AGB informs and advocates for our members. We closely monitor policy shifts as they unfold and deliver timely insights through policy alerts, policy podcasts, and frequent updates to our digital report, Top Public Policy Issues Facing Governing Boards.
We work to improve society’s understanding and perception of the value of higher education, and we champion effective governance, board independence, and institutional autonomy. We advocate through sign-on letters and testimony, contributions to amicus briefs, and media outreach to shape the governance narrative.
The most pressing public policy issues facing college and university boards of trustees and foundation boards in 2025 and 2026, in the estimation of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges and a higher education advisory panel, are outlined below. Explore public policy issues by topic. AGB updates these pages frequently as the policy landscape changes in the U.S.
On November 18, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced a sweeping set of interagency agreements (IAAs) transferring administration of dozens of higher education and student-support programs to the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), Interior (DOI), and State.
Why College Matters Toolkit helps board members communicate the value of higher education to policymakers and the public.
ACE’s Economic Indicator Tool offers data on the broad economic contributions of higher education in every state.
NACUBO’s resources provide state-level financial, demographic, and policy data that strengthen the economic case for higher education.
AGB’s Govern Now Initiative provides strategies and actionable tools to empower fiduciary boards to uphold institutional autonomy and safeguard academic freedom and free speech.
Explore a list of advocacy groups advancing higher education, institutional autonomy, and academic freedom.
AGB launched The Guardians Initiative to involve college and university board members in countering growing skepticism about the value of higher education.
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