An analysis of questionnaire responses portrays trustees as busy persons, engaged extensively in formal group meetings with less time devoted to individual consultations, and having little familiarity with relevant literature. Most board members regard their actions as "pro forma" and would prefer functioning within a more hierarchical…

A study investigates the governance roles of trustees in four private colleges that were victims of fiscal pressures common to independent colleges and that did not survive. The primary concern is with the board's role prior to failure, the responsibility they bore for what happened, and the opportunities for service they may have overlooked.…