Lessons from Experiences of Past Chairs

"The success of a committee depends a great deal on how well it is put together in the beginning, even before the committee has its first meeting. And if the chair can be brought into that process at any stage, it's a very good thing."
--Guy Stever

"Every chair should consider writing a brief letter to committee members outlining his or her view of the charge, providing some context-setting statements, and offering some guidance (both "do's and don'ts") to prepare for the first meeting and think about the committee's unique role-- i.e., about what it is going to do that no one else had done before."
--Gordon Orians

"Staff contribution is often very large. They add a great deal to the definition and expression of ideas. They are very much a part of the team."
--Gilbert White

"The first meeting is to, first of all, get the committee members to know each other and their backgrounds so that one can understand the basis from which the members move into discussion. Sponsors should be invited to set the context for the study and elaborate on their sense of the charge."
--Marye Anne Fox

"Write the conclusions and recommendations and then have the chapters come in parallel. Formulating conclusions and recommendations means you have gone through the intellectual rigor of discussion, debate, and deliberations and come to consensus in terms of which direction the committee wants to go."
--Marye Anne Fox

"Consensus may mean that there are different points of view. Very often the differences relate to value systems rather than to scientific fact or relationships. These can be recognized and stated in a way that all members recognize as fair and balanced. It's very important for the chair and committee to recognize that it can achieve consensus as to what the issues are and what the different views on those issues are without necessarily coming to complete agreement."
--Gilbert White

"Every review process I've seen has dramatically improved the reports."
--Gordon Orians

"New chairs ought to know that it can be fun and that it is extraordinarily educational even as it is challenging. There are very positive rewards and good feelings afterwards."
--Gordon Orians