From the Editor for the November/December Trusteeship

As the year draws to a close, Trusteeship looks both backward, to assess what has passed, and forward, in anticipation of what is to come.

AGB President Rick Legon penned a special column in this issue to remind readers of the basic tenets that define fiduciary behavior: the duty of care, the duty of obedience, and the duty of loyalty. He also outlined some first principles of trusteeship, highlighting the importance of the right board structure, the key role of the chair, and other crucial elements. While scandal may have rocked the world of higher education in the fall, these bedrock principles stand all boards and board members in good stead.

The cover story in the November/December issue of Trusteeship is an effort to predict the future, or at least to make an educated guess about what board members will be facing in the months ahead. We asked nine thought leaders with broad and varied experience in higher education and governance what trends, dangers, and opportunities are in store for our nation’s colleges and universities. Their musings ran the gamut of topics, from sports to resources to access and affordability.

Clara M. Lovett, a trustee at Thunderbird School of Global Management and a former president of Northern Arizona University, went beyond the usual rhetoric about the importance of global engagement to talk with board members of higher education institutions that have already committed significant resources abroad—and thus have real-life experience dealing with the key governance issues in the global arena. Defining an appropriate global agenda is tricky for many boards, which must balance institutional ambitions with their mission and the complexity of the current higher education environment.

Travis Reindl, program director in the education division of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, tackles the subject of how to deliver a better-educated workforce, and how trustees of public institutions can ensure that their goals and those of the states in which they are located are in alignment. He argues that the proper use of metrics related to degree completion, job credentials, and workforce gains will aid institutions in the competition for state appropriations.

Helping students succeed is the reason colleges and universities are in business, and George Kuh, professor emeritus of higher education at Indiana University and founding director of the National Survey of Student Engagement, articulates four ways that boards can best contribute to that goal. Student engagement is the key, leading to a more successful, purposeful college experience for even the most underprepared, and institutions must facilitate it, measure it, and create ever more opportunities for it on their campuses.

Every institution will experience challenging times, but knowing that the president and board chair will be facing flashpoints together almost guarantees a better outcome, no matter the situation. Donald Fletcher and David Maxwell, board chair and president, respectively, at Drake University, write about the mutual respect and trust that are the foundation of any good relationship, including a working partnership. Sharing a personal rapport and a foundation in core values doesn’t hurt, either.

We at Trusteeship wish you a very happy holiday season and look forward to hearing from you in the new year.