Blog Posts

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 …

April 14, 2025 - When I watch boards in action, I am surprised at how often I see them operating based on misconceptions about the three most important external entities that play a role in assessing colleges and universities: accreditors, auditors, and bond rating …

April 10, 2025 - You are viewing the Institution and Systems version of this CEO Update. An Institutionally Related Foundation version is also available. In these turbulent and uncertain times for higher education, we recognize the immense challenges that boards and presidents face in guiding …

April 09, 2025 - As noted previously, a critical element of a successful strategic planning process is the need to establish performance benchmarks, or dashboards, for an institution as well as key performance indicators (also known as KPIs) for each of its business units. …

April 07, 2025 - Among the differing goals and objectives laid out by colleges and universities for their endowments, one that is universally shared is intergenerational equity, or the concept that endowed institutions should provide the same level of support to future generations as …

March 27, 2025 - For our quarterly meeting of the AGB Council of Board Professionals, Alex Nock, principal of the Penn Hill Group, joined us to discuss the ever-dynamic federal landscape and its impact on higher education. Nock’s 25 years of experience shaping federal …

March 25, 2025 - Since 1991, AGB has been surveying board professionals from the public, independent, and institutionally related foundation sectors of higher education to capture data on their demographics, roles, responsibilities, and desires for professional development. The survey is conducted every five years. …

March 19, 2025 - Michael Townsley’s Small College Guide to Financial Health: Weathering Turbulent Times (NACUBO, 2009) offers an alternative way to pose Eric Denna’s inquiry regarding, “Where the institution is today, but more importantly where it is headed?” In his chapter on strategic …

March 10, 2025 - Higher education boards play a pivotal role in shaping an institution's vision and long-term strategy regardless of how the board is set up. For a board to effectively exercise its authority, each member must be motivated and inspired to actively …