B2003 Monitoring President Effectiveness

Policy Statement

According to the Illinois Community College Act, the Board is exclusively responsible for the oversight and operations of the College.  To fulfill professional expectations and Higher Learning Commission accreditation obligations associated with operating the College, the Board hires a President and delegates operational activities to that person, as noted in B2001.  Since the President operates the College as the Board’s primary employee, the Board has a direct interest in monitoring the President’s performance and ensuring the conditions for presidential and institutional success are clearly defined and supported. To accomplish this, the Board and the President create a partnership of focus and mutual accountability using the tenets of policy governance. 

In this collaborative relationship, the Board is responsible for clearly defining the Strategic Outcomes (which identifies the desired results of the College’s work), and the President is responsible for determining the operational practices (i.e., strategies and methods) to accomplish the Board-defined Strategic Outcomes.  To facilitate and strengthen communication, the Board clarifies the responsibilities of the President through B2002, defines performance expectations for the President, and communicates specific leadership competencies that the President must demonstrate as they carry out their duties.  By doing so, the Board effectively defines, monitors, evaluates, and assures accountability for the Strategic Outcomes as well as provides the President with the necessary tools for continuously improving the quality of College operations. 

This process of monitoring President effectiveness provides the Board with opportunities to:

1. Deepen its understanding of the President and the College.
2. Strengthen the Board-President partnership to ensure President success.
3. Connect and integrate elements of Board and President responsibility with College performance.
4. Strengthen Board engagement with the President and College.
5. Improve its oversight of College operations.

Monitoring President Effectiveness

The Board’s evaluation of the President is based solely on performance relative to Board-defined policy.  It does not assess operational style, individual decisions, or popularity.  Instead, the Board evaluates whether Strategic Outcomes are being achieved and whether Executive Limitations are being followed.  Monitoring tools provide evidence of institutional performance and are used to support governance accountability, organizational improvement, and a strong President-Board partnership.

As it relates to clarifying responsibilities of the President, the Board clearly defines areas of accountability and duties in the President Accountability Policy (B2002).  In addition, to maintain effective oversight and provide guidance to the President on operational activities, the Board establishes Executive Limitations (restrictions) on the President’s authority to administer and operate the College within the boundaries of prudence and ethics.

In terms of establishing performance expectations, identifying leadership competencies, and assessing performance, the Board will monitor President effectiveness through continuous evaluation of monitoring reports and an annual performance review.  A mid-cycle review may be conducted at the Board’s discretion, if circumstances warrant.

Continuous Evaluation through Monitoring Reports

Monitoring reports are the primary method used to evaluate President performance.  The Board will evaluate all monitoring report activities in a manner that systematically assesses College progress on the Strategic Outcome and President compliance with Executive Limitation policies.  As such, the Board shall use the following methods to monitor President performance:

1. Internal Reports – reports created by the College as noted in the College Monitoring Effectiveness Policy
2. External Reports – reports created by parties external to the College (e.g., accrediting bodies, auditors, inspectors, etc.)
3. President Reports – written reports that convey the College’s progress on strategic initiatives, financial updates, and external factors that may influence future operations and/or policy
4. Direct Board Inspection – Inspection of documents, activities, or circumstances directed by the Board to determine policy compliance

Consistent with policy governance principles, the Board will consider the President’s conformance to Strategic Outcome and Executive Limitation policies as it evaluates the President’s performance through monitoring reports. The Board, not individual Trustees, evaluates the President’s accomplishment of Strategic Outcomes and compliance with Executive Limitations.

If the Board determines the President’s performance is acceptable, but the data presented does not demonstrate reasonable accomplishment (or compliance) with a Board policy, then the Board will review and clarify the appropriate policy, as necessary.  If the Board determines that the President’s performance is unacceptable, then the Board will develop, in collaboration with the President, a strategy to ensure future compliance.

All policies instructing the President will be monitored at a frequency and by a method chosen by the Board. To provide continuous and timely communication, the Board may choose to monitor any policy by any method at any time, but will ordinarily follow an annual review schedule as agreed to by the Board.

Formal Annual Performance Assessment

The Board will conduct a formal annual assessment of the President’s performance in October of each calendar year.  The Board, if circumstances warrant, may conduct a mid-cycle review at its discretion.  In the event of a mid-cycle review, a reason will be stated in writing 30 days prior to the commencement of the review.  A process and assessment instrument will be developed by the Board in collaboration with the President.  This assessment shall focus on the President’s performance relative to Board policy and will take into account relevant internal and external factors – such as operational challenged, system constraints, and institutional readiness – that may influence Strategic Outcome achievement.  In this process, the Board will use continuous improvement principles as the purpose is to assist the President with a path forward by outlining issues to address, processes to improve, goals to set, and/or talents to develop.

This assessment will be based on a summary/review of the Board’s assessment of the President’s performance, drawn from data presented in the monitoring reports noted earlier, over the preceding fiscal year.  In addition, the President is responsible not only for achieving the Strategic Outcomes in the present, but also for positioning the College to achieve Strategic Outcomes in the future. 

The criteria for President performance are grounded in the goals, expectations, and metrics that have been established jointly by the President and the Board as they relate to the accomplishment of the Board’s Strategic Outcomes.  Further, they will define aspirations and provide measurable benchmarks that reflect President leadership and convey wider strategic possibilities for the College. This provides the opportunity for the Board to assess goals and expectations from the past and renew, reconfigure, and create goals for the future.

Board-Directed Supplemental Review Activities (Optional)

To support continuous improvement and maintain a strong President-Board partnership, the Board reserves the authority to initiate additional review activities in exceptional circumstances. These activities are not intended to replace the annual evaluation but may be used at the Board’s discretion to gather additional information related to President effectiveness in relation to Strategic Outcome or Executive Limitation policies.

Such activities may include – but are not limited to – targeted review of Executive Limitation policy areas, focused consultations with third-party advisors, or review of available College climate survey data.  These methods shall be used only when warranted and shall be conducted in ways that respect the operational authority of the President and uphold the principles of transparency, trust, and accountability.

When used, discretionary review activities must be:

1. Framed around existing Board policy;
2. Focused on trends, patterns, or indicators relevant to Strategic Outcomes or Executive Limitations;
3. Designed to support learning, leadership development, or policy refinement – not individual criticism or performance correction outside the normal evaluation cycle.

Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing direct Board intervention into operational matters. The President retains full authority over operational decision-making unless restricted by a specific Executive Limitation policy. If information obtained through discretionary review identifies concerns, the Board will address those concerns by revisiting and, if necessary, revising its policies.