Top Strategic Issues for Boards in 2025

By AGB January 15, 2025 Blog Post

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

AGB recently hosted a two-part webinar series (part 1 and part 2) concerning its Top Strategic Issues for Boards 2024-2025 report. As the report explains, college, university, foundation, and system leaders—board members, presidents, foundation executives, cabinet members, board professionals, among others—face many hurdles in 2025. However, opportunities exist for institutions to form partnerships and innovative programs to remain competitive. Leaders must embrace change, engage in strategic planning, and ensure that their institutions and related foundations are responsive to the evolving landscape in higher education.

Both webinars featured distinguished panels who shared their insights. Specific recommendations for dealing with the top strategic issues for higher education boards in 2025 include the following:

  1. Business model innovation and digital transformation are imperative as institutions face financial pressures and the need to adapt to technological advancements.
  2. Enhancing student success, the student experience, and campus inclusion is vital, requiring improved student services and inclusivity to meet the needs of a diverse student body.
  3. External and internal threats to board independence and leadership necessitate the defense of institutional autonomy and academic freedom.
  4. Finally, boards must also ensure robust succession planning and support for current leaders.

Effective boards might discover that success on one strategic issue supports their other efforts. In other words, these themes are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Descriptions of part 1 and part 2 of the webinar series follow.

Business Model Innovation and Digital Transformation

Effective board leadership involves strategic foresight, collaboration, and maintaining a focus on the institution’s educational mission.

Part 1 illustrated the importance of aligning innovation with an institution’s mission, avoiding impulsive adoption of new technologies, and working to ensure predictable outcomes of investments. Boards must collaborate with the president, faculty, and other leaders to foster meaningful innovation. The conversation also underscored the complexity of business model discussions—higher education leaders must tailor their approaches to their own organizations rather than act impulsively or mimic their peers.

Enhancement of Student Success, the Student Experience, and Campus Inclusion

Effective board leadership also involves cultivating a culture of inquiry, aligning institutional goals with student aspirations, and focusing on inclusivity and resource allocation for student support services.

The discussion in part 1 also underscored that boards must align inclusion efforts with institutional goals, ensuring access to high-impact learning opportunities. Understanding the origins of inclusion efforts and providing equitable access to technology are key. Boards should engage with diverse student groups and ask pertinent questions to measure and enhance student success. Engaging students through feedback and integrating technology into high-impact learning opportunities are essential for enriching the campus experience.

Board Independence and Leadership

Fiduciary duties—care, loyalty, and obedience—require boards to advance institutional missions, prioritize organizational interests, and ensure compliance with legal and accreditation standards. In part 2, the panel discussed why boards must act in the best interests of their institutions, safeguarding autonomy and mission against internal and external challenges.

By establishing trust with the chief executive and other institutional leaders, boards can effectively protect their institutions from influences that might undermine their mission. Boards should also engage in crisis planning and regular self-assessment to ensure preparedness and the board’s overall alignment with their mission.

Leadership Succession and Support

Fiduciary duties also require boards to select a chief executive, cultivate internal talent, support campus leaders, and provide leadership development to manage organizational challenges. Leadership succession involves planning and building trust among the board, executives, and other campus leaders.

As the panelists in part 2 observed, effective boards collaborate with chief executives and other campus and foundation leaders, fostering transparency and trust to protect institutional integrity.

Effective Higher Education Governance in 2025

Higher education governing boards in 2025 must confront a variety of strategic issues, including business model innovation and digital transformation, enhancement of student success, threats to board independence, and leadership succession and support. Effective board leadership requires strategic planning, collaboration, and alignment of priorities with institutional missions. The report and discussions emphasized thoughtful decision-making and the need to foster innovation, while also safeguarding autonomy and supporting leaders to enable them to advance institutional missions.

AGB’s report Top Strategic Issues for Boards 2024-2025 offers insights into these strategic issues to help campus leaders navigate these concerns and for boards to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities effectively.

AGB used AGB Board BotTM in the development of this blog post to help summarize recommendations from our extensive library of content.

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