What should boards be concerned about in 2012? What new issues--or old aspects of new issues--are on the horizon that boards should be addressing? What crucial topics should be on their agendas? Nine people who have years of broad and varied experience in higher education and its governance were asked for their views. As members of the AGB…

The question of whether the presidential spouse should be compensated is one on which it seems everyone has an opinion. "Trusteeship" magazine asked two such people with differing views to weigh in. (Note that the use of the term "spouse" is also meant to include "partner.") David G. Horner, president of The American…

An annual analysis of external factors affecting higher education and its governance identified five priority areas, in descending order of importance: (1) public opinion toward higher education; (2) family income and savings rate; (3) demographic trends, particularly concerning nontraditional students; (4) national educational policy; and (5) the…

A roundtable discussion involving six professionals in information technology (IT) in higher education is summarized. Topics include key IT changes facing institutions, state and public-system perspectives on IT advancement, the continuing challenge of creating and maintaining an appropriate IT infrastructure, driving forces for IT use, the gap…

Much has been made of the Internal Revenue Service's introduction of the completely revised Form 990 last year. The Internal Revenue Service's primary goals in implementing the revised form are to increase transparency and promote accountability and compliance. Indeed, the information required in the new form will offer the clearest picture to…

While boards have to delegate the daily administration of athletics programs to their presidents, they must be aware of the issues and involve themselves in policy considerations that properly belong to them and can ultimately have a major impact on the institution's financial welfare and reputation. The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate…

Controversies over higher education governance are in the news these days. The most recent occurred this summer when several members of the board of the University of Virginia asked the president, Teresa A. Sullivan, to resign, only to be forced to reinstate her after protests from students, faculty, donors, alumni, and others. That situation…

Consequential governance requires critical thinking on big issues that affect the institution's success over the long term. A major issue in the academy is tenure--guaranteeing faculty members lifelong employment and academic freedom--bestowed after a probationary period of several years during which the faculty member is responsible for proving…

Shared governance is one of the many distinguishing characteristics of quality in American higher education. As a result, students found their way into the governance structure at many institutions of higher education. No sector was exempt, as students became fairly common features of the landscape of board membership in both public and private,…

Governing board members bear major and ultimate responsibilities as fiduciaries of the college or university they serve. Calls for increased accountability and developments such as financial volatility, transformational technology, internationalization, and increased regulation of governance have led to mounting attention to the quality of…

Colleges and universities are thinking strategically about their business models. Reductions in state and federal appropriations, endowment volatility, fundraising uncertainties, and limits on tuition increases are creating persistent shortfalls in operating budgets. This all comes when institutions are being called upon to enroll and graduate…

The process of strategic planning wears out institutions. Strategic planning, pursued with high purpose and energy, is enervating and exhausting. In this article, the author describes the value-added work of trustees in high-performing boards and discusses the role boards of trustees play as the process of continuous strategic planning unfolds.…

A new study of endowments by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) and the Commonfund Institute has brought good news to college and universities: While endowment returns dropped precipitously in fiscal year 2009 as a result of the financial crisis and accompanying slide in equity markets, they climbed to an…

From afar, the boom in China's higher education system seems to be one more indication of its ceaseless rise overall. Potentially it is the most significant sign, since a China that could rival the existing American and Western-democratic dominance of the world's research and educational establishment might enjoy many other advantages as well.…

According to a report from Lumina Foundation for Education, already over 37 million Americans--or more than 20% of the working adult population--have gone to college but not completed it and obtained a degree. This increased dropout rate reflects a student body that juggles work with academic responsibilities. To govern effectively, boards must…