Shared Governance

May 13, 2021 - The pandemic has strained the budgets of colleges and universities across the country. While cutting costs may be necessary for an institution to keep its doors open, a single-minded focus on financial health comes with its own set of risks.

Political speech in the United States is generally unfettered, with historical strong legal protections. Contrast that with the broader limitations that public colleges and universities may place on expression of non-faculty employees, especially in the workplace. Sitting somewhere in between political …

How Has AGB Influenced Higher Education Governance in the Last 100 Years?   In honor of its centennial, Trusteeship magazine interviewed Richard Chait about AGB’s role in higher education governance over the last 100 years. Chait is a professor emeritus at the Harvard …

Board professionals play crucial planning, coordination, and support roles in the day-to-day life of college, university, and foundation governing boards. Their work is often conducted behind the scenes but is critical to board success and performance.

February 08, 2021 - Changing circumstances require communication.  Being timely, accurate, and transparent with information is critical.  How do we decide what to say, when to say it, and how to deliver such communications?  Today’s quickly changing environment for institutions is testing our ability …

One of the more memorable—and perceptive—comments in the interviews of more than two hundred college and university board members, presidents, and faculty that formed the basis of AGB’s white paper, Shared Governance: Changing with the Times,1 came from a university president …

Engage your board in achieving a commonly supported mission through shared governance. In higher education’s volatile environment, shared governance is essential. It adds substantial value to institutional progress and innovation. However, effective shared governance is about more than who is responsible for what. This …

November 09, 2020 - Unprecedented levels of board engagement present challenges to and successes in shared governance, reported members of AGB’s Council of Board Professionals at their October 2020 meeting. Amid a pandemic, the switch to virtual engagement has resulted in full attendance at …

November 06, 2020 - Several years ago, when consulting with trustees, presidents, and faculty members, I became concerned that shared governance as I thought it should be practiced was being shattered on many campuses. I observed diminished collaboration in those areas in which the …

October 05, 2020 - With the fall semester underway for many institutions, I’m aware of the unprecedented challenges confronting your board, leadership team, faculty, and staff as you collaboratively address immediate short-term challenges. At the same time, although I know how significant these challenges are, …