Carolyn, You acutely expressed a often unrecognized value of advisory and governing boards; serving as a "think tank" for the institution. However, in order to gain the benefit from these boards, the administration has to be open to candid feedback and willing to seriously consider board input. Being open with a board can provide valuable business and education intelligence. I appreciate your insight and hope the course provided you with a good starting point from which to enhance your board experiences and I appreciate the link you sent to the article. Dr. Robert Roehrich