Collaborating with Board Members to Improve Student Access: A Case Study

Session ID: 1666

Ohio Northern University

• Private, Methodist-affiliated, founded 1871 in Ada, OH• Five colleges– Pharmacy– Law– Business administration– Engineering– Arts & Sciences

• About 3,600 students head count• Ethnic diversity: 9%

Board of Trustees

• 35 active board members• Most are alumni• Chair of University Council• President of Student Senate• Full board meets three times a year• Executive Committee meets three times a year• Admissions, Enrollment & Financial Aid Committee

established 2009-10

Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

1. Determine the organization’s mission and purpose

2. Select the executive3. Support the executive and review his or her

performance4. Ensure effective organizational planning5. Ensure adequate resources

BoardSource

Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

6. Manage resources effectively7. Determine and monitor the organization’s

products, services and programs8. Enhance the organization’s public image9. Serve as a court of appeal10.Assess its own performance

BoardSource

Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

• Determining the organization’s mission and purpose• Supporting and evaluating the chief executive with the goals of the

organization in mind• Ensuring effective organizational planning• Determining which of the organization’s programs are consistent with its

mission and monitoring the effectiveness of these programs• Securing adequate financial resources for the organization to fulfill its

mission

Richard T. Ingram Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

• Assisting in the development of the organization’s annual budget and ensuring that proper financial controls are in place

• Defining prerequisites for potential new board members, orienting these new members, and periodically evaluating performance

• Adhering to legal and ethical standards and norms• Clearly defining and articulating the organization’s mission,

accomplishments and goals to gain support from the community and enhancing the organization’s public image

• Overall, board members have a duty of loyalty to the organization, its staff and other board members.

Richard T. Ingram Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

Roles of the Board/Staff

• Personnel• Planning• Programmatic

http://managementhelp.org/boards/compared-to-staff-roles.htm

Roles of the Board/Staff

Planning

Direct the process of planning Board

Provide input to long range goals Joint

Approve long range goals Board

Formulate annual objectives Staff

Approve annual objectives Board

Prepare performance reports on achievement of goals Staff

Monitor achievement of goals and objectives Joint

Roles of the Board/StaffProgramming

Assess stakeholder (customers, community) needs Staff

Train volunteer leaders (nonprofits only) Staff

Oversee evaluation of products, services & programs Board

Maintain program records; prepare program reports Staff

Prepare preliminary budget Staff

Finalize and approve budget Board

See the expenditures are within the budget during the year Staff

Solicit contributions in fundraising campaigns (nonprofits) Board

Organize fundraising campaigns (nonprofits) Staff

Approve expenditures outside authorized budget Board

Insure annual audit of organization accounts Board

Possible Involvement of Board Members• Give, get, or get off• Recommend students• Identify possible candidates for staff

positions• Provide aid to students• Meet with admissions and university

relations about marketing, branding

Possible Involvement of Board Members• Support for the strategic planning• Working with the university to improve

access• Directly supporting specific initiatives

Who “Owns” the Board?

• President• Advancement

Characteristics of Good Board-Staff Relationships

• Transparency• Clear expectations • Communication• Commitment• Mutual respect• Alignment with mission, vision, values of the

university

Trustee Initiative

• Need in local community• Desire of ONU to improve increase diversity and

enroll students from low economic backgrounds in pharmacy and engineering

• Partnering with the charter schools and ONU• Sustainable and replicable

Cleveland:

Championship City in Urban Education

1999-2013

The Situation

Source: Teach for America, April 2012

80% of kids from upper income families graduate from college

Source: Teach for America, April 2012

Yet, only 8% of kids from low income families graduate from college

In Cleveland, it’s even worse.

100children enter 9th

grade in Cleveland

58will graduate from

high school

34will startcollege

4and only 4 will

graduate

SOURCE: June, 2013 The Cleveland Foundation

ENTER

The Cleveland Plan

What Is The Cleveland Plan?

Plan to TRIPLE the number of students in high-performing district & charter schools

– and eliminate failing schools by 2018

THECLEVELAND

PLAN

The Plan & Breakthrough have garnered diverse, bi-partisan support

A little history…In 1999, something great started in Cleveland…

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1,108 students4 schools

2010

Since Breakthrough creation - Number of Schools & Students Served increased 2 ½ times!

2011 2012

1,379 students6 schools

2,000 students9 schools

2,600 students9 schools

2013

And it is working

3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade0

102030405060708090

100

White Students in Ohio (Urban and Suburban)African American Students in ClevelandAfrican American Students at Breakthrough

The Achievement Gap… REVERSEDOhio Achievement Assessment Results

Citizens Academy

Citizens Academy

EastCitizens

Leadership Academy

The Intergenerational

School

Near West Intergenerational

School

E Prep & Village PrepCLIFFS SUPERIOR

E Prep & Village PrepWOODLAND HILLS

Breakthrough Schools

We continue to be the highest-rated network of public charter schools in Ohio

Breakthrough serves K-8… THEN what?

Off to 30 or so highly rated High Schools in NE Ohio

some Cleveland Districtsome Charter Schoolssome Catholic Schools

some Independent

Where are those FIRST scholars today?

47 students graduated from 8th grade at E Prep and The Intergenerational School in

2009: • Tracked 40 of 47• 37 of the 40 graduated high school (93%)• 30 of 37 notified us of college acceptances (81%) • 7 have GPA / ACT data below “college-ready”

standards • Three students have been held back a year in

school

This Year…

• There are 51 graduates of E Prep/TIS who are now seniors

• We are hosting a 5-workshop series for these students as well as the juniors this fall

• Focus is on college selection and career search

Breakthrough’s Aspirational Goal in Cleveland

20 schools

By 2020

Serving 7,000 Kids

Cleveland:

a Championship City in Urban Education

1999-2013

Join the movement – be a Friend of

Breakthrough Schools

Challenges of Getting E-Prep Students to College• Maintaining academic success• Identifying E-Prep graduates• Applying for admission• Understanding financial aid• Visiting campus• Paying for the education

The Friends of Breakthrough Schools Fund• Breakthrough Schools is one of the highest-performing networks of free, public

charter schools in Cleveland, Ohio. These college preparatory public charter schools are nationally-recognized for innovative educational models & proven results. The public charter schools have high expectations for everyone – children and adults – and believe in every student. They put children's needs first, and make sure every child receives a high-quality, college preparatory education.

• Their mission is to provide sustainable, high-quality public schools in Cleveland’s under-served neighborhoods, ensuring all students have access to a public, free, outstanding college preparatory education

• The Friends of Breakthrough Schools Fund is restricted by the donor to support students who have graduated from the Breakthrough Schools charter schools of the greater Cleveland area and who are attending fulltime and actively pursuing a degree from Ohio Northern University. The use of this temporarily restricted Fund is to support qualified students who are graduates of the Breakthrough Schools and who are attending Ohio Northern University.

The Friends of Breakthrough Schools Fund• If, in the future, it is the opinion of the Board of Trustees that all or part of the

income of the Fund cannot be usefully applied to such purpose as defined in this document, the Fund may be used for any related University purpose that most nearly accomplishes the stated intentions of the donors.

• Awards made under the terms of this document, their benefits or any part thereof cannot be bought, sold, or transferred to any person for or without consideration.

• The University may publish names of all donors in University Advancement publications.

Breakthrough & ONU• Campus Visit(s)– Large group visit on campus– Individual visits on campus

• Senior reception– Need estimates– Admissions Overview

• Support of donors to manage the “gap”• Communication

Getting Other Universities Involved

• Contacting universities• Demonstrating the benefits for them• Centralizing funding for scholarships• Sustainability

Outcomes

• Student Applications– Nine (9) students applied

• Decisions – Incomplete (2)– Denied three (3)– Admitted four (4)– Matriculated two (2)

Lessons Learned

• Early & Often • Involve Parents• Constant Communication • Student Tracking (in high school)

Lessons Learned

• Underestimating challenges• Sustainability• Partnering with colleagues outside the

university• Competing priorities• Consistency with the strategic plan

Questions & DiscussionBob Kerscher

Active Board Memberbob.kerscher@gmail.com

Larry Lesick VP Enrollment Management

l-lesick@onu.edu

Reginald Onyido Admissions Counselor &

Multicultural Advisorr-onyido@onu.edu