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Section 2:
Office of the Dean
GUIDELINES FOR PRESENTERS AT
GU BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS
Introduction
The Gallaudet University Board of Trustees (BoT) meets three times each
year: October, February, and May. After input from the President's Council,
the President of GU and the Chairperson of the Board set the agenda approximately
six weeks before the Board meeting. Each Board member serves on subcommittees.
The Committee on National Deaf Education is the name of our subcommittee
and includes five members. Subcommittee meetings may have either "action"
or "informational" agenda items. They are generally two hours
in length.
At each subcommittee meeting, selected Clerc Center employees make presentations
related to the agenda items for that meeting. Agenda items may be related
to an overall theme for the Board meeting, e.g., access or technology,
or they may be items that we consider important topics for the Board to
be aware of, e.g., standards and benchmarks project. These are usually
informational items. Occasionally there are "action" items.
The Board must vote on these. Examples of action items include: approval
of MSSD graduation requirements or proposed revision of a policy affecting
working conditions of personnel, e.g., increase the number of personal
leave days for teachers.
Information for Presenters
Organizational meeting - The Dean may hold an organizational meeting
about a month before the Board meeting for all selected presenters. The
purpose of this meeting is for the Dean to orient presenters and for the
presenters to discuss their ideas and get feedback from the Dean and others.
Decisions about presentation format, modes of communication, and rehearsal
dates are made.
Written report - There are actually two phases of the written
report. The first report consists of preliminary materials for use by
the GU President and the BoT Chairperson to discuss and agree on the agenda.
These materials can be memos, reports, or summaries, in other words, materials
already written for other purposes. The second report is the formal one,
which serves as a permanent record in the Board agenda book for that particular
meeting. Presenters submit an abstract of their presentation to the Dean
by a specified date, usually about 3 weeks before the Board meeting. The
abstract should briefly describe the presentation topic, and give the
Board members background information that enables them to understand why
this topic is important and why it is being discussed at this time. This
is a public and official document and should be written with that in mind.
Rehearsals - Generally two or three rehearsals are scheduled before
the Board meeting. These are very helpful to presenters in revising and
refining their presentations. In addition to practicing the presentations,
the feedback audience (a few Clerc Center people) asks questions that
might be anticipated from the Board members.
Guidelines for developing presentations
- When we are very familiar with a topic as presenters, we tend to think
that almost everything is important to convey. However, the Board normally
stays at the policy level; details will blur the main purpose of the
presentation. When presentations are informational, probably the biggest
challenge is to find the balance between informing the committee about
what is important for them as Board members to know and provide the
right amount of information to make it understandable—without going
into too much detail.
- Another "pitfall" is spending too much time talking about
process. The Board is not so much concerned with what process we use—they
want to know the results.
- Try to focus on three or four main points and give some examples
of each. Another way to think about your presentation is to determine
the "organizing principle" or primary concept you want to
get across. Then use examples or events, which best illustrate the concept.
A summary statement is useful to reinforce your main points.
- Plan to speak for a maximum of 15 to 20 minutes, less time if you
have a co-presenter.
- If you use transparencies or PowerPoint, make sure the words on your
frame are big enough to read (font size at least 20-24) and do not put
too much information on each frame.
- Do not prepare handouts or plan to give any papers to the Board members
at the meeting. They do not want them during the meeting.
Day of the Board Meeting - The meeting room will be set up with
adequate time for presenters to go the GUKCC and practice in the meeting
room; also to be sure the correct physical and technical set-up has been
done. Presenters are invited to lunch with the Board and campus guests
on the day of the Board meeting.
The subcommittee chairperson runs the meeting. If an agenda item is running
over time, the chair may ask the presenter to shorten the presentation
or stop the presentation and go to the next agenda item. Thus it is critical
that presentations are concise and allow time for questions and answers.
It is a good idea to plan ahead of time for this possibility, i.e., What
can I cut or jump to and still make my point(s)?
Handling questions from the Board members
- Board members may interrupt your presentation to ask a question. Try
to respond at that time, or if you will address their question later
in your presentation, tactfully tell them so or lead right into the
answer if it is your next point.
- If you don't know the answer to a question, better to say so, but
that you will check on it and get the information to them. Also, one
of your Clerc Center colleagues in the audience may volunteer a response.
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