2025 National Conference on Trusteeship
April 1–2, 2025
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
Chicago, IL
Govern for Excellence
With greater clarity regarding the needs of students and society going forward—as well as new organizational capabilities—how can your board add essential imagination, impetus, and momentum for big-picture achievement?
Societal division; emerging technologies; population shifts; public skepticism; health, safety, and security threats; political intrusion… Foreboding challenges of years past remain front and center today. Indeed, primary responses to new realities are largely underway. Higher education governing boards and executives have an important opportunity to break cycles of coping and reacting, both within and beyond the boardroom. To do so, many will find developing fresh approaches to their work indispensable.
Join the AGB 2025 National Conference on Trusteeship to raise your sightlines and reset your feet to govern for excellence.
Please note: The only legitimate way to reserve your room at the conference hotel is by using the hyperlink provided in the confirmation email you receive upon registration.
Reasons to attend the 2025 National Conference on Trusteeship:
Develop Fresh Perspectives
AGB brings diverse voices into the conference programming, giving you the opportunity to inspire new ideas with other trustees, committee chairs, board chairs, presidents, and prominent higher education thought leaders who are driving transformation in higher education.
Network with Peers
Share conversation, ideas, and leading practices with other attendees during peer group discussions, meals, and social events. The conference builds in time for intentional peer workshops and networking to spark creativity.
Prepare for the Unique Role of a Higher Education Trustee
Higher education boards are very different from other boards. Many new trustees attend the conference to gain insights into their responsibilities, while seasoned trustees return year after year to explore the questions and issues that might not make it onto regular board agendas but are critical to strategic governance.
Featuring a special keynote speaker.
AGB welcomes
Sara Goldrick-Rab, PhD
Author of Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream; senior fellow at Education Northwest; adjunct professor at the Community College of Philadelphia; and founder of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice.
Topics in focus at the 2025 AGB National Conference on Trusteeship include:
- Governance for student success
- Special programming for early-career trustees
- Oversight for talent management and retention
- Forward-looking strategies for campus mental health
- Trends in philanthropy and board roles in fundraising
- New paradigms for trustee recruitment, orientation, and education
- Techniques for effective board leadership
- Leveraging board and presidential assessment
- Leadership continuity for boards and chief executives
- Results-driven governance
- Organization-building for boards
- Shared governance under stress
- Outlook and implications for student demographic shifts
- Governing in fraught socio-political environments
- Endowment management
- Difficult conversations: Getting to board value-added
Curious about the National Conference on Trusteeship program?
Browse the 2024 schedule of events to learn more about the types of sessions, speakers, and networking opportunities the event typically includes and see who attended.
Get Involved!
Serving as part of the program faculty provides a great opportunity to share experiential wisdom, showcase the work of your board, and connect with national peers on issues of common interest. Proposals will be accepted until August 30, but AGB will review submissions as they are received, so please submit early for best consideration. If you have questions about speaking or would like to discuss ideas in advance of submitting a proposal, please email programs@AGB.org.
Register as a group and save.
Register now to reserve your spot in Chicago.
Early Bird Rate
Individual Member*
$1,895
Early Bird Rate
Group**
$1,695
Regular Rate
Individual Member*
$1,995
Regular Rate
Group**
$1,895
To register three or more individuals, please contact the registrar at registrar@AGB.org or 202-776-0860.
Nonmember Rate
$2,995
*Member exclusive pricing.
**Three or more, members only. All members in the group must be registered at the same time.
Please note: The only legitimate way to reserve your room at the conference hotel is by using the hyperlink provided in the confirmation email you receive upon registration.
Key Dates
- Early bird deadline: December 2, 2024
- Deadline for cancellation: February 17, 2025
- Deadline to receive discounted hotel rate: February 28, 2025 (provided space is available)
Registration and Cancellation Policy
This program is available only to registrants who are serving a higher ed institution or foundation. Please contact registrar@AGB.org with any questions.
All cancellations and requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to cancellations@AGB.org and will be processed after the meeting. Requests for refunds must be received by close of business on February 17, 2025, to receive a full refund minus a $25 cancellation fee. No refunds will be issued for registrants who cancel after February 17, 2025. If you are unable to attend, a substitute is welcome in your place at no additional charge. AGB is not responsible for cancellations due to airline disruption, inclement weather, COVID-19, or schedule changes.
Group Discounts: If a cancellation causes the group to fall below the required three registrations, the refund will be issued minus the discount benefit received by the original group.
Hotel Information
AGB has secured a room block for National Conference on Trusteeship attendees at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile at the group rate of $229 per night, exclusive of 17.4% taxes. Once you have registered for the conference, you will receive a hotel reservation link in your meeting registration confirmation. To receive the group rate, reservations must be made online through the reservation link received. Reservations should be made in the name of the person registered for the 2025 National Conference on Trusteeship. Multiple reservations under the same name will not be accepted.
The deadline for reserving a room at the group rate is February 28, 2025, at 5:00 PM CST.
With thanks to our 2025 sponsors.
View our 2025 sponsors and see how you can support the National Conference on Trusteeship.
Contact.
Registration
AGB is committed to excellence in member service. Should you have questions about registering for the National Conference on Trusteeship, contact the AGB registrar.
Become a Member and Save
If you currently are not an AGB member but want to take advantage of member pricing, contact Matt Stevens, director of membership outreach.
Sponsorship
To learn about sponsorship opportunities, contact Steve Abbott, senior director of partnerships.