University
of
North Florida
Lessons Learned
Ground Rules
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One Conversation
Listen To Hear Differences
Be Honest/Candid & Open
Be Tough On Issues/Concerns
Be Easy On Each Other
Parking Lot
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
LESSONS LEARNED
OVERVIEW
• Attention to mission, goals and values should
drive university decisions and initiatives
• Handouts for Pennsylvania State, Virginia, and
UNF for Mission, Goals, and values statements
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
COMMUNICATE—NO SUPRISES
• “Spanier filtered issues. Rainbows but not rusty nails.”
• “The Board learned about it when it became public.”
• “ Presidents should share information of great weight at
least with a subset of the Board.” Richard Chait
• Unafraid plain talk
• Focus on Policy – Not personalities
• Protocol for keeping people in loop
• Boards – give favorable evaluation for being candid
• CEO works for Board not individuals
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
FOLLOW PROCEDURES AND USE COMMITTEE SYSTEM
• “No regular reporting procedures or committee structures to ensure disclosure of
major risks to the University.” Freeh Report
• “Some trustees felt they were there to rubber stamp Spanier.” Freeh Report.
• “The Board did not independently ask for more information or assess the
underreporting by Spanier about the Sandusky investigation after May 11.” Freeh
Report
• “The Board was unprepared to deal with charges filed against senior administrators
and the football coach—and the firing of Coach Paterno.” Freeh report
• 119 recommendations for improvement—see a sample in handout
• Engagement of all board members is essential
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
BOARD DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIAL
• New board member orientation
▫ Focus on responsibilities
• Encourage in-service
▫ Attendance at AGB meetings
• Board self assessment
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
ALL MUST ABIDE BY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
• BIG KILLER ERROR—Football subject to discipline
by Coach – not university
• President allowed this to happen
• No evidence of Board concern
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
IN RISK ANALYSIS FOCUS ON KILLER ERRORS
• N0 evidence of athletics program considered a
risk
• Other killer errors
• Academic
• Financial
• Personnel
• We focus too much on less important
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
WHEN A KILLER ERROR ARISES DEAL WITH IT—IT
WON’T STAY QUIET
• Open discussion about Problem – including Board
• Objective Review
• Change policies and people
• Be as transparent as possible
• If to be kept confidential have crisis management in
place when it goes viral (it will)
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
KNOW YOUR CULTURE
• “Stay quiet or they will get rid of all of us. Football
runs this place.” One Janitor
• “We should have had our antennae up. We should
have been risk managers in a better way.” Board
Chair
• Beware of GROUP THINK
• Absolute power corrupts absolutely – Lord Acton
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
TRY TO GET ALL THE BAD NEWS OUT AT
ONCE – DON’T FUEL THE FLAMES
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Outside review
Credible public statements
Make changes
Communicate, Communicate
When it is over, make it over
TAKE HOME FOR UNF
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
DO THE RIGHT THING (VALUES) – THE BEST WAY
TO PROTECT IMAGE
• “A powerful president fought first to protect his university’s
image. Spanier and associates through actions and words
showed little concern for the well being of Sandusky’s
victims until after Sandusky arrest.” From Freeh Report
• Ask important questions
• Why are we here?
• What are our Mission, Goals and Values?
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF
PENNSYLVANIA STATE
A LITTLE HUMILITY HERE
• Conflict and open discussion can be a
positive force for change
• People and institutions make big mistakes –
sometimes huge. The sin is not dealing with
them and allowing them to happen again
Happy families are all alike; every unhappy
family is unhappy in its own way. TOLSTOY
Freeh RECOMMENDATIONS
(NOT ALL 119)
3.1
Review the administrative and governance
issues raised in this report, particularly with
regard to the structure, composition, eligibility
requirements and term limits of the Board, the
need to include more members who are not
associated with the University……………….The
Board should make public the results and
recommendations generated from the review.
3.3.1 Rotate Committee Chairs every five years or
sooner
Freeh RECOMMENDATIONS
(Cont’d)
3.44
Use the Board’s Executive Decision/Question Period with the
president to make relevant and reasonable inquiry into
substantive matters and to facilitate sound decision-making
3.7
Develop a critical incident management plan, including
training and exercises, for the Board and University
administrators
4.1
Establish and select an individual for a position of “Chief
Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer should….”
4.21
Establish a University policy for the implementation of the
CLERY Act.
TAKE HOME FOR UNF
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
COMMUNICATE – NO SURPRISES
• “The Board might well have avoided such a backlash if
members had publicly articulated their concerns. Instead,
they hashed out their differences with Ms. Sullivan in the
dead of night.” Former Governor James Gilmore III.
• “These matters are for strategic dynamism rather than
strategic planning.” Board member Kikernan, a strong
supporter of firing President Sullivan
• “Trust does not mean the absence of disagreement. But it
requires that disagreements be frankly discussed. When
you choose a president, tell him/her what you are thinking.”
President Sullivan
• The chief concern I have is the secrecy of what is supposed
to be a public process…If the choice is between the ugliness
of last week and the ugliness of a meeting where the board
says what their concerns are, I think if I were a board
member, I would take the public disclosure.” John Casteen,
former President of UVA
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
FOLLOW PROCEDURES AND USE COMMITTEE SYSTEM
• “Good piece in the WSJ today. We can’t afford to wait.”
Chairman of Board to colleague
• “Top executive resigns in wake of leadership crisis—alleged
to have been in communications with Board members,
keeping president out of loop.” Recent Chronicle article
• Board did not meet regarding Sullivan firing
• Chair said she had the votes
• “Concerns of Chair and other valid – a way to use
governance system to address?
• Engagement of all Board members essential
• Board self assessment – are we targeting the right things?
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
BOARD DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIAL
• Board self-assessment
• New Board orientation
• Board in-service
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF
KNOW THE CULTURE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
IS VIRGINIA THE PLACE TO BEGIN
STRATEGIC DYNAMISM?
“After leadership Crisis Fueled by Distance Education
Debate, WVA will put free classes on line.” Recent
Chronicle Article
“Six months isn’t going to kill the University. If the Board
was worried about creating opposition to change, they
couldn’t have done it more forcefully than they did.” Jane
Wellman, expert on University cost structure
TAKE HOME FOR UNF
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
ONCE IT IS VIRAL – CLEAN IT UP
• Once all the actors are back in place ask –
Can this work?
• TAKE HOME FOR UNF