AGB Trusteeship Podcast

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 outside academia. These delays are causing widespread disruptions for students, families, and educational institutions, with particularly severe implications for colleges that serve economically disadvantaged students. In this podcast, AGB’s Morgan Alexander speaks with Alex Nock of Penn Hill Group about the implications of the FAFSA delay for higher education, as well as the pertinent questions boards should be asking.

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 importance of education and dialogue within boards to understand their responsibilities, including safeguarding institutional integrity and academic freedom.

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 creating challenges for board members in fulfilling their fiduciary duties of loyalty, obedience, and care. AGB released a Board of Directors’ Statement on Influences Impacting Governing Board Independence and Leadership in late 2023 to guide boards in the governance of their colleges, foundations, and systems; inform them of their roles and responsibilities; and clarify their relationships with those involved in the governance process. In part one of this two-part podcast, AGB Interim President and CEO Ellen Chaffee speaks with two people who serve as AGB senior consultants and senior fellows: Jill Derby, who previously was chair of the Nevada Board of Regents and is the current chair of the American University of Iraq in Kurdistan, and David Maxwell, president emeritus of Drake University and board member and former board chair at Grinnell College. Ellen, Jill, and David will explore the challenges faced by governing boards in upholding their fiduciary duty amid increasing external pressures, as well as highlight the importance of maintaining board independence and protecting institutions from any undue influences.

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 questions boards need to ask to assess the effectiveness of ERM and wellness initiatives at their institutions? In this podcast, Barbara McCuen Jones, AGB’s director of digital solutions speaks about the importance of adaptability, board involvement, and transparency in ERM programs with three leading experts: Leigh Goller, the chief audit, risk, and compliance officer for Duke University and Duke University Health System; Sharon McMullen, a consulting director at Huron, a global professional services firm; and Anne Pifer, a managing director at Huron.

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 understand how the next round of budget talks will affect them. 

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 for working with your foundation board, and advice for future foundation leaders.

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 University Secretary Charlene Reed, program task force members. They discuss why AGB created the program, the anticipated learner outcomes, and recommended additional professional development opportunities for board professionals. 

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 foster inclusivity, navigate controversies, and maintain harmony within their institutions. Drawing upon their extensive experience in crisis and issues management, Erin and Simon shed light on the current cultural and political environment and the issues that the upcoming election season will inevitably exacerbate, addressing specific concerns that will likely shape the campus climate and impact student experiences at colleges and universities around the country.  Key Takeaways: Understanding the distinction between the board’s and the administration’s roles in managing cultural issues Clarifying institutional values and using them as a guide through complex issues Establishing parameters and processes for communicating (or not) with key constituencies Asking key questions of your leadership team to ensure your institution is prepared

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 realignment, name-image-likeness, regulatory environments, and what boards need to know. 

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 Vice President Todd Abbott and Brad Goan, PhD, the senior advisor for strategic innovation at the University of Montana and an associate consultant with RNL about the Strategic Enrollment Growth Matrix, with a special focus on diversification and how the board of trustees can support the institution in an enrollment planning process.

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 opportunities as well as potential challenges, particularly in the context of the current economic and political environment. In this podcast, AGB’s Executive Director of Philanthropic Governance David Bass speaks with Northern Trust Vice President, Director of ESG Sharee Hassan. With more than 30 years of sustainable investment expertise, Northern Trust shares implications for the ESG landscape in 2023 and beyond.

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 unaddressed. In his Trusteeship article, “American Democracy Is in Jeopardy,” AGB President and CEO Henry Stoever calls on higher education governing boards to provide strategic leadership to address the threats to American democracy and our country’s economy. In this podcast, Trusteeship magazine editor in chief Carol Schuler talks with Stoever and AGB Senior Fellow and Senior Consultant Ellen Chaffee about what board members can do to become more educated, informed, and inspired to discuss and address these issues.

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 Development Cristin Toutsi Grigos speaks with RNL Vice President Lew Sanborne, who leads strategic enrollment planning, and Eric Groves, RNL’s Senior Vice President of Campus Partnerships about what board members can do to understand more about enrollment and how to support strategies at their institutions or within their systems.

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, A&G Real Estate Partners Co-president Emilio Amendola, and Cambridge College Provost Stephen Healey discuss practical approaches to real-estate portfolio optimization, and how boards can think strategically about their properties.

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 semester may bring challenges, and how boards plan to address these challenges over the summer.

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 Client Officer of Strategic Investment Group, and Horacio Valerias, Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Global Partners and a member of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, how the environment in which investment committees operate today is different from the prepandemic era and some of the most important lessons learned in recent years.

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, AGB Senior Consultant Steven Golding speaks with Huron Consulting Group’s Jim Roth, CEO, and Jaime Ontiveros, a managing director for the higher education practice, about the challenges facing higher education boards today and how boards can best address a growing number of issues.

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 Alliance (ISA) and American International Group, Inc. (AIG), provides governing boards with five core principles that boards need to oversee their institution’s cybersecurity. In this podcast, Morgan State University President  David Wilson, EdD.,  and Internet Security Alliance President Larry Clinton discuss with AGB President Henry Stoever Cyber Risk Oversight for Higher Education Boards and what higher-education governing boards need to understand in order to adequately and successfully oversee their institution’s cybersecurity.

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 and George Mason University Foundation Board Chair Terri Beirne discuss with AGB Senior Fellow George Watt how alignment of goals and expectations has led to a strong partnership for each of their institutions.

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-generation and low-income students. The coauthors also emphasize the importance of planning and anticipating key steps necessary to achieve a successful transition, or even closure.