Top Tips for Effective Higher Education Board Meetings: Before and After

While board meetings often receive significant attention, the essence of effective governance goes beyond the confines of the board table. Just as the impact of a higher education organization isn’t solely determined by the pomp of a graduation ceremony, the success of board operations relies on what happens before and after each board meeting.

As a higher education board administrator, you understand that the true magic lies not only in the meeting itself, but also in the activities that precede and follow it.

Effective boards benefit from a clearly outlined sequence of steps that occur before every board meeting. Both staff and board members should be responsible for defined tasks, such as preparing financial data or reviewing the budget draft.

Indeed, as noted by Nonprofit Hub, “the meeting starts before the meeting.”  Preparation starts with the collection and distribution of financials, reports and any other materials that should be reviewed prior to your higher education board meeting.

Early access gives directors time to take notes, prepare questions, and familiarize themselves with all the information. It also eliminates the potential for surprise, which can thwart productivity in meetings.

Planning a Seamless Volunteer Board Meeting

A well-planned meeting enables the board to work more effectively. When meetings are carefully prepared ahead of time, they move along more productively and efficiently. The meeting should run so seamlessly that board members will not even be aware of how much preparation has gone into the meeting.

The board secretary is often the unsung hero, but board members do appreciate a meeting that is well planned. Using a checklist will help you prepare more effectively and cut down the time that is needed to prepare for the next meeting.

Download our Board Meeting Checklist now to streamline your meeting prep.

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From preparing the meeting space to organizing equipment, providing refreshments, preparing board packets and conducting follow-ups, a lot goes into board meetings.

Streamlining your board meeting prep process will save you a lot of time and stress.

Top Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Next Higher Education Board Meeting

Brian Lauterback, Founder & Practice Director at The Nonprophet Fundraiser Group, points out that, “Systematically preparing for your next meeting not only eliminates some major stress, it can actually improve your organization’s overall performance and impact.”

He offers some very handy tips, including:

• Prepare and distribute meeting minutes to all board members and appropriate organizational leadership within 24 hours after each board meeting.
• Prepare the next meeting agenda by using a template that includes standard board meeting procedures (i.e. approval of previous minutes and consent items).
• Use action items from the prior board meeting, along with the strategic plan and upcoming calendar items, to generate a “complete but tentative mission-driven agenda” for the next meeting.
• Review action items with board members throughout the month to ensure completion before the next meeting.
• Prepare packets and use online resources to improve communications between board meetings. Such tools also serve as an easily accessible place to compile vital documents.

Another important step to take after board meetings? Recognizing and thanking board members for their efforts. Appreciation fosters more engagement and participation, which in turn leads to more effective meetings.

Effective Board Governance Is an Ongoing Process

Of course, board meetings are an essential aspect of good governance, but remember that they are a culmination of tremendous effort that precedes them, as well as a precursor to work that follows. Effective board governance is an ongoing process that requires more than good meetings.

Have you considered a board management solution to manage your governance and streamline your board operations? With BoardEffect, you can automate board meeting processes, such as meeting preparation, minute taking, document sharing and collaboration.

BoardEffect, a Diligent solution, is the leader in providing innovative boardroom technology to nonprofit organizations. Serving more than 14,000 mission-driven organizations, Diligent empowers boards with the tools to drive positive change. Our secure board management software streamlines operations, enhances governance practices, and enables confident decision-making. With BoardEffect, mission-driven organizations can unlock potential, accelerate mission delivery, and make a lasting impact in their communities.