Coronavirus - AGB

Why this is important.

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is a global health crisis that is rapidly evolving. This webpage provides resources about the special concerns of higher education governing boards as they deal with the pandemic at their institutions.

AGB recommends the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for general information and guidance for colleges and universities related to the coronavirus threat in the United States. Contact local or state government health departments for additional guidance for your locale.

Questions for Boards

Recommended Resources

All Resources

Questions for boards.

These are key questions for your board to consider:

Vaccinations

Consequential Question:

What has your board done to encourage vaccinations, particularly among historically underrepresented populations on campus and in the community?

“Why I Plan to Take the COVID-19 Vaccine and You Should Too,” by Charlie Nelms, January 4, 2021, Diverse Issues in Higher Education

Cyber Threats

Consequential Question:

How is the board informed about cyber threats and measures in place to assess and address them, with increased exposure related to remote work and instruction?

Board Composition

Consequential Question:

Does the composition of the board include the range of expertise and experience it needs to govern the institution through and beyond the pandemic?

Recommended resources.

We carefully curated these staff-picked resources for you:

Trusteeship magazine: “The Work of Higher Education Governing Boards During and After the Pandemic”

January/February 2021
A. Lee Fritschler and Richard D. Legon

Trusteeship magazine: “Enrollment Effects”

November/December 2020
Charlotte West

Crisis Leadership for Boards: Anticipating, Managing, and Leading Beyond Pandemics, Disruptions, and Ethical Failures

2020
Terrence MacTaggart

The College Crisis Initiative @ Davidson College

External Resource

CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund

External Resource

COVID-19 Weekly Updates from the American College Health Association

External Resource

All resources.

Trusteeship Article

The Work of Higher Education Governing Boards During and After the Pandemic

Higher education and its leadership are being forced by events to address a once in every 100-year crisis. It is one that touches upon almost every aspect (and risk) of the operations and reputation of our nation’s colleges and universities. …

Trusteeship Article

Developing Presidential Leadership Amid a Pandemic

I never imagined this degree of disruption when I sought and accepted this presidency,” observed one veteran chief executive. He went on to say: “My plan was to restore the luster of this great university. I knew how to do …

Trusteeship Article

News in Brief

Fall Student Enrollment Drops Enrollment for this academic year has declined further since the early fall [2020]. As of November 19, 2020, with 76 percent of colleges reporting data to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), the final report showed …

Trusteeship Article

A Question for Davis Jenkins, PhD

What Can Community Colleges Do to Succeed After the Pandemic? Davis Jenkins, PhD, is a senior research scholar at the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College. He works with colleges and states to find ways to improve educational …

AGB Policy Alert: Year-End Appropriations and COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Bills

On Monday, December 21, the U.S. Congress passed The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which includes both a $1.4 trillion appropriations bill and more than $900 billion in COVID-19 relief, along with other provisions.

AGB Policy Alert: Request to Contact Congress and COVID-19 Relief Package Update

As 2020 comes to a close, there is growing pressure for members of Congress to pass a potential COVID-19 stimulus package similar to the CARES Act passed in March. Unfortunately, the substance of a potential bill remains fluid.

Ask the Expert Session

The Importance of Endowment in Crises

February 16, 2021 2:00 pm

Join AGB Senior Consultant John Griswold for an open discussion focused on spending, special appropriations, asset allocation and risk management during the pandemic, as well as endowments’ role in helping financially stressed colleges survive and how good governance and foundation …

Webinar On Demand

COVID-19 Escalates the Need for Better Cybersecurity

November 16, 2020 - The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to virtual processes and methods for all colleges and universities. Increasingly, colleges and universities have shifted permanently to expanded online or hybrid educational delivery models and have begun conducting …

Trusteeship Article

A Question For Christopher R. Marsicano

The College Crisis Initiative (or C2i) is a student-centered research lab at Davidson College dedicated to examining how colleges and universities innovate in times of crisis. Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, C2i tracks college and university reopening plans of …

Trusteeship Article

Focus on the Presidency: Harambee, an Alternative for College Leaders

While hitchhiking in East Africa many years ago, I came across the Swahili word harambee, which, in English, translates as “all pull together.” It is a word that stuck with me and is of particular relevance to colleges today. Colleges have …

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