Abstract
Purpose. Among the identified highly effective California community colleges, the purpose of the study was to ascertain the degree of importance for the six competencies of board effectiveness as determined by the Chait et al. (1993, 1996) Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire (BSAQ) as self-reported by board members. Methodology. The design for this study employed mixed methods and descriptive research. The Chait et al. (1993, 1996) BSAQ was used as the survey tool. Findings. Board members of highly effective California community colleges perceived that the Chait et al. (1993, 1996) BSAQ six competencies are important, and the top two categories were strategic and interpersonal competencies. The interviewees' responses were congruent with the priorities that emerged from the BSAQ questionnaire and also supported the literature. Six common themes emerged from the interviews in support of the strategic competency and the interpersonal competency: 1. The strategic competency, along with its behaviors, is the most important competency among the six dimensions. 2. Successful institutions have a clear pathway, and whatever decisions are currently being made need to play into one of the long-term goals. 3. Without processes and strategic planning clearly defined, during potential problems or crises, it can be easy to move away from the mission. 4. The interpersonal competency, along with its behaviors, is the second most important competency among the six dimensions. 5. Creating a sense of cohesiveness was the most important behavior among a board of trustees within the interpersonal dimension. 6. A board's power is speaking with one voice. The test of significant difference found no statistically significant difference among the categories of tenure. However, data results of multiple comparisons of community college board members by tenure indicated that board members with 10-plus years of tenure had greater overall BSAQ scores than board members with 0-5 years of tenure. Conclusions. The six competencies as identified by Chait et al. (1993, 1996) were recognized by the research study of highly effective California community college board members as viable, important, and interrelated.