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Trusteeship Articles By Topic: Ethics and Accountability

Essential Ingredients for Trusteeship at Today's Catholic Colleges
William J. Byron, S.J.
September/October 2011

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.

Responding to Today's Challenges: Is Governance Up to the Task?
July/August 2011

How can boards be of the most value as they sit at the intersection of institutional aspirations and society's needs? At AGB's National Conference on Trusteeship, Ray Suarez, senior correspondent at the PBS NewsHour, led a special panel that examined many of the key issues.

Keeping the Honor in Honorary Degrees
By Robert M. O'Neil
July/August 2011

Most American colleges and universities honor alumni, donors, and others through not only degrees, but also named buildings, chairs, and other forms of recognition. Recent controversies, however, suggest that boards should think twice before bestowing such honors.

For more information on this topic, listent to the podcast with Robert M. O'Neil.

What Does the Future Hold for Financing College Athletics?
Mark A. Emmert
July/August 2011

College athletics have come under fire over the issues of coaches' salaries and the failure to oversee player behavior. Mark Emmert, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) shares his thoughts about reclaiming the public trust in institutional management.

Presidents and Boards Must Be Deliberate As They Expand International Activities
Pamela J. Bernard
July/August 2008

Today’s presidents and board members will want to know whether the legal, policy, and operational risks of international activities are understood and mitigated wherever possible.

Outdated Policies, Overlooked Mandates: Oversights Can Spell Trouble for Institutions
William Kirwan
July/August 2008

In today's political and econonic environment, universities are being forced to grapple with significant contemporary challenges, including uneven public support, surging enrollments, cost containment, and increased demands to serve as engines of economic growth. Against this difficult and fast-changing backdrop, boards, presidents, and chancellors can occasionally overlook governance policies and legislative statutes and mandates adopted in previous years. Such oversights can prove to be embarrassing, even damaging, to the institution.

Presidents and Corporate Board Service
Graham Spanier
May/June 2011

A president's governing board, along with the general counsel of the corporation and the university, can be helpful in thinking through the checks and balances that might be appropriate when potential conflicts arise.

Shared Lessons about the Board Chair's Challenges
Lyn Trodahl Chynoweth
May/June 2011

The board chair's main interest is in the strength of the entire institution. Chynoweth discusses the common challenges board chairs, new and experienced alike, must tackle.

Today's Challenges to Academic Freedom: What do Trustees Need to Know?
Robert O'Neil
May/June 2008

Robert O'Neil, law professor and former university president, addresses how trustees can effectively respond to ever changing challenges to academic freedom.

Lessons from Other Boardrooms
Alice Hayes
March/April 2011

The only effective governance strategy is to have clear, well established, and openly communicated priorities and criteria for making transparent and consistent decisions.

Sustainability 101: At Furman U., environmental education is a way of life
David Shi
March/April 2008

A small green shed stands next to an old railroad track on the corner of the Furman University campus in Greenville, S.C. Wander by the place at odd hours, day or night, and you’ll find a student environmental group conducting a sort of educational alchemy—converting leftover vegetable oil from the campus dining hall into diesel fuel.

What's the Next Big Thing for Boards?
November/December 2011

What should boards be concerned about in 2012? What new issues—or old aspects of new issues— are on the horizon that boards should be addressing? What crucial topics should be on their agendas? Nine industry experts weigh in.

The Ins and Outs of Attorney-Client Privilege
Pamela J. Bernard
November/December 2010

Knowing in advance the ground rules of privilege can help reduce inadvertent disclosures. Attorney-client privilege does not arise from any particular law and has no exact definition.

What's the Status of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment?
Julian Dautremont-Smith
November/December 2008

The first round of greenhouse-gas reports has come in, and we just beginning to analyze the data. Out of 391 Charter Signatories, we've received reports from 190 colleges. Another 99 were granted extensions of up to four months to submit their baseline data. We are working with remaining charter signers to help them complete their inventories and submit their reports.

Valuable College Artworks: To Sell or Not to Sell?
Ford W. Bell
November/December 2008

Museums--whether on a college campus, on Fifth Avenue, or on Main Street--should not sell pieces from their collections to fix the boiler. That is not a statute, but it is a clear standard in the Code of Ethics established by the American Association of Museums. The language in the AAM Code is succinct and to the point:

"Proceeds from the sale of nonliving collections are to be used consistent with the established standards of the museum's discipline, but in no event shall they be used for anything other than acquisition or direct care of collections."