Blog Posts

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 …

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 …

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. …