Learning Center Advisory Boards—Getting Started

Alan Craig

As a new learning center coordinator at Georgia Perimeter College , I want to connect with campus leaders who can provide advice, assistance, and support. One means of doing this is to establish an advisory board, something that I have done successfully a number of times in my prior career in the corporate world. I am working on this now. This note is for others who may be interested in knowing more about why an advisory board might be helpful, what it does, how it operates, and who are good candidates to be members.

Purpose

The chief purpose of any advisory board is to provide advice and counsel. Here is a general version of mine:

• Advise the Learning Center Director on ways to increase the impact of the Learning Center .

Additionally, an advisory board is a vehicle for marketing the learning center and its programs, strengthening (and sometimes repairing) relationships with key learning center stakeholders, prioritizing programs and budgets, and, if it hasn't already been done, developing learning center mission, goals, and objectives.

Activities

Some key activities for an advisory board include:

• Providing input for prioritizing Learning Center initiatives, services, and budget requests
• Acting as a sounding board regarding learning center tactical and strategic plans
• Ensuring collaboration opportunities are maximized
• Reviewing status of the learning center operation, budget, services, and initiatives

Meetings

To determine how often and when the advisory board is to meet consider the cycle of activities in the academic year, especially the budget cycle. The director needs feedback on budget opportunities in time to include them in budget requests. Also a meeting prior to the start of the academic year helps ensure the program is focused and visible. Usually the learning center director schedules and leads the meetings.

Agenda

Every meeting must have an agenda. It needs to be sent to members well in advance of the meeting so that they have time to prepare adequately. Send a reminder (with another copy of the agenda) a day or so before the meeting. Each agenda will of course depend on what the current issues are but should include some standing components. Remember that this is a key marketing opportunity for the learning center. Here is a typical agenda:

• Report on learning center operation and usage statistics
• Report on status of learning center initiatives
• Discuss any learning center issues or concerns
• Discuss proposed initiatives
• Prioritize services and initiatives

Membership

Who should the learning center director recruit for membership? This depends in part on the mission, goals, objectives, functions, and funding mechanisms of the learning center. For example, if math tutoring is part of the learning center, then the chair of the math department would be a good candidate. If community outreach is an important goal, then a principal of a local high school may be appropriate. If the learning center receives funding from the business department for an accounting tutor, invite the chair of the business department. In addition, include leaders who provide support to the learning center. Students need to be represented as well. Possible candidates are a student government officer and the director of student life. Also consider adding one of the senior tutors.

One issue likely to occur is that a key candidate cannot participate. (These are all very busy people.) In this case, identify (in advance) one or more influential people in the department that the key candidate trusts and seek their membership. Rotating membership is another option for larger organizations. Also, don't be afraid to include critics of the learning center. Honest advice and feedback are crucial to the success of an advisory board (and to the learning center). Here is the membership list I am currently using:

• Chairs of the Humanities, Mathematics, and Foreign Languages/ESL Departments
• Director of Advising/Counseling
• Chair of Academic Exclusion Appeals Committee
• Director of Technology and Media Services
• Director of Student Life
• SGA President

Minutes

Don't forget to take minutes and issue them promptly after the board meets. For my board meetings, the writing center supervisor will attend and be responsible for the minutes.

Lastly, brush up on running effective meetings. Nothing will kill an advisory board faster than poorly planned and run meetings—the key people recruited for the board simply do not have time for that. Use quality principles like PDCA—Plan the meeting, Do the meeting, Check at the end of the meeting what worked and what didn't, and Act on the feedback in planning the next meeting.

Craig, A. T. (2005, Winter). Practitioner's corner: Learning center advisory boards. NCLCA Newsletter, p. 11.