Blog Posts

May 08, 2020 - Both private and public colleges and universities have struggled with financial pressures and, increasingly, some have taken extraordinary measures in response.  From 2016 to early 2020, roughly 40 nonprofit institutions closed and another 50 experienced some form of merger or …

May 07, 2020 - This excerpt is adapted from Crisis Leadership for Boards and Presidents: Anticipating, Managing, and Leading Beyond Pandemics, Disruptions, and Ethical Failures, a forthcoming book from AGB Publications.   Crises are a fact of life for higher education presidents and their boards. All …

May 06, 2020 - As a public health professional, I see the COVID-19 pandemic as a tragedy marked by prevention paradoxes. Life-saving health care workers lack the protective equipment to keep themselves safe. Reopening businesses to save the economy comes at the cost of health …

Thank you for your leadership, hard work, and determination to transition instructional delivery, new student living models, and staffing of your foundations and institutions over the last two months. Your students, faculty, and staff exhibited creativity and determination as you …

April 27, 2020 - As a result of global efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19, stock markets are tumbling and unemployment is spiraling. Colleges and universities will face tightening revenue streams on all fronts, including charitable giving. Business as usual has been disrupted. …

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” Never before has this proverb from the Greek philosopher Plato been more pertinent. While our higher education institutions were already navigating a trifecta of challenges—diminishing enrollments, increased public skepticism about the value of a college …

April 20, 2020 - AGB asked the authors of a new book to provide insight into some important aspects of enrollment management. Here are their observations. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, what is the most critical question for boards to ask regarding enrollment management? There …

April 20, 2020 - Higher education institutions are facing unprecedented times. Working remotely is becoming the new status quo, trustees are feeling increased pressure to perform, and institutions are moving to virtual meeting platforms. Effectively planning and managing virtual meetings is critical for successful …

April 17, 2020 - We are two 1960s-era graduates of public black colleges who share a deep and abiding commitment to ensuring the sustainability of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Except for military service in the U.S. Army and U. S. Marine Corps, …

April 16, 2020 - This has been a very unsettling time.  The human tragedy of COVID-19 dominates the news, as it should, yet for the individuals leading colleges and universities, the financial impact is likely leading to some sleepless nights.  There is a limit …