AGB Releases New Book on Digital Transformation

A new book about digital transformation for higher education governing boards was recently released by AGB, which was sponsored by Ellucian. Digital Transformation for Colleges and Universities: How Governing Boards Shape Strategy for Success by Joe Sallustio, Chris Moloney, and Amy Hilbelink is intended to help boards understand emerging issues such as evolving student expectations, emerging technologies, and growing competition so they can better serve their institutions.

“A crucial issue which can easily go overlooked among boards is their institution’s ability to keep up with technology and digital capabilities,” said Ross Mugler, president and CEO of AGB. “Maintaining a continual plan and process of digital growth is just as important for institutions as serving their staff, students, community, and mission. It is vital that institutions focus on their digital transformation as they prepare for the future of higher education.”

The key topics covered in the book are as follows: roles of the board, president, and chief information officer in digital transformation; current student needs and expectations; board structures that support and advance digital transformation; technology’s role in higher education delivery models; considerations for scaling and expanding digital learning tools; and how to chart a strategic course for transformation. The publication underscores AGB’s commitment to help boards prepare collaboratively, engage, and support technological innovation and digital transformation efforts at their institutions, and to meet their students’ needs and expectations, while remaining future-ready.

“A trustee who understands digital transformation in healthcare, finance, or manufacturing still needs context-specific guidance for higher education’s unique challenges,” said Laura Ipsen, president and CEO of Ellucian. “From managing complex academic systems to balancing innovation with tradition, the digital transformation in higher education is already underway.”

This book will support governing boards by demonstrating how board members may guide their institution through a fruitful digital transformation process as well as emphasizing the need to keep up pace with technological advancements that are occurring and how that connects to fiduciary duties through student success and long-term institutional survival.

Digital Transformation for Colleges and Universities: How Governing Boards Shape Strategy for Success is available for AGB members as a complementary ebook. AGB members and nonmembers can purchase a print copy of the book. More information is available at AGB.org/product/digital-transformation-for-colleges-and-universities/.

AGB Signs on to an Amicus Brief With Other Education Associations

AGB  joined the American Council in Higher Education and more than 20 other higher education organizations in filing an amicus brief the First Circuit Court of Appeals on January  20, 2026, urging the court to affirm the district court’s injunction in President and Fellows of Harvard College v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security et al.

The arguments in the brief were as follows:

• I. Institutional Autonomy in Higher Education Is a Bedrock Principle on American Law, and It Delivers Concrete Benefits for the Nation
• II. The Proclamation Is Fundamentally Inconsistent With Institutional Autonomy—At Harvard and Other Educational Institutions Across the Country
• III. The Administration’s Retaliatory Actions Against Harvard Are Unconstitutional and Set a Dangerous Precedent for All Institutions of Higher Education

According to the January 20 announcement on the ACE website, “ACE and its co-signatories warn that allowing the proclamation to stand would have consequences far beyond this single case, creating a chilling effect on institutional governance, campus expression, and the free exchange of ideas. Colleges and universities, they argue, could face pressure to alter academic programs, research priorities, or campus policies to avoid becoming targets of similar executive action.”

The brief puts the Trump administration’s actions toward Harvard in a light that demonstrates a possible larger impact—that these actions have the potential to impact higher education at large: “The Administration’s actions at issue in this case are directed at Harvard, but they reverberate throughout every state in the nation. If the federal government may punish a university for its perceived ideology or that of its students, then the marketplace of ideas collapses into a monopoly of dogma. That is the antithesis of America’s constitutional values, and it jeopardizes the richness of the spectrum of higher education that has long been one of our country’s greatest strengths.”

New AGB Staff

Justin Kollinger has joined AGB as the associate vice president, AGB consulting. In this role, he will lead the association’s consulting service portfolio for colleges, universities, and foundations, including board education, governance reviews, president and chief executive leadership assessments, and strategic planning. Most recently, he has served higher education as a consultant in roles at United Educations and EAB, and he has enrollment experience at Georgetown University and Albright College. Kollinger co-authored AGB’s Risk Management: An Accountability Guide for University and College Boards, published in 2020.

Podcast Spotlight

Protecting Talent, Values, and Opportunity: Governing Boards and Immigration Policy

Immigration impacts nearly every dimension of higher education—from who enrolls and teaches, to how institutions fulfill their mission. In this episode, AGB’s  Jackie Gardina  speaks with Miriam Feldblum, co-founder and president of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, about the practical steps governing boards can take to support students, faculty, and institutional sustainability in a rapidly shifting immigration landscape. Board members will gain insights into the key populations affected, current policy pressures, and what fiduciary leadership looks like when it comes to protecting talent, values, and opportunity.

Federal Policy Update: December 2025

What’s next for federal higher education policy? Alex Nock of Penn Hill Group joins AGB’s  Joe Brenckle to unpack the latest developments in this episode. From federal enforcement initiatives and accreditation shake-ups to judicial rulings on tuition access and political interventions, board leaders are facing complex challenges that demand attention now. With key regulatory decisions slated for 2026, this timely conversation offers insights to help boards stay ahead.

Listen to podcasts episodes online at AGB.org/podcasts.

Upcoming AGB Events

Board Professionals Conference
March 26–28, 2026
Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center
Denver, Colorado

AGB National Conference on Trusteeship
March 28–30, 2026
Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center
Denver, Colorado

Institute for Foundation Board Leaders and Chief Executives
June 10–12, 2026
Hotel Park City
Park City, Utah

Institute for Board Chairs and Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities
June 18–20, 2026
The Westin Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland

To register for events, visit AGB.org/events.

New AGB Members

• Averett University
• Central Washington University
• Lighthouse College
• Madonna University
• Olympic College Foundation
• Pennsylvania State Board of Higher Education
• Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
• The Foundation of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

These members joined AGB between December 4, 2025–January 26, 2026.