All Publications
2012
Institutionally related foundations are an important partner to all institutions of public higher education. As public colleges, universities, and systems respond to a...
2012
In the face of rising costs and a prolonged economic downturn, public colleges and universities are being challenged to increase their sources of private support and...
2012
The selection of a president is a governing board’s most important responsibility, and the search process is the board’s best opportunity to help guide its institution into a...
2012
Today, fundraising has become an essential component of institutions' financial viability, particularly as government support shrinks and tuition and fees (now straining...
2012
Within a board’s governance structure, the executive committee can be uniquely influential. As the only committee vested with the possibility of almost complete fiduciary...
2011
This report, the second of AGB’s studies of higher education governance, documents the extent to which college and university boards are following good-governance practices....
2011
Based on a 2011 survey, this report is intended to provide foundation staff and boards, as well as administrators and boards of public colleges, universities, and university...
2011
The basic purpose and principles of effective board committees remain constant across higher education, regardless of institutional type, mission, or size.
The Effective...
2011
The content of this edition of the State Governance Action Report was informed by newspaper reports, online reports, state and institutional Web sites, and conversations with...
2011
“Front and Center: Critical Choices for Higher Education” examines ways governance leaders can increase the number of Americans who finish college and other certificate...
2011
In these financially challenging times, chief executive officers of today’s colleges and universities are expected to serve as their institutions’ lead fundraisers. Still,...
2011
In a time of transformation in higher education, Leading Change: How Boards and Presidents Build Exceptional Institutions fills a significant void in leadership...
2011
The latest State Governance Action Report (SGAR) covering current or just recently completed legislative sessions. Among the most important issues being considered are...
2011
The audit committee serves as the guardian of an institution's most valuable asset: its reputation. As colleges and universities have become subject to intense scrutiny...
2011
This publication is part of an AGB series devoted to strengthening the role of key standing committees of governing boards. While there is no optimum committee system for...
2011
College and university boards are charged with governance responsibility to ensure that students receive a high-quality education from a well-managed institution that...
2011
This is the 11th paper in AGB’s series summarizing federal and
state public policy issues affecting higher education. We hope
that governing boards, institutional and...
2011
The headlines report that college tuition is rising rapidly and students are struggling to pay for
college. Financial-aid issues have also been in the news lately, with...
2010
Based on a 2010 survey, this one-of-a-kind report describes current boards, board members, committees, and policies. Complied only once every five years, this report features...
2010
Based on a 2010 survey, this one-of-a-kind report describes current boards, board members, committees, and policies. Complied only once every five years, this report features...
2010
Coordinating boards and commissions have long been members of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), but we have never attempted to...
2010
From March through May 2010, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) conducted an online survey of board chairs from independent colleges and...
2010
From the Introduction:
This is the second consecutive year that the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) is reporting on the financial...
2010
This March 2010 report includes a detailed summary of the most relevant
issues, legislative proposals, and proposed policies facing the
governance and oversight of public...
2010
In this publication, Richard Morrill focuses on the president, the board, and other decision-making systems and relationships. An assessment should be an opportunity “for the...
2010
College and university chief executives as well as board leaders have sought advice from AGB concerning whether presidents should accept positions on corporate and other...
2010
This guide provides an overview of the important responsibilities of serving on the board of a public college, university, or system. It is intended to clarify the fiduciary...
2010
From the foreword:
Over the last decade, assessment of student learning has moved beyond being a topic of discussion solely within the academic community and into the public...
2010
Over the past two years, adoption of the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA) has fundamentally changed the regulatory context in which boards make...
2010
“Succession planning with an emphasis on internal leadership development is essential in meeting the leadership challenges we anticipate.”
Drawing on her background as...
2010
Over the course of just a few decades, technology has become a powerful force on college and university campuses. It is the set of tools that supports financial operations...
2009
Update: Find the 2011 AGB Survey of Higher Education Governance here.
A close look at higher education governance practices at over 700 colleges and universities.
2009
Introduction
This sixth edition of the State Governance Report summarizes the most relevant issues, legislative proposals, and proposed
policies facing public higher...
2009
This collection of essential information, used in AGB's strategic finance workshops, leads trustees from a basic understanding of core financial reports through the more...
2009
This revised edition updates AGB's list of governing board responsibilities, emphasizing board accountability, academic quality and board member conduct. Especially useful in...
2009
This 2009 study was conducted by AGB with the generous support of a
grant from TIAA-CREF Institute. The paper reports common practices, barriers, and recommendations
for...
2009
All board members need to be up-to-speed on the issues that affect their institution's financial condition. The Financial Matters set provides clear, easy-to-read guides that...
2009
Trustees have no greater responsibility than to ensure an institution's financial health in support of its mission. A Bowdoin College trustee and the president of Guilford...
2009
In March and April of 2009, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), in partnership
with the National Association of College and University...
2009
Each New Trustee Survival Kit contains five quick-reading Board Basics on key topics ranging from ethics and values to finance and fund-raising responsibilities:
The Board's...
2009
Each New Trustee Survival Kit contains four quick-reading Board Basics on key topics ranging from ethics and values to finance and fund-raising responsibilities:
The...
2009
The package contains:
Presidential Compensation in Higher Education
Presidential Search: An Overview for Board Members
Trusteeship Portfolio: "Finding a New President"Eight...
2009
This report provides an overview of current financial conditions in public higher education. Using such metrics as funding levels, budget cuts, strategies for cost reductions...
2009
In late 2008, the IRS sent a compliance questionnaire to approximately 400 colleges and universities, the majority of which were four-year, public or independent, degree-...
2009
Planning for sustained growth and future prosperity is an increasingly formidable challenge. The Strategic Decisions Set helps boards with clear, practical advice that paves...
2009
It has been clear for some time that colleges and universities face unprecedented economic challenges which make it difficult, if not impossible, to sustain the business...
2009
This report highlights and recognizes award recipients for their efforts to develop and implement the state's most successful programs, projects, and activities that help...
2009
The Fundamentals Set of six quick-reading Board Basics booklets is the best source of information on board structure and the responsibilities of trusteeship.
The...
2009
The Fundamentals Set of six quick-reading Board Basics booklets is the best source of information on board structure and the responsibilities of trusteeship.
The...
2009
A Joint Paper of the National Association of System Heads, American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities...
2009
This survey was jointly conducted by AGB and United Educators and reports data on attitudes, practices and policies regarding enterprise risk management among American...
2009
This is the tenth paper in AGB's biennial series summarizing federal and state public-policy issues affecting higher education.
2009
Much has happened in the ten years since Understanding Financial Statements was first published, not only from a financial reporting perspective but also from an economic,...
2008
This is the fifth edition of the State Governance Action Report that has been produced since 2000 by AGB’s Ingram Center for Public Trusteeship and Governance. Focusing...
2008
A lexicon of commonly used financial terms in higher education finance, with sections covering endowment, management, risk, rules and regulations, spending, and strategy.
2008
Contrary to the perceptions of many that American higher education is riddled with liberal bias, the authors of Closed Minds contend that the role of colleges and...
2008
This report summarizes the joint four-year effort of AGB and the Texas Coordinating Board to educate and inform leaders and citizens, and highlights the totality of work thus...
2008
In 2008 AGB conducted a survey of member institutions to find out more
about the typical work and membership of boards' executive committees
and the relationship between...
2008
The issues surrounding presidential compensation in higher education have become ever more challenging since 2000, when AGB first published this popular guide on the topic....
2008
Michael J. Worth takes a thoughtful look at advisory councils and the work that engages community, alumni, and campus members in these councils.
Presidents, deans, provosts,...
2008
Solid financial thinking and highly useful advice for committees, board chairs, presidents, and CFOs is framed against a background that links budgetary processes and the...
2008
Shifting to a data-informed culture often requires a change in operations. This brave and comprehensive book from two highly respected higher education tacticians offers a...
2008
Expectations of trustees have undergone a dramatic change in the wake of the Enron debacle, the new strictures of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and several new state policies, laws...
2008
The responsibilities of board professionals vary widely among institutions. In some institutions, they primarily provide logistic and staff support. In others, they carry a...
2007
Welcome to the Ingram Center’s State Governance Action Report. Compiled in this report
are state policy developments, including legislation, commissions, and studies,...
2007
An overview of the essentials of sound endowment spending, asset allocation, portfolio structure, manager selection, and performance evaluation.
2007
Governors play a crucial role in the governance of public colleges and universities,
in part through their appointments of the citizen volunteers who help steer the policy...
2007
A fresh look at accreditation issues facing institutions today and at the increasing importance of strategic planning in the accreditation process.
2006
Aids institutional personnel as they consider how to update and administer the board's conflict-of-interest policy. Discusses legal principles and standards in such areas as...
2006
Making the Grade: How Boards Can Ensure Academic Quality fills a significant void in today's boardroom discussions with its clear, realistic advice and its "perfect pitch"...
2006
Strategic Finance engages strategic planning and budgeting topics and marries them to actionable steps that boards, presidents, and CFOs can take to navigate a course of...
2006
Guides boards through successful strategic planning for independent and public institutions.
2006
This bound compilation of four papers, based on more than 30 regional and national meetings on cost matters, covers:
an introduction to the topic of costs;
strategies to...
2006
The Leadership Imperative is the fruit of a year-long research project conducted by the 17-member AGB Task Force on the State of the Presidency in American Higher Education....
2006
A comprehensive, knowledgeable look—from the president's point of view—at proven ways to successfully structure, develop, and manage boards to meet today's critically...
2005
This groundbreaking new work features the best thinking on the issues facing today's higher education foundation boards, staff, and host institution leaders.
Contents:
The...
2005
"The new fund-raising 'bible' for independent higher education and other nonprofit boards..."
Securing the Future is an exciting yet practical guide for trustees, development...
2005
Charter and enterprise universities emerged as major issues in recent legislative sessions.
Although charter colleges or universities have been debated previously in a few...
2004
The 2004 State Governance Action Annual certainly shows that when it comes to American higher education
governance these days, there is much ado about something—at least in...
2004
David W. Breneman, university professor and dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, examines experiments and proposed changes underway in the...
2004
Endowment Management: A Practical Guide will help you establish policies and understand the essentials of successful endowment growth and management. This exciting new book...
2004
James C. Hearn, Michael K. McLendon, and Leigh Z. Gilchrist discuss the impact of sunshine laws on governing boards, offer recommendations to improve communication regarding...
2004
State policy makers have a vested interest in the successful governance of their state's higher education system. The citizens chosen to serve as trustees and regents...
2004
Principles and good practices for leaders who wish to establish state-level trustee-education programs or improve existing ones, drawing on practices used in Illinois,...
Academic Health Center Governance and the Responsibilities of University Boards and Chief Executives
2003
At most American institutions in which the university
or system governing board has direct
responsibility for an academic health center
(AHC), trustees probably lack a...
2003
A major national study that identifies the characteristics of successful foundation boards supporting a comprehensive campaign, this booklet analyzes the components of a...
2003
Working with a national task force, AGB and the Council for Advancement
and Support of Education developed an Illustrative
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for public...
2003
This paper makes the case for establishing recruitment and screening panels to help
governors appoint public college and university trustees. It offers ideas that can be...
2003
Trustees deserve the best introduction to their institutions and to the responsibilities and expectations of trusteeship. This booklet outlines the fundamentals of an...
2003
Trustees deserve the best introduction to their institutions and to the responsibilities and expectations of trusteeship. This booklet outlines the fundamentals of an...
2003
In this white paper underwritten by AGB for the June 2003 Communities, Higher Education and the Changing Economy conference, Stephen R. Portch, chancellor emeritus of the...
2003
In this white paper, underwritten by AGB for the June 2003 Communities, Higher Education and the Changing Economy conference, Joseph C. Burke, director of the Higher...
2003
A quick reading primer featuring sound advice on such topics as monitoring for accountability, containing academic costs, the strategic structure of academic programs, and...
2003
This examination of the basic trustee responsibility of fund-raising precisely defines the role trustees should play in successful fund-raising, including planning,...
2002
University-related foundations considering new entrepreneurial activities should examine several questions and criteria before pursuing such opportunities. Each foundation...
2002
The AGB Center for Public Trusteeship and Governance facilitated the recent Mississippi Leadership Summit on Higher Education. The summit's steering committee released this...
2002
Written for public college and university foundation boards, this booklet serves as an overview of this important committee and reinforces that it must perform with...
2002
The "must-read" package for new foundation board directors now includes the book, Margin of Excellence: The New Work of Higher Education Foundations.
Each New...
2002
Terrence J. MacTaggart and James R. Mingle offer lessons for states, higher education systems, or for any college or university that wishes to help forge its community's...
2002
University-affiliated foundations have difficulty locating and retaining good fund-raisers. A recent survey found that demand for fund-raisers is greater than supply; only...
2002
Competition is pushing small colleges into chronic fiscal distress. Townsley, a champion of small independent colleges, says that a small college's chance of survival and...
2002
This 2002 study by AGB highlights the twenty-three states that have established matching funds programs for higher education, details the nature of the dollar matches, and...
2002
What are the board's appropriate responsibilities for academic programs? This incomparable volume interweaves key data points on critical academic issues, material case...
2002
Thoughtful advice and insights about the practical and strategic responsibilities of board chairs of independent institutions.
2002
Thoughtful advice and insights about the practical and strategic responsibilities of board chairs of public institutions.
2002
Jane V. Wellman, a senior associate with The Institute for Higher Education Policy, identifies five steps boards--and policymakers--can take to diagnose and act on the short-...
2001
Presidential assessment, an integral part of the cycle of governance review, fulfills a basic board responsibility to provide oversight and support for the chief executive....
2001
This booklet focuses on assessing the performance of individual trustees, a responsibility that often falls to the committee on trustees (called the nominating committee on...
2001
This booklet is designed "to reinforce the thesis that the committee on trustees must perform with excellence if the board as a whole is to fulfill its responsibilities with...
2001
This important committee is charged with defining what constitutes equitable and appropriate compensation, and with shaping performance and assessment policies.
2001
Explains how to set wise financial policies for generating, allocating, managing, and protecting resources. Covers everything trustees need to know about college and...
2001
This set provides two comprehensive texts and two Board Basics, for the best resource kit on fundraising principles and practices for committee and board members.
The set...
2000
How comprehensive fundraising campaigns are planned, how they work, and how trustees can ensure their success.These essays are useful in assessing institutional readiness and...
2000
The expanded Board Leadership Set is a must-read for trustees who wish to enhance their board's overall effectiveness.
The Board Leadership Set includes:
New Trustee...
2000
The expanded Board Leadership Set is a must-read for trustees who wish to enhance their board's overall effectiveness.
The Board Leadership Set includes:
New Trustee...
2000
This groundbreaking book describes how boards and presidents can build stronger, more effective relationships through systematic board self-assessment linked with...
2000
College and university foundations originally set up to provide
an added margin of excellence for their host institutions have
evolved into aggressive fund-raisers to support...
2000
Foundations that raise funds to help state colleges and universities
risk growing too close to the institution with which they’re
affiliated and losing their legal status as...
1999
How can a board monitor an institution's performance so members really understand facts and data and their significance without being overwhelmed by information? This booklet...
1999
One of a foundation board's most important duties is to invest and manage the foundation's assets on behalf of its host institution.
This describes the four major asset-...
1999
Public institution foundations are the locus of major campaigns, engage in comprehensive fund-raising, and manage property, endowments, and other institutional assets. Many...
1999
Raising private funds in public higher education is increasingly essential. Doing so successfully depends on collegial, productive relationships between governing boards and...
1999
This AGB/CASE-sponsored report documents a 1998 study on how much it costs to raise money. The author describes ways foundations can increase their budgets to support...
1999
This booklet clarifies the often vague separation between policy setting and administration, taking into account an institution's culture and mission. It addresses active...
1998
Institutions are vulnerable to events that can lead to serious loss: financial mismanagement, personnel actions, loss of accreditation, and natural disasters among them....
1998
This booklet by the president of Samford University describes the obligation of every governing board as an entity and every individual trustee to develop and maintain a...
1998
This clearly written booklet explains the three types of financial statements recently required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board: the statement of financial...
1997
This publication delivers advice for academic affairs committees on how to ensure that institutional actions and policies reflect priorities consistent with the institution's...
1997
Deferred maintenance is a time bomb on many campuses, and new technology poses new challenges to the campus infrastructure. This information-packed booklet by the assistant...
1997
This valuable booklet--newly revised and updated--explains how a board's finance committee should operate to oversee an institution's fiscal operations most effectively,...
1997
Tracks the presidential search process from establishing leadership criteria to appointing a new chief executive.
1996
A "must read" report for presidents, boards, faculty, and public officials. Calls for collaboration to reshape shared governance with an eye toward strengthening the ability...
1996
This concise paper guides board members through the difficult task of finding an effective chief executive when their institution needs leadership most after one president...
1993
The relationship between the board chair and the chief executive is critical to the success of the institution. The newest Board Basic set, The Chair and the President,...
1993
The relationship between the board chair and the chief executive is critical to the success of the institution. The newest Board Basic set, The Chair and the President,...
The Campus Governance for Independent Institutions portfolio includes:
"Slouching Toward Privatization" (November/December 2007)
"Courting the Best for Your Board" (November...
The Change and Innovation portfolio includes:
"Contagious Ideas from Health Care" (November/December 2009)
"Toward Institutional Innovation in America's Colleges and...
The Effective Asset Management Portfolio includes:
"What's the Best Yardstick to Measure Inflation?" (July/August 2006)
"Board Budget Decisions: Protecting and Building Your...
The Endowment Management portfolio includes:
"Compounding Interest in Your Investment Committee" (July/August 2007)
"Institutional Obligations in an Age of Wealth" (January/...
The Especially for Foundations portfolio includes:
"College Fundraising: Is there a 'New Normal'?" (November/December 2009)
"What's a Prudent Payout from an 'Underwater'...
The Financial Oversight and Federal Regulations portfolio includes:
"Get Ready for Greater Disclosure Requirements by the Taxman" (November/December 2007)
"Show Me What I'm...
The Finding a New President portfolio includes:
"Presidential Transition Teams: Fostering a Collaborative Transition Process" (July/August 2009)
"The Leadership Imperative...
Successful governing and foundation board relationships are mission-critical to building and maintaining institutional financial health. The Foundation Relations set is a...
The Governance of Public Higher Education portfolio includes:
"The Gremlins of Governance" (July/August 2009)
"Rethinking Higher Education: Moving Beyond the Iron Triangle...
The Learning Outcomes portfolio includes:
"Ask the Right Questions About Student Assessment" (May/June 2007)
"Completing College at America's Public Universities" (November/...
The Managing Risk and Conflict of Interest portfolio includes:
"Students and Risk: Eight Critical Issues" (November/December 2010)
"Vitiating Vulnerability" (September/...
The Strategic Thinking and Strategic Finance portfolio includes:
"Strategic Thinking about How Costs and Goals Interact" (May/June 2010)
"Cracking the Egg: Preserving the...
The Surviving Financial Hard Times portfolio includes:
"Student Aid and Access in the Economic Crisis" (January/February 2009)
"The Human Side of Financial Hard Times" (...
