Survey: Governance program delivers
Published: April 21, 2005
Ninety-two percent of graduates of CSBA’s Masters in Governance program would recommend it to others, according to a recent survey by J.K. Educational Associates of Anaheim.
“By all accounts, [Masters in Governance] is a superior program for California boards of trustees,” wrote lead researcher Jim Cox. One hundred fifty-six graduates from 2002, 2003, and 2004 participated in the survey.
Generally, the pacing and difficulty of the content were about right, respondents said, and a majority thought the quality of the presenters and their interaction with the participants was good. From 80 to 86 percent felt the program gave them the knowledge and skills needed to be more productive board members, with a significant number indicating they have applied their knowledge at home on their local board.
“This just doesn’t happen with typical professional development programs,” noted Cox. “Perhaps the length of time the participants were in the program, along with the network development, contributed to the impact beyond the classroom as the dominant outcome for more than half of the responding graduates.”
Of the nine learning modules, Foundations of Effective Governance, Setting Direction, Community Relations and Advocacy, and Human Resources had the greatest impact on their role as a board member, according to those who gave the entire program the highest scores.
“We had been looking for data that supported what we knew in our hearts and had been hearing anecdotally — that the program does make a difference,” said Marge Peterson, Chief Administrative Officer of the Masters in Governance program. “The fact that 67 percent of the respondents said it had an impact on their board back home indicates that this program works.”
The participants were also invited to submit comments about the overall program. One board member said, “I feel that one cannot function to full ability without this course. I have served [more than 40] years on my present board and I feel like I understand boardsmanship much better.”