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Chair of the Board of Trustees
Description
Mission
The mission of Antioch College is to provide a rigorous liberal arts education on the belief that scholarship and life experience are strengthened when linked, that diversity in all its manifestations is a fundamental component of excellence in education, and that authentic social and community engagement is vital for those who strive to win victories for humanity.
Summary
The Chair’s responsibility is to develop and lead the Board as a cohesive and effective team. They model the characteristics expected from all Trustees. The Chair oversees Board affairs, ensuring the integrity of the Board’s process in governing and supporting the Antioch College Corporation. The Chair acts as the representative of the board as a whole and serves as the day-to-day supervisor and adviser of the President, with whom they should be meeting regularly.
The Chair position is the most time-intensive officer position and requires a unique balance of skills. Effective Chairs combine organizational skills and advanced facilitation and engagement techniques to develop strong relationships with both the President and their fellow Trustees.
Role
Leadership
The Chair is ultimately responsible for the Governance & Oversight with special care and attention to the Code of Regulations.
Partnership with the President
The leadership and partnership of the President and the Chair, though having demonstrably different roles, reinforce and support each other. Each has their own responsibilities — the President leads the organization and the Chair leads the Board — but they meet regularly to support, consult, and complement each other.
Advisor to the President The Chair, in addition to regular meetings with the President, must be available readily when issues arise related to any aspect of the President’s work, to listen, to problem-solve, and to advise the President from the Chair’s perspective.
Supervises the President The Chair, with knowledge of the President’s actions, decisions, and interactions with all constituencies of the College, will guide, coach, and engage deeply with the President to fulfill the mission and uphold the values of the College.
Lead annual review The Chair will conduct a review of the President every 2 years, along with discussion and review as needed. The Chair gathers input from Trustees and other pertinent individuals, to assess the effectiveness of the President in all facets of their role as the leader of Antioch College.
Contract renewal The Chair, together with the Executive Committee, will make decisions relative to the renegotiation of the President’s contract about the length of the contract, the compensation, and other incidentals related to their employment with the College.
Search The Chair, in the event that the Presidential position becomes vacant, will interview and contract with a search firm to lead the process to find a successor. The Chair will, with input from the Executive Committee, enlist appropriate and knowledgeable constituents to serve on a committee to vet and ultimately choose the President of the College.
Responsibilities
General
The general authority of the Chair of the Board to execute on behalf of the Corporation any contracts, notes, deeds, mortgages, and other papers not requiring specific approval of the trustees or the execution of which the trustees have not specifically delegated to another individual shall be coordinated with the authority of the President.
Set and enforce deadlines for Board
Cultivate and model a strong, working partnership with the President and Staff
Understand and support a clear delineation between the President’s role and the Board’s governance role
Ensure the creation of Board meeting agendas
Oversee the hiring, evaluation, and compensation of the President
Lead the board in governing the organization
Work with appropriate board members and committees to oversee the budget of the organization, ensure resources and collectively assume ultimate responsibility for the integrity of the organization’s finances
Provide support for incoming board chair, as needed
Ensure board conducts self-assessment
Play a leadership role in community relations
Cultivate relationships with individual donors, funders, and other key community stakeholders
Serve as spokesperson for the Board, as per policy
Board & Committee Meetings
Preside at all meetings of the Board of Trustees
Attend all committee meetings as agreed upon and necessary
Facilitate board meetings and encourage strategic discussion and diverse opinions to ensure successful outcomes
Engage the board in strategic planning and program evaluation
Convene and lead Executive Committee meetings
Qualifications
Demonstrated commitment to Antioch values, including but not limited to: open-mindedness, social justice, participatory democracy, combatting anti-Blackness and racism diversity, and shared governance.
Ability to devote adequate time to board responsibilities and is receptive to questions and inquiries from trustees and administrators in a timely manner.
Working knowledge of Antioch College including the campus, the faculty, staff, and students as well as the Village of Yellow Springs
An understanding of today’s students and the necessary changes liberal arts colleges must respond to, including demographic shifts, the enrollment cliff, etc. and Antioch’s history and current challenges
Understanding of the theory or workings of shared governance, especially at Antioch, and a willingness to experiment beyond traditional institutional models.
Strong capacity for group facilitation; sustaining conflict toward transformation, supported by skills of resonant listening, open communication, in-depth discussion, and reflection.
Demonstrated commitment to exceptional board and finance practices
Travel to Yellow Springs required multiple times of year
