Strengthening HBCU Governance and Leadership

Over the course of nearly two years, 24 historically black colleges and universities intentionally and collectively took stock of their existing governance practices and made appropriate changes to ensure that both parties are effectively fulfilling their distinct duties and responsibilities. This initiative was developed to work with these institutions in addressing challenges and creating positive, intentional change in their leadership and governance through a series of institutes and consulting services.

In phase one of the larger initiative, almost two dozen institutions participated in leadership and governance institutes designed specifically for presidents and board chairs. The second phase, which is the primary focus of this paper, was developed to provide a select number of institutions with sustained engagement in governance enhancement through a series of comprehensive consulting services over the course of a year.