How familiar are most new community college trustees with their roles and responsibilities? Not very, according to Jeffrey M. Advokat, Esq., a long-serving trustee from County College of Morris in New Jersey. That's OK—and actually, according to Advokat, new trustees' relative naivety can be a great asset to any board.

In this must-listen episode for new community college trustees, Advokat discusses "tips of the trade" for new trustees with ACCT's Jacob Bray and David Conner. 

Questions addressed in this episode include:

• What does a new trustee need to know?
• When should a new trustee speak up, and when might it be better to listen?
• How can mentoring relationships help a new trustee to gain a greater understanding of the college and its board?
• How can a new trustee's relative lack of knowledge be an asset to a board?
• What should a new trustee understand about the role of the chair versus other board members' roles?
• What should a new trustee understand about issues such as communications, ethics and how they interrelate?
• What's rewarding about serving as a community college trustee?

Related Resources:

• Case Study: The Making of a New Community College Trustee, Chapter One
• Case Study: The Making of a New Community College Trustee, Chapter Two
• Four Questions that Every New Community College Trustee Needs to Ask
• Trusteeship 101: Board Basics for ACCT's Trusteeship in Community Colleges

For more resources for new trustees, visit ACCT.org or email us at acctinfo@acct.org.