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Co-published with This series of essays written for trustees and administrative leaders of universities and colleges draws on the authors’ extensive consulting experience, research into the dynamics of boards, and service as trustees, to focus on practical insights that will help readers improve governance. The authors have contributed a series of essays on governing well to Inside Higher Education, which formed the inspiration for this volume.The primary aim of the book is to provide insight that boards can use to enhance their governing practices. The author’s take is not a “how to do” book but rather one on “how to think.” Their basic premise is that too many boards are underperforming because they adopt or continue ineffective practices. However, thinking in more intentional if not new ways about not only what they do as boards, but how they go about their efforts, will help boards add value to the institutions and state systems they govern. The authors use thought provoking-titles and a conversational tone to engage the readers, get them to reflect on their work, and broaden their horizons.

A college is only as strong as its board of trustees. While the media frequently report on threats facing colleges and universities, no sector of higher education is in more danger than private colleges with small endowments and low enrollments. Numerous small private liberal arts colleges could benefit from careful consideration of characteristics and practices of successful trusteeship. In How Boards Lead Small Colleges, Alice Lee Williams Brown and Elizabeth Richmond Hayford focus on small colleges—the kind that seldom attract the attention of researchers. Integrating case studies with theoretical analyses of college governance, they explain the basic responsibilities of boards while demonstrating how some develop practices that fulfill these responsibilities more effectively than others. The book emphasizes strategic planning and collaboration between the board and central administration—advice useful to those governing colleges and universities of all sizes and strengths. For decades, the authors led consortia of small colleges and served on boards of multiple nonprofit organizations. Here, they interview trustees and presidents at dozens of small colleges across multiple states to identify the role governing boards play in building strong private colleges. Encouraging presidents to consider new approaches for working with their boards based on mutual dedication to strengthening institutions, Brown and Hayford also urge trustees to challenge new thinking from their presidents without interfering in internal operations. How Boards Lead Small Colleges is designed to appeal to anyone with a special interest in the future of small private colleges, which play a critical role in the world of higher education.

Medicine in medieval Islam was not simply a technical trade but a crucial societal institution guided by moral values and collective obligations. At the heart of this institution lies the concept of trust. This study aims to conceptualize the formation and dynamics of trust in medieval Islamic medicine, using a qualitative, historical-analytical approach. For this purpose, we analyzed manifestations of trust throughout society in accordance with theoretical frameworks of trust across three interconnected levels of relationships: trust within the community of physicians, trust between people and physicians, and generalized or public trust in physicians. The study results show that the framework of trust in the community of physicians is widespread and is created through professional knowledge, ethical standards, medical ethics, collaboration, and medical practices within the community of physicians; trust between physicians and people is also typical and is a product of socioeconomic factors and reputation; and finally, public trust is pervasive and is formed through societal and cultural measures.

Haupt reexamines the professional fiduciary analogy and outlines the implications of analogizing information fiduciaries to other traditional fiduciaries. Cautioning against overreliance on professional fiduciaries as the model, she suggests that information fiduciaries in many respects are more usefully analogized to trustees than to professionals. Importantly, as Balkin notes, the analogy depends on the underlying social relationship.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the association among trustee board diversity (TBD), corporate governance (CG), capital structure (CS) and financial performance (FP) by using a sample of UK charities. Specifically, the authors investigate the effect of TBD on CS and ascertain whether CG quality moderates the TBD–CS nexus. Additionally, the authors examine the impact of CS on FP and ascertain whether the CS–FP nexus is moderated by TBD and CG quality. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a number of multivariate regression techniques, including ordinary least squares, fixed-effects, lagged-effects and two-stage least squares, to rigorously analyse the data and test the hypotheses. Findings First, the authors find that trustee board gender diversity has a negative effect on CS, but this relationship holds only up to the point of having three women trustees. The authors find similar, but relatively weak, results for the presence of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) trustees. Second, the authors find that the TBD–CS nexus depends on the quality of CG, with the relationship being stronger in charities with higher frequency of meetings, independent CG committee and larger trustee and audit firm size. Third, the authors find that CS structure has a positive effect on FP, but this is moderated by TBD and CG quality. The evidence is robust to different econometric models that adjust for alternative measures and endogeneities. The authors interpret the findings within explanations of a theoretical perspective that captures insights from different CG and CS theories. Originality/value Existing studies that explore TBD, CG, CS and FP in charities are rare. This study distinctively attempts to address this empirical lacuna within the extant literature by providing four new insights with specific focus on UK charities. First, the authors provide new evidence on the relationship between TBD and CS. Second, the authors offer new evidence on the moderating effect of CG on the TBD-CS nexus. Third, the authors provide new evidence on the effect of CS on FP. Finally, the authors offer new evidence on the moderating effect of TBD and CG on the CS–FP nexus.

Christopher Rufo and Jason \"Eddie\" Speir, new members of New College of Florida’s board of trustees, met with students, faculty, staff and community members on Jan. 25, for the first time since their appointment.