On Tuesday, 26th of October 2021, the Bethlehem University Board of Trustees held its first meeting under the revised structure emerging from the Review Project. The focus of the Board’s work will be different from in the past and it was emphasized that the Board’s work has to link in with the Strategic Plan and be the eyes and ears in the wider community for Bethlehem University. This means the Board of Trustees’ reformed work is to provide advice and strategic direction to efficiently serve Bethlehem University’s student community in their integral development and to contribute to building a free, peaceful, and vibrant Palestine.
Dr. Neil Sparnon, one of the consultants engaged in the Review Project, provided an overview of the role the Board needs to play and emphasized the importance of Board members from various backgrounds doing an environmental scan of Palestine. This will enable the Board of Trustees to provide strategic advice on various matters in the Region affecting the current and future operation of Bethlehem University as it seeks to respond to its vision, mission, and values.
At its first meeting, the focus was on three of the seven areas the Board of Trustees needs to consider. These three were: 1. Church-related matters, 2. matters related to the Palestinian State, and 3. political and legal matters in Palestine. In looking at these the focus was on the implications of what is happening in each of these areas to the current and future operation of Bethlehem University.