Case Study: The Penn State Board
The Penn State University Board of Trustees
Their Action and Inaction
The Boardroom Video Series has just completed a full length discussion of the tragedy and crisis that has taken place at Penn State University over the past year. We are joined by three guests who approach the issue strictly from a trustee perspective, not discussing the criminal components of this crisis but instead the action and inaction taken by the Board of Trustees. This video has been designed as a case study and is an excellent learning experience.
We understand that a full presentation of this length is demanding from a time standpoint. However, it is an important subject and if you are interested in viewing a robust discussion of the intricacies of how a significant nonprofit board dealt with a major crisis, we suggest viewing this presentation. Each chapter linked below will be available on-demand for the following four months.
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The Board’s bylaws and authority: Our panel discusses the Penn State community and its list of stakeholders as well as the makeup and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees.
What did they know and when: The discussion continues with the timeline of the Penn State crisis leading up to the board’s action in November of 2011.
Lessons learned: A review and takeaways that can be useful to boards of directors of both for profit and nonprofit organizations.
Q&A: In this final section, we answer questions from our viewers and readers with an emphasis on governance and liability.
Click here to view the Q&A Section.
Our Guests:
Carl Metzger is a Partner in the Boston office of international law firm Goodwin Procter. Carl advises corporate and nonprofit boards on director and officer liability, insurance coverage matters, liability risk prevention and litigation.
Ralph Verni is an experienced Director and CEO. Previously, he was the CEO of State Street Research and Management and a member of the Board of Trustees of Colgate University. He is currently the Independent Chairman of a Boston-based mutual fund family.
Lynne McCauley is a Managing Director at The Spofford Group, a retail insurance brokerage specializing in Director and Officers Insurance. Lynne has 26 years of insurance experience including both underwriting and brokering coverages for public, private and nonprofit organization.