Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

College of Applied Human Sciences

Department

Not Listed

Committee Chair

Nate Sorber

Committee Co-Chair

Rodney Hughes

Committee Member

Rodney Hughes

Committee Member

Erin McHenry-Sorber

Committee Member

John Campbell

Abstract

There are many complex decisions that must be made among the board of governors within institutions of higher education. Recent headlines on the decisions of trustees regarding campus closures and consolidations, program cuts, and presidential appointments have put a spotlight on the individuals responsible for making such decisions. This study examined how trustees of public 4-year institutions in the state of West Virginia perceive the value of their professional backgrounds and experiences in fulfilling their governance responsibilities. Using an explanatory sequential design, this study investigated how trustees’ professional experiences shape their decision-making processes through the theoretical lenses of sensemaking theory and Bolman and Deal’s organizational frames. This study specifically explores what professional experiences trustees highlighted as most important to decision-making in the trusteeship, and what gaps in knowledge that trustees perceive for themselves in their higher education roles. Key findings reveal that trustees used a variety of mindsets, informed by their professional background and experiences, to interpret and frame their governance decisions. This research identifies specific professional experiences that contribute to trustees’ perceived efficacy in the role as trustee, as well as specific knowledge gaps within their higher education roles. This study contributes to the existing scholarship on trustees by providing practical insights into how trustees’ professional backgrounds and experiences influence their sensemaking processes and decision-making approaches. These findings offer valuable implications for trustee selection, orientation, and development of the trustees of West Virginia’s public institutions of higher education.

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