Dr. Claudia Hampton was the first Black woman to serve on the California State University Board of Trustees and was a key force in the fight for affirmative action in the CSU system. Hampton gained the trust of her predominantly male, white fellow board members by employing “sly civility.” In this podcast, AGB Executive Vice President Mary Papazian…

Artificial intelligence plays a key role in digital transformation, allowing institutions to scale their efforts and streamline their work. In this podcast, David Bass, AGB’s executive director of philanthropic governance, and Fundmetric CEO Mark Hobbs discuss the use of AI in fundraising in higher education. Effective use of AI and an improved dat…

With the 2024 U.S. presidential election on the horizon, how do the Democratic and Republican Party platforms address higher education policy? The election outcome will affect students and institutions, and board members should prepare so they aren’t caught off guard. AGB’s Morgan Alexander and Penn Hill’s Alex Nock discuss the potential impacts of…

The U.S. Department of Education released the final rule on Title IX on April 29, 2024. These new regulations emphasize broader reporting standards and more mandatory reporters, which could lead to an increase in Title IX reporting. In this podcast, Sally Mason, president emerita of the University of Iowa and AGB Senior Consultant and Senior Fellow…

Strategic enrollment planning goes beyond attracting new students. It involves supporting current students, evaluating program offerings, and understanding the broader environment. In this podcast, Stuart Jones of Southern Utah University and Lew Sanborne of RNL speak with AGB’s Cristin Toutsi Grigos about the importance of board and campus-wide en…

Changing student expectations, technological advances, and the need for flexibility have been driving a digital transformation in higher education. To make the most of that transformation, colleges and universities—and the boards that oversee them—need to develop a strategic plan and align technology with their institutional goals. In this episode,…

The Department of Labor recently issued a new rule affecting exempt and non-exempt employee status, which classifies employees based on job characteristics and determines if employees are eligible for overtime pay. The new rule could change who falls into those classifications, including staff and faculty on campuses around the country. AGB’s Morga…

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) serves as the crucial link for students pursuing higher education by determining their financial support needs. However, this year's revised FAFSA rollout has encountered significant challenges—including false starts, communication issues, and inaccurate data—garnering attention both within and o…

Boards play a critical role in protecting the autonomy of higher education institutions and must lead proactively to navigate challenges to independence. In part two of this podcast, Board Independence Under Fire, AGB Interim President and CEO Ellen Chaffee and AGB Senior Fellows and Senior Consultants Jill Derby and David Maxwell discuss the impor…

While governing boards need to be open to input and recommendations from their college, foundation, or system’s stakeholders, they must also discern between what’s appropriate and what could compromise their independence and their institution’s mission and integrity. That’s especially important these days, as political polarization is increasingly …

An effective enterprise risk management, or ERM, program is more than just identifying risks; it should add value to an organization by focusing on managing and monitoring risks over time. How do boards distinguish between disruptive and strategic risks? How do campuses address student mental health as a crucial area of risk? What are the key quest…

A federal government shutdown loomed large in September, but a last-minute agreement pushed the conversation to November. In this podcast, AGB's Morgan Alexander talks with Alex Nock of the Penn Hill Group about the top-line budget issues affecting higher education, where Congress is in its deliberations, and what colleges and universities need to …

After a 33-year career at Wichita State University, Elizabeth King is retiring as president and CEO of Wichita State University Foundation and Alumni Engagement. In this podcast, Elizabeth and David Bass, AGB executive director of philanthropic governance, discuss shifting trends in advancement, cultivating a culture of philanthropy, best practices…

AGB's Board Professional Certificate Program, launched in July 2022, was created by board professionals for board professionals. In this episode, Patti Kunkle, AGB’s senior vice president and chief membership experience officer, speaks with AGB Senior Consultant and Senior Fellow Lynnette Heard and Kent State University Vice President and Universit…

As the upcoming election season approaches, board members and top campus administrators must increasingly anticipate and navigate cultural challenges with tact and insight. In this episode, Erin Bossen and Simon Barker of Blue Moon Consulting Group speak with AGB’s Morgan Alexander about proactive strategies that decision makers can pursue to foste…

Intercollegiate athletics is changing at a rapid pace with implications for regulatory, programmatic, and governance oversight. In this podcast, Kent State University President Emerita and AGB Senior Consultant Carol Cartwright speaks with Huron’s Tim Walsh and with Jim Delany, a former commissioner of the Big 10 Conference about conference realign…

Higher education is on the edge of change with more institutional closures and consolidations, and colleges and universities must continue to think strategically. Diversification of revenue streams is one such way to plan for the future. In this podcast, AGB’s Associate Vice President of Content Strategy Doug Goldenberg-Hart speaks with RNL Senior …

University endowments are starting to take sustainable investing seriously, not only because students are urging them to but also because ESG—environmental, social, and governance—investing is proving to be good investment practice. For endowments looking to get started, or to expand their sustainable practices, this podcast addresses new opportuni…

Growing political intrusion into higher education, insufficient preparedness to address demographic shifts impacting campus communities, and public skepticism regarding the value of higher education have the potential to weaken our colleges and universities and severely limit their ability to serve our country and its strategic interests if left un…

Demographic and market changes are having a serious impact on higher education enrollment. Board members need a solid understanding of their institution’s marketing position and reputation, as well as of the relationship between institutional mission and enrollment strategies. In this podcast, AGB Associate Vice President for Content Strategy and D…

By taking proactive and strategic approaches to their leased and owned real estate holdings, colleges and universities can generate the liquidity and occupancy-costs savings they need to support their ongoing business strategies. In this podcast, Helen Drinan, president emerita of Simmons University and current interim president of Cabrini College,…

With an expected higher level of student activism when students return to campus in the fall, what can institutions expect and how can governing boards and administrations plan—together—to be prepared? In this podcast, Simon Barker and Pam Roskowski from the Blue Moon Consulting Group discuss with AGB’s Morgan Alexander how the upcoming fall semest…

AGB recently released the second edition of Endowment Management for Higher Education. Since the first edition was published in 2017, the COVID-19 pandemic provided a quick stress test for endowments. In this podcast, AGB’s Executive Director of Philanthropic Governance David Bass discusses with Nikki Kraus, coauthor of the publication and Chief Cl…

In today’s uncertain higher education environment, colleges and universities rely on forward-looking governing boards to respond to rapidly evolving issues and challenges. Trustees must stay on top of strategic issues affecting their institutions and actively engage with their administration teams to ensure institutional success. In this podcast, A…

Cyberattacks on colleges, universities, and foundations have become more frequent, more sophisticated, and more dangerous. Governing boards must recognize that these are enterprise-level risks, not simply an IT issue. AGB’s new publication, Cyber Risk Oversight for Higher Education Boards, developed in partnership with the Internet Security Allianc…

Institutionally related foundations are critical to the future success of colleges and universities. The most effective foundations foster relationships between the president and the foundation through the CEO and board chair based on trust, transparency, and open communication. In this podcast, Colorado State University President Joyce McConnell a…

In this podcast, AGB Consulting’s Chris Moloney interviews Higher Education Business Models Under Stress coauthors Melody Rose and Larry Large about the importance of financial stress testing, and the pivotal role of governing boards in transforming the business model to lower costs and restore financial viability, while expanding access for first-…

Online program management is more important than ever before since nearly every student in America has now taken online classes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher education institutions can no longer afford not to learn, master, and perfect the creation, marketing, and enrollment of online college programs. In this podcast, Andy Lounder, AGB’…

In early 2021, trustees representing every public university in Colorado joined together to form the Colorado Trustee Network (CTN). This coalition’s mission is to support Coloradan trustees in enacting meaningful change related to Colorado’s investment in higher education, the state’s equity gap, and the alignment of postsecondary education and th…

This past spring, AGB published the Principles of Trusteeship to enhance the effectiveness of all board members. These nine principles empower each and every board member to serve as strategic thought partners in governance and leadership with their boards, presidents, and leadership teams. In this podcast, Merrill Schwartz, AGB’s senior vice presi…

What is the board’s strategic role in advancing justice, equity, and inclusion? AGB’s own board of directors considered this question and recently published the AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Justice, Equity, and Inclusion and Guidance for Implementation to guide governing boards in their efforts to implement this important governance work. I…

The Lumina Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently developed a framework to help policymakers make strategic budget decisions for higher education post-COVID. With Scott Jenkins of Lumina and Travis Reindl of Gates, Kristin Hultquist of HCM Strategists discusses how the framework can help states and boards lead through and after…

In this podcast, AGB Senior Fellow and George Watt interviews Oakton Community College President Joianne Smith and Chief Advancement Officer Katherine Sawyer as Oakton prepares to launch its first fundraising campaign.

How do institutions fund and staff their fundraising campaigns? Tom Mitchell, vice president for advancement of the University of Florida, co-edited AGB’s forthcoming publication, Fundraising Campaigns in Higher Education: A Practical Guide for Governing and Foundation Boards, and in this podcast, interviews chapter authors Lisa Eslinger of the Iow…

What do board members need to know about fundraising campaigns? AGB’s 2021 publication, Fundraising Campaigns in Higher Education: A Practical Guide for Governing and Foundation Boards, offers board members a thorough grounding in the basic principles of successful comprehensive campaigns. John Lippincott, president emeritus of the Council for Adva…

What makes a foundation innovative? How does a foundation catalyze innovation if the institution doesn’t have a culture of innovation? AGB's publication, The New Realities for Public Higher Education Foundations, focuses on the opportunities and risks institutionally related foundations face in a dynamic and uncertain higher education environment. …

Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Board of Trustees recently voted to establish a Committee on Sustainable Racial Justice. This standing committee at the regional public institution will provide board-of-trustee oversight of the university’s efforts to eradicate systematic racism. In this podcast, MSU Denver’s Board Secretary David Fine dis…

During this time of unprecedented challenges, the financial health of colleges and universities is a critical concern. Boards, investment committees, institutional leaders, and their advisors must work together to assess and plan for both the short- and long-term implications of the Covid-19 crisis, which is accelerating many of the negative trends…

Join AGB’s George Watt and Bank of America’s Bill Jarvis in a conversation on governance issues facing investment committees and institutional / foundation boards as campuses gradually reopen. Regardless of your institution’s specific situation, Bill emphasizes the importance of knowing three crucial things: Where you stand – the risks to which you…

Corvias Founder John Picerne explores how colleges and universities can transform themselves through strategically partnering with an innovator in the private sector, allowing for the monetization of existing resources and eradication of debt.

In this episode, AGB examines how University of Washington Alumni Association engaged with the state legislature and other policymakers to support university priorities through the work of UW Impact, the advocacy arm of the Alumni Association. Featuring Paul Rucker (executive director of the University of Washington Alumni Association) and Courtney…

Academic research played a role in some of the most transformative technologies today, in medicine, communications, and a host of other disciplines. However, skepticism of higher education and budget fears are cause for concern, encouraging policymakers and the public alike to question the value of university research. AGB interviewed former Univer…

In April 2019, AGB released a new advisory statement, “Reclaiming Higher Education’s Leadership in Support of Civil Education.” In this episode of AGB's Trusteeship Podcast, Jonathan Alger, president of James Madison University, and Kristin Hodge-Clark, former AGB vice president for best practice and innovation and a trustee at the College of Saint…

Endowments allow colleges and universities, like other public and charitable organizations, to fund a portion of their work continuously, generation after generation. The ways in which these funds have been solicited from donors, applied to expenses, and stewarded over time are ultimately unique to each institution, and public misconceptions have p…

When it comes to intercollegiate athletics, board members should consider the totality of the student experience—from success on the playing fields to success in the classroom. Sometimes, the scales get tipped, and when problems emerge the board can find itself caught up in scandal. Boards need to understand their larger role and accept their accou…

Has higher education lost the public's trust? This episode of AGB's Trusteeship Podcast explores the realities and data behind confidence in higher education, featuring guests Patricia Brown Holmes, managing partner at Riley, Safer, Holmes, and Cancila and a former Illinois state court judge, and Brandon Busteed, executive director, education and w…

What is the true measure of ROI in higher education? Michelle Tellock, a senior associate at Hogan Lovells, and Horacio Valeiras, a board member at Virginia Tech, discuss how the role of American higher education has evolved in our society in this episode of AGB's Trusteeship Podcast. How did the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, the GI Bill, and Pell grant…

What is innovation in higher education? Nancy Zimpher, immediate past chancellor of the State University of New York, and Paul LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University, discuss how innovation applies to higher education, as well as the challenges and opportunities that come with it. Listen to each discuss the board's role in innovati…

Having the right information is crucial when responding to questions about why college costs so much. But does it? Most students don't pay the full "sticker price" once financial aid is taken into consideration. Listen to Sandy Baum, economist and senior fellow at the Urban Institute, discuss the costs and benefits of a college degree–and why you n…

Higher education is often criticized for its costs and its relevancy. How can you be an advocate for higher education, even when public trust is eroding? Listen to AGB President Rick Legon and Kevin Reilly, president emeritus of the University of Wisconsin System, discuss how to respond to higher education's critics in a candid dialogue about these…