The September/ October 2011 issue of Trusteeship magazine explores the beneficial impact of different, and sometimes unexpected, collaborations between academic institutions and others.
Collaboration between colleges and universities through consortia often results in a level of transformational change that individual institutions cannot achieve on their own. In the cover story, "Innovation Through Collaboration: Pathways to Success," Trusteeship examines the increasingly important role effective consortia are playing in higher education.
In "Whose University? The Decline of the Commonwealth and What That Means for Higher Education," the necessity of a new relationship between colleges, state government, and the public is discussed in the face of a growing decline in public confidence, while in "Transforming Learning Through Technology: Educating More, Costing Less," new technology partners with familiar teaching methods rather than replacing them.
"Rx for Students' Mental Health: What Boards Can Do" sheds light on the increasing amount of mental-health related issues today's student body faces and the active role trustees can play as allies with campus leadership in providing assistance to students. In "Essential Ingredients for Trusteeship at Today's Catholic Colleges," the education of lay members of Catholic college and university boards highlights the challenges of new partnerships forged in the modern academic world.
Amid the challenges facing higher education, colleges and universities are banding together. Consortia can facilitate a level of innovation and continuous improvement that individual institutions could never achieve on their own.
For more on this topic, listen to the podcast with Mary Frances Forcier.
America is experiencing the chipping away, if not the outright decline, of the notion of the public good. A new compact between public higher-education institutions and their states is needed.
Using technology to examine and redesign existing teaching methods can improve academic quality, reduce costs, and increase student access.
Many institutions do not have the resources in place to deal with the myriad of mental-health issues that today's students grapple with. Boards can play a role in creating a campus culture that supports at-risk students and helps them succeed.
For more on this topic, listen to the podcast with Gregory T. Eells.
The majority of trustees on the boards of Catholic colleges and universities today are lay men and women rather than members of the sponsoring religious community. Lessons for educating lay members on the mission and value of these institutions can be valuable to trustees across all sectors.
Developing a board practice that elevates trustees' strategic engagement is a vital function to which few boards assign accountability. With the chair serving as the chief liaison between the board and the president, the vice chair is well placed to focus on enhancing the board's effectiveness.
Board members, when conferring with legal counsel about cases on their institution's litigation docket, should bear in mind that the vast majority of cases settle.
All across the country, declining state support for public universities is prompting reassessments of traditional partnerships, while also presenting an opportunity to re-examine what it is that we as universities do, how we do it, and why we do it.
The role of higher education in securing the future of the nation has never been greater. How can board prepare young people for an increasingly unpredictable future? Collaboration among academic instituions is one essential way to start.
AGB's recently completed "2011 Survey of Higher Education Governance" focused specially on board engagement. Reflecting on responses from the survey, Data File explores the question "To improve your board's engagement, what one change would you like to see?" College presidents, the primary survey respondents, gave a number of different answers.
Clayton M. Christensen and Henry J. Eyring
Traditional institutions are increasingly concerned with innovation and growth as they compete with online providers for students and tuition dollars. Clayton M. Christensen and Henry J. Eyring, authors of The Innovative University, discuss what boards can do to keep their institutions relevant and competitive.
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