Governing with Purpose Session 1: Safeguarding the Hallmarks of American Higher Education

Two defining hallmarks have long distinguished American higher education: institutional diversity and autonomy. Rather than a single centralized model, the U.S. system includes a wide range of public, private, nonprofit, faith-based, research, regional, community, and mission-driven institutions with the independence to pursue distinct missions. Together, these hallmarks have enabled colleges and universities to serve varied students, advance knowledge, strengthen democracy, and contribute to the nation’s economic prosperity.

Today, these hallmarks face growing pressure from political, regulatory, financial, and public forces. Governing boards have a fiduciary responsibility to safeguard institutional independence, mission, and long-term vitality while upholding public trust.

Learning Objectives

1. Recognize the value of institutional diversity and autonomy as defining strengths of American higher education that enable institutions to serve distinct missions, students, and communities.
2. Examine the pressures challenging these hallmarks, including political, regulatory, financial, and public expectations that may affect institutional independence and long-term vitality.
3. Clarify the board’s fiduciary role in protecting mission, autonomy, and public trust while helping institutions remain resilient, responsive, and aligned with their purpose.

Speaker:

Carlton Brown, EdD, trustee, San Francisco Bay University; consultant, AGB

About the Series:

There is no fee to attend the webinars. Attending each session is not required for participation, and jumping in at any point in this series is encouraged. Live sessions are open to all. On-demand session recordings are only available to AGB members. Learn about the full series.

AGB’s Top Strategic Issues Webinar Series is designed to help members navigate the urgent forces reshaping higher education and board governance. Through discussions on mission, institutional autonomy, leadership, student success, financial vitality, and higher education’s evolving purpose, the series offers trustees and institutional leaders insights to govern with confidence, map strategic direction, and position their institutions for long-term resilience and impact.

Through this series, which is based on AGB’s new publication Top Strategic Issues for Boards 2026–2027, trustees, presidents, chancellors, and other institutional leaders will:

• Assess the urgent forces reshaping higher education and their implications for effective board governance.
• Gain insights to help trustees and institutional leaders govern with confidence and map strategic direction.
• Explore how boards can strengthen mission, leadership, student success, financial vitality, and long-term institutional resilience.