The Presidency

April 28, 2021 - Colleges and universities are facing increasing demands to develop measurable goals and benchmarks for institutional progress and assessment.

Shortly after my appointment as Smith College’s president, I addressed the campus and signaled some emergent priorities, primarily the importance of college access. More specifically, I shared a belief that is core to my personal and professional experience: “We must …

We love what we do, which includes our campuses, students, colleagues, cultures, athletics, and leading our incredible institutions. We wish nothing had to change, but it does. Our business model is broken, terribly broken, and institutions will close by the …

January 28, 2021 - “I never imagined this degree of disruption when I sought and accepted this presidency,” observed one veteran chief executive. He went on to say “my plan was to restore the luster of this great university. I knew how to do …

I never imagined this degree of disruption when I sought and accepted this presidency,” observed one veteran chief executive. He went on to say: “My plan was to restore the luster of this great university. I knew how to do …

Well-crafted presidential compensation and benefit contracts provide a clear and solid basis for healthy working relationships and effective performance. A presidential contract should be a comprehensive agreement that establishes all requirements and expectations between an institution, its governing board, and its …

While hitchhiking in East Africa many years ago, I came across the Swahili word harambee, which, in English, translates as “all pull together.” It is a word that stuck with me and is of particular relevance to colleges today. Colleges have …

Among the most important roles of trustees and regents of colleges and universities is hiring the institution’s president.1 While this remains true, public institutions of higher education are under increased pressure to balance their many functions while cutting costs and …

October 15, 2020 - AGB’s Council of Presidents recently gathered to discuss two essential topics: 1) institutionwide diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives—and how boards can make a difference; and 2) lessons learned from the fall semester and implications for spring and beyond in …

October 12, 2020 - When institutions conduct searches for presidents or other senior leaders, building the right compensation package should be a primary concern. Compensation must be fair, defensible, and competitive to attract excellent candidates and stand up to scrutiny. Boards and hiring officers …