Governing with Purpose

October 6, 2026
2:00–3:00 PM ET

Improving student access and success is one of AGB’s 2026–2027 top strategic issues for boards. This webinar will help trustees examine how governance can expand opportunity, strengthen persistence, and support completion. The discussion will address public skepticism about higher education’s value, rising student debt concerns, changing student needs, and workforce uncertainty driven by artificial intelligence. Participants will explore how boards and presidents can align mission, strategy, resources, and accountability to improve outcomes for all students.

Speakers:

Kemal M. Atkins, EdD, trustee, San Francisco Bay University; consultant, AGB

Kathryn Morris, PhD, president, St. Lawrence University

November 10, 2026
2:00–3:00 PM ET

Higher education leaders are navigating political, financial, cultural, and global headwinds that demand stronger governance and deeper leadership support. These headwinds are why developing and supporting higher education leaders is a top strategic issue for boards.  This webinar will provide a practical framework for boards to align with presidents, strengthen leadership capacity, and navigate external pressures to advance resilient, mission-centered leadership.

Learning Objectives

1. A clearer understanding of why developing and supporting higher education leaders is a strategic governance priority amid political, financial, cultural, and global pressures.
2. A practical framework for strengthening board–president alignment, clarifying roles, and building shared responsibility for resilient, mission-centered leadership.
3. Actionable governance practices for supporting presidential leadership, strengthening leadership capacity across the institution, and navigating external pressures while advancing long-term institutional vitality.

Speaker:

Jason Lane, PhD, special advisor to the president, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign

January 12, 2027
2:00–3:00 PM ET

While teaching, research, and service will continue to form the foundation of higher education’s mission, there is no denying that the landscape upon which these activities occur has significantly—and in some ways inalterably—shifted. As political, demographic, economic, and technological forces influence the educational sector, how will colleges and universities adapt; find efficiencies, new partners, and new markets; and perhaps reshape themselves to endure and even thrive. Just as importantly, how will institutional leaders and governing boards prioritize and position institutions for success?