Two trends that from the national point of view of the role of trustees demand attention are: (1) that higher education is in the process of reorganization and (2) that higher education must now answer questions concerning objectives and whether or not these objectives are paying off. Four responses to these issues in terms of national policy are:…

Six priority problems of governance are discussed to parallel in part and to complement the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education list of priority problems. The Carnegie Commission suggests the six major problems concern: (1) the adequate provision for intellectual, academic, and administrative independence of the institution; (2) the role of…

The leadership role of the State must be to assure access for all of its citizens to a quality education. This is an all-encompassing role, and it includes many factors. An important factor is that States must support the low-tuition principle in colleges and universities. The best student aid program ever devised is low-tuition. Closely related…

If our colleges and universities have not kept pace with the rapidly changing society that higher education has created, to what extent can this fact be laid at the door of trustees or ascribed to the relationships between policymaking bodies in higher education and the operating leadership in administration? It is to this question that this…

Higher education in the United States is under seige. Students clamor for better teaching and greater academic "relevance." Faculty seek stronger protection of their interests through collective bargaining. State legislatures and private donors have shifted higher education downward on their lists of fiscal priorities. To reverse this drift,…

Governing board members and chief administrators are increasingly faced with outside demands for better accountability, higher productivity, and experimental innovations at the same time that students stress the need for more relevant courses and more daily contact with professors. A few of the most important trends which have potential for…

An approach to collective bargaining, in which structure and governance are carefully introduced into a contract, can act as a kind of restraint on both parties and minimize the scope of adversarial relationships to those matters for which there appears to be no alternative. By enlarging the role and responsibilities of faculty governance within…

This document presents a conversation between Dr. Clark Kerr, chairman of the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, and Robert H. Zeffer, a radio newsman. Topics discussed encompass the attitudes of members of boards of trustees, the selection of board members, the role of the chairman of the board, and the role of the board of trustees. (MJM)

Among the major conflicts that have surfaced is the longstanding conflict between faculty and trustees. The first part of this paper summarizes the major findings of the principal areas of possible conflict between these two groups. The data upon which this study is based were collected from national samples of trustees and faculty by means of a…

The lay board of trustees will have to change substantially and rapidly if it is to survive. In response to the many criticisms of the structure and selection procedures of college and university trustees, new patterns are beginning to emerge. Some colleges have taken steps toward a more "representative" selection of trustees. Responsible…

The most difficult, self-effacing, and intangible role in higher education today is that of top management policy determination. Trustees carry the key management policy role and should neither be diverted nor shrink from it. Trustees must constantly assess their progress and modify their plans. Six points are suggested: (1) Trustees should devote…

Until the end of the 19th century there were basically two traditions in American universities, all of which, for practical purposes, were private, nonprofit institutions. The first and unquestionably more important of these traditions was that of the church-related college. The second great tradition was the notion of elitist, liberal education.…

The future role and responsibilities of the trustees and regents of postsecondary education in the U.S. in the last quarter of the twentieth century is examined. The thesis of this essay is that the governing boards of higher education, if they are prepared to rise to the opportunities, have a more important role in the years ahead than at any…

This handbook is intended to assist governing boards of higher education institutions in using key indicators (quantitative or qualitative information that describes the condition of some aspect of the institution) to: evaluate the strategic position of their institutions, compare the institution to its peers, and monitor changes in its condition…

Recommendations for improving the search, selection, and negotiation for a college president (the term president is used to represent an institution's chief executive officer) are offered, and the social responsibilities of the president are briefly addressed. Aspects of the search that may present problems include: determining institutional…