Blog Posts

February 10, 2026 - You are viewing the Institution and Systems version of this CEO Update. An Institutionally Related Foundation version is also available. This is my first CEO Update since the AGB Board of Directors announced that I will serve as the association’s permanent …

February 10, 2026 - Crises don’t send RSVPs, but you can decide, well in advance, whether your institution will wobble or hold steady when one arrives. When a crisis developed at our institutions, the first call came the way these calls always do, short, urgent, …

January 26, 2026 - Higher education has always been exceptional at scaling impact through human capital. When a new initiative launches, when student needs grow, when fundraising goals increase, or when compliance requirements expand, the instinctive response is often the same: hire another coordinator, …

January 23, 2026 - Let’s open with a simple value proposition that undergirds the 2026 AGB Board Professionals Conference in Denver, March 26–28: “Your Board and Your Institution Need You—Now More than Ever” Each one of us who commits to the enduring value of higher education …

January 12, 2026 - As 2025 drew to a close, the December meeting of the Council of Board Professionals focused on the high-pressure environment higher education faces at the federal level. The sheer volume of sweeping changes that higher education experienced during the past …

January 06, 2026 - You are viewing the Institution and Systems version of this CEO Update. An Institutionally Related Foundation version is also available. I hope you had a chance to enjoy the holiday break and take some time to rest and recharge. As we begin …

December 17, 2025 - Recent demands by the Trump Administration that colleges and universities make fundamental changes in how they are governed, whom they admit, what they teach, and whom they employ challenge the foundation of American higher education. Since the establishment of colonial …

December 16, 2025 - AGB members ask for expert consulting across all aspects of governing. While some questions are evergreen, each year our team sees shifts in the questions vexing boards. Here are seven of the changing themes we’ve heard from members seeking expert …

December 15, 2025 - Boards are under pressure to keep up with artificial intelligence (AI) without losing control of data or oversight. The good news: Most already use digital tools and are curious about AI’s potential to make board work easier. The AGB OnBoard 2025 …

December 10, 2025 - More than half of current college presidents/chancellors plan to step down in the next five years, according to the American Council on Education’s American College President 2023 survey report.1 In this environment, the search for a new president/chancellor will be …