Shared governance—the principle that acknowledges the final institutional authority of governing boards and distributed authority to the administration and faculty—is a basic tenet in higher education. When working well, it brings a wealth of ideas to critical conversations and creates …

The role of college president comes with many challenges, requiring deft maneuvering in many different contexts and considerable planning. While focused on the daily business at hand, however, a university leader may not invest in the requisite level of thinking, …

Monday, February 1, 2016 The below is excerpted from the preface; download the full statement.  One of the most important challenges for American higher education today is increasing the number of students who enroll in and complete their postsecondary education with …

The issue of college completion has become a hot-button topic for higher education and the public in recent years. While completion is not a new issue, several national and state-level efforts, including President Obama’s 2020 college-completion goal to increase the …

Governing boards of universities and colleges are facing an unprecedented tidal wave of change that is creating new opportunities, risks, innovations, and disruptions within and beyond the confines of their campuses. A board’s ability to be both reactive to these …

Board professionals provide critical support, planning, and coordination of important board functions. Their work is often unheralded and conducted behind the scenes, but it is critical to the success and performance of the board. Since 1991, AGB has surveyed this group …

This statement is part of the Board Chair Toolkit, which includes a host of resources that enable board chairs to understand essential responsibilities for board leadership and establish an inclusive board culture. Saturday, August 1, 2015 The below is excerpted from the preface; …

Public colleges and universities have long turned to institutionally related foundations (“IRFs”) to raise private support and manage endowments and other financial assets. From the start, however, IRFs have also served as vehicles enabling public institutions to engage in real …

Numerous faith-based institutions are seeking structural ways to ensure that the religious and social purposes for which they were founded will serve the present generation well and survive for future generations. Mission committees of the board are relatively new structures, …

The below is excerpted from the introduction; download the full statement. Although the precise point at which a college or university governing board may justifiably be called “accountable” is elusive, the issue of board accountability warrants attention. Certain elements of board accountability—observing the …