Let technology start working for you. Come learn about easy, practical ways that you can use technology to enhance your work performance and the work of your board. Topics include: uses for databases, E-mail etiquette, document imaging, electronic file storage, Treo/Blackberry communication, general uses for public vs. private websites, dynamic orientation handbooks, and much more. You will leave this session with templates to hit the ground running once you return to your office.

Do's, don'ts, and don't go there-Lessons learned at American University.

Board leadership changes appear to be happening with greater frequency and in an increasingly competitive atmosphere. Learn how one institution has managed this process and join a discussion about how we, as board professionals, can help our boards and institutions prepare for and manage changes at the top."

There are many ways the president's spouse can contribute to the work of the institution and support the president, but little is done during the search or transition process to aid the spouse in determining the role he or she would like to play-or the role that others may expect. Learn what it is like from the author of Spousework and wife of the president of Carleton College, and find out how the board professional can make a difference.

Best-selling author Jim Collins takes on the question, "What does it take to transform a non-profit organization from good to great?" and discusses the elements and principles of high performing, effective organizations. In the words of the author, "The difference between successful organizations is not between the business and the social sector, the difference is between good organizations and great ones. Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline."

Read this monograph in advance and join colleagues for a discussion we hope you will find inspiring, thoughtful and relevant. (Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins, Harper Collins, 2005, 34 pp. Available for about $10.00, or a little more in audio book format.)

Whether you are a private institution with trustees all over the world or a public institution with trustees across your state, virtual board meetings can be an essential tool to bring your board members together. This session will explore the opportunities for your board to meet via web-based and telephonic technologies.

Board professionals often are called to makes sure that events and ceremonies support the image and reputation of the institution. Where do you start? What are the resources for planning events that will satisfy your board and help further the institution's mission? Join with colleagues from public and private institutions to explore planning the right event for the right purpose.

Shared governance is one of the most cherished yet challenging values in American higher education. Balancing and integrating the participation of trustees, administration, faculty, students, and others is a major litmus test of effective governance, especially in public institutions and systems today. Learn more about current research, principles, and best practices, and discuss how in your role as board professionals you can facilitate good governance and successful outcomes.

As board professionals, how do we see our jobs and how do others see us? This session will address the broad spectrum of what board professionals do and how to do it better! This presentation will engage participants in open discussions and provide strategies and best practices for dealing with new and seasoned board members in areas of communication, development/cultivation, pre- and post-board meetings, and making it all seem so easy!

Learn how board professionals from different public institutions fulfill key responsibilities, including establishing knowledge of and maintaining currency with governance and legislated requirements affecting the institution, providing orientation of board members, ensuring effective board communications, managing meeting preparation and follow-up, ensuring exemplary records management practices, and preserving institutional history. This session is intended to encourage discussion of the board professional's unique role in these broad areas, highlight successful approaches, and explore the importance of these contributions to the quality of institutional governance.