak

out on social issues as individuals; doing so a s presid e nt requires trust

that comes only from years of building relationships with the board,

faculty, staff, and others.

For schools that claim a role in public life, the role of the communica

tions officer is very important. For example, at one seminary the commu

nications director schedules a luncheon on campus with every new reli

gion reporter in its metropolitan area. The school wants to connect people

in the media with the president and faculty who are willing to respond

quickly to reporters’ requests. The communications director is also re

sponsible for helping school representatives prepare for interviews.

Seminaries can sometimes take the initiative when an issue is com

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ing to public attention. Pacific School of Religion, a seminary that is

open in its commitment to the full inclusion of gay and lesbian persons

in the life of the church, has been very proactive as issues facing the

LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community have arisen,

using op-ed articles in the local and national press, a Website on gay

marriage, and press releases on ministry issues. Some evangelical semi

naries, on the other hand, have taken the lead in supporting the tradi

tional idea of marriage and the rights of the unborn.

Presidents and seminary leaders are often in a position to play a con

vening and educational role on controversial public issues. In the days af

ter September 11, 2001, many seminaries sponsored special events for

area clergy and civic leaders to assist in helping communities deal with the

trauma of the 9/11 events. Audio versions of the seminary events available

on the World Wide Web were useful to hundreds of clergy across the

country. Schools often have teaching resources that are welcome and

needed at times when the public is wrestling with difficult issues. One of

the roles of a president is to find ways to make these resources more

broadly available without placing undue burdens on the faculty.

Presidents sometimes underestimate the readiness of public audi-

ences for serious theological engagement. Our media culture may tempt

us to think that the public is unwilling or unable to handle more than

sound bites, but folks in churches expect seminary presidents to have

something significant to say on the issues of the day and to connect

those issues to Scripture and tradition (and vice versa).

Teaching Inside the Seminary

In recognizing the need to address the theological school’s larger public

constituencies, we are acknowledging that the presidency serves as a

platform from which to engage in a teaching mission about some of the

key issues of the day — and again, that is a crucial mission. Presidents

often are tempted to shy away from taking on controversial social topics

— and they worry about faculty members who are inclined to do so.

That nervousness is understandable, but it must not stand in the way of

seriously engaging the agenda of the larger culture. As the Lilly Endow

ment’s Craig Dykstra has often observed, theological schools will be

clear about their mission if they can stay focused on these three ques

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tions: What is God doing in the world? How can the Christian commu

nity be aligned effectively with what God is doing in the world? And

how can theological schools best equip the Christian community to be

aligned with what God is doing in the world?

Addre ssing th e Large r Issues

Thinking about the purposes of God in the larger creation and the is

sues that must be addressed there from our specific faith perspectives is

no mere side issue in theological education. It is at the heart of our mis

sion. Keeping the questions before the school is a primary obligation of

the presidency. This means that the president must demonstrate an in

terest in, and a commitment to, that larger agenda by addressing the

“big” cultural issues as well as by encouraging others in the seminary

community to do so.

There is, of course, a necessary link between “external” and “inter-

nal” leadership. A president who energetically takes on the larger issues

of church, academy, and society cannot be effective if he or she fails to

establish a strong leadership role within the seminary community itself.

The presidential teaching role must also be directed toward all who par-

ticipate significantly in the carrying out of that mission: students, fac-

ulty, staff, the administrative team, trustees, and close friends and sup-

porters of the school.

This teaching ministry can be carried out in many ways, but the

ceremonial events are one fundamental opportunity for exercising pres

idential leadership. In their book-length study of academic leadership,

Michael D. Cohen and James G. March make a rather cynical comment

about the ceremonial addresses delivered by presidents. “Almost any ed

ucated person,” they observe, “can deliver a lecture entitled ‘The Goals

of the University,’” but there are very few people who will voluntarily sit

through that kind of lecture. This is so, they judge, because, “for the

most part, such lectures and their companion essays are well-

intentioned exercises in social rhetoric, with little operational content.”

We can hope that in the case of seminary leaders the “for the most

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5. Michael D. Cohen and James G. March, Le adership and Ambiguity: The Am eri can

College Preside n t (New York: McGraw-Hill Company, 1974), p. 195.

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part” clause is an understatement. The kind of people who study, teach,

administer, and support theological schools bring religious commit

ments to their institutional involvement that are often absent in other

academic settings. This is true to the degree that such people actually

look at the ceremonial events, where an account is provided of “the State

of the Mission,” as occasions to be inspired and reinforced in their dedi

cation to the school’s mission.

Internal Audie nc es

The seminary president has a unique opportunity to use many different

occasions to articulate a vision for the school’s mission, as well as to

point to dimensions of that mission that need special emphasis. A piece

of advice from Max De Pree serves as an important axiom for such oc-

casions: keep articulating the vision; if you think you are being too repe-

titious, this means that you probably have it about right.

Students

Students may never take a course from the president, but they rely on

the presidential vision to shape the nature of their studies and to provide

them assurance that the education they receive both is valuable to them

in their career and will carry with it a reputation that will act as valuable

currency in their careers and personal life.

Faculty Members

Even if they have a love/hate relationship with their president, faculty

members are the essential carriers of the vision, as it transplants its life

into the hearts and minds of its students. They — especially younger

faculty — need to hear the president’s vision, including strong words of

support for their central role in the seminary’s mission.

Staff and Administrator s

The staff and administrators provide the operational infrastructure of

the school. They, too, need to be assured of their crucial role in the mis

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sion; if there is no strategic planning, or if the phones are not answered,

or if the heating/air conditioning does not work, the mission will fail.

These people need to know of the president’s gratitude for their work,

and they need to see the president as someone worthy of their trust.

Potential Students

Potential students are looking for a place in which they will be well trained.

Even when the school has already been described by faculty, alumni, cur

rent students, and friends, it is often the president who becomes the sym

bol of the seminary. Students looking to invest time and money in their ed

ucation will want the president’s goals to match their own.

Alumni/ae

Graduates of the school will want the primary symbol of their alma ma-

ter to represent what they hope others will see as being of substance.

They will draw on the strengths of their seminary’s reputation. They

need to be aware of, and instructed by, the president’s vision.

Tr u stees

Trustees directly supervise the work of the president, but they are also

— in an important sense — “students” of the president. Trustees typi-

cally come to their work with a desire to be educated and inspired. They,

too, must draw strength in their commitment from the articulation of

the seminary’s mission.

Donors

Donors need more than the development staff for nurture. Some in par

ticular need very personal attention from the president, but all donors

need to be educated and inspired by the presidential vision.

Church Le aders

Church leaders will relate to different seminaries in different ways.

Howeverthatrelationshipisstructured,therelevantchurchleaders

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must be kept current about the seminary’s mission. The benefits here

are bi-directional: while church leaders need to be reminded of the im

portance of seminary education, they also need to provide necessary

feedback to the seminary regarding the ways in which the mission of

theological education can better serve the church’s mission.

Nur turing “Inner” Resources

It should go without saying that practicing the spiritual disciplines is a

non-negotiable activity for seminary leaders. A healthy spiritual life is

essential to effective leadership. In the light of what we have said here,

however, we must emphasize the fact that cultivating and nurturing the

inner resources for leadership also requires time set aside for thinkin g —

for reading important materials about issues in church, academy, and

the larger culture and reflecting on these matters in depth.

In addition, these times “apart” — for practicing the spiritual dis-

ciplines and for feeding the mind — must be schedul ed. They will not

happen unless they are made a part of the normal rhythms of the presi-

dency. Nor are they to be thought of as “off-duty” activities — as if they

are to be taken out of the time devoted to recreation, family relations,

and friendships. They are to be considered as a part of the regular

“work” of the presidency — an expectation that must be clarified in ex-

plicit terms with trustees and office staff. The duties described in this

chapter deal with issues that are crucial, not only for the success of an

individual presidency, but for the health of the larger mission of theo

logical education.

Additional Resources

Cohen, Michael D., and James G. March. L eade r ship and Ambiguity: The

American College President. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company,

1974.

This book is a classic study of the life of a college or university presi

dent. Presidents of seminaries will understand and appreciate the in

sights in this work.

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De Pree, Max. LeadershipIsanArt.New York: Dell, 1989; and Leadership

Jazz. New York: Dell, 1993.

These short and readable books by Christian businessman and long

time seminary trustee Max De Pree give a refreshing perspective on

leadership for seminary presidents who need to lead decisively but

without heavy control.

Lynn, Elizabeth, and Barbara G. Wheeler. Missing Connections: Publi c Per

ceptions of Theologic al Educati on an d Religious Leadership. New York:

Auburn Theological Seminary, 1999.

This study sought to learn what the public knows and thinks about

theological education. The authors report on the near invisibility of

seminaries in the civic and public arenas.

McCarter, Neely. The Preside n t as Edu cato r : A Study of the Seminary Presi

denc y. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1996.

Based on a three-year study, this book traces the background of the of-

fice of president and looks at the chief dimensions of a president’s work

today.

Schein, Edgar. Organizational Culture and Leadership. 3rd edition. San Fran-

cisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004.

In this third edition of his classic book, Schein shows how to transform

the abstract concept of culture into a practical tool that leaders can use

to understand the dynamics of organizations and change.

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 13

The Unique Issues for Racial/Ethnic Presidents

EDWARD WHEELER, Christian Theological Seminary

MICHAEL BATTLE, Interdenominational Theological Center

DAVID MALDONADO, Iliff School of Theology

OVERVI EW

The Purpose of This Chapter

The Role and Responsibility of a R acial/Ethnic President

Expectations Related to Racial/Ethnic Communities

Preaching and Community Involvement

Maintaining the Tradition while Embracing a Future of Change

Major Issues Facing Racial/Ethnic Presidents

Recognizing the “Cloud of Suspicion”

Carrying the Community’s Hopes and Aspirations

Handling Personnel Matters

Overcoming the Stereotype of Being “Second Class”

Creating a Culture of Inclusion and Diversity

Key Questions for Racial/Ethnic Presidents

How Can One Celebrate Heritage while Welcoming and Creating a

More Diverse Community?

What Pedagogical Method Is Best for Preparing Leaders of Racial/

Ethnic Communities?

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Where Can One Find Resources to Support Racial/Ethnic Institutions?

How Does One Assess a School’s Commitment to Racial/Ethnic Inclu-

siveness?

How Can One Avoid Making Race the Issue When It Is Not the Issue?

Supports and Resource s for Racial/Ethnic Presidents

Additional Resources

T he Purpose of This Chapter

This chapter is intended to identify and discuss some of the issues that

are unique to a person who becomes the president of a theological semi

nary and who identifies himself or herself as a racial/ethnic person. This

chapter seeks to complement the other content of this handbook. Most

of what a racial/ethnic president will encounter will mirror what any

other president will face or has faced. Therefore, it is important that a

racial/ethnic president also be familiar with the other essays in this

handbook.

This chapter is important for the racial/ethnic person who as-

sumes the presidency because in the United States (and to a lesser de-

gree in Canada) race has been and still is important. While it is our sin-

cere hope and belief that racism is not as pronounced or as acceptable as

it has been in the past, racism is still alive and well and all of us in this

culture have been affected by it. Thinking along racial lines is a funda-

mental aspect of American culture, and few have successfully moved

beyond that, even if they have come to value diversity and racial inclu

siveness. Therefore, a president who is racial/ethnic must come to grips

with what it means to be a racial/ethnic president in the context in

whichheorsheserves.

There are two very different but equally important contexts in

which these presidents operate: institutions that have been and are pre

dominantly racial/ethnic, and institutions that are and have been pre

dominantly European American (white). This chapter attempts to iden

tify distinctions in the way a racial/ethnic person might operate in these

two contexts even as the chapter provides some more general observa

tions that are applicable to both contexts.

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The Role and Responsibility

of a Racial/Ethnic President

Expectations Related to Racial/Ethnic Co mmuniti es

The role and responsibility of a racial/ethnic president is complicated by

the culturally influenced expectations that exist, whether or not they are

articulated. Some of these expectations result from lack of awareness of

the nature of racial/ethnic communities; others are rooted in the history

of racial/ethnic communities. A theological seminary, for example, may

select a Spanish-speaking (Latina/Hispanic) president who identifies

herself as Puerto Rican with the expectation that she will help recruit

Latino/Latina students from a largely Mexican population base. What

the search committee may not appreciate is the fact that there is tremen

dous diversity within the Hispanic Latino/a community and that one

cultural perspective does not always relate well to another.

In the African American community, the church has historically

been the center of the community’s life. Therefore, the community has

often seen the role of the pastor as the highest call/vocation available to

human beings. Though tempted by call and tradition, an African Amer-

ican president must be careful not to see himself or herself as the “pas-

tor” of the seminary. While there are some aspects of the presidency

that correspond to the role of the pastor, the two roles are not the same,

and an African American president must realize that fact early in his or

her tenure or that tenure may not last long. One important difference

between the roles of pastor and of seminary president is that African

American pastors have far more autonomy and independent authority

than most seminary presidents. Shared authority is the norm in most

seminaries. The president who ignores this reality will find his or her

presidency to be an uncomfortable experience.

Preac hing and Co mmunity Involvement

Another expectation relates to preaching. While the expectation that

the president of a theological seminary should be a good preacher is not

exclusive to racial/ethnic communities, it is almost a requirement in the

African American community. Preaching is the primary way a racial/

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ethnic president relates to and connects with the African American

community. A good preacher can earn the respect of the African Ameri

can community and thereby open up other opportunities for building

strong cooperative relationships between the church and the seminary.

This can also be problematic, however. A good preacher must work at

balancing the expectation of the community that he or she will be avail

able to preach on a regular basis with the institution’s expectation that

the president’s schedule will be more flexible to accommodate its needs.

One thing is clear: any racial/ethnic president who tries to fill both ex

pectations and is guilty of working seven days a week on a regular basis

to accomplish them will end up not doing either task well.

In addition to preaching, the racial/ethnic president is likely to face

requests to serve on several external boards, committees, commissions,

and other community organizations in the local ethnic community, in

the denomination, or within the broader theological network. The ra-

cial/ethnic president must be careful to find the balance between these

external activities (which may be beneficial to the seminary in many

ways) and the internal responsibilities that come with leading a theolog-

ical school.

Maintaining the Trad ition while

Embracin g a Fut ure of Change

In a predominantly or historically racial/ethnic theological seminary,

the racial/ethnic president may feel a natural kinship to the community

(especially if the president and the institution share a common racial/

ethnic identity). Nevertheless, the president has the role and responsi

bility, which may go unspoken, of remaining loyal to and protective of

the institutional history and heritage while at the same time moving the

institution into a more open and inclusive future.

Major Issues Facing Ra cial/Ethnic Presidents

Beyond the role and responsibilities of any seminary president, the ra

cial/ethnic president must be aware of a multitude of issues that are in

some ways unique. Understanding these issues and finding ways to ad

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dress them will strengthen his or her presidency. Some of these issues

are more prominent when a European American or white institution se

lects a racial/ethnic person as president, especially if the person selected

is the first racial/ethnic president in the history of the institution.

Recognizing the “Clou d of Suspi cion”

Because racism and white privilege are often institutionalized, the ra

cial/ethnic president must often overcome the unspoken perception

among faculty and staff (if not trustees) that he or she was selected for

reasons other than his or her skills and competencies. While all presi

dents must earn the trust of the communities they are to serve, the ra

cial/ethnic president of a predominantly white school often enters the

office under a “cloud of suspicion.” This “cloud” may include questions

about the selection process, about the person’s ability to lead a “white”

institution without making it a “racial/ethnic” institution, about the per-

son’s commitment to maintaining “excellence,” and even about the ap-

propriateness of the theological fit. The inherent presumption that the

standard for excellence is white and male means that the racial/ethnic

president must constantly prove to the Euro-American/white commu-

nity that he or she belongs in this role.

Church historian Justo Gonzalez observes that a far more subtle

but no less deadly and hidden racism surreptitiously suggests that the

new racial/ethnic president should be grateful for his or her appoint

ment to a white institution and should therefore be more malleable than

a Euro-American president. The racial/ethnic president of a predomi

nantly white institution may even find resistance from whites who have

been leaders in the fight against racism but who may unconsciously re

sent giving up that leadership to a racial/ethnic president.

Car rying th e Comm unity’s Hope s an d Aspirati ons

Another closely related issue is the fact that the racial/ethnic president

carries the hopes and aspirations of the racial/ethnic community. When

a racial/ethnic person is selected to lead a predominantly and histori

cally white institution, the racial/ethnic community often sees this as a

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triumph for that community and a tangible sign of progress. Because of

the community’s vested interest in the racial/ethnic president, however,

that community can have unrealistic expectations as to what the presi

dent can do. Furthermore, because the racial/ethnic community places

so many of its hopes and dreams on the success of the racial/ethnic pres

ident, the president often lives with the added burden of “carrying the

race on his or her shoulders.”

Furthermore, the racial/ethnic president must be aware of the his

tory of relations between the institution he or she leads and the racial/

ethnic community. This is important because both the institution and

the community may think that the racial/ethnic person should bridge

whatever gaps exist between the two and reconcile any continuing ten

sions. While this is an unrealistic expectation, the racial/ethnic presi

dent must be aware of past history and tensions.

Handling Pe rsonne l Matters

Personnel matters are a major concern for every president. The racial/

ethnic president at a largely white institution is likely to find personnel

matters complicated by the fact that racial/ethnic personnel may as-

sume that a president who looks like them and has an appreciation for

the cultural dynamics of the racial/ethnic community will automatically

be more understanding and perhaps more lenient in handling their par-

ticular situations.

While the president may indeed bring a different perspective and,

it is hoped, would respect the dignity of every person serving the semi

nary, it is crucial that the racial/ethnic president avoid handling person

nel matters in a personal way. The president must be sure that an ade

quate process for handling personnel matters is in place and that the

process is followed whenever personnel matters arise. Such processes

may make the president the final arbiter of personnel matters but only

after a rather extensive process of checks and balances has been com

pleted. Following the process closely will lessen the likelihood that there

will be legal grounds to challenge personnel decisions and will keep the

president from becoming the focus of matters related to personnel that

should be determined at other levels of the institution.

The racial/ethnic president needs to be prepared for the possibil

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ity that racial/ethnic employees and/or students will not appreciate

what may appear to them as the president’s “hands off” approach — or,

at worst, the president’s unwillingness to “stand up” for racial/ethnic

personnel. Nevertheless, the personal and institutional toll for the ra

cial/ethnic president (or any president) acting outside the rules and reg

ulations of the institution are far greater than the personal snubs or mis

representations that might arise.

Overcoming the Stereotype of Being “Second Class”

While the racial/ethnic president of a racial/ethnic institution may not

have to deal with such issues as the presumption of inferiority or the

“cloud of suspicion” based on race, he or she may have to contend with a

history of isolation and the presumption that the institution itself is

“second class” because it is racial/ethnic. The historical beginnings of

most racial/ethnic theological seminaries are tied to a history of racism

and segregation that did not allow people of color (especially African

Americans) the opportunity to enroll in predominantly white schools.

Even those institutions that prior to the 1960s accepted African Ameri-

cans into their graduate programs in religion had quotas that limited ac-

ceptance of racial/ethnic students to two or three per year. The histori-

cally African American theological schools emerged in this context, and

they still feel the need to prepare their graduates for leadership of his-

torically marginalized communities. In some ways, the desire of some

Asian communities to develop their own theological institutions paral

lels the development of African American seminaries.

Despite the historical reasons for the development of racial/ethnic

institutions, racial/ethnic presidents of these institutions must now

overcome the isolation of the past. These presidents must also over

come the racial stigma that these institutions are inherently inferior,

even among the partners that make up theological consortia in some ar

eas of the country. In the words of one African American leader, “Why

is it that a white school close to our institution would not allow its stu

dents to take a course at our school offered by an outstanding professor

while he was at our institution? However, when they were able to lure

him away from us with a much more lucrative contract, all of a sudden

he was good enough to teach their students the same courses for credit.”

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Racial/ethnic presidents are forced to deal with these realities even as

they must do all the other things needed to maintain an institution.

Creatin g a Culture of Inclu sion an d Diversity

One last issue for the racial/ethnic president is that of cultural/racial di

versity. This issue is facing all seminary presidents, especially in light of

the clear message carried in the Association of Theological Schools

(ATS) accrediting standards that racial diversity/inclusiveness is a wor

thy goal. However, there seems to be a special twist to this matter both

for the racial/ethnic president of a predominantly white school and for

the president of a racial/ethnic institution.

In a predominantly white school, the racial/ethnic president needs

to assess the institution’s commitment to racial/ethnic inclusivity and

help the institution understand racial/ethnic diversity and inclusiveness

as God’s gift to the whole church. This understanding should be culti-

vated at every level of the institution, beginning with the trustees and in-

cluding faculty, staff, and students. The racial/ethnic president cannot

be afraid to make this concern an institutional issue. The development

of clear guidelines requiring the identification of qualified persons of

color that represent racial/ethnic diversity in every institutional search

can help remove the personal aspects of the process. Furthermore, the

racial/ethnic president would do well to embrace the idea that his or her

election was a mandate for the institution to change, even though that

change must be managed carefully. Unless the election of a racial/ethnic

president was mere “window dressing,” the president needs to build on

the mandate. As one African American president said, “If I simply do

what all my white predecessors did, what is my contribution to making

the institution better?” What this president meant was that prior presi

dents had not pushed for a racially/ethnically diverse faculty, staff, or

student body. While the institution had clearly articulated this as a

value, it had not made racial/ethnic diversity a reality. The African

American president in question felt it was essential to the institution’s

future for it to become what others had only envisioned.

For the racial/ethnic president of a racial/ethnic institution, the

challenge of cultural/racial diversity is tied in with racial stereotypes

that we have already discussed. However, at a time when many second-

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and third-career students are choosing seminary based on location

rather than denominational or even theological considerations, the ra

cial/ethnic president who is intentional in attracting non-racial/ethnic

students, staff, faculty, and trustees has a good chance for some success

if the institution can reach out and build a broad-based and diverse con

stituency.

Key Questions for Racial/Ethnic Presidents

As with any presidency, the racial/ethnic president needs to identify

some key questions that have the potential to seriously impact his or her

work. The racial/ethnic president must identify and seek to answer

questions that relate to the racial/ethnic reality he or she brings to the

presidency and to the racial/ethnic reality of the institution he or she

seeks to serve. Some of these questions relate to the role and responsi-

bility of the president while others relate to the issues we have dis-

cussed. Once again, it is important to recognize that some questions are

different for a president in a racial/ethnic institution than for a presi-

dent in a predominantly white context.

How Can One Celebrate Heritage while Welcoming

and Creating a More Diverse Community?

For the president of a racial/ethnic seminary, a key question is this: How

does the president celebrate and promote the value and uniqueness of a

historically racial/ethnic institution while also attracting Euro-American

students and financial support?

Associated with this question are two related questions: What is

unique about the educational experience at a historically racial/ethnic

institution that makes such an educational experience valuable for per

sons outside that racial/ethnic experience? And how does a historic ra

cial/ethnic institution adjust or how much adjustment should it make in

order to accommodate increased numbers of non-racial/ethnic stu

dents?

Presidents will need to give thoughtful and creative attention to

these questions.

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What Pedagogic al Meth od Is Best for Preparin g

Leaders of Racial/Ethnic Communiti es?

Several racial/ethnic schools are now examining their pedagogy in light

of their commitment to prepare leadership for the African American

church. In Puerto Rico, the seminary prepares persons for ministry for

both Puerto Rican and U.S. contexts. Some Asian American schools of

fer classes in the native language of their constituency in the hope of

providing a quality theological education for persons who do not have

English as their primary language and whose ministry is to communi

ties where the native tongue is not English. Other racial/ethnic schools

have sought to attract a diverse population by adjusting some courses to

reflect the concerns of non-racial/ethnic students.

Where Can One Find Resources

to Su pport Racial/Ethnic Institutions?

The struggle to find adequate financial resources for theological educa-

tion is certainly not restricted to presidents of racial/ethnic seminaries.

It does appear, however, that the problem of limited resources is magni-

fied at historically racial/ethnic schools, especially among African

American institutions. The limited amount of denominational support

available for theological education from historic African American de-

nominations, added to the large amount of financial aid needed by stu

dents and the limited resources available in the African American com

munity, often means that these schools have to be extremely prudent in

the use of their funds. In such an environment, how do racial/ethnic

presidents of racial/ethnic institutions compete with wealthy institu

tions for the best racial/ethnic students and the most promising racial/

ethnic faculty? Furthermore, how might the president enter into part

nerships with other theological schools that are predominantly white —

partnerships that would be mutually beneficial and respectful rather

than dominating and paternalistic?

These questions are not easily answered, but racial/ethnic institu

tions need not give up too early in the search for top quality students or

faculty members. Select, intensive recruiting at historically African

American colleges and universities as well as connecting with campus

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ministers and African American pastors in towns where predominantly

white colleges are located may uncover strong candidates. Working

with the Fund for Theological Education may also prove invaluable for

identifying young scholars and potential students. Partnerships that are

mutually beneficial often emerge out of personal relationships that are

based on commonly held values and ideals. It may not always be easy to

find partners, but it helps to know what one wants from a partnership

and what one brings to such an enterprise that will help both institu

tions achieve their goals. At a time when many strong white theological

schools want to find ways to be diverse and cross-cultural, historically

racial/ethnic schools may be surprised by the potential for partnerships

that are mutually beneficial.

How Does One Assess a Sc hool’s Commitment

to Ra cial/Ethnic In c lusive ness?

The racial/ethnic president of a predominantly white institution needs to

ask the seminary, How committed is the institution to racial/ethnic diver-

sity and inclusivity? How important is racial/ethnic diversity to the insti-

tution’s strategic plan and overall mission? This conversation must begin

with the board of trustees, but it needs to be extended to the entire com-

munity. Unless the broad community is clearly committed to diversity as

part of the mission and strategic plan of the institution, attempts to create

a more racially/ethnically diverse community will most likely fail regard

less of the individual efforts of the president. A racial/ethnic president

should not be surprised if there is institutional resistance to this institu

tional culture shift. After all, there is always some resistance to change.

The president can know the level of resistance based on such indi

cators as how much effort the faculty puts into locating solid racial/eth

nic candidates for faculty vacancies, whether the board seeks out racial/

ethnic persons for board membership, and tracking the efforts made to

recruit racial/ethnic students. If these efforts are inconsistent with the

statements on paper and the verbal articulations made by the institu

tion, the president needs to identify these inconsistencies and begin to

rectify them with the support of the board. If the board is not support

ive, the racial/ethnic president may need to reconsider whether he or she

is a good match for the school.

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How Can On e Avoid Making Race th e Issue

WhenItIsNotthe Issue?

Another important question that the racial/ethnic president of a non-

racial/ethnic institution must raise for himself or herself has important

consequences for the well-being of the president and for the success of

the president’s tenure. The question is this: How does a racial/ethnic

president avoid prematurely concluding that an issue or a concern is ra

cially motivated?

Racial/ethnic persons who have experienced the demeaning and

debilitating effects of racism and racial discrimination must be careful

not to think that every instance of opposition, disagreement, or even

disrespect is racially motivated. Some of the tensions and opposition,

misunderstandings and conflicts that a president will encounter are

simply the baggage that comes with the presidency. A racial/ethnic pres-

ident who wants to avoid unnecessary stress and who wants to prevent

polarizing the community on issues of race needs to be very careful that

he or she does not prematurely conclude that normal conflicts are al-

ways racially motivated. At the same time, when it is clear that issues are

racially motivated or have their genesis in disrespect for racial/ethnic

leadership, the president must find ways to address that openly and with

integrity.

It is important that a racial/ethnic president in a predominantly

white institution identify persons (preferably board members or out-

side persons) who can help him or her determine when an issue is ra

cially charged. Identifying persons to talk to about this sensitive matter

is not always easy, but it is not impossible. While the presidency is most

often lonely, it is rare for racial/ethnic presidents not to have someone in

their institutions they might trust. A good rule to follow is never to react

when you are angry. Wait until you have had time to reflect on the situa

tion before talking to anyone. Once the emotions have calmed, the ra

cial/ethnic president might then have the conversation about the inci

dent. Usually a board member who has been supportive is a good

person to talk to, as is the chair of the search committee that selected the

president. Another person who might prove helpful is a senior pastor

whom the racial/ethnic president knows and trusts. Such conversations

can provide solid insights into what occurred and how it might best be

addressed.

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Erring on the side of caution is always wise for any president, but it

is especially important for a racial/ethnic president dealing with poten

tial issues of racial prejudice and racism.

Suppor ts and Resources for Racial/Ethnic Presidents

Unfortunately, there is not a large body of written resources a racial/

ethnic president can turn to for help in learning this wonderful but diffi

cult vocation. There are, however, some books that can provide helpful

insights into how some other racial/ethnic persons handled difficult

leadership opportunities. A few of these resources are identified below.

Nevertheless, there are other learning opportunities that are very

useful. Among the most helpful are the ATS-sponsored seminars for

new presidents and the weeklong “President’s Leadership Intensive.”

While these gatherings are not specifically designed for racial/ethnic

presidents, there is much to be learned about the work of a president in

these meetings. One key insight gained in these meetings is just how in-

volved and complex the job is and how much presidents across the theo-

logical spectrum share common concerns and challenges in their work.

Another important meeting is a gathering of African American

presidents and CEOs that is facilitated by ATS. At the time of this writ-

ing, the group is relatively new, and its agenda is still quite flexible. The

meetings are important for fellowship, conversations about particular

problems facing these presidents, and exploring ways in which theologi-

cal education as a whole can benefit from the experiences, challenges,

and insights that emerge from the racial/ethnic perspective.

Insights into the challenges of theological education and into cre

ative solutions also emerge from participating in accreditation site vis

its. These visits are rarely convenient, are sometimes difficult, and al

ways require commitment, dedication, and hard work, but persons who

are involved in this process of peer evaluation come away from the en

counter with a better understanding of the nature of presidential leader

ship. The insights acquired are adaptable to racial/ethnic presidencies

whether they are in predominantly white or racial/ethnic institutions.

Racial/ethnic presidents can also benefit from having a mentor.

Where does a racial/ethnic president turn for mentoring? Although

finding a good mentor may not be easy for any president, it is particu

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larly difficult for racial/ethnic presidents because there are not many ra

cial/ethnic persons who have been presidents of theological schools and

have retired and remained active. Therefore, a racial/ethnic president

who wants to establish a meaningful relationship with an experienced

mentor may have to turn to a white colleague for mentoring.

While there is no “one size fits all” solution to this issue, there are

some things that need to be considered. The racial/ethnic president

needs to be comfortable with the idea of having a mentor. The mentor

probably needs to have had a long and successful tenure as president.

Another important concern is the necessity that the mentor has a track

record of relating well to racial/ethnic persons and a history of address

ing racial/ethnic issues as a president. What a racial/ethnic president

does not need is a mentor who is paternalistic or who forgets that he or

she works for the president. While there are many other issues to be

considered, before committing to a mentor the racial/ethnic president

must have a face-to-face meeting with any potential mentor. No matter

what the resume says, both parties need to feel a good personality

match. Without this rapport, the mentoring relationship will not pro-

duce the desired results. One racial/ethnic president who has had a

mentor states, “We began with a mutual respect that has developed into

a true friendship.” Mentoring will work when it reaches that level of

trust.

Racial/ethnic presidents face unique challenges. These challenges

emerge out of a painful history of racial relations in the United States

and to a lesser degree in Canada. Nevertheless, these challenges can be

overcome and theological education can be blessed by the perspectives

racial/ethnic leaders bring to the table. Nurturing racial/ethnic presi

dents and giving them a chance to succeed is important for the future of

theological education. May this chapter provide helpful information

that enhances the opportunities for successful presidencies by persons

who represent racial/ethnic communities.

Additional Resources

Aaron, Hank, with Lonnie Wheeler. I Had a Hamme r : The Hank A aron

Story. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991.

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This book is a source of inspiration to any African American president

(or a president from any racial/ethnic background) because it is the

story of overcoming racism, prejudice, and one’s own fears of inade

quacy to achieve at the highest possible level and still maintain a humble

spirit. Hank Aaron’s challenges will be particularly familiar to African

American presidents in predominantly white schools. While many of

Aaron’s challenges are less overt now, unfortunately they are still pres

ent and require the depth of character, commitment, and focus shown

by Hank Aaron if African Americans are going to be successful in these

relatively new leadership roles. Even persons who are not baseball fans

will find it hard not to garner useful lessons from I Had a Hammer.

Benjamin, Lois. Bl ack Women in the Academy: Promises and Peri ls. Gaines

ville: University Press of Florida, 1997.

This story presents the struggles and successes of women of color who

have made exceptional contributions to the field of higher education.

Fromthe discussion ofblack womenfaculty to black women who havebe-

come exceptional college and university presidents, Dr. Benjamin re-

counts these amazing stories in first-person style and voice. The road to

leadership in the academy for women in general has been difficult, but for

African American women there have been the special challenges of race

as well as gender. These stories are significant formen and women andare

a must-read for young faculty who look toward academic leadership.

Benjamin, Lois. Dreaming No Sm all Dreams: Wi lliam R . Harvey’s Visionary

Leadership. Irving, TX: Tapestry Press, 2004.

This story of visionary leadership provided by Dr. William R. Harvey,

president of Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, discusses the

remarkable style and substance of leadership character. His gifted lead

ership allowed Hampton University to evolve from Hampton Institute,

a college of fewer than 3,000 students with no doctoral degree offer

ings, to a university of nearly 7,000 with a host of PhD programs and

major scientific research. During his tenure, Hampton’s endowment

has grown significantly, and its fiscal and physical plant have expanded

dramatically.

Lewis, Reginald F., and Blair S. Walker. “Wh y Sho uld White Guys Have All

the Fun?” How Reginald Lewis Created a Billio n-Dollar Busin ess Empire .

New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1995.

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In some ways this book is about the “ins and outs” of high stakes busi

ness maneuvers. On another level, however, this book is about the abil

ity of intelligent, hard-working African Americans to overcome the ob

stacles and challenges posed by racism and a lack of access to the power

brokers in this society. Lewis’s story is about the power inherent in vi

sionary leadership. That power is applicable to the educational enter

prise as well as to the business sector.

Mays, Benjamin E. Born to Rebel: Autobi ography of Benjamin E . Mays. New

York: Scribner’s Sons, 1971.

Thisoldclassicistheautobiographyofoneofthetwentiethcentury’s

greatest educators. Born in the racist, segregated South at a time when

life was hard and the odds against the successful entrance of people of

color into the mainstream of American life were overwhelming, Mays’s

book tells the story of how he beat the odds. While the entire book is of

inestimable value to the reader, of particular interest and value to Afri-

can American presidents and educational leaders is the book’s focus on

theyearsDr.MaysservedaspresidentofMorehouseCollege.Thissec-

tion demonstrates how effective leaders make tough decisions, garner

support for new and challenging visions, and bring those visions to real-

ity. Dr. Mays’s character and integrity can be seen throughout the book

and help the reader realize once again that style without substance will

not endure the pressures associated with presidential leadership.

Nelms, Charlie. “From Cotton Picker to University CEO.” In Grass Roots

and Glass Ceilings, edited by William B. Harvey. Albany: State Univer

sity of New York Press, 1999.

Charlie Nelms was chancellor of Indiana University East when he

wrote this chapter. His remarkable and unique story provides insights

that are extremely valuable for those who are interested in or leading

educational institutions. From his description of the importance of net

working to the kinds of opposition he faced upon becoming chancellor

of a predominantly white campus of a major university, Nelms’s per

spectives are relevant to all those in higher education leadership. His

insightful analysis of the nature of racism on university campuses fo

cuses on resolution rather than on finger pointing. While some of the

specifics of Nelms’s chapter do not fit the context of most theological

seminaries, for African American presidents the chapter will, never

theless, provide many moments of identification and reflection.

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The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 14

TheUniqueIssuesforWomenPresidents

MARTHA HORNE, Protestant Episcopal

Theological Seminary in Virginia

HEIDI HADSELL, Hartford Seminary

LAURA MENDENHALL, Columbia Theological Seminary

OVERVI EW

Introduction

Do Women Presidents Face Unique Challenges?

The Challenge of History: Women’s Traditional Roles in Religious

Institutions

Challenges in Relationships with Other Religious Groups

Challenges to Authority

The Challenge of Being “the First”

Challenges of Family

Questions to Ask

Would This Be Happening If I Were a Man?

What Have I Learned from Similar Challenges in Other Contexts?

Where Can I Find Support in Doing My Job?

Signs of Change

Do Women Exercise a Different Style of Presidential Leadership?

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The Joys of Being a Seminary President

Additional Resources

Introduction

In 1991, Barbara Brown Zikmund conducted a research project to iden

tify and explore the needs and concerns of women in executive leader

ship positions in theological schools.

At that time, fewer than 3 percent

of the 211 schools listed in the Association of Theological Seminaries

(ATS) Membership List were headed by women. Six women served as

president or chief executive of ATS schools: four served in accredited

schools, while two others headed schools with associate status within

ATS. A higher percentage of women served as chief academic officers,

with fifteen women representing slightly more than 7 percent of ATS

schools.

As of January 1, 2005, the number of women serving as presidents

of theological schools listed in the ATS Membership List had grown to

sixteen, or 6.3 percent of 251 schools. The number of women serving as

chief academic officer had risen to thirty-six, representing 14 percent of

the total.

Despite the growth in the number of women in chief administra-

tive positions in theological schools, they remain a distinct minority

withintheATS.Asthenumberofwomenteachingintheological

schools has increased substantially in recent years, the number of

women presidents has grown at a much slower rate.

Do Women Presidents Face Unique C h allenges?

This chapter is predicated on the assumption that women who serve as

presidents of theological schools face unique challenges that are not ex

perienced by their male counterparts. This assumption has been the

subject of some thoughtful reflection and lively conversation among

nine women presidents who responded to inquiries during the writing

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1. Barbara Brown Zikmund, “Walking the Narrow Path: Female Administrators in

ATS Schools,” in Theological Education, Autumn 1992, pp. 55-65.

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of this chapter. Most conclude that they have, indeed, faced issues and

challenges that are unique to them as women. At the same time, as will

be seen, they are wary of assuming that many of the challenges they have

faced are not also experienced by men. At least one woman president is

reluctant to say that the challenges of the seminary presidency are dif

ferent for her as a woman.

The Challenge of Histo ry: Women’s Traditi onal Role s

in Religious Ins titutions

Unlike their male colleagues, women presidents must overcome centu

ries of historical precedence in which women were not afforded access

to positions of leadership within religious organizations and institu

tions. Although often acknowledged as possessing gifts for pastoral

care and spiritual discernment, women have traditionally been excluded

from significant leadership roles in the official structures of the world’s

major religions. It has only been within the last century, and within only

some religious communities, that women have begun to assume roles

that traditionally belonged solely to men — hence the appearance of

women clergy and rabbis within some Protestant Christian and Jewish

communities. Even as some churches and denominations have moved to

ordain women, acceptance of women in the upper echelons of religious

leadership has been slow to evolve. Within some churches, for example,

women can serve as pastors or ministers within a congregation, but not

as bishops with vested authority for ecclesiastical oversight and gover

nance. In many religious organizations and institutions, the privileged

place of males in the highest positions of leadership is still very much in

tact.

In seminaries, as in congregations, certain leadership roles were

long understood to be suitable for men, but not women. Participation in

the decision-making functions of the seminary has been heavily

weighted toward men, with males holding senior administrative posi

tions and filling the majority of seats on boards of trustees. The fact that

the number of women serving as presidents or academic deans has re

mained small while the number of women teaching in seminaries has

grown steadily attests to the challenge women still face to “prove them

selves worthy” of senior administrative posts. Men move into the office

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of the seminary presidency with challenges of their own, but without

the need to prove that they, as male human beings, are up to the de

mands of the job.

Challenge s in Re lationships with O ther Re ligious Groups

A second and related challenge identified by women presidents occurs

within the context of interfaith or ecumenical circles in which women

are still not accepted as religious leaders. One woman tells of hosting a

meeting at her school where the guest of honor was a prominent Iranian

imam. As he was introduced to her, she instinctively reached forward to

shake his hand in welcome. He quickly withdrew his hand, nodded to ac

knowledge her, and walked past her to a group of male faculty. A mem

ber of his entourage whispered to her that “Imams of his stature do not

touch women,” leaving her both embarrassed and concerned that she

had offended an honored guest. When she later wondered aloud to her

staff why no one had alerted her in advance, she was met with a shrug of

the shoulders, and the response, “Well, it probably just didn’t occur to

anyone that the president would be a woman.”

Similar experiences occur within theological consortia where

member schools include Roman Catholic and Protestant seminaries.

Although women report a high level of collegiality among the chief ad-

ministrators of schools within their consortium, tensions occasionally

arise around shared leadership in worship events. The same can be true

within some denominational settings. One woman, the only woman

president among several seminaries in her denomination, never takes a

turn presiding at the Eucharist during the annual meeting of denomina

tional presidents, despite her seniority, because her ordination is not

recognized as valid by one of her colleagues and the seminary he repre

sents.

Challenge s to Authority

It is not uncommon, particularly within institutions where women have

not previously served at a senior administrative level, for female presi

dents to find their authority challenged by members of the community.

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Several women speak of awkwardness in their relationships with

women who serve as support staff. They may find themselves reluctant

to ask women staffers, particularly if they are older, to make coffee or

clean up after a meeting. At the same time, women staff members who

are accustomed to working primarily with men may defer to senior male

administrators in meetings while challenging the authority of the fe

male president. The burden of proof falls on women to demonstrate

that they are able to perform the duties of their office.

The Challenge of Being “the First”

As of this writing, most women serving as seminary presidents are the

first to hold that office in the history of their schools. Many are also the

first woman to head a theological school within her denomination, and

some are still the only woman president among the seminaries of her

denomination. These women often report a persistent undercurrent of

performance anxiety during the early months and years of their presi-

dencies, accompanied by a fear of failing at the job and thereby making

it more difficult for women to be considered for future executive posi-

tions.

This concern, which was raised by nearly all the women inter-

viewed for this chapter, is perhaps a natural outgrowth of the continuing

assumptions many people have about the appropriateness of women’s

leadership in certain roles, as discussed above. In demonstrating com

petence for their job, many women feel that they were scrutinized more

carefully than men, especially around the “hard decisions” involved in

management of budgets, endowments, and property. They believe that

they were closely watched until they had proven themselves to be com

petent and effective leaders. Some worried that any inadequacies or

weaknesses in their job performance would be seen as a reason to deny

other women opportunities to fill senior leadership roles.

This is not to say, of course, that male presidents do not worry

about failing or being perceived as inadequate in their work as presi

dents. What is perceived as different for women, particularly those who

are “firsts” in their schools or their denominations, is the strong sense of

responsibility they feel, not only to their own institutions, but to other

women. Women often speak of a desire to succeed not only for them

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selves and their schools, but also for the sake of women who will come

after them.

It should be noted that some women presidents who are ordained

recognize this challenge as a familiar one, having felt the same pressure

to succeed as the first ordained woman to serve in one or more congre

gations, or the first woman to be a senior pastor within her judicatory. It

would be surprising if a similar challenge is not also identified by men

who are the first of their racial or ethnic identity to occupy the presi

dency within their institutions.

Challenge s of Family

Many women become seminary presidents after their children are

grown and have left home. For those with children at home, however,

challenges of balancing family life with the demands of the job, includ-

ing travel and frequent evening events, are great. This is certainly true

for men, as well, as it is for women in other high-profile or demanding

positions. A woman chief executive, who is a single parent with children

at home, cites family issues as one of the greatest challenges she has

faced as a woman. Although traditional roles of women and men have

been undergoing change in recent years, with fathers assuming a larger

role in the care of children and home, in many places the expectation re-

mains that the mother will be the one to rearrange her schedule to care

for children who are ill or unexpectedly at home because of inclement

weather. Women find themselves torn in such situations: they want to

put the welfare of their children first, but they fear that they will be re

garded as unable to fulfill the responsibilities of their job or relegated to

the dreaded “mommy track.” Similarly, they are more likely to be criti

cized for working at night or on weekends when there are children at

home, even as their male colleagues may be lauded for working long

hours on behalf of the school.

Despite the difficulty many women report in achieving balance in

their lives, one has found in her new status as chief executive an “oppor

tunity for modeling a new understanding of time off and of putting fam

ily first. I have well-established boundaries and try to witness to a bal

anced life,” she says. Her success in this goal offers hope and promise to

other women who have yet to achieve the elusive balance.

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It is interesting to note that men who are married to women presi

dents tend to have far fewer expectations placed upon them for partici

pation in the life of the seminary community. Husbands of women pres

idents who are engaged in the practice of ministry or in other

professions may be praised and commended for their support of their

wives’ vocations when they simply show up for community events.

Wives of male seminary presidents, on the other hand, often find that

their institutions expect them to entertain frequently and to engage in a

range of other activities. They may be expected to sing in the choir, to

serve as advisor for student spouses’ groups, or even, in one case, to

wash and iron the linens used in the seminary worship services. This ex

perience is not unlike that of many male spouses of female clergy, who

usually find themselves able to live their own lives free of congregational

expectations about their proper role in the community.

QuestionstoAsk

Woul d This Be Hap pening If I Were a Man?

When faced with a challenge to her authority, or with a range of other is-

sues, a female president may be tempted to assume that the problem ex-

ists because she is a woman, or that it is more complicated because she is

a woman. Sometimes this question cannot be answered; there simply is

no way of knowing. In the majority of cases, however, it is likely that the

difficulty at hand would pose a challenge for a man as well as for a

woman. It is important for women to remember that not all issues are

gender-related and to consider other factors that may be contributing to

the problem. As an example of this, a woman related an incident that oc

curred when she, as a newly ordained and first woman assistant minis

ter in a congregation, accused the senior pastor of “having a problem

with women.” After much conversation and exploration of the precipi

tating incident, she came to agree with her supervisor that the issue was

not so much a “male-female” issue as it was a “senior pastor–assistant

pastor” matter.

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What Have I Learned fro m Similar Ch allenges

in Other Contexts?

In thinking about specific challenges, women often realize that they

have dealt with similar issues in other arenas or different stages of their

life. One woman observed that nearly all the challenges identified by

other women presidents are challenges she encountered and success

fully addressed in her work as a pastor. The same set of skills that made

her an effective pastor serves her well as a seminary president. Women

presidents who were members of a seminary faculty bring valuable ex

perience as teachers, as well as insights about the unique culture of a

theological school and the particular needs and idiosyncrasies of facul

ties. Mothers of two-year-olds and teenagers have plenty of experience

with having their authority challenged! All of these prior experiences

are helpful in analyzing a situation, identifying what is at stake for

whom, and deciding how best to respond.

Where Can I Find Support in Doing My Job?

This question, certainly not unique to women, is still a critical one to

ask. Women may find it harder to ask for support, either because they

don’t want to appear that they are not up to the task or because they are

not sure where to turn for support. Those who have moved from a fac-

ulty position to the president’s office often find that their relationships

with women faculty have changed; once colleagues on a “level playing

field,” they may now have a supervisory or evaluative role in annual and

tenure review processes. Women who are new to the institution may

not have had time to develop relationships of trust. While it is important

for all leaders to develop a network of support and counsel, such net

works are particularly important for women who are moving into new

levels of leadership within institutions still dominated by men. Estab

lishing a reliable network of support is one of the “best practices” any

seminary president can adopt.

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Signs of Change

As women think and speak about their experiences as presidents, they

almost always express a conviction that many of the challenges faced by

women in recent years will diminish or disappear as more women head

theological schools. For those who are “firsts” in their schools and/or

denominations, certain challenges are rooted in their institution’s lack

of experience with women in positions of leadership. As more women

serve at senior administrative levels, and as board members, students,

faculty, staff, and alumni experience them as effective institutional lead

ers, there will be less pressure on women to prove that they are equal to

the task. Women presidents and academic deans in schools where

women have already served as effective senior administrators report

fewer challenges to their authority and note that their gender is less an

issue than it appears to be for those who are “first.”

Do Women Exerc is e a Different Style

of Presidential Leadership?

Perhaps no question is more hotly debated than this, not only about

women who hold senior positions in theological schools but also about

women who have risen to top positions in business, management, and a

wide range of professions. A growing field of literature has examined

the question over the past twenty years or so, with a proliferation of

books and articles in scholarly journals. The question inevitably arises

when groups of senior women administrators in theological schools

gather to compare notes about their experiences.

Women leaders frequently offer anecdotes to illustrate a style of

leadership that is more collaborative and consultative than that of their

male colleagues or predecessors. It has become an oft-repeated maxim

that women are more collaborative in the workplace and more con

cerned about maintaining good personal relationships among col

leagues and staff members. When asked to comment on their leadership

styles, a number of women also noted their attentiveness to matters of

hospitality within their schools. Examples may range from greater at

tention to the upkeep of buildings and grounds in order to make the

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campus a more welcoming place, to a comprehensive plan for including

and welcoming a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff.

Even as many women cite collegiality, collaboration, and hospital

ity as characteristics of their own style, they are quick to acknowledge

that they have known and worked with men who exhibit similar values

and styles of leadership. They note that differences in style that may

seem very pronounced or obvious to some are more likely a result of the

socialization of women than of any inherent gender-related aptitudes or

abilities.

A recent article in the Chroni c le of Hi gher Educati on challenges un

substantiated assertions that women are, by nature, more nurturing,

more collaborative, more hospitable, and more concerned about rela

tionships in the workplace. “Findings from a handful of small studies

with nonrepresentative samples have often reported wildly over gener

alized but headline-grabbing findings about gender differences,” ac-

cording to Rosalind C. Barnett and Caryl Rivers. “Those findings have

been picked up by the news media — and found their way back into the

academy, where they are taught as fact.”

More research is needed in carefully designed studies, they con-

tend, to show the degree of overlap that actually exists among the lead-

ershipstylesofmenandwomen.

Barnett and Rivers remind us of the need to be wary of accepting

stereotypical notions of male and female behavior in the workplace.

Such unexamined stereotypes are damaging both to men and to women.

Cultural and environmental factors are likely to shape the leadership

style of individuals to a greater extent than biological or genetic ones.

Yet, at the present time, many of the students, faculties, and staff within

our seminaries, as in our society, have been powerfully shaped and

formed by those cultural factors. These factors affect not only the way

in which women exercise their leadership but also the ways in which

their leadership is perceived and received by members of the commu

nity. Hence, a woman who makes the hard decision to terminate an em

ployee who is not meeting the requirements of the job may be perceived

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2. Rosalind C. Barnett and Caryl Rivers, “Men Are from Earth, and So Are

Women; It’s Faulty Research That Sets Them Apart,” Chronicle of Higher Education,

September 3, 2004.

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as harsh and unfeeling while a man making the same decision may be re

garded as strong and decisive.

The Joys of Being a Seminary President

Despite the challenges many women have encountered as they assume

the role of president, most are quick to name particular satisfactions and

joys they experience in their work. Several point to the ability to make

decisions and to help effect change within their institutions. With that

comes the realization of the responsibility they bear: “I have this ongo

ing conversation with senior women faculty,” said one woman, “as we

look around and realize that we can now make change instead of sitting

around and complaining about the ones in charge. We don’t want to

blow it, and yet there is a new responsibility in realizing that there is no

one else to blame.”

In the role of president, many women find the ability to integrate a

variety of skills and past experiences. “The work of a seminary presi-

dent requires the ability to multi-task,” one woman observed, and “as a

woman I had learned to do that well, balancing the demands of graduate

school, family, and job, and dealing with constant interruptions to my

schedule.”

Others note the web of relationships that must be tended in the

seminary community, appreciating the ability to move among students,

faculty, staff, board members, alumni, donors, and friends of the semi-

nary, as well as the external relationships within the denomination and

the local community. One speaks with satisfaction about the improved

patterns of communication and collaboration that have developed as a

result of her intentional decision to model a new way of sharing infor

mation in a clear and consistent manner. Another speaks of the “safe

place” she provides for members of the community to deal with mis

treatment or abuse they may have experienced.

“I actually love it,” one woman said of her vocation as chief execu

tive officer of a theological school, speaking not only for herself but for

other women who have had the privilege of sharing that vocation. The

challenges are real, but so are the satisfactions and rewards of leader

ship.

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Additional Resources

One of the most valuable resources available to seminary presidents,

whether male or female, is the Association of Theological Schools in the

United States and Canada (ATS). ATS offers a variety of leadership de

velopment opportunities, including an annual, three-day seminar for

new seminary presidents and a more intensive, week-long presidential

leadership event each year. In recent years, there has been an annual re

treat in March for women who are presidents or academic deans of

theological schools. In addition, opportunities are available for ATS-

sponsored workshops for presidents and their development directors or

chief financial officers. These events provide not only resources for

dealing with specific topics, such as the ones addressed in this volume,

but also opportunities for developing networks of collegial support with

other presidents. For more information about these events, please visit

the ATS Website at

www.ats.edu.

Barnett, Rosalind C., and Caryl Rivers. “Men Are from Earth, and So Are

Women; It’s Faulty Research That Sets Them Apart.” Chronicl e of

Higher Education, September 3, 2004.

This article questions some of the generalizations commonly made

about differences in the leadership styles of men and women and en-

courages more careful research into whether such perceived differ-

ences actually exist and, if so, whether they are genetically or culturally

determined.

Becker, Carol E. L eading Wom en: How Church Wo men Can Avoid Leade r

ship Traps an d Negotiate the Gender Maze. Nashville: Abingdon Press,

1996.

This volume provides a look at the rapidly growing number of ordained

women serving Protestant congregations and recounts the experiences

of women working in churches where patriarchal structures, theology,

and language are still prevalent.

Buchanan, Constance H. Choosing to Lead: Wo men and the Cr isis of Ame ri

can Values. Boston: Beacon Press, 1996.

The author examines the role of women as moral leaders in society and

cites examples of such leadership by black and white women during the

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nineteenth and twentieth centuries. She reminds readers of the impor

tant role of women in fostering public debate and attention to social

welfare issues.

Chopp, Rebecca S. Saving Wo rk: Feminist Practice s of Theologic al Educati on.

Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995.

The former dean of the faculty of Candler School of Theology and pro

vost of Emory University, now president of Colgate College, examines

the ways in which feminist practices are changing the nature of theo

logical education.

Helgesen, Sally. The Femal e Advantage: Wom en’s Ways of Leadership. New

York: Doubleday, 1990.

A case-study approach to observing women leaders at work in a variety

of corporate and not-for-profit contexts, this book was an early entry

into the study of the characteristics and qualities of women who

worked their way up through business environments to become chief

executives. Although somewhat dated, the experiences recorded in this

book still have a familiar ring to many women.

Liswood, Laura A. Women World Leaders: Fifteen Great Politici ans Tell T heir

Stories. San Francisco: Pandora, 1995.

Laura Liswood interviewed fifteen women who are or have been presi-

dents or leaders of their countries. Because they represent very differ-

ent cultures — from Great Britain to Bangladesh, from Norway to Sri

Lanka, from Ireland to Poland — this volume offers interesting insights

about the ways in which one’s cultural context shapes the actions taken

and decisions made by the president.

Morrison, Ann M., Randall P. White, Ellen Van Velsor, and the Center for

Creative Leadership. Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Can Women Reach the

To p of Ame ric a ’s Largest Cor po rati ons? Reading: Addison-Wesley,

1987. Updated edition, Addison Wesley Publishing, 1994.

Research conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership is the basis

of this book that examines issues facing women trying to break

through the “glass ceiling.” Although the book may seem dated in rela

tionship to corporate America, many women in religious leadership

still find it difficult to break through the barriers to the upper echelons

of leadership within the church.

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Tannen, Deborah. Talking from 9 to5—WomenandMenintheWorkplace:

Language, Sex and Power. New York: Avon Books, 1994.

A fascinating look at the different ways in which men and women often

communicate in the workplace, with specific examples drawn from a

variety of workplace environments. Tannen explores the ways in which

men and women often have different conversational rituals that struc

ture the ways in which feedback is given to colleagues or staff mem

bers, and how feedback may be received and understood differently by

women and men.

Zikmund, Barbara Brown. “Walking the Narrow Path: Female Administra

tors in ATS Schools,” in Theological Educati on , Autumn 1992, pp. 55-

65.

In this research project sponsored by ATS, one of the first women to

head a theological school in North America identifies and explores “is-

sues related to the special needs of women in leadership positions in

theological schools in the nineties.”

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 15

The Unique Issues for CEOs

o f University-based Theological Schools

JAMES HUDNUT-BEUMLER, Vanderbilt University Divinity

HAROLD W. AT TRIDGE, Yale University Divinity School

FREDERICK J. FINKS, Ashland Theological Seminary

OVERVI EW

Introduction

The Q uestion of Relationships

For Whom Do You Work?

With Whom Do You Work?

Within the Larger University

With the Church Constituency

With the Local Community

With the Faculty and Staff

Dealing with the Shadow of One’s Predecessor

What Is the Nature of the Work?

How Does It Work Operationally?

Personnel and Student Problems

Key Points to Remember

Additional Resources

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Introduction

Theological schools in general are complex institutions. When a theo

logical school is located within a larger university, the level of complex

ity intensifies. For those who would lead such institutions, the role and

responsibilities of the chief administrative officer are likewise complex.

The president, dean, or rector of such a school must contend effectively

with both the strengths and the limitations of being the leader of a

school bonded to a larger institution. This chapter seeks to offer guid

ance to those who might lead these institutions, stressing the interre

lated nature of leadership in a university setting, relations with multiple

constituencies, and practices that make for more successful and satisfy

ing tenures in office.

One of the important things to recognize about leading a theologi

cal school that is a part of another larger institution is that one will be

working in a unique structure of university governance. As such, a semi-

nary president might work relatively independently within the broad

regulation of the larger institution, and a divinity school dean might

work within a structure that regiments faculty hiring and promotion ac-

cording to the same procedures and standards used for the law school or

arts and sciences school. One of the first tasks of leadership in this kind

of setting is to understand the formal and informal governance struc-

tures of the particular institution.

In every instance, no matter what kind of institutional structure is

in place, there are some givens of leading a university-based theological

school. Communication in all directions is the key responsibility of the

dean of a school. It takes a wise and discerning leader to build proper

lines of communication and to keep all parties apprised of the work and

mission of the theological school. The president or dean must embody

the mission and vision of the school and must advocate the mission of

the school within and beyond the campus. Issues of development, fac

ulty hiring, administrative staffing, budget control, and academic integ

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1. Granting the particularity of university-based theological schools and the many

titles given to their CEOs, the balance of this essay will employ the term “dean,” the most

common designation used within ATS (Association of Theological Schools) schools of

this kind, when referring to the head of the school. It will, likewise, use the term “school”

to denote the theological school within the university.

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rity are all central to the character of the school, even when the univer

sity provides support or controls in these areas.

The Question of Relationships

Asintheleadershipofanyotherkindoftheologicalschool—orany

leadership position, for that matter — the considerations that go into

being a good and effective leader at a university-based theological

school are four in number. These considerations can be put succinctly

into question form: For whom do you work? With whom do you work?

What is the nature of the work? How does it work operationally? Four

simple questions. What makes leadership of a university-based theolog

ical school especially challenging is that the answers to the four basic

questions are anything but simple.

For Whom Do You Work?

Take the first question, for example: For whom do you work? The an-

swer to this question generally has an easy formal answer. The dean of

such a school almost invariably answers to a provost or chief academic

officer of the university or to the president of the university. However,

the dean is also accountable to a wider range of groups and individuals.

In addition to the provost and president, the dean may be accountable to

a board of trustees (sometimes with much greater accountability than

access to the board). Where there are multiple schools in a university,

deans will find that they have a web of bilateral associations of account

ability with other deans, not to mention other general officers at the uni

versity who may oversee the school’s budget, fundraising, and business

practices. It is not uncommon for theological schools related to univer

sities also to have visiting or advisory committees or councils that pro

vide advice and sometimes support to the school. Theological schools

related to universities also have accountability relationships to the

church. Sometimes this is direct accountability, such as in instances

where a church or denomination actually owns and operates the larger

university and takes a strong interest in the affairs of the theological

school, its faculty, and its students. Even supposedly freestanding, inde

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pendent theological schools, however, can find that they are accountable

to churches and supported by churches, with claims placed upon them

by the churches in various forms: expectations as to how students will

be educated and formed, requests for referrals as candidates for minis

try positions, field education placements, and so on.

Deans of university-related theological schools find, in ways

uniquely applicable to their particular schools, that they are accountable

to a wide range of persons and publics. It is important to understand the

nature of all of these forms of accountability in order to be effective.

Another way to describe the level of accountability is to see the chief ex

ecutive of a university-based theological school as relating to four public

constituencies: the church, the academy, the university, and the commu

nity. A wise leader will discern early which of these constituencies is

most important for his or her work with a particular school an d decide

what to do to meet the legitimate expectations of the other constituen-

cies. In the setting of the university-based theological school, the univer-

sity itself and the academy compete for the most attention, but, as we

will argue later, what a president or dean does about relations with the

church and community will often be important for the school’s reputa-

tion and identity.

Not infrequently a senior university officer will turn to the leader

of the theological school and admit that he or she knows next to nothing

about running a theological school and will give the divinity school dean

a free hand to run the school. At first blush this looks like a gift of auton-

omy. Deans should beware, however, for being ignored is not a prescrip

tion to power within a university. One of the essential job challenges is

educating the dean’s boss(es) as to the nature of the school and the chal

lenges it faces. Deans will be successful, in part, to the extent that senior

university leaders take interest in the mission and success of their divin

ity schools. These university leaders are often gatekeepers to board

members, development prospects, and university resources. As power

ful as they are in these gatekeeping roles, their support can best be lever

aged when the dean, the faculty, and the staff are doing a good job and

when what the school needs to do a better job is something the univer

sity’s leaders can access. Senior university officers are like people in any

other management role; they are human beings who love to provide a lit

tle extra — even critical — assistance to achieve success. On the other

hand, as a rule, such managers do not like to be told about problems

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about which nothing can be done. They do not possess magic wands any

more than deans do. So a key to leadership, given the fact that the school

will have problems and challenges, is to redescribe institutional chal

lenges so that the dean and other university officers can collaborate in

surmounting them.

With Whom Do You Work?

Within the Large r University

One of the unique aspects of heading a theological school within a larger

university is that one is not merely a school leader but also a leader in the

broader university. The dean of the school may serve on a university cab

inet or other governing council. He or she may have a dual role or title

that indicates connectivity. In these capacities, the dean is called upon to

walk a delicate line so as to maintain trust and integrity. The school’s

dean must be careful to support the overall goals and objectives of the

university while at the same time remaining committed to the goals and

objectives of the divinity school. Without mutual trust and respect, ef-

fective leadership is impossible.

The theological school dean must work closely with other admin-

istrative members of the larger university in areas of budget, marketing,

development, and rules and regulations. The head of a school must also

be able to operate under clearly defined rules for interaction with the

board of trustees. Some institutions allow extensive interaction be

tween boards and the deans of their theological schools. Others allow

virtually no interaction that is not mediated by the president of the uni

versity. Any model of governance within this range can work effectively,

provided the board makes and delegates decisions in appropriate rela

tion to where the information for those decisions resides. Because of

their special missions, however, theological schools are typically not

served well by governance structures that assume that such schools are

just like the undergraduate college, only smaller.

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With the Church Co nstitue ncy

As the head of a theological school, the dean is a public symbol of

whether the theological school “really cares” about the church. But note

that “church” takes on very specific meanings depending upon the tradi

tion(s) the school serves. For a school with a dominant tradition, being

visible at denominational meetings may be essential. At an ecumenical

school, local ministerial gatherings, installations of bishops outside

one’s own tradition, and preaching at different congregations of vary

ing denominations may be extremely valuable. Still, it is good to remem

ber that no good deed goes unpunished and to learn that, if the dean

does something that others find supportive to the church, they will ex

pect the dean to do it again. There is never enough of the dean to go

around, but it is best to make sure that he or she does get around.

With the Local Comm unity

In a similar vein, various community causes will hope to enlist the dean

as a leader. Our advice to deans is to try to contribute where possible

and where they believe that what they can do is consistent with the mis-

sion of the school. On the other hand, deans should avoid associations

with causes that are hard to explain as part of their role to donors, col-

leagues, and superiors. To do nothing for the community as a religious

leader is to fail to use the office to which one is appointed. To use it un

wisely undermines the essential nature of most schools, which is to be

value-laden places of free inquiry and learning with an end in service.

With the Fac ulty and Staff

Inside the school, the dean encounters the delightful challenge of work

ing with highly intelligent and motivated people (most of the time) in

the field of theological education. For most heads of schools this is the

aspect of the work that drew them to become a dean. It can be the most

rewarding aspect of the work of an educator, but it is often also a work

ing relationship fraught with ambiguities.

Faculty members appreciate the dean working on behalf of the in

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stitution as well as equipping faculty to do their work. Longtime deans

also observe, however, that a “distance” or “separation” often develops,

sometimes without thought or planning. It is key that the dean of a

school think of himself or herself as a faculty member to do the job, but

there will also be ways in which he or she will be expected to be “some

thing more.” Deans are in a unique relationship with faculty. Deans are

members of the faculty in some ways and are not so in others. In many

schools there is a strong tradition of faculty governance, particularly on

matters of faculty appointments. A university dean who came from

within his faculty says, “I understand that tradition and the sensitivities

that go with it. I maintain my position in the faculty by continuing to

teach (one course a term) and I continue with supervision of doctoral

students as well.” In other words, he maintains his credibility as a fac

ulty member by doing faculty work.

Yet the dean’s job requires clear recognition of duties and con-

cerns that go well beyond ordinary faculty concerns: budget, external

relations, and issues with facilities and support staff. Faculty have only

the vaguest idea about budgets and financial affairs, fleeting glimpses of

the development and external relations operations, and a passing ac-

quaintance with some of the university’s policies and procedures on

most administrative matters. It is clear that the dean has to take respon-

sibility for crucial big-picture issues, such as assessment, development,

and long-range planning. Marshaling the faculty and staff resources to

deal with such issues is the heart of the job. Yet even in the core areas of

faculty responsibility, such as appointments and promotions, the

school’s chief executive plays a significant leadership role in establish

ing priorities and shaping positions and programs.

Dealin g with the Shadow of One’s Predecessor

One way in which the dean ends up exercising the greatest stewardship

of faculty and staff is in responding to their perspectives as a long-term

stakeholder. To have virtually any job in theological education is to have

a predecessor. It will perhaps surprise new deans when their predeces

sor’s name, leadership, or example is invoked and by whom. New deans

should usually respond to these conversational gambits in two ways.

First, they should be careful not to speak ill of the departed, and second,

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they should listen carefully to what their conversation partners may be

trying to communicate between the lines.

The first piece of advice probably goes without saying, but it might

be reinforced with a simple observation that the newest dean will some

day be a former chief executive; charity on that dean’s part now may not

be fully returned, but a generosity of spirit is remembered better than

vindictiveness. No matter what childish games the dean may see worked

by others in the school, it is important not to let those displaying child

ish behavior pull him or her down to their level. The dean must remain

the adult in the situation.

The guidance to listen between the lines is something that may

take even more practice to observe than refraining from negative com

ments. It is not uncommon for faculty members to disclose something

that the former head of the school did that irritated, hurt, or offended

them. Or they may talk about a lack of some quality. What they are say-

ing in these instances is usually not about the dean’s predecessor, but

about themselves and about their hopes for a relationship with the cur-

rent dean. They may be saying, in effect, “When the dean did this I was

deeply hurt because I was embarrassed before my colleagues, [or felt

used for a task without any thanks,] and I hope you will never do that to

me.” Nine times out of ten this is about their vulnerabilities to someone

in the dean’s position. What can be said in response? While it is tempt-

ing to say, “That’s terrible, I would never do [whatever it is],” deans

must be careful not to promise more than they can deliver. Rather, it is

preferable to say, “I will try never to do that, but if I ever disappoint you

like that, I want you to let me know so that I can work to repair the

breach.” If a dean values a faculty or staff member’s contribution, the

dean should say so. After all, such contributions are basically all any of

us have out of which to build a school. There are, of course, things deans

will learn from these conversations that tell them what they should

never do. Whether these insights are about delegating things that

should not be delegated, spending too freely (or too penuriously), or

handling bishops or pastors, it is a good practice to make mental notes

to guide one’s future actions. Deans are sure to make enough of their

own mistakes. It is a wise dean who manages not to repeat his or her

predecessor’s clear mistakes as well.

Somewhat harder to handle are the positive contributions of pre

decessors that are brought to one’s attention. Here the messages are

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once again about the dean and his or her conversation partner. The per

son who is telling the dean something the former dean did is probably

conveying that they would like the current dean to continue or replicate

that course of action. One should be careful not to dismiss ideas merely

because the former dean acted on them. Even if deans choose to cut a di

vergentpath,itwillprobablynothelpthematalltodrawleadership

lines in the sand with respect to someone’s past success.

One more issue involving the dean and his or her faculty and staff

is important to bear in mind: when parties outside the faculty or staff

come to tell the dean about the faculty and staff. If the dean comes from

inside the faculty, he or she may be all too likely to dismiss the com

plaints of those who gripe about long-time colleagues and friends. If the

dean is appointed from outside the school, he or she may be too likely to

believe all the terrible things said about the staff and faculty. Again, it is

wise to work toward careful discernment of what the school’s constitu-

encies are really saying. Sometimes schools have bad apples in their fac-

ulty or staff ranks. But far more often, outside constituencies are trying

to realize unmet desires through lobbying the new leader, and they are

really not so far apart in their desires for the work of the school from the

very same faculty or staff they target with criticism. An extraordinary

amount of the stewardship of the job is explaining the faculty to the con-

stituency and the constituency to the faculty. The dean has unparalleled

access to both, but this means that the dean is the conduit to improve pe-

rennial misunderstandings and to promote realistic expectations for all

the people who love and serve the school.

Wha t Is the Nature of the Work?

The nature of work in a theological school attached to a larger university

is much like the work of freestanding schools, with the addition of an

extra few considerations that deserve to be noted. Some of the

university-based schools are clearly in service to a single Christian tra

dition, while others try to serve the church universal by working with

students, congregations, and churches of a wide variety of Christian tra

ditions. To state the obvious, the dean of a school must know which

model applies to his or her school. And not so obviously, the dean ought

to accept the school for what it is and is not. It is hard enough to lead a

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school one essentially accepts. Heading a school to change its basic type

is like marrying a spouse to change him or her.

A similar question to face is whether the school is engaged in pro

fessional education, graduate education, or both. University-based

schools are more likely to have a blend of these two forms of theological

education, and having a mix sometimes increases the tension between

ecclesial and academic values in a school.

Finally, in many universities it is customary to credit the theologi

cal school with being the conscience of the university. While this is com

plimentary to the school, it might also raise the question of whether the

university should get or possess its own conscience. This in turn fosters

the further question of what should be the theological school leader’s

role in matters of religious understanding, mission, and conscience in

the larger university.

How Does it Work Operationally?

If the nature of the work of a theological school in a university setting is

recognizably similar to that of a freestanding seminary, the way the

school operates can be quite different. When asked, “What was the

greatest surprise you’ve encountered in your work as head of your

school?” one long-time leader replied that he encountered something

akin to culture shock. “Because [the school] is part of the larger univer-

sity,” he said, “we are restricted from contacting area vendors, business

leaders, etc., for development purposes since the university contacts

them first. This makes both developing community donors and develop

ing our ministry information difficult.” Another leader who had spent

years working as a faculty member on long-range issues was neverthe

less also surprised “at how much time would be spent sorting out per

sonnel issues on the staff” once he became his school’s dean. Whether it

be working with personnel, getting a check cut, getting clearance to con

tact a donor, or even having a publication’s design centrally approved

prior to printing, the consensus is that working within a larger univer

sity structure takes longer.

Universities are fluid operations. A good part of the complexity of

the theological school leader’s work arises out of the fact that the uni

versity does not stand still while the dean and his or her colleagues are

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attempting to move in a positive direction. As one experienced dean has

said, “At any given point, the university seems resolute on centralizing

activities that the dean would just as soon be left alone and decentraliz

ing other functions that one would be happier to avoid.” There are myr

iad fronts on which change may be taking place in university systems si

multaneously. University fundraising procedures require close and

constant scrutiny lest one be left out in the cold. Often relations with re

ligion departments and with religious studies perspectives require ex

traordinary diplomacy on the part of the dean. The tenure process at

many institutions involves people from outside the theological academy

passing judgment on the intellectual accomplishments of those within

the theological school. There is space to be shared (or fought over).

There are housing policies and budgets that involve more than one kind

of student and sometimes seem to be developed around a different set of

ideals than would apply to adults attending a professional school aimed

toward ministry or the professoriate. At universities where research is

crucial, graduate education is often done in collaboration with other

schools and entities (and other systems of budgeting). On these and a

variety of fronts, in some matters the theological school’s dean works

relatively independently and on others proceeds only through elaborate

permission processes.

Personnel and Student Problems

Personnel problems and problems having to do with student conduct

are always painful, but they may be even worse in a university-based

theological school insofar as such schools are caught between the

norms of the university and those of sponsoring churches (or churches

that have some accountability claims on the school). It is possible in to

day’s climate to be asked to disclose to a church a student’s progress in

field education and to be prohibited from doing so by one’s university’s

implementation of the Buckley Amendment (FERPA). Federal law

places real limits on the disclosure of students’ records to third parties

without explicit permission from the student. Or churches may wish to

know more about the sex lives of one’s students and clergy members of

the faculty than the institution as a whole is willing to divulge. It is also

true that people in power in the classroom and elsewhere will some

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times abuse their authority. The trick to good leadership, especially

when things go badly, is knowing the applicable policies and acting as a

team within the institution both to respond with respect for the individ

uals involved in the given situation and to hold people appropriately ac

countable for their actions.

With all the difficulties that attend leading a theological school sit

uated within a larger educational institution, it might be easy to miss the

genius that drives these schools. Alongside the hassles of raising money

the hard way (by sharing donors) and working with people who do not

answer directly to the dean of the school come opportunities. Working

a school’s finances with someone looking over one’s shoulder often

means working with greater depth of available expertise. Sharing re

sources (and problems) with dissimilar educational units often means

better libraries, health services for students, and benefits structures for

employees. Deans of theological schools within larger universities often

find a remarkable level of support from other senior leaders in the uni-

versity and their respective staffs that makes it possible to concentrate

more on issues of educational mission than would be the case in a

smaller institution.

Key Points to Remember

• Good relationships with senior leaders in the broader university

are essential for good leadership by the theological school CEO.

•

Theological school CEOs must always articulate the mission of

their schools within and beyond the bounds of the university.

•

Faculty and staff expect the head of their school to protect and ad

vance their welfare almost the way good parents do in families.

•

Getting things done in a university setting often takes more time,

but highly competent help to do those things is usually available.

Additional Resources

Ehrle, Elwood B., and John B. Bennett. Managing the Academic Enter pr ise:

Case Studies for Deans and Pro vosts . New York: American Council on

Education/Macmillan Series in Higher Education, 1988.

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A useful series of case studies for people who must lead schools within

the structures of a larger university.

Toma, J. Douglas, and Richard L. Palm. The Academic Administrator and the

Law: What Every Dean and Department Ch air Needs to Know. San Fran

cisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.

While state law governs employment in some church-related schools, a

remarkable amount of employment, student, discrimination, and ha

rassment law is federally based. This volume is an essential guide with

out being overly technical.

Wolverton,Mimi,andWalterH.Gmelch.Coll ege Deans: L eading from

Within . Westport, CT: Oryx Press, 2002.

Much in this well-researched study is transferable to theological school

deans and presidents. The authors are particularly good on the chang

ing power dynamics in higher education and the ways in which various

“markets” affect the outlook of leaders of institutions above the high

school level.

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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CHAPTER 16

The Unique Issues for Presidents

o f Canadian Theological Schools

DORCAS GORDON, Knox College

MARVIN DEWEY, Taylor Seminary

RON MERCIER, Regis College

OVERVI EW

Introduction

Regional Issues

Provincial Accreditation

Fundraising and Provincial Funding

Federal Issues

Distance

Diversity

The “Scissors Challenge” and Its Effect on Fundraising

Limitation in Revenues

Increases in Expe ndit ures

Fun draising

Issues Regional and Federal

Human Rights and Employment Standards

Privacy Legislation

Financial and Statistical Reporting

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Conclusion

Additional Resources

Introduction

We will begin this chapter on Canadian theological school presidents by

noting that the title of “president” is not universally used. Within the

Roman Catholic tradition, the title “rector” is common, while “dean” is

also used, particularly within denominational schools that are part of a

public university. In some schools the title “principal” indicates the

equivalent of the president. Hence, when advice from a colleague would

be helpful, remember that the colleague most knowledgeable may have

a different title. For purposes of this chapter, the term “president” will

be used to refer to the Chief Executive Officer of a seminary.

The president of a Canadian theological school, in addition to con-

sulting the valuable information in the previous chapters, needs to be

aware of the ways in which some of the issues identified translate into

the Canadian context. In an effort to provide easy access to things spe-

cifically Canadian, this chapter is divided into three broad headings: re-

gional issues, federal issues, and issues that have both regional and fed-

eral implications. The issues identified are not exhaustive but are ones

that colleagues within Canada emphasized as most critical for their

work. In fact, it is suggested that Canadian presidents using this hand-

book for any issue regularly ask themselves the question: Are there Ca

nadian particulars that I need to consider?

Regional Is sues

Canadian regional dynamics make university and governmental rela

tions of great importance to the seminary president. The primacy of the

university system; the propensity for seminaries to be invisible; chang

ing governmental regulations regarding oversight of educational pro

grams; laws concerning employment, privacy, and reporting; and the

potential of some provinces to provide funding are some of the reasons

for presidents to be intentional about these relationships. In this section

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two issues will be addressed in detail: provincial accreditation, and

fundraising and provincial funding.

Provincial Accreditation

Because education is provincially regulated in Canada, presidents

should become acquainted with provincial requirements and with per

sonnel who oversee higher education. Some provinces regulate divinity

programs while others do not. Nomenclature may be legally regulated

even if programs are not (e.g., the MA degree).

Accredited seminaries tend to fall into two primary categories:

theological schools that are part of the public university system, and

stand-alone seminaries. The second category primarily includes evan

gelical seminaries. Depending on the province, the programs of stand-

alone seminaries often are neither recognized nor accredited by the gov-

ernment. This lack of recognition poses challenges for students who

may want to continue their education in the Canadian university sys-

tem. Graduates are often evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with the

reputation of the institution playing a substantial part in the consider-

ation. Seminary presidents would do well to cultivate relationships with

university faculties for the benefit of their graduates and reputation.

On the broader Canadian scene, the ubiquitous unaccredited Bible

institutes and Bible colleges have affected adversely the university com-

munity’s perception of seminaries. The educational quality of these

schools has varied greatly, and the focus of many on practical living has

not met the rigors of academic review. The lack of provincial regulation

and recognition has further contributed to the hesitancy of universities

to recognize the quality of education offered at seminaries.

The lack of government recognition of seminaries in some prov

inces may pose problems for international students who return home

and want their country’s government to recognize their degree. In one

situation a European official contacted the Canadian government to see

if a stand-alone seminary was accredited. Because this institution was

not on the provincial government Website, the Canadian official con

tacted the president prior to responding to the request. The president

directed him to Association of Theological Schools (ATS) personnel

who were helpful in verifying the institution’s accreditation, and as a re

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sult the student’s degree was recognized by the European country.

Through intentional contacts with federal government ministries and

with church officials, seminary presidents can raise the profile of Cana

dian seminaries and assist others to understand better the role seminar

ies play in the post-secondary sector and the quality assurance/control

that the Association of Theological Schools provides.

There continue to be changes in the recognition and regulation of

divinity programs by provincial governments. The British Columbia

government now controls the offering of degree programs. Ontario

Council on Graduate Studies (OCGS) evaluation may be possible for

ministerial degrees in Ontario, in addition to the current accreditation

of certain master’s and doctoral degrees. It has only been since 1980

that private church-related undergraduate institutions have been recog

nized by provincial governments to offer university degrees (e.g., Trin

ity Western University, Taylor University College, Alliance University

College, and Tyndale University College). Alberta has been a leader in

establishing rigorous accreditation/quality control standards and a re-

view process for these university colleges.

Fun draising an d Provincial Fun d ing

Canada has a strong history of public education. Provision has been

made for Catholic and charter schools to be part of this public system

(e.g., in Alberta); Ontario has a fully funded Catholic system paralleling

the public one. These schools receive public funds just as traditional

public schools do, though recent changes in Newfoundland and Labra

dor and Quebec point to the tenuous reality of such funding.

Public universities have dominated the higher education arena. Di

vinity schools/seminaries under the umbrella of public universities have

benefited financially from their participation in that system. Most

stand-alone seminaries have chosen not to become part of a public uni

versity system and therefore do not normally benefit from such funding.

Through maintaining good relationships with their provincial educa

tion minister, presidents may be able to influence funding decisions as

they come up for review periodically. At the very least a president

should explore the openness of provincial officials to such funding.

All Canadian seminaries, by necessity, have to be involved in fund

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raising to meet current and long-term financial challenges. The decline

in denominational funding has increased this need. The more socialized

cultural milieu (public funding of education), along with the late devel

opment of fundraising within the Canadian context, can make fundrais

ing difficult. One president recently commented, “Many Christians are

puzzled as to why we don’t get government assistance. This puzzlement

increases a kind of apathy that does not exist in the U.S., where people

can be horrified by the thought of state funding and therefore are highly

motivated to give.” Another president concurs: “Canadian presidents

are often operating in a culture that is far less supportive of private

funding for postsecondary education.”

Fundraising is further influenced by the regionalism that pervades

the Canadian context. Many Canadians tend to think provincially. Thus

persons in one province question why they should support private edu

cation in another province; they prefer doing so within their own con-

text. Regional perspectives and rivalry also affect giving (e.g., eastern

and western Canadians are at times less likely to give to a school outside

of their perceived region; some donors are hesitant where the province

is perceived to be wealthy). Denominational support does reduce pro-

vincialism, but not entirely so. Further, Canadian seminaries tend to

have smaller enrollments than U.S. seminaries, which affects both their

influence and their profile. This small enrollment, along with smaller

fundraising capacity, increases the operating challenge for Canadian

seminaries.

The availability of foundation money is significantly less than in

the United States. In Canada, foundations are fewer and smaller than

their U.S. counterparts. In our research one seminary president re

ferred to a “de facto imbalance that occurs when the U.S.-based founda

tions grant to the U.S. schools but generally do not provide the same

support to the Canadian schools; this puts Canadian schools at a disad

vantage even though they are part of the same association.”

Corporate giving for seminaries is almost nonexistent in Canada.

Stand-alone seminaries are not eligible for most corporate matching

gifts, nor are private university colleges associated with seminaries un

less they are members of the Association of Universities and Colleges of

Canada (AUCC). The Canadian milieu is generally less predisposed to

supporting seminaries.

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Federal Issues

The Canadian context as a whole offers a number of distinctive chal

lenges to any academic leader, especially a president. While any number

of challenges span the nation as a whole, four will be emphasized, each

important in its own right. Here the focus will be on distance and the at

traction of faculty, diversity, and a “scissors effect” of the relationship

between tuition and costs. Attention to these would be important to the

success of any school.

Distance

It may seem obvious, but it still needs to be stated that the size of Can

ada presents challenges to any school and therefore to any president.

Distance impacts not only delivery systems for education but also the

recruitment of faculty, staff, and students. The significant difference be-

tween the United States and its schools (with its far greater population

spread over a smaller land mass) and the Canadian context can help to

highlight the challenges.

Regions within the United States tend to have populations great

enough to support a number of theological institutions representing a

variety of perspectives. Canadians, however, have to think nationally

and internationally to achieve similar population densities, especially

when one focuses on each distinctive faith tradition. This will have an

impact in two areas of importance to the president: recruitment and de

livery systems.

The first area of challenge is recruitment. Recruitment will require

creativity in any institutional leader. This will be true with respect to

students; but even more challenging, and often overlooked, is the need

to recruit — and maintain — excellent faculty and staff given the geo

graphical challenges, especially for schools not located within the popu

lation centers of Canada. Relocation costs, finding an attractive pool of

dialogue partners within one’s academic discipline, finding research re

sources with which to continue one’s research — all of these can be

quite daunting for the prospective member of faculty or staff, especially

when the school is competing with other theological centers from

within one’s own faith tradition. The recruitment pool for qualified fac

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ulty is also small, especially because Canadian citizens and permanent

residents of Canada must be given first priority when conducting

searches. Presidents may want to check provisions that allow for teach

ers in colleges, seminaries, and universities to be hired on a temporary

basis that does not require priority to be given to Canadians. Informa

tion may be found on the North American Free Trade Agreement

Website (

http://www.nafta-sec-alena.org).

Denominational seminaries, which have denominational mem

bership requirements, face further limits with respect to the available

pool of potential faculty members. Cultural differences and salary dif

ferentials, in part due to exchange rates, size of school, and smaller bud

gets, make the issues of salary and benefits important ones for the re

cruitment of faculty. The Canadian president needs to devote a great

amount of creativity to developing incentives for faculty, especially as

the viability of a theological school depends upon the quality of its fac-

ulty. For example, a number of ATS schools in Canada have sought to

foster the academic studies of doctoral candidates from their own faith

tradition as one way of both expanding the pool of qualified Canadian

theologians and ensuring their own academic futures.

The president needs to be aware of another challenge — that of

guaranteeing the diversity of one’s faculty and staff — because competi-

tion for persons from a variety of ethnic, gender, and racial constituen-

cies is acute. Here ATS has resources for developing racial, ethnic, and

gender diversity (the Committee on Race and Ethnicity and Women in

Leadership), which can provide an incoming president with invaluable

support.

At the same time, even as a Canadian president seeks to ensure the

future of a faculty in recruiting Canadian scholars, the reality is that one

is often required to turn to scholars from other nations. It is critical for

any president to become very familiar with the immigration rules and

procedures set in place by both Human Resources Development Canada

and Citizenship and Immigration Canada; both of these governmental

agencies need to be consulted, because one is dealing with both recruit

ment and immigration. Rules have been significantly tightened in recent

years, despite the relative openness promised by the North American

Free Trade Agreement. Absolute clarity with respect to both proper pro

cedure and regulations must be a priority for any president who is ulti

mately responsible for relationships with the federal government.

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The second challenge to be addressed when speaking of distance

within Canada concerns the need for Canadian theological faculties to

be at the forefront of innovation in the use of educational technologies.

Differing faith traditions have communities spread over a vast area in

Canada, with few local resources for the development of clergy and la

ity. Canadian ATS schools now find themselves faced with requests

from their faith communities for courses from far afield, attending to

people who are for the most part unable to relocate to take such courses.

Investment and expertise in technology, coupled with curricular flexi

bility, are increasingly significant concerns for all Canadian ATS

schools. Presidents need to ensure that there are persons on the staff

and faculty who can meet these needs. Especially as faith communities

make increasing demands on Canadian schools, the viability and church

support for schools could be at stake.

A response to these challenges has led, among other initiatives, to

the development of institutional partnerships and creative delivery sys-

tems. For example, a western Canadian network emerged among evan-

gelical seminaries to facilitate greater seamlessness in transferring

courses and completing programs for students moving to a different

province. This partnership also facilitates awareness of on-line courses

offered among its members. Other seminaries offer modular classes in a

variety of locations, accepting the fact that ongoing attention to delivery

systems is essential.

Diversity

One does not need to consult the works of Reginald Bibby to recognize

a second shift that is dramatically affecting the work of presidents in

Canada. At a pace far greater than in the United States, Canada is being

forced to come to terms with dramatic demographic changes, and not

only within its principal population centers. As 250,000 immigrants

from all over the world enter Canada each year, theological schools

must adapt to a new environment.

Part of this will necessarily relate to the shift in the demographic

make-up of our various faith communities. Most Canadian churches,

for a variety of reasons, have begun to come to terms with a relative loss

of membership from their traditional ethnic bases. This has in part been

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balanced by an increase in membership from immigrant communities.

As the racial and ethnic mix in the church changes, however, ATS

schools in Canada have had to struggle to adapt to this new reality with

changes to faculty, curriculum, and general ethos. This has been accen

tuated in Canada by a major difference from our U.S. counterparts. The

United States has witnessed a surge in theological schools dedicated to

meeting the needs of particular ethnic constituencies, notably on the

West Coast. In Canada, however, adaptation has been located within

existing schools, which have drawn traditionally from groups of Euro

pean origin. This has a direct impact upon the need to develop a very

different kind of faculty for schools, one which addresses the change in

the student body; this will have to be a priority within all Canadian ATS

schools. The new president would be well advised to develop personal

skills or to seek out support from others with expertise in matters of

cultural diversification. Globalization is increasingly a matter of fact

within the student bodies of every Canadian ATS school.

ATS schools must also face vastly different ethnic and racial land-

scapes in their own regions. The interfaith reality will have an impact on

fundraising and on all other aspects of the life of ATS schools in Can-

ada, especially as donors and others ask why funding should be dedi-

cated to schools serving just one faith tradition. The cultural assump-

tions concerning religious pluralism will no doubt change at an

increasing pace as Canada’s population — and faith — mix continues to

undergo such rapid diversification.

At the same time, Canadian presidents will have to cope with faith

communities demanding pastors who are adept at coping with such a

new and diverse environment. The precise nature of such a demand will

be church-specific, perhaps with a focus on interfaith dialogue, or on

sensitivity, or on mission. Nevertheless, the pastor of the future will

need a greatly different tool set to meet such changes. While no doubt

the president of a given school will focus more directly on academic

matters, this demographic shift will make significant demands on the

president as well. Attention to the rapidly changing socio-cultural mo

saicinCanadawillbeunavoidable.

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The “ Scissors Challenge ” an d Its Effect on F undraising

Across Canada, a pattern first noticed a decade ago has now become a

standard expectation for presidents of Canadian ATS schools. The bud

get assumptions of the 1980s have now been replaced by a dual pressure

that complicates any forecast: limitations in revenues and increasing ex

penditures. In addition to this scissors effect, Canadian presidents face

the added challenge of fundraising.

Limitation in Reven ues

Most ATS schools depend heavily on tuition revenue in projecting their

budgets. The emphasis on fundraising and on endowment is a relatively

recent phenomenon within the Canadian context. Yet tuition fees do

not represent a profoundly elastic variable for most Canadian schools.

Within schools (and degree programs) governed by provincial regula-

tions, there has been a regular pattern across most provinces of limiting

tuition increases by government fiat. In Ontario, for example, years of

limiting increases have given way to a tuition freeze for two years.

While such limits are occasionally cushioned by some increased govern-

ment funding, schools now have become accustomed to realizing that

increases are dictated less by market than by political forces.

The tuition ceiling in most Canadian schools is considerably lower

than in their U.S. counterparts, while operating costs are not. Although

this is advantageous for students, who end up with fewer debts, it adds

to the operating challenges for seminaries. The effect is exaggerated for

stand-alone seminaries that receive no government funding and re

duced or no denominational funding. Smaller enrollment, endowment,

and traditions of giving in the Canadian context add to the challenge for

seminaries.

Increa ses in Expenditures

The expense side of the ATS school ledger has no such restrictions, of

course. Costs of providing education have increased at more than the

rate of increase in cost of living. The difference between the slow in

crease in revenues and the rapid increase in costs has placed most Cana

dian ATS schools in a financial crunch, one that shows no sign of abat

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ing in the near future and that will shape the ground for any new

president.

Fun draising

Traditionally in the United States the gap would be filled by fundraising

from one’s various constituencies. A new president of a Canadian theo

logical school would need to realize that there is a lack of such a history

of giving in Canada. The fiscal viability of all ATS schools in Canada

will rely on the skills of presidents in fostering a culture of giving within

their constituencies and in reaching out to new support bases, often

outside one’s faith tradition.

Issues Regional and Federal

It is clear that a variety of regional and federal issues will challenge a new

president. Their complexity, however, is increased by the ways in which

some of these issues relate to both provincial and federal authority.

Human Rights and Employment Standards

Not only are human rights and employment standards regulated feder-

ally but also the regulations vary from province to province (e.g., retire

ment, maternity, paternity, severance, privacy laws, etc.). A president

needs to ensure that someone at the institution is accountable for moni

toring the school’s compliance with these requirements. In Canada,

among other things this means awareness of the recent changes to legis

lation concerning sexual orientation and ongoing attention to issues

such as maintenance of pay equity. Presently, discussions within the fed

eral government and in some provincial legislatures concerning the re

moval of 65 as the mandatory retirement age are being watched closely.

The University of Alberta won a legal suit allowing institutions to re

quire a mandatory retirement at 65 years of age. Other provinces vary

on this requirement. There are a number of Websites where informa

tion can be obtained. In the case of the issue of maintenance of pay eq

uity, information sources vary. In some provinces information may be

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found at a provincial Employment Standards Office, Status of Women

Office, or Labour Board. In the case of the federal government, similar

information is found at the Canadian Human Rights Commission, and

information concerning sexual orientation and legal rights can be found

on Websites listed at the end of this chapter under Additional Re

sources.

In some schools a committee of the board assumes responsibility

for ensuring annually that the institution is compliant with any changes

in human rights legislation and that appropriate policies are developed

and approved by the board. In other situations the school lawyer might

perform that function. The fact that the definition or legal requirements

associated with such rights may vary from province to province necessi

tates a proactive stance. One example might be the need to make a

change in a school’s pension policy or sick leave benefits because of the

recent decision of the Canadian government to permit gay and lesbian

people to marry. Presidents of Canadian denominational schools need

to be aware of all such requirements, especially the coherence or poten-

tial lack of coherence between denominational and governmental regu-

lations.

Privacy L egislation

In Canada a number of provinces as well as the federal government have

developed privacy legislation. The federal legislation refers to a list of ten

principles (e.g., accountability, consent, openness, safeguards, com

plaints, etc.) that are critical aspects of a school’s commitment to privacy.

These principles are based on the values set by the Canadian Standards

Association’s Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information and

Canada’s Perso nal Inform ation Protection and Electronics Documents Act

(see Additional Resources). It is essential that a Canadian president also

be familiar with requirements specific to his or her province if such exist.

At the very least, privacy legislation has implications for how a school

handles donor lists and for the confidentiality of student, academic, and

staff personnel records. At the present time many Canadian schools are

in the process of developing a privacy policy and appointing privacy offi

cers whose responsibility it is to keep the institution aware of growing

requirements in this area (see Additional Resources for further details).

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Fin ancial an d Statis tical Repo rting

While a president may not be directly involved in preparing such re

ports, the president does need to be aware of the forms that are required

from Canadian schools, some of which are generated by the federal gov

ernment and some by provincial authorities. The following examples re

flect the experience of many Ontario schools.

1. T3010 Charitable Tax Return is prepared for the Canadian Federal

Government and must be submitted six months after the fiscal

year end.

2. Statistics Canada requires annual reports on full-time and part-

time faculty and staff. For part-time faculty and staff this report is

due by the end of summer, for full-time faculty and staff by Octo

ber 15.

3. Reporting to the provincial government on a Facilities Renewal

Grant is required four times each year, with a final report due Sep-

tember 30. Through this report, schools justify to the government

their disbursement of this grant.

4. Each year a school is required to report to the provincial govern-

ment as to its appropriate disbursement of a provincially funded

matching grant bursary program. The government requires that

the financial statements of a school be submitted at the end of each

academic year.

5. The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) requires any school

associated with a university to summarize and report by mid-

September annually on its various educational programs, student

enrollment, etc. These statistics are submitted by the university

and used in the MacLean’s Magazine survey, which ranks universi

ties across Canada for high school graduates and their parents.

6. An annual financial audit is required for the maintenance of the

school’s charitable status and ATS accreditation. In Canada this is

governed by rules for not-for-profit organizations as required by

the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA). In light

of recent scandals, the president needs to be aware that, although

the rules for audits have not changed in any substantial way, the

way in which auditors provide for verification has.

7. For any schools in a consortium there are the added financial and

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statistical reports needed to facilitate the development of a for

mula for the fair assessment of shared costs and/or for the alloca

tion of government funding.

8. And, of course, there is the annual required reporting to the Asso

ciation of Theological Schools.

At times it feels like death by a thousand reports!

Conclusion

As indicated at the outset, this presentation of unique issues for presi

dents of Canadian schools is meant to be suggestive and not exhaustive.

Within Canada there are many regional and national challenges to a

president’s work. The material included in this chapter seeks primarily

to alert a new president to issues identified as critical by a number of his

or her Canadian colleagues so that new presidents may avoid many of

the pitfalls that seem ever present in the work of a president.

Additional Resources

Ge neral

Brown, Graham, ed. Theologic al Education in Cana da. Toronto: UCC Pub

lishing House, 1998.

A series of articles, both practical and theoretical, that discuss the ideas,

concerns, and practical problems within theological education in Can

ada over a forty-year period (1960-1998). This work, celebrating the

contribution of the Rev. Dr. Douglas Jay to Canadian theological educa

tion, includes essays on ecumenical theological education, religious di

versity, biblical exegesis, and theological education, among others.

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Government Documents

Federal

Human Rights Code (http://www.ohrc.ofcda.ca)

Pr ivacy Ac t (Can a da), 1985 chapter P-21, updated April 2004 (

http://

privcom.gc.ca

)

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Constitution Act, 1982 (79) (

http://

laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/

)

Canadian Standards Association’s Model Code for the Protecti on of Perso nal

Information (

www.csa.ca/standards/privacy)

Canada’s Per sonal Info rmati on Protection and Ele ctronic s Documents Act

(

www.privcom.gc.ca)

The Canadian Human Rights Commission (

http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/)

A document concerning sexual orientation and legal rights can be found at

http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/921-e.htm.

Regional

These need to be accessed individually by province.

ontario examples

Employment Standards Act (O n tario). Statutes of Ontario, 2000, chapter 41

(

http://www.gov.on.ca/LAB/english/es/index.html)

Ontarians with Disab ilities Act, 2001, chapter 32

(

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/)

Ontari o Buildin g Code, 1997 (

http://www.obc.mah.gov.on.ca/)

Occu pational Health and Safe ty Act (On tari o). Revised Statutes of Ontario,

1990, chapter 0.1 (

http://www.gov.on.ca/LAB/english/hs)

Government of Ontario Pay Equity Commission

(

http://www.gov.on.ca/lab/pec/index_pec.html)

alberta examples

Employment Standards Ac t

(

http://www3.gov.ab.ca/hre/employmentstandards/index.asp)

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Disability Related Information

(

http://www3.gov.ab.ca/hre/dres/index.asp)

(

http://www.wcb.ab.ca/policy/legislation.asp; look at Queen’s Printer

Part 4.56-69)

Occu pational Health and Safety Act (Albe rta)

(

http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/acts/O02.cfm)

(

http://www3.gov.ab.ca/hre/whs/law/ohs.asp#ohsact)

Employment Standards Ac t — Paym ent of Earnings

(

http://www3.gov.ab.ca/hre/employmentstandards/about/earnings.asp)

(

http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/ac ts/W15.cfm;lookatPart4.24-

55)

The resources identified in this handbook are listed on the ATS Website

where the list will continue to be updated as new resources become

available:

www.ats.edu h Leadership Education h Presidents.

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Contributors

Daniel Aleshire, The Association of Theological Schools

Harold W. Attridge, Yale University Divinity School

Albert Aymer, Hood Theological Seminary

Rebekah Burch Basinger, In Trust, Inc.

Michael Battle, Interdenominational Theological Center

Maxine Beach, Drew Theological Seminary

Charles E. Bouchard, Aquinas Institute of Theology

C. Samuel Calian, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Cynthia Campbell, McCormick Theological Seminary

John Canary, University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary

Robert Cooley, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Vincent Cushing, Washington Theological Union

Marvin Dewey, Taylor Seminary

David Draper, Winebrenner Theological Seminary

Ward Ewing, General Theological Seminary

Frederick J. Finks, Ashland Theological Seminary

Dorcas Gordon, Knox College

Thomas Graves, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond

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Heidi Hadsell, Hartford Seminary

Adolf Hansen, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Martha Horne, Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia

James Hudnut-Beumler, Vanderbilt University Divinity School

Byron Klaus, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary

Christa Klein, In Trust, Inc.

Steven Land, Church of God Theological Seminary

Robert Landrebe, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Robert F. Leavitt, St. Mary’s Seminary and University

G. Douglass Lewis, Wesley Theological Seminary

David Maldonado, Iliff School of Theology

Kevin Mannoia, Azusa Pacific University

David McAllister-Wilson, Wesley Theological Seminary

William McKinney, Pacific School of Religion

Laura Mendenhall, Columbia Theological Seminary

Ron Mercier, Regis College

Donn Morgan, Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Richard J. Mouw, Fuller Theological Seminary

David Neelands, Trinity College Faculty of Divinity

Anthony Ruger, Auburn Theological Seminary

Donald Senior, Chicago Theological Union

Jean Stairs, Queen’s Theological College

Brian Stiller, Tyndale University College and Seminary

Susan Thistlethwaite, Chicago Theological Seminary

David L. Tiede, Luther Seminary

Timothy Weber, Memphis Theological Seminary

Kent M. Weeks, Senior Attorney, Weeks, Anderson, and Baker

Louis Weeks, Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of

Christian Education

Lovett H. Weems Jr., Wesley Theological Seminary

Edward Wheeler, Christian Theological Seminary

Craig Williford, Denver Seminary

Wilson Yates, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

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