FAQs

The essential guide and benchmarks for selecting a board chair. This guide captures the process of selecting a board chair and outlines characteristics of an effective board chair, responsibilities, and some potential red flags. This resource is part of the Board Chair Toolkit, …

The essential guide and benchmarks for community colleges. Community colleges, also known as technical colleges or city colleges, are the most common type of two-year higher education institutions. This guide provides an overview of community colleges, as well as benchmarks for …

The essential responsibilities and benchmarks for community colleges. Governing boards of community colleges are legally and ethically charged with responsibilities for leading their institutions. This guide outlines those responsibilities and provides some benchmarks for board size and diversity. Download this …

Effectively manage your institution's major gifts and naming rights. In these times of rapid social change, colleges, universities, and foundations must embrace new approaches to vetting and administering gifts. This guide provides an overview of why managing controversial gifts and naming …

Effectively lead your institution’s response to a crisis. In times of crisis, it is the board’s responsibility to ensure the right people have the right training and experience to conduct a professional emergency response. This guide provides general guidelines for developing …

Effectively guide your institution’s communications response to a crisis. Boards have a crucial role to play when their institutions are facing a crisis. That role is different from the role of the president, but no less important. This guide provides general …

Empower your board to be highly effective. Higher education is grappling with some fundamental shifts that require new, entrepreneurial thinking. How that plays out in the boardroom requires a willingness on the part of boards to take, and administrators to welcome, a fresh …

Engage your board in achieving a commonly supported mission through shared governance. In higher education’s volatile environment, shared governance is essential. It adds substantial value to institutional progress and innovation. However, effective shared governance is about more than who is responsible for what. This …

Deliver a comprehensive and engaging board orientation to new trustees. New board members have a lot to learn, from the responsibilities of trusteeship to understanding the vision, mission, values, and day-to-day operations of the institution. This guide provides general guidelines for the features and …

Justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical for fulfilling the missions of colleges, universities, and foundations. Higher education boards must integrate justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (JDE&I) into their institutional policies and practices to ensure student success and inclusivity of all campus constituencies …