AGB Trusteeship Podcast

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.    In this podcast, AGB President and CEO Henry S...

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 the crisis.

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 Iowa State University Foundation and Zach Smith of W...

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 Advancement and Support of Education, co-edited the b...

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. In this podcast, former AGB President Rick Legon e...

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 discusses the work behind the new committee with tru...

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 that were already underway for higher ed.  In thi...

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 your investment portfolio and institution are expose...

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 Acitelli (program director of UW Impact), this ep...

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 University System of Maryland Regent and former CEO of L...

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 Benedict, share examples of how civil education...

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 proliferated on each of these points. Hear from San...

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 accountability.

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 workforce development at Gallup. Listen to these tw...

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 grants shape the public perception of higher ed, and h...

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 innovation and mission, as well as effective methods to in...

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 never hear a news story about an unemployed high-sc...

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 important issues. More about AGB's Guardians Init...

Introducing Higher Education Nation, the podcast from the Association of Governing Boards (AGB) that provides perspective on the issues facing the nation's universities and colleges. Through insider insight and expert analysis, Higher Education Nation helps leaders in this vital sector advance the public trust in higher education. Learn more about AGB's Guardians Initiative at agb.org/guardians .