Strategic Priorities for Governing Boards, Presidents, and Board Professionals

Opinions expressed in AGB blogs are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the institutions that employ them or of AGB.

I love the fall semester on campus—welcoming new students and faculty, the beauty of the changing leaves on the trees, the president’s annual fall address—it is an energizing time to focus on why we are committed to careers in higher education. For board professionals, the fall brings additional obligations: the first board meeting of the academic year, perhaps a board retreat, facilitating trustees’ attendance at convocation or homecoming, or tracking the impacts of state and federal legislative and regulatory changes. Others of us are assisting with a new president’s orientation, or preparations for a search for a new chancellor.

If you are dealing with any of these issues right now, you are in good company. We addressed many of these and more at our AGB Council of Board Professionals meeting in September.

Across public and private institutions, systems, and foundations, our boards are working through an unprecedented list of complex issues:

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Boards are asking tough questions about AI governance, academic integrity, administrative efficiencies, and issues related to general ethics. And no, despite a popular trustee belief, there is no “off switch” we can flip!
Budget Issues: The issues around the financial impact on institutions from increased state and federal regulatory and legislative activity are part of a regular refrain during our conversations; the last one was no different. We discussed structural budget challenges, the search for sustainable ways to focus on strategic investments, and tackling the reality of “right-sizing budgets” while staying true to our missions.
Capital Expenditures and Deferred Maintenance: Years of kicking cans down the road are coming back to haunt many of us. The pressure of balancing urgent physical infrastructure needs against tight operating margins is at a boiling point, and state budgets (for publics) seem unable to provide adequate help.
Leadership Transitions and Restructuring: With steady turnover at the presidential/chancellor level, managing the integration of new leaders into the institutional structure, navigating institutional restructuring itself (which is at an all-time high), and pursuing shared-services models are regular agenda items.
Institutional Partnerships and Consolidation: Conversations around mergers and acquisitions are a regular part of board agendas; for many, they are active strategic conversations focused on preserving and protecting an institutional legacy and mission.
Policy Issues: Public institutions are wrestling with shifting state funding formulas and state-level mandates, while R1 universities are managing heavy federal regulatory requirements that directly impact graduate programs and international enrollments.

We also spent time discussing the U.S. Secretary of Education’s recent Call to Action. Most institutions seem to be wrestling with how or even whether to respond. The consensus of the group seemed to focus on the following reactions:

We are already doing what the federal government is asking us to commit to: We are already complying with the vast majority of the underlying expectations through standard operational and reporting frameworks.
Focus on your mission and values: Before drafting a public statement or reply, some of us are urging our boards to step back and weigh potential responses against your institution’s core mission and values. Alternatively, consider what it means to share good news of your institution’s accomplishments regardless of external pressures.
Consider constituents: Think carefully about how a written response might be interpreted—or repurposed—by the federal administration, regulators, or external stakeholders down the line.

When we went around the virtual table to share what our boards are currently wrestling with, the excitement (and collective sigh) was palpable, even through the computer screen. The list of high-stakes challenges felt endless, but comparing notes proved one thing: None of us are in this alone.

No matter what you are dealing with on your campus this fall, please know that we are all in this together and that the best resource for getting through it is to reach out to a fellow board professional. We know exactly what challenges you have on your plate!

Heather M. Fehn is vice president, chief of staff, and secretary to the board at The College of New Jersey.