Governing board members bear major and ultimate responsibilities as fiduciaries of the college or university they serve. Calls for increased accountability and developments such as financial volatility, transformational technology, internationalization, and increased regulation of governance have led to mounting attention to the quality of…

Every year, almost all boards have an action item on their agenda to approve their institution's tuition and fees for the next year. Yet few of them are involved in discussions about the values and policies embedded in what they are being asked to approve or how the institution decides what to charge different students. That could very well change…

As boards and presidents are increasingly in the vanguard of change that disturbs the status quo, they may also find themselves the targets of expressions of concern, censure, and no confidence from faculty members who may be averse to a new order of things or to the manner of bringing it about. Since presidents or other chief executives are…

Among the many challenges facing college and university boards, one set of issues often is overlooked: those involving employment of non-tenure-track faculty members and the policies and practices shaping their work. There are a number of compelling reasons why boards not only should become knowledgeable about the relevant policies and practices,…

Colleges must manage all types of risks on their campuses every day, and none should be of greater concern than those involving students. With students at the core of their mission, higher-education institutions should minimize any risks related to student safety and satisfaction, and governing boards should establish effective policies to support…

Discusses conflicts of interest in higher education, offering rules of thumb for judging individual situations, tools to help board members address such conflicts, and possible standards to apply when considering conflicts of interest. Also touches on the need to be realistic and the importance of collegiality and trust. (EV)

Discusses faculty retirement policy at colleges and universities, particularly findings from a survey by the American Association of University Professors. Explores defined-contribution plans, terminal leaves, phased retirement programs, and prerequisites that can enhance faculty retirements. Also addresses how trustee boards can help with…

Explores whether trustee boards should establish a naming-rights policy for donators of large gifts. Suggests that the beginning of a comprehensive fundraising campaign is a good time to address such standards, and offers factors to keep in mind when making decisions about naming college facilities after donors. (EV)

Provides an overview of technology transfer issues and discusses ways in which trustees can help ensure that academic mission is balanced with valuable opportunities for taking campus research to the marketplace. (EV)

Discusses how a policy statement on board philanthropy can clarify fundraising expectations of all governing and foundation board members. Describes essential components of such a policy statement: mission and vision, recognition of board responsibility for fundraising, specific expectations, and commitment to project and campaign goals. Also…

Three models for college governing boards to use in approaching teaching and learning issues in a technological age are outlined, presented as lists of characteristics reflecting their focus and perspectives on student and faculty needs, responsibility, interactivity, funding, rewards, competition, relationships, and student-faculty ratios. While…

Although the role of the college governing board secretary should be low-profile, this officer can contribute to effective leadership at the institution by establishing and maintaining open channels of communication, formal and informal, among board members and between individual trustees and the chief executive. A well-designed orientation can…

A glossary presents basic terminology and acronyms of information technology and some common shorthand messages used on the Internet and World Wide Web. The glossary is intended for college and university trustees who need to understand basic terms for policy discussion and formulation. (MSE)

In an interview, a prominent college trustee discusses strategies for increasing ethnic and cultural diversity on governing boards, the relationship between board diversity and institutional policies, effects on the student body, the responsibility of the board, and the challenges and rewards of trusteeship. (MSE)

Five college and university admissions officers (Richard Whiteside, Robert Laird, Jon Rivenburg, Fred A. Hargadon, Stanley E. Henderson) tell how their institutions have responded to charges that some institutions selectively report data to boost their rankings in magazines and college guides. Comments address the way data are obtained and…