Helping a Higher Education System Find a Path Forward Through a Leadership Crisis

When a faculty no-confidence vote intensified an already difficult leadership situation at one of its universities, a higher education system faced conflicting accounts, divided stakeholders, and competing advice about what to do next.

The system turned to AGB for an independent assessment that could clarify the situation and help the system head and board determine a practical path forward.

The Challenge

A year earlier, the university president had been appointed to help facilitate part of a broader system restructuring. Unionized faculty and staff strongly opposed the changes, placing the president in the middle of an increasingly contentious environment.

The situation became more complicated when several professors said they had overheard the president make sexist comments—an allegation the president denied. A subsequent faculty no-confidence vote deepened divisions between members of the campus community and community leaders who continued to support the president.

The chancellor and board chair were also receiving conflicting advice. Other system presidents urged them to support their colleague, while the system chief of staff believed the president should resign.

With competing accounts and very different recommendations, system leadership needed an independent perspective.

Our Approach

AGB assigned a senior consultant with experience as a campus president, system leader, and executive advisor.

The consultant interviewed several dozen stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, board members, and others. As the chancellor described it, the goal was to “get the facts straight to the extent possible,” understand how the academic and broader communities viewed the president, and help the system find a way forward.

AGB also spent significant time hearing directly from the president about their perspective, accomplishments, and future plans.

The consultant’s role was not to advocate for a particular outcome, but to give the chancellor and board an experienced, independent assessment of the situation and a clearer understanding of their options.

The Outcome

Following the assessment, the president requested reassignment to another position within the system for a three-term period leading up to retirement.

The system subsequently hired a new president, who has performed well and benefited from the opportunity to begin with a clean slate.

For the chancellor and board, AGB’s assessment provided clarity at a time when perspectives were sharply divided—and helped the system identify a practical path forward.

The Lesson: System-Level Challenges Require a System-Level Perspective

When a leadership crisis emerges at one institution within a system, the implications can extend well beyond that campus.

An independent assessment can help system leaders hear different perspectives, test competing accounts, and consider an institutional leadership issue within its broader system context.

Experience matters, too. An advisor who understands institutional leadership, system leadership, and governance can help leaders see dynamics that may be difficult to recognize from inside the situation.

For this system, AGB provided the independent perspective the chancellor and board needed to better understand their options and determine their own path forward.