By Robert Flores

Consider the following scenario:

A new Board Member Novice is appointed to a California Community College.  The Board Member is idealistic and sincere with respect to creating opportunities for students.  The new Board Member is presented with a budget that is not clear.

Novice:  If I cannot understand the budget and I am told that we are in financial trouble, I must vote for the recommendation of the CEO.

Rationalist:  I understand your willingness to work with others, however, your approach needs to be reconsidered.  In order for all members to vote based on the facts, it is the CEO’s responsibility to present all issues of importance, for voting or otherwise, in a clear and understandable manor.

Novice: I’m not an expert on financial issues.

Rationalist: That’s fine, however, if the district is not presenting the issues in a manor you can understand or is unclear the CEO is not doing their duty.  How do you deal with unclear issues?

Novice: As I said, if I’m presented with an unclear budget issue, and I’m not an expert, I rely on what is presented to me.  I vote for the CEO’s view.

Rationalist: Do you understand, in your sincerity, that you could be acting irrationally and possibly being manipulated?

Novice: What is wrong with my approach?

Rationalist: Lets look at a basic or general case in which one needs to make a financial decision.  Lets say you were buying a car.  The car dealer’s financial presentation was unclear.  In this case you must make a decision now.

Novice: As I stated earlier, I’m not an expert on finances.

Rationalist: So, given that you are not an expert, would you rely on an unclear financial presentation?

Novice: Yes, well I’m not sure.  What else can I do?

Rationalist: Would you buy the car because you were not a financial expert?  Your position is that when you cannot understand the financial issues of a sound or unsound purchase of a car, you would buy car?

Novice: No!  You have misunderstood my problem.

Rationalist: What have I misunderstood?

Novice: I’m not working with a car dealer.  I trust the CEOs that present the financial issues.  What else can I do?

Rationalist: OK, lets recap.  You stated that the information presented to you was unclear.

Novice: Yes.

Rationalist: If that’s the case, the CEO is not doing their duty.  It is the responsibility of the CEO to make all issues clear and understandable.  You are the decision making body of the College, and as such, the information presented to you cannot be unclear, if you are to make rational decisions.  The CEO has violated their duty to you.  You cannot fulfill your obligation to vote on the best possible outcome for the College.

Novice: You have forgotten that the CEOs are the experts.

Rationalists: Your vote determines the future of the College.  It is the responsibility of those working under your guidance to present the facts clearly to each Board Member.  It is the duty of each Board Member to vote based on their clear understanding of the facts.  Anything short of this is a violation of the trust given to you by the voters and students.  

Novice: You still do not understand.  Sometimes it is impossible to understand all of the issues.

Rationalist: OK, let me make my position as clear as possible.  If you are presented with a car purchase proposal and the dealer will not make your financial obligation clear, do not buy the car!  In a case in which you have not been given a clear presentation of the issues, with respect to a College budget or issues, remind the presenters that it is their duty to make the issues clear to you.  If they do not present the issues to you clearly, you have two options.  Vote no due to insufficient information.  Or, vote abstention due to insufficient information.  It is the duty of the CEOs to present issues as clearly as possible to your satisfaction, anything less than that violates your trust.  It is your duty to the voters and the students that you only vote on what is clear.  This is not micro managing.  Given the trust bestowed upon you by the voters and students, a vote of no or abstention is the only rational choice.