Why this is important.
In today’s tumultuous environment, board members of independent colleges and universities must provide strategic board leadership to ensure institutional vitality and student success. Unlike public institutions, private boards are self-perpetuating, meaning the board collectively selects their successors. AGB empowers our independent board members to conduct thoughtful, merit-based selection processes that recruit trustees eager to assist higher education institutions in serving the public good.
Questions for boards.
Click below to reveal key questions for your board to consider:
Board Culture and Processes
Consequential Questions:
- Does our governing board embody our defined mission and strategy? When is the last time we updated our institution’s mission?
- Do our board members act as more than just names on a masthead? Does our board act collectively and our individual board members understand their fiduciary duties and responsibilities and how these translate to effective board performance?
- How diverse is our board? What perspectives are missing from the table and how can the board be more inclusive? How are potential new board members identified?
- Does our governing board have a clear boundary between board policymaking and the president’s leadership and management of the institution?
Sustainability Strategies
Consequential Questions:
- Do we know if our current educational and financial model is or is not sustainable for the next 10 years?
- Does our institution have a comprehensive enrollment strategy? What other comprehensive strategies do we have and which are we missing?
- Does our board have a system for tracking key financial metrics that provide data relevant to long-term financial decision-making?
Recommended resources.
We carefully curated these staff-picked resources for you:
For College and University Board Members (Independent) Bundle
Book Bundle
AGB
The Governance Committee (Independent Institutions)
2013
E.B. Wilson and James L. Lanier
Chat with AGB Board Bot