Chat with AGB Board BotIn the landmark case of Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819), the Supreme Court affirmed the sanctity of educational charters and the autonomy of private institutions from political interference. Though initially limited to private colleges, the decision came to embody a broader presumption of institutional independence that extended to public institutions. This principle has since safeguarded the ability of higher education to serve society impartially, fostering discovery, innovation, and civic leadership free from transient political pressures.
Today, the independence of governing boards—the foundation of institutional autonomy—faces renewed and expanding challenges. These include not only efforts to condition public funding on political compliance or ideological conformity, but also attempts to control fundamental institutional decisions that are the rightful purview of boards, such as determining whom to admit, whom to hire, and how to fulfill an institution’s mission in service to its students and communities.
We, the undersigned, affirm:
- That governing boards must retain independent authority to fulfill their fiduciary duties without political interference.
- That higher education’s strength lies in its diversity of thought, freedom of inquiry, and insulation from political orthodoxy.
- That preserving institutional autonomy is essential for the vitality of American democracy, economic innovation, and global leadership.
Indeed, it is this very independence of governance and mission that has made U.S. higher education the model for the world. The freedom to govern without political interference has enabled American colleges and universities to lead in research, produce top talent, drive prosperity, and serve as beacons for scholars across the globe.
To preserve the integrity and global standing of American higher education, we call on leaders, advocates, and stakeholders to stand together in the following commitments:
- Defend the independence of college and university governing boards as a cornerstone of constitutional freedoms.
- Reject political interference that undermines academic excellence and fiduciary stewardship.
- Reaffirm the principles of charter sanctity and institutional autonomy articulated in Dartmouth College v. Woodward as vital protections for our nation’s future.
The future of higher education and the democracy it serves depends on our collective vigilance, an unwavering commitment to these principles, and unified action.
Signed,
Ross Mugler
Board Chair and Acting President & CEO
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran
President Emerita
Kalamazoo College
Dr. Peter Smith
President Emeritus
Community College of Vermont
California State University Monterey Bay Retired
Mark Heckler
President Emeritus
Valparaiso University
Carlos H. Garcia
Chief of Staff
CETYS
R. Barbara Gitenstein
President Emerita
The College of New Jersey
Michael Bernstein
President
The College of New Jersey
Alvin Schexnider
Managing Principle
Schexnider & Associates LLC
Heather Fehn
VP, Chief of Staff & Secretary to the Board of Trustees
The College of New Jersey
Steven Bahls
President Emeritus
Augustana College
Kevin Reilly
President Emeritus
University of Wisconsin System
Theodore Long
Senior Fellow and Consultant
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
Janine Davidson
President
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Elizabeth King
President Emerita
Wichita State University Foundation
Walter M. Kimbrough
Interim President
Talladega College
Carol Cartwright
Senior Fellow
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
Robert Scott
President Emeritus
Adelphi University
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Carlton Brown
CEO
Strategic Innovations, LLC
Terrence MacTaggart
Senior Fellow
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
Lynnette Heard
Senior Fellow, Consultant, and Membership Ambassador
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
Jill Derby
Senior Fellow and Consultant
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
David Wilson
President
Morgan State University
Nancy Seleski
Retired
Montana State University Alumni Foundation
Barbara Morris
President
Prescott College
Sister Jean Stoner
Chair, Board of Trustees
Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont CA
Lynn Babington
President
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Daniel Myers
President
Misericordia University
Cara Baldridge
Executive Assistant
College of Southern Maryland/CSM Foundation
Kelly Ryan
President
Eastern Oregon University
Richard Helldobler
President
William Paterson University
Aaron Van Duyne III
Board Chair
William Paterson University Foundation
James Herbert
President
University of New England
Serene Jones
President
Union Theological Seminary
John Ewing
Board Chair
Cottey College
Mahyar Amouzegar
President
New Mexico Tech
Jane DiFalco Parker
Consultant
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
Gregory Morrison
Chair, Board of Trustees
Clark Atlanta University
Grant Hagiya
President
Clarement School of Theology
David Maxwell
Senior Fellow
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
President Emeritus
Drake University
Athena Wilkerson
Office Coordinator
Sewanee: The University of the South
Signe Gates
Chair, Board of Trustees
Susquehanna University
Jonathan Green
President
Susquehanna University
Nicola Pitchford
President
Dominican University of California
Steven Weiner
President
Menlo College
Patricia Farris
Chair, Board of Trustees
Claremont School of Theology
Bassam Deeb
President
Trocaire College
Gabriel Lee
Chair, Board of Regents
University of Hawaii
Michael Frandsen
President
Wittenburg University
Mildred A. Mihlon, Ph.D.
President
Felician University
Robert C. Lamb, Jr.
Chair, Board of Trustees
Suffolk University
Lester McCorn
President
Paine College
Adam Bush
President
College Unbound
Krista Newkirk
President
University of Redlands
Joe Bertolino
President
Stockton University
Marisa Kelly
President
Suffolk University
Margaret Jarrel-Cole
Consultant
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
Robyn Hannigan
President
Ursinus College
Uriel Iñiguez
Board Chair
Eastern Washington University
Joianne Smith
President
Oakton College
Michael Kahn
Immediate Past Chair, Board of Trustees
Grinnell College
Sheryl Walter
Chair, Board of Trustees
Grinnell College
Richard Legon
Former President
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
Richard Novak
Senior Fellow, Consultant
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
Gregory Smith
Chancellor
San Diego Community College District
R. Guy Erwin
President
United Lutheran Seminary
Kenneth Lawson
President
Columbia Gorge Community College
William Trusc0tt
Board Chair
Middlebury College
Joseph M. DeSimone
Board Chair
Ursinus College
Weymouth Spence
President
Washington Adventist University
Robert Gervasi
President
Mount Saint Mary College
Lou Bach
Chair, Board of Trustees
Mount Saint Mary College
James Conneely
Consultant
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)
Ora Pescoviz
President
Oakland University
Sue Ott Rowlands
President
Randolph College
Jim Dlugos
President
Landmark College
Sam Baker
Board of Governors
Concord University
Eric Turner
President
Lasell University
Carolyn Klebanoff
Board Chair
Dominican University of California
Michael Seeve
Board Chair
William Paterson University
Gregory Clark
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Alabama State University Foundation
Joseph Chillo
President
Thomas More University
Joe Jones
Board Chair
Oakland University
David Sanders
President
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcom X College
José R. Irizarry
President
Austin Theological Seminary
David Barnette
Chair
Concord University
Steven Cady
President
Brite Divinity School
Kim Enochs
Board of Governors
Concord University
David Harpool
President
Newbury College
Carl Gibbs
Board Chair
The College of New Jersey
Kevin Drumm
President Emeritus
SUNY Broome Community College
ACCT Consultant
Michael Graines SJ
President
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Brian Coker
President
Maryville College
Angela Sims
President
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
Susana Rivera-Mills
President
Aurora University
Amy Pitzer
Board of Governors member
Concord University Board of Governors
Cecilia M. McCormick, J.D.
President
Maryland Institute College of Art
Cindi Khanlarian
Concord University Board of Governors
Concord University
Matthew McCoy
Vice President
Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation
Wynn Goering
Chair, Board of Trustees
Bethel College (KS)
Allison Hooper
Board Chair
Sterling College
Lynda Ellis
Chair of the Board
St. Mary’s University San Antonio, Texas
James Davis
Board Chair
Allen University
Lisa Lanzara-Bazzani, DC
Board of Trustees Chairman
Sherman College of Chiropractic
Jermaine F Williams
President
Montgomery College
Gloria Aparicio Blackwell
Chair, Board of Trustees
Montgomery College
Daniel Dunbar
Alumnus Trustee
Pacific Northwest University
Stanley Wearden
President
Methodist University
Winston Erevelles
President
St. Mary’s University
Fred Jeff Smith
Board Chair
Colgate, Rochester, Crozer Divinity School
Kevin Van Nortwick
Vice Chair
PNWU
Chris Armstrong
Board Secretary
Claremont Graduate University
Robbyn Wacker
Interim President
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences
Karen Griffee
Distinguished Professor
Concord University
George Watt
AGB Senior Fellow
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
Deborah Bushway
President & CEO
Northwestern Health Sciences University
Rhonda Phillips
President
Chatham University
Jeffrey Keller
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Colorado College
Manya Whitaker
Interim President
Colorado College
List of signatories updated at 1:40 PM ET on May 5, 2025. These signatories have confirmed they have the authority to sign this letter on behalf of their organization.