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2027 National Conference on Trusteeship: Schedule
March 13–15, 2027
Washington Hilton
Washington, DC
*All times local
Saturday, March 13
1:00 – 4:00 PM | Pre-Conference Workshops
Workshop for Board Chairs and Chairs-Elect of Private Colleges and Universities
Board chairs play a pivotal role in helping institutions navigate uncertainty, sustain effective governance, and support presidential leadership. This interactive workshop will examine the chair’s evolving responsibilities, including shaping a constructive board culture, strengthening the board-president partnership, planning for leadership succession, and addressing common governance challenges. Participants will also consider how chairs can lead with clarity and confidence amid heightened financial, regulatory, compliance, and political pressures. Bring your questions and be prepared to share experiences and strategies with peers.
Speakers:
Shannon McCambridge, senior consultant, AGB; executive search consultant, AGB Search
Jason Lane, special advisor to the president, University of Illinois System; director, AGB Search Institute for Leadership and Governance
Foundations of Effective Governance
Designed for trustees in their first one to three years of service, this workshop will offer a strong foundation for effective board leadership in higher education. Participants will gain greater clarity about the board’s role, the responsibilities of individual trustees, and the important distinction between governance and management. With focused discussion on institutional mission, priorities, and the practice of trusteeship, the session will equip newer board members to serve with confidence, engage more fully in board work, and contribute meaningfully to institutional success.
Speakers:
Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran, president emerita, Kalamazoo College; trustee emerita, Pomona College; chair, United States International University–Africa Board of Trustees; senior fellow and senior consultant, AGB
Mark A. Mone, chancellor emeritus, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee; senior consultant, AGB
Public Institution Leaders: Governing Through Challenge and Change
Public colleges, universities, and systems face mounting uncertainty—from political tensions over curriculum, hiring, and admissions to funding pressures and enrollment declines. In addition, they must navigate diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges as well as conflicts over free speech and campus protests. In this environment, board members and presidents must work closely together to lead effectively. Yet differences over strategy, direction, and governance can strain these critical relationships.
This workshop will explore practical strategies and resources to strengthen board and board–chief executive relationships during stressful times. Organized around common questions raised by trustees, presidents, and chancellors, the session will focus on how institutional leaders can navigate disagreement, build consensus, and sustain a productive path forward.
Speaker:
Cristin Toutsi Grigos, senior vice president and chief content and program officer, AGB
Leading the Search: Board Strategies for Presidential Selection
A presidential search is among the most consequential responsibilities a governing board will undertake. This workshop, which is a condensed version of AGB Search’s Pre-Search Strategy Workshop for governing boards and search committees, will provide practical strategies for leading an effective, well-structured search process that reflects institutional priorities and builds confidence across the campus community. Participants will examine how to clarify leadership needs, engage key stakeholders thoughtfully, develop a compelling position profile, and identify the qualities and experiences most important in the next president. The session will also emphasize careful planning, clear processes, realistic expectations, and board readiness to support a successful transition and a strong foundation for presidential success.
Speakers:
Roderick J. McDavis, managing principal and CEO, AGB Search
Melissa K. Trotta, associate managing principal and senior vice president for client development, AGB Search
Welcome Session for First-Time Attendees
Begin your AGB conference experience with a welcome session! This workshop will introduce attendees to AGB’s mission, core services, and the wide range of resources available to support effective governance. Through discussions and an interactive Q&A session, participants will learn how to access key tools, publications, and member benefits that they can use long after the conference ends. Attendees will also receive a practical walkthrough of the conference platform, agenda, and networking opportunities, ensuring they can confidently navigate sessions and make the most of their time. Whether you are new to AGB or looking to deepen your engagement, this session will provide a clear roadmap to help you connect with the organization, leverage its offerings, and fully experience everything the conference has to offer.
4:15 – 5:30 PM | Welcome and Opening Plenary
The Trustee’s Role in Advancing Higher Education’s Promise
Higher education’s greatest promise is its power to transform lives. In his memoir, Yet Here I Am: Lessons from a Black Man’s Search for Home, Jonathan Capehart reflects: “My mother strongly believed that education was a prison key. If you grabbed on to learning, freedom and advancement were yours.” This plenary session will invite trustees to consider how boards can advance that promise with clarity, courage, and purpose in an environment rife with disruption. How can boards create transformational experiences that foster belonging, leadership, and lifelong opportunity to ensure higher education remains a pathway to freedom, advancement, and impact?
Speaker:
Jonathan Capehart, journalist, MS NOW; trustee, Carleton College
Cathy Paglia, chair, Carleton College
5:30 – 7:00 PM | Opening Reception
Sunday, March 14
7:30 – 8:30 AM | Networking Breakfasts
8:45 – 9:45 AM | Morning Plenary
When Should Institutions Speak?
In recent years, colleges and universities have faced growing pressure to respond to social, political, and global events while also confronting renewed calls for institutions to refrain from speaking. This plenary session will explore the tension between institutional neutrality and institutional voice. It will grapple with several questions: When should colleges and universities speak, when should they remain silent, and what does each approach mean for mission, academic freedom, the First Amendment, shared governance, and public trust? Trustees will consider the board’s role in guiding mission-aligned approaches that protect open inquiry while sustaining confidence in institutional leadership.
Moderator:
Angela Onwuachi-Willig, dean and Ryan Roth Gallo Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law; member, AGB Board of Directors
Speakers:
Lee Bollinger, president emeritus and Seth Low Professor of the University, Columbia University
David French, columnist, New York Times; former president, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (now known as Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression)
9:45 – 10:00 AM | Break
10:00 – 10:50 AM | Concurrent Session Block 1
10:50 – 11:10 AM | Break
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM | Concurrent Sessions Block 2
12:00 – 1:00 PM | Lunch
1:00 – 2:15 PM | Nason Awards and Luncheon Plenary
Higher Education and the Nation’s Future
For generations, the partnership between the federal government and higher education has been central to American economic prosperity, scientific discovery, national security, and global competitiveness. Today that compact is being tested by shifting public expectations, fiscal pressures, political scrutiny, and questions about higher education’s value. This plenary session will examine why the federal–higher education relationship matters, how it has fueled innovation and opportunity, and what is at stake if public trust and sustained investment weaken.
2:15 – 2:35 PM | Break
2:35 – 3:25 PM | Concurrent Session Block 3
3:25 – 3:45 PM | Break
3:45 – 5:00 PM | Afternoon Plenary
Governing for the Future
Strong governance is essential to institutional autonomy, public trust, and long-term success. This plenary session will explore how AGB’s Govern NOW and Govern with Integrity initiatives work together to help boards lead with clarity, independence, and accountability. Participants will examine practical tools, resources, and policy guidance designed to strengthen fiduciary governance, trustee preparedness, mission stewardship, and effective oversight. Trustees, presidents, and chancellors will consider how these initiatives can support stronger board practices, reinforce board–president alignment, and create the conditions for governance that protects institutional mission and the public purposes of higher education at the board, system, and state levels.
Speaker:
Ross Mugler, president and CEO, AGB
5:00 – 6:15 PM | Reception
Monday, March 15
7:30 – 8:30 AM | Office Hour Breakfasts
8:45 – 9:45 AM | Closing Plenary
Reclaiming Purpose: The University in an AI World
Artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating change across every dimension of work, learning, and society—but it also invites higher education to reclaim and reframe its deepest purpose. In this plenary session, Paul LeBlanc, author of Reclaiming Purpose: The University in an AI World, will challenge trustees to think boldly about the role colleges and universities must play in an AI-shaped world: preparing adaptable learners, cultivating human judgment and creativity, strengthening communities, and sustaining democracy. How can boards help institutions move beyond disruption and toward renewed relevance and lasting impact? At this pivotal moment, trustees have an opportunity to help define not only the future of their institutions but the future value of higher education itself.
Speaker:
Paul J. LeBlanc, visiting scholar and special advisor, Harvard University Graduate School of Education
9:45 – 10:00 AM | Break
10:00 – 11:15 AM | Concurrent Session Block 4
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | The Governance Challenge in College Athletics
Intercollegiate athletics is undergoing rapid and historic changes, with implications for all higher education institutions regardless of size, division, or conference. New questions about mission, financial sustainability, student-athlete well-being, legal risk, and public trust are reshaping expectations for boards and executive leaders. This plenary session will explore what the evolving athletics landscape means for effective governance and how trustees, presidents, and chancellors can provide informed oversight, align athletics with institutional values, and lead with accountability in a time of significant change.
1:15 – 3:30 PM | Post-Conference Workshops
Register as a group and save.
Register now to reserve your spot in Washington, DC.
Early Bird Rate
Individual Member*
$2,035
Early Bird Rate
Group**
Group**
$1,830
Regular Rate
Individual Member*
$2,295
Regular Rate
Group**
$2,195
Nonmember Rate
$3,565
*Member exclusive pricing.
**Three or more, members only. All members in the group must be registered at the same time.
Please note: The only legitimate way to reserve your room at the conference hotel is by using the hyperlink provided in the confirmation email you receive upon registration.
Key Dates
- Early bird deadline: December 9, 2026
- Deadline for cancellation: February 5, 2027
- Deadline to receive discounted hotel rate: February 17, 2027 (provided space is available)
Registration and Cancellation Policy
This program is available only to registrants who are serving a higher education institution or foundation. Please contact registrar@AGB.org with any questions.
All cancellations and requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to cancellations@AGB.org and will be processed after the meeting. Requests for refunds must be received by close of business on February 5, 2027, to receive a full refund minus a $25 cancellation fee. No refunds will be issued for registrants who cancel after February 5, 2027. If you are unable to attend, a substitute is welcome in your place at no additional charge. AGB is not responsible for cancellations due to airline disruption, inclement weather, COVID-19, or schedule changes.
Group Discounts: If a cancellation causes the group to fall below the required three registrations, the refund will be issued minus the discount benefit received by the original group.
Hotel Information
AGB has secured a room block for National Conference on Trusteeship attendees at the Washington Hilton at the group rate of $309 per night for a single or double, exclusive of taxes. Once you have registered for the conference, you will receive a hotel reservation link in your meeting registration confirmation. To receive the group rate, reservations must be made online through the reservation link received. Reservations should be made in the name of the person registered for the 2027 National Conference on Trusteeship. Multiple reservations under the same name will not be accepted.
The deadline for reserving a room at the group rate is February 17, 2027, at 5:00 PM ET (provided space is available).
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Registration
AGB is committed to excellence in member service. Should you have questions about registering for the National Conference on Trusteeship, contact the AGB registrar.
Become a Member and Save
If you currently are not an AGB member but want to take advantage of member pricing, please contact the AGB Membership team.
Sponsorship
To learn about sponsorship opportunities, contact Steve Abbott, director of partnerships.