The long history of volunteerism in America has its roots in colonial religious and educational enterprises. From the beginning, colleges and universities have been independently governed rather than subject to national or state control. This autonomy is a uniquely American tradition. Over the centuries, the work of academic governing boards--citizen trustees--has become the model for much of the voluntary sector. This guide provides an overview of the important responsibilities of serving on the board of an independent college or university. It is intended to clarify the fiduciary responsibilities for which boards are held accountable. It reminds board members that while the formal authority of a governing board lies within the corporate body, how individual members comport themselves contributes to a board's overall effectiveness. For that reason, this volume should be of value to experienced board members, as well as to those who are relatively new. "Effective Governing Boards" is designed to meet a new standard of governing board engagement. It succeeds previous works written by AGB President Emeritus Richard T. (Tom) Ingram, who contributed to the development of governance standards throughout his illustrious career. The goal here is to offer a volume that recognizes the nuances associated with academic trusteeship in an environment that mandates all of higher education to focus on the nation's education priorities. This guide updates AGB's list of governing board responsibilities, emphasizing board accountability, academic quality, and board member conduct. It can serve an especially useful purpose in the formal orientation process for new board members and help all board members grasp what is at stake when they commit to serving on an academic governing board. A list of resources is included. [For the 2009 edition, see ED541689.]