The Selection of Independent College and University Board Members

Introduction: Why the Trustee Selection Process Matters

Higher education serves essential public purposes, including workforce and economic development, research and innovation, and civic education. These purposes are best promoted by independent governing boards whose citizen members are committed to their institutions’ missions to serve their students, community, states, and nation. Across its century of work, AGB has maintained that colleges and universities are strengthened when citizen trustees are empowered to govern in partnership with presidents and in service to institutional mission.

Higher education today faces serious pressures, including affordability and access issues, negative enrollment trends, intellectual diversity concerns, and declining public confidence. While critics sometimes question whether governing boards can respond effectively to such concerns, AGB maintains that independent governing boards remain vital to addressing these complex challenges, especially in politically divided times.

For self-perpetuating independent institution boards, choosing new members (that is, board-member selection or board composition) is one of the most important responsibilities. Governing boards are only as strong as the character, competence, commitment, and dedication of their members. Therefore, nomination and selection processes should prioritize merit, experience, ability, and service, rather than partisan political or ideological considerations. Board leaders must recognize that the selection of new board members is one of the most important levers for maintaining or enhancing vigorous higher education institutions.

Trustees are intermediaries between institutions and the public. Effective board members bring public concerns into institutional conversations while also protecting the institution from interference that could undermine its mission and pursuit of knowledge. They also serve as advocates for the broader value of higher education, including the societal and economic benefits of university research and innovation, and the civic education of students.

AGB offers several recommendations on improving the nomination process for members of self-perpetuating college and university governing boards based on its broad knowledge of best practices, and from studies, statements and work that AGB and others have conducted in recent years. Overall, AGB recommends more rigorous, standards-based nomination processes to preserve board effectiveness, independence, accountability, and public trust. The adoption of one or more of these recommendations will strengthen college and university governance, in large part, by safeguarding the effectiveness and independence of governing boards. Although the process of board-member selection is fundamentally an institution-specific one, its aim should always be the placement of the most able, experienced, and deserving citizens on higher education governing boards.