Blog Posts

June 27, 2025 - Welcoming new trustees to a college, university, foundation, or system board is a pivotal moment—one that can shape the effectiveness and engagement of board members for years to come. A board orientation program should be more than a formality. Board …

June 23, 2025 - In this highly disruptive and uncertain period for higher education, though governing boards and the senior leadership of colleges and universities might be fulfilling their roles conscientiously, their efforts may not be enough to ensure the long-term viability of their …

June 18, 2025 - You are viewing the Institution and Systems version of this CEO Update. An Institutionally Related Foundation version is also available. In this moment of profound disruption and political intensity, the governance of our colleges and universities faces a fundamental test. Across …

June 06, 2025 - If the institutional assessment and underlying data confirm that an inflection point has been reached, the reality for leadership of a small college or university is that they have one of three choices. The first is to stay the course …

May 28, 2025 - Webinar recap: Heather Fehn, chief of staff at The College of New Jersey, and Matt Maxwell, senior consultant at AGB OnBoard, explored how to streamline cabinet meetings and improve alignment across executive leadership teams. Cabinet meetings offer an important opportunity for …

May 23, 2025 - Colleges, universities, and systems need to respond quickly and strategically to the rapidly changing landscape in higher education. Demographic changes, including the changing racial and ethnic composition of students, the continuing decline of traditionally aged students in some regions of the …

May 07, 2025 - You are viewing the Institution and Systems version of this CEO Update. An Institutionally Related Foundation version is also available. Shifting federal and state policies, unpredictable funding streams, heightened student activism, and increased public scrutiny are reshaping the higher education operating …

May 06, 2025 - In today’s higher education environment, universities and colleges are advised to constantly communicate with key stakeholder groups.

May 02, 2025 - Depending on the circumstances, a critical question institutional leaders might need to ask themselves is, “have we reached an inflection point?” The ultimate challenge for the governing board, president, and chief financial officer is when the stress testing and benchmark …

April 18, 2025 - A high-performing college or university following this roadmap will have reached stakeholder consensus regarding the institution’s strategic direction and competitive market position when achievable business goals and objectives within the resources available have been collaboratively established, and effectively communicated to …