Jewel in the crown
Posted: March 11, 2016
Board members often make big decisions. Not too often do board members make unanimous decisions. As for ATSU, its Board of Trustees embraces a collaborative, consensus decision-making process whereby all members must agree on every issue.
The board’s consensus process is an essential component of its visionary model of governance, and it was the transition to that visionary model that Clyde Evans, PhD, considers the biggest change he’s seen at ATSU in nine years as a trustee.
“The move created a culture that has changed the nature and character of the board – hopefully forever,” says Dr. Evans, who served two years as board chair.
Dr. Evans’ entire career has centered on education and healthcare. In 2006, when the opportunity came to join ATSU’s board, he jumped at the chance. As a new member, he had one goal in mind for the osteopathic profession: If osteopathic medicine really does have something unique and valuable to offer, ATSU should demonstrate it in a way that is compelling to the entire medical profession.
“Looking back now, that seems pretty naïve and simplistic,” Dr. Evans recalls. “But I am thrilled to see that more and more research is being conducted and disseminated by ATSU faculty and students demonstrating the efficacy of the osteopathic tenets.”
In particular, the new agreement between ATSU and the National Association of Community Health Centers will further enhance the scholarly investigation needed to accomplish that goal. As the University’s research initiative expands, so are initiatives like interprofessional and learning-centered education. These initiatives, which are included in the strategic plan, help ATSU better educate students and ultimately remain the preeminent university of health professions.
For Dr. Evans, continuing to find new and better ways of educating the next generation of healthcare providers means acting like a smart phone company – an industry where someone is constantly coming up with the next best solution.
“We can’t rest on our past successes – no matter how cool they are,” says Dr. Evans. “Yesterday’s innovations are yesterday’s news.”
Years of board deliberations taught him much of what he applies to his work outside the University as a consultant for higher education, health professions education, and healthcare nonprofits. Major discussions, like creating MOSDOH and selecting Craig M. Phelps, DO, ’84, as ATSU president, showed him the importance of teamwork, leadership, conflict resolution, collaboration, giving and receiving feedback, and emotional intelligence.
With his term of service to the board complete in summer 2015, Dr. Evans says, “Being chair of this board has been the jewel in the crown of my professional career.”