Proposed Governance Changes at the Academy
January 24, 2007

A revision of the governance structure at the Academy seeks to achieve these objectives:

• Separate the role of the President from the position of Chairman of the Board
• Appropriately involve the Executive Bishop, as Chancellor, with the Academy
• Change the administrative structure so that the President is focused on the spiritual mission of the Academy and operational tasks are delegated to others
• Support the individual schools in becoming more accountable for developing and implementing their own educational programs, especially the College as it moves to having its own President
• Address structural issues to improve the functioning of the governing Board and the Academy administration

This is an attempt to begin the restructuring. In the limited amount of time available we thought it advisable to initiate new directions rather than propose a final form. We expect the changes we propose to result in additional changes in the next few years. This also gives us the ability to evaluate the impact of these changes as we move forward.

Proposals:

1. The Executive Bishop should chair all Academy Board meetings as Chancellor
2. The President should be a priest, but his role should be redefined so that his focus is on the spiritual mission and general oversight
3. Create a new position of “Special Assistant to the Chancellor” who will be the operational leader at the Academy
4. Delay the selection of a President for Bryn Athyn College for at least one school year

Discussion

The Executive Bishop needs to have closer contact with the Academy to support it and give it general direction. Chairing the Board will enable him to be present at crucial times and participate in the high-level dialogue. The challenge, however, is that he cannot become involved in the daily affairs of the Academy nor much of the operation of the Board. To prevent this he will delegate to the President, Special Assistant, and Vice Chair.

The goal of having a priest-President give leadership on the overall or spiritual mission of the Academy has oft been stated, but in recent times rarely realized. Presidents have reported that a majority of their time is devoted to administrative or operational issues that draw them away from their essential use. The 2002 reorganization attempted to provide for this by creating a Vice President of Administration. Many tasks were delegated to that person. It was not practical to delegate others as originally envisioned. Thus the unintended result of making the President the Chair of the Board and the incomplete delegation of tasks was to increase the complexity and amount of administrative work for the President.

The creation of a Special Assistant to the Chancellor is to provide leadership throughout the Academy to ensure its smooth and efficient operation. The overarching role would be to work with the key constituencies of the Academy – Board, administration, faculties and major supporters. The goal is to improve the functioning and interactions of all of these components.

The Special Assistant will work closely and cooperatively with the President, with most operational tasks delegated to the Special Assistant. The Special Assistant will report to the President and Chancellor regarding the Charter purposes of the Academy.

The Special Assistant will also work with the Board to identify areas where Trustees can more usefully focus on governance rather than detailed administrative oversight.

Technically, the delegation of all of the powers for the Special Assistant’s office is from the President since the by-laws locate these powers with his office. But because the Special Assistant will be working with the Board and other constituencies and will be reporting to the Chancellor, the “Special Assistant” title reflects this. It appears that this designation and delegation of responsibility will not require any by-law changes, but it will have to be reviewed by the Legal Advisory Committee for confirmation.

Delaying selection of a President for the Bryn Athyn College will accomplish two ends. First, it will remove the potential confusion which could result from making too many significant changes at the same time. The President and Special Assistant will both be settling into their new positions, so to add a President for the College could complicate this and might not enable the College President’s position to be fully supported.
Second, it will enable the Special Assistant to lay the groundwork so that a College President has the ability to be effective, with clear budgeting and reporting lines in place before assuming that role.

The following rough position descriptions are designed to give a general idea and direction to the President’s and Special Assistant’s roles without attempting to be all-inclusive. Areas not specifically designated will be mutually worked out, with the Chancellor’s direction if necessary. This reflects the evolutionary nature of this proposal.

Office of the President

The President, as a priest, will be responsible for the development of the schools in relation to the Academy Charter. It is envisioned that he will provide leadership for the overall mission of the Academy and guide decisions that affect its mission. Specifically, he could

• Provide religious instruction, perhaps both in separate courses and co-teaching in other subject matters
• Promote the development of New Church curricula
• Be a spokesman for the religious mission of the schools
• Provide religious support for the Heads of Schools, faculty, and students
• Be a presence in the life of the institution
• Be involved in administrative meetings, such as Heads of Schools and the Academy Leadership Team

He would not be involved with the details of

• Real estate
• Grounds and facilities
• Finances, such as salary and benefits
• Most Board or Corporation activities
• Development

He will, to some extent, be involved in

• Strategic planning
• Marketing
• Admissions
• Student life
• Hiring and development of faculty

The President will report to the Chancellor and the Board at regular meetings.

Office of the Special Assistant to the Chancellor

Reporting Relationships

The Special Assistant will function as an Executive Vice President. The Special Assistant is responsible to the President, the Chancellor, the Board of Trustees, and Corporation for carrying out the Charter purposes of the Academy. The Special Assistant will report regularly to the Board of Trustees.

The following positions will report directly to the Special Assistant:

• Principal of the Girls School
• Principal of the Boys School
• Dean of the College
• Dean of the Theological School
• Treasurer and Vice President of Administrative and Business Affairs
• Director of Glencairn
• Director of Development
• Director of Communications
• Director of Marketing

The Dean of the Theological School reports directly to the Executive Bishop regarding mission and its implementation. He reports to the Special Assistant only as regards matters relating to coordination of Academy uses and overall budget, and the Master of Arts program.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Provide clear direction to the institution by participating with the Heads of Schools and faculty in establishing the Academy’s educational policy, and with the Treasurer and Board in setting and implementing fiscal policy.
• Oversee implementation of the strategic plan.
• Work with the Heads of Schools to develop and implement growth and recruiting strategies specific to each school.
• Work with the Director of Marketing and Heads of Schools to develop a marketing plan for all schools.
• Work with the Development Office to promote strong alumni relations and alumni organization(s).
• Work with the Vice President of Administrative and Business Affairs to give oversight, supervision and direction to the Central Shared Service Directors.
• Maintain and strengthen active relationships with other educational institutions and professional associations.

Administrative Responsibilities

• In consultation with the President and Chancellor, and subject to Board approval, oversee the appointment and removal of the Heads of Schools (except the Dean of the Theological School) and the Glencairn Museum Director. In consultation with the President, Chancellor and a committee of the Board of Trustees appointed by the President, oversee the appointment or removal of the Treasurer and Vice President of Administrative and Business Affairs.
• Oversee the Heads of Schools in faculty appointments, re-appointments and separations and be informed of all other changes in Academy staff, full-time and part-time.
• Receive reports from and advise Heads of Schools concerning major changes or additions to academic offerings, practices of the institution, and major disciplinary actions.
• Oversee the budgetary process, which is primarily the responsibility of the Treasurer, Director of Finance, and Budget Committee in collaboration with the budget managers.
• Participate with the President and Vice Chair of the Board in appointing standing committees of the Board. Consult with the President and committee chairs about appointment of Board adjunct committees, sub-committees and ad hoc committees.
• Establish and strengthen liaisons with other academic institutions and appropriate governmental agencies.

Ancillary Duties

• With the President and Heads of Schools be responsible for the orientation of all newly employed full-time faculty members.
• Provide counsel to the Human Resources Committee regarding the impact of compensation schedules for faculty members, other employees and officers of the institution.
• Provide counsel to the Joint Benefits Committee with regard to all benefits for faculty and retired employees.
• Provide counsel to the Finance Committee with regard to the impact of schedules for student fees for tuition, room, board, etc.
• Consult with the Treasurer and Vice President of Administrative and Business Affairs concerning all business operations to assure adequate communication with regard to record-keeping activities, academic functions, student registration, etc.
• Work with the Secondary Schools Principals in resolving policy and implementing procedures. Where the two schools differ, resolve the issues with the involvement of the President where appropriate.
• Provide for and oversee timely and informative communications with the Corporation and faculty. (Much of this is now done by the Director of Communications.)
• Serve as ex officio member of the Pavilion Advisory Board.
• Prepare draft agendas for regular and special Board and Corporation meetings, in consultation with the Chancellor, President, Treasurer and Vice Chair. Communicate closely and meet with the Executive Committee of the Board, which has final approval of the agenda for Board meetings.
• Provide for strategic planning and its implementation, including reporting to the Board, Corporation, faculty and staff.