We are glad that you are interested in finding out about the Academy’s Community Board! Service on the board is one way supporters of the college can help to strengthen and improve the institution. The opportunity to serve on the board is potentially open to a wide range of individuals associated with the college, as described below.
This page provides some general information about the board, including how the board functions, and what the general expectations and responsibilities of board members are.
Board service can be very rewarding. But it is useful to know what the expectations are before you offer to get involved. If you ultimately decide that board service is not for you, you can still contribute by volunteering your services on board committees, or in other ways.
The board meets 12 times per year, on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. Meetings begin at 6:30pm (Florida/East Coast time) and usually end by no later than 8:00pm.
Generally, yes. Participation in board meetings is one of the most important components of board work. The expectation is that, if you agree to serve, you will be available to attend the regular monthly board meetings. (Of course, board members may sometimes need to miss occasional meetings due to illness or emergencies.)
No. All board meetings take place online, via Zoom, so Community Board members can live anywhere :)
Yes. All regular board meetings happen online, via Zoom. To participate, you must have a computer or smartphone that will allow for Zoom access. It is not possible to participate in the Community Board if this is not something you are comfortable with. This approach allows board members to participate easily no matter where they live.
The board also maintains this website as an online resource. Important resources and information are kept on this site, and you must be able to access it.
Yes. Email is used routinely for board work, and it is not possible to participate in board work without using email. Your regular email account can be used. Some stakeholder members (e.g., staff or students) may already have a preexisting college email account at the time they join the board. These accounts may be used for board related work.
Note that the Academy does not set up a college email account specifically for new board members.
No. Other than a Zoom account and an active email account, participation on the Community Board does not require participation in any specific type of social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X). The college may occasionally rely on social media such as Facebook in other contexts (e.g., marketing) but board members are not required to participate.
Generally your board membership will be public information. For example, if you join the board your name and a brief biographical sketch will be published on the college website(s). Your name may also be included occasionally in other public documents, such as annual tax returns submitted to the IRS, annual corporate filings submitted to the State of Florida, or periodic accreditation reports.
Board work certainly involves a commitment of time and energy. This may be a consideration if your schedule is already very busy.
At least two hours per month is usually required to attend regularly scheduled board meetings. In addition to the time spent attending meetings, board work may also involve reading and reviewing documents related to meeting topics. For example, usually some time is required each month for reviewing the agenda, and looking over the materials provided ahead of time, such as the Executive Director’s report. For typical board members, an additional one to two hours of preparation time each month for this kind of work is likely to be a good estimate.
If you decide you would like to participate to board work in a more significant way, many other opportunities exist. The board has several committees you might consider joining. You may also consider offering your services as an “officer” of the board (officer roles include Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary, or Treasurer). Officers usually contribute more time each month.
Occasionally, additional meetings (e.g., annual board retreats) may also be required.
No. Time spent on governance work at the Academy is always uncompensated. This means that board members are considered volunteers, who offer their time and service freely to the college, with no expectation of remuneration.
This rule applies equally to all stakeholder groups, even existing employees of the college who may also serve on the board at the same time as they are employees who periodically receive paychecks for doing other kinds of work for the college.
Diverse kinds of skills are useful in a nonprofit board, and individuals from a wide range of different backgrounds can be excellent board members. Below are some skills that may be particularly useful.
Board members have a general responsibility to make decisions in the best interests of the organization, and this includes finance-related decisions. Board members regularly review and evaluate financial statements, which may be provided ahead of time before board meetings. So, if you are comfortable with numbers, or if you have prior experience running a business and understanding financial statements, then this can be a plus if you are considering volunteering.
The board is responsible as a group for hiring and evaluating the work of the college’s Executive Director, and overseeing this individual’s work. So, if you have prior experience managing and supervising employees in other contexts, then you may be familiar with these kinds of human-resources (HR) related matters, and this can be a helpful background.
One of the board’s most significant contributions to the organization is oversight of long term planning activities. This can help in defining and clarifying the organization’s mission, and establishing its long term goals. If you have had previous planning experience in other organizations, or if you have done previous project management work, then these skills can be usefully applied.
Board membership often involves participating in group discussions about matters affecting the college. Sometimes differences of opinion arise, and occasionally difficult decisions may need to be made. Board members should be comfortable working collegially together with others in group settings. Respectful interpersonal dynamics are essential for the successful functioning of this kind of peer-based group.
The Community Board currently has a maximum of 15 voting members. Some seats may be vacant from time to time. Board seats are currently designated for the following five categories of stakeholders at the college:
Each stakeholder category is generally assigned three seats, but this may vary at the board’s discretion.