The Board

So I had an evening with two members of the Board of Trustees last night. I was invited along with some faculty and other students. Here were some of the interesting points of the night.

1. One of the Trustees had memorized one thing from everyone's bio and although it was obvious, it was both fun and welcoming.
2. I prepped for this dinner and I recommend prepping for these sort of events. As a result I had decent things to say and was not like some others who were stuck saying "I don't know."
3. The President of the University was praised because he was a former CEO of a company (a unique characteristic of presidents), which gave him the skill of making decisions quickly. It was noted that not only could he make quick decisions, but he was willing to be argued out of them.
4. Another positive attribute of the President was how he wore his heart on his sleeve. Thus it was easy to see how he felt about issues.
   
5. As most attendees of the event went to private colleges, it was pointed out that at elite institutions one of the greatest values is the high concentration of amazing and brillant peers.
6. The two board members were both in business, and they commented how in comparison to a business with one or two goals, a University is far more complex with hundreds of different goals, many of which may conflict.