Policies, Practices, and Composition of Governing Boards of Colleges, Universities, and Institutionally Related Foundations 2021

AGB has been collecting data and tracking trends on the composition of college and university governing boards since the late 1960s, and on the composition of foundation governing boards since 1985. Policies, Practices, and Composition of Governing Boards of Colleges, Universities, and Institutionally Related Foundations 2021 and its predecessors are intended to spark dialogue about the future of higher education governance, including board capacity and functionality.  

The difficulty, complexity, and scope of issues boards must address have increased over time—even prior to the global disruption wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic during the time this survey instrument was in the field. The 2020 Policies, Practices, and Composition Survey was completed by respondents on behalf of 117 public governing boards, 325 independent governing boards, and 97 foundations.

 Some of the key items covered in the 2021 edition include the following:  

• Board member demographics (including race/ethnicity, gender, age, and occupation)
• Boards’ policies and plans for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) (including board diversification overall, areas of board diversification, and DE&I plans)
• Board policies and practices for board member terms and limits, board meetings, and annual giving
• Board size and structure