Association of Governing Boards

Research Agenda

AGB's research focuses on strengthening current governance operations and procedures and on helping to define and clarify emerging best practices.

Ethics, Accountability, and Risk

The State of Enterprise Risk Management at Colleges and Universities Today
This survey was jointly conducted by AGB and United Educators and reports data on attitudes, practices and policies regarding enterprise risk management among American colleges and universities. The survey was completed by more than 600 respondents in June 2008.

The New Ethics of Trusteeship: How Public College and University Trustees Can Meet Higher Public Expectations
This paper by David Leslie and Terry MacTaggart examines recent state laws and executive orders regarding conflict of interest and ethics and offers suggestions for good practices that will aid boards in conforming to new public expectations of them.

AGB Statement on Board Accountability
In January 2007, the AGB Board of Directors released its Statement on Board Accountability. The statement addresses several components of accountability and fiduciary responsibility, including fiscal integrity, board performance, educational quality, and presidential search, assessment, and compensation.

Board Policies and Composition

The AGB Survey of Higher Education Governance

A wide-ranging study of best practices and policies for higher education governance reveals that while many important policies and practices are in place to guide the work of college and university governing boards, there is also room for improvement. Covering issues such as assessment of individual trustees to presidential compensation, the report, based on a survey of 700 respondents, is the first comprehensive and focused look at higher education governance: how well boards are meeting their responsibilities, what issues are at the top of their agendas, and which policies and good practices guide their work.

Data on Governing Board Characteristics
The 2004 Board Composition Survey of more than 1,000 university and college leaders provides trustees, presidents, staff, and governance scholars with a basis for comparing the attributes of their institution boards with those of other institutions. Survey results--one set of data on independent institutions and one set on public institutions--illustrate the composition of boards, board members, and committees, and reveal trends and changes in board governance and policies. Coming soon: an updated report will be published in 2010.

Executive Committee

In 2008 AGB conducted a survey of member institutions to find out more about the typical work and membership of boards' executive committees and the relationship between the committee and board. Nearly 500 independent and public colleges and universities participated in the study. Board chairs and presidents may find the survey highlights and tips in the January/February 2010 Trusteeship article useful . Separate data reports for all respondents, private institutions, and public institutions, and the survey instrument are available, below:

External Relations and Athletics

AGB Statement on Board Responsibilities for Intercollegiate Athletics
The AGB Board of Directors adopted a revised statement on intercollegiate athletics in November 2007 and amended it in 2009 to reinvigorate efforts on the part of governing boards to align intercollegiate athletics with the mission, vision, and values of higher education.

Faculty, Governing Boards, and Institutional Governance

This 2009 study was conducted by AGB with the generous support of a grant from TIAA-CREF Institute. The paper, "Faculty, Governing Boards, and Institutional Governance," reports common practices, barriers, and recommendations for engaging faculty and boards in institutional governance, and highlights the key role of the president in facilitating effective governance. The study included presidents, board members, chief academic officers, and other academic leaders in meetings, interviews, and a national survey.  Link coming soon.

Finance and Cost

AGB Investigates College Costs, Price, and Quality
The Project on College Costs is a 30-month, nationwide research effort and dialogue on how higher education leaders can control costs and boost productivity while improving institutional quality. The project has four goals: provide clear, objective, and useful information for all campus leaders; encourage national and campus-based discussions on the crucial need to address cost; develop guidelines for helping boards move from discussion to decision; and share effective cost-containment strategies that arise from the discussions.

Foundations and Endowment Management

AGB Contributes to Update of New UPMIFA Language
Since 2003, AGB has been actively engaged in shaping standard language related to the management of endowments by charitable organizations, working with the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL).

Foundation Executives' Salary and Benefits Data
In partnership with Quatt Associates, AGB conducted the second National Compensation and Benefits Survey for Public College and University Foundations in 2005 to investigate the salary and benefits trends for chief executives, chief development officers, chief financial and investment officers, chief administrative officers, and major gift officers. Data are reported by foundation type, asset size, and size of annual budget.

Guidelines for Clarifying Foundation and Campus Relationships
Working with a national task force, AGB and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education developed an Illustrative Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for public colleges and universities and their related foundations. The MOU defines the relationship between an institution or system and its related foundation; maintaining an up-to-date MOU can minimize problems by outlining the parameters, expectations, and financial arrangements of the relationship.

State Matching Funds Study
In 2002, AGB conducted a study on state matching funds programs for public and private institutions of higher education, finding that twenty-three states had launched matching funds programs.

Occasional Papers and Public Policy Papers
These papers (PDF) address public-policy influences on foundation boards, foundation independence, and foundation entrepreneurial initiatives.

Leadership and the Wider Role of Higher Education

The Leadership Imperative
The AGB Task Force on the State of the Presidency in American Higher Education issued its report, The Leadership Imperative, on September 25, 2006. In a year-long review, the task force examined the relationships between presidents and boards, including how boards work with presidents; board responsibilities for identifying and nourishing leadership; and selecting, evaluating, and compensating presidents. It also examined the skills present-day presidents need and the routes to college and university presidencies. The task force was chaired by former Virginia Gov. Gerald Baliles, who also chaired AGB's highly regarded national Commission on the Academic Presidency.

Higher Education and a Stronger America
AGB is a partner in Solutions For Our Future, a national project that is bringing attention to higher education and the vital role of colleges and universities in strengthening America, starting with televised PSAs that aired during the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.

State Policy

Through its Ingram Center for Public Trusteeship and Governance, AGB conducts state policy analysis, facilitates policy dialogues and summits, and promotes a reform agenda for citizen trusteeship.

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