Questions for Boards

Recommended Resources

All Resources

Why this is important.

Shared governance is a foundational tenet of higher education. This principle “acknowledges the final institutional authority of governing boards and distributed authority to the administration and faculty.”1 Traditionally, governing boards delegate the responsibility of strategic planning and daily management to presidents, while faculty lead educational delivery. Delegation of authority between key constituents on campus strengthens institutions by championing meaningful engagement and inclusive, transparent decision-making.

“Effective shared governance strengthens institutions by serving as a vehicle for necessary change,” and such innovation is essential to confronting today’s uncertain higher education environment.2 Strong shared governance informs decisions. A governing board’s commitment to the practice of shared governance “bears fruit for the institution in the form of mutual trust in challenging times, support for innovation, and shared commitment to goals for building a stronger future.”3

Ultimately, shared governance is one of higher education’s most distinctive values and is key to the institutional success of all colleges and universities. It brings stakeholders together around passion for the institution and “ensures the inclusion of a range of voices and ideas in the formulation of goals, priorities, and strategies.”4 Together, these collaborative voices focus on holistic, strategic directions for the future.

Still image from a video showing a woman wearing a dark suit and purple scarf in front of a purple background that includes the letters A, G, B.

Mary Papazian, PhD, AGB executive vice president, talks about sharing responsibility, creating buy-in, and balancing delegation with accountability.

Sources:
1Shared Governance: Is OK Good Enough? AGB 2016
2AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Shared Governance, AGB 2017
3AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Shared Governance, AGB 2017
4AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Shared Governance, AGB 2017

Questions for boards.

Click below to reveal key questions for your board to consider:

Roles and Responsibilities

Consequential Questions:

  1. What are the roles of students and staff in shared governance at our institution? Is the board satisfied with their engagement?
  2. What can the board chair do to demonstrate the board’s commitment to shared governance? What does the president do?

Source:

AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Shared Governance, AGB 2017

Processes and Alignment

Consequential Questions:

  1. How are new board members, faculty, and senior staff oriented to shared governance?
  2. When did our institution last assess the state of its shared governance? What was the result? On the basis of that assessment, what has changed?
  3. How does the board engage the faculty on matters of consequence?
  4. Are the priorities of the board, president, and faculty currently aligned on critical mission-related matters?

Source:

AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Shared Governance, AGB 2017

We carefully curated these staff-picked resources for you:

Shared Governance for Agile Institutions

2023
Steven C. Bahls

AGB FAQs Shared Governance

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AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Shared Governance

2017
AGB

Shared Governance: A Legal Perspective

Trusteeship magazine, January/February 2024
By Lou Guard

Strengthening Shared Governance to Support Strategic Transformation

Webinar On Demand
Presented by David Maxwell

Shared Governance for Agile Institutions: How to Align Boards, Administration, and Faculty around Strategic Priorities

Webinar On Demand
Moderated by Jill Derby

All resources.

Case Study
Shared Governance: Changing with the Times - Rhodes College
In the past decade, Rhodes College, under the leadership of President William E. Troutt, has been impressively attentive to issues of governance and decision making. President Troutt had inherited a board structure and practice that were, to say the least, …
Read Article
Case Study
Shared Governance: Changing with the Times - Augsburg College
In 2013, a broad range of issues coalesced to create a situation that—if left unaddressed—had the potential to undermine the long-term health and vitality of Augsburg College. An adversarial relationship had developed between the president and the leadership of the …
Read Article
Case Study
Shared Governance: Changing with the Times - Alvernia University
Higher education institutions with a religious affiliation and a sponsoring congregation often have a two- tiered governance structure comprised of the normal governing board and a group of representatives of the religious sponsors who have specified “reserved powers” intended to …
Read Article
Webinar On Demand
Shared Governance and Institutional Sustainability
June 3, 2020 - Watch this Webinar On Demand for a conversation about how governing boards can balance their fiduciary duties, including protecting sensitive information, while ensuring a full and proportional response by the institution to new financial realities.
View Webinar
Webinar On Demand
Shared Governance and Board Leadership in Strategy Development and Implementation
April 27, 2020 - Watch this Webinar On Demand which discusses the process of decision-making, the role of the three constituencies (board, administration, and faculty), and the successful launch of the program.
View Webinar
Trusteeship Article
Shared Leadership: How the Board-Chair Relationship Facilitates Organizational Change
Higher Education is undergoing significant change due to technological change, globalization, and new economic realities. It is imperative for the board chair and president of an institution to understand their roles as intertwined more than ever and that they require …
Read Article
Trusteeship Article
Trustee Communication Protocols 
A significant governance leadership challenge for today’s board chair and college president is tending to the diverse array of stakeholder groups that vie for attention. It is an unrelenting demand, characterized by an endless flow of communication, rumor, misunderstanding, and …
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Blog Post
AGB OnBoard Introduces Public Posting
February 20, 2020 - In June 1972, a bungled burglary at the Watergate complex shook Washington. When the dust settled, and to swiftly restore the public's trust in government, legislators enacted sweeping changes to how our institutions, including public universities, conduct their official business. …
Read Article
Trusteeship Article
An Educational Relationship
Systems theory—generally associated with business management—can help trustees better clarify the roles of institutional governance, administration, and management. The authors explain how to use this discipline to increase the effectiveness of higher education leadership and governance during these increasingly turbulent …
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Trusteeship Article
A Commitment to Transparency
When boards get pulled into campus controversies, how they choose to interact with their administrations, students, faculty, staff, and alumni can shape assessment of their effectiveness and usefulness. Upholding transparency and openness can demonstrate boards’ commitment to serving their institutions …
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