Forget basketball and March Madness. Aside from always pressing financial issues, it is "MOOC madness" that has emerged as the topic "du jour" at a growing number of American colleges and universities. Indeed, in boardrooms all across the country, people are grappling with what the advent of MOOCs--massive open online courses--means to their…

What should boards be concerned about in 2012? What new issues--or old aspects of new issues--are on the horizon that boards should be addressing? What crucial topics should be on their agendas? Nine people who have years of broad and varied experience in higher education and its governance were asked for their views. As members of the AGB…

The downturn in the economy of the author's state, North Carolina, so far is less severe than that of much of the rest of the nation, due to their diversified economy, financial discipline, constitutional mandate for a balanced budget, "rainy day" fund, and many years of consistent investment in higher education. In the University of…

Sustainability has become a central consideration across the board in university business decisions. Passing a tipping point, it has become a pivotal focus of management. College leaders are increasingly drawing connections between sustainability, institutional missions, and higher education's fundamental purposes. Administrators readily rattle…

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 how governing boards can help their institutions weather the "double-whammy" of doing more with less: identify the institution's short-term and long-term challenges; refocus the institution's mission, planning, and programming; assess and integrate the institution's tuition, aid, and outreach strategies; redouble the…

Five college and university board chairs discuss briefly the two most important strategic goals they have set for their institutions, and how they ensure that the board addresses issues and priorities in the context of those goals. Institutions represented include Alma College (Michigan), the Montana University system, Maricopa Community College…

College and university fund raising must be need-driven rather than donor-driven, capable of providing operating budget relief, and integrated with the institution's vision. Priority needs must be developed into a concise list of gift opportunities that, when funded, will clearly advance the institutional plan. Need-driven investments, not…

Before college and university leaders rush to capitalize on distance education, they should be aware that the boom may not last. Although distance education is an attractive option in light of demographic shifts, it is costly and demands may change substantially. An institution's overall technology plan should include a business plan, curriculum…

Three former senior academic officers, all later to become college presidents, offer best practices for governing board members and chief academic officers (CAOs) on participatory governance, strategic resource planning, and relationships among the CAO, the trustees, and the president. Topics addressed include an effective institutional governance…

As campuses grow, they have become more confusing, unwieldy, and expensive. Colleges may have to forfeit a physical face and space for every function of the institution. A unique planning challenge is the interface between physical and virtual realms. As institutions go increasingly online, physical space can be freed for collegial encounters and…

This past June, the Iowa River overflowed its banks and deluged 20 buildings on the University of Iowa's Iowa City campus. As the floodwaters finally receded, regents and administrators on the Iowa campus began dealing with all the ramifications and lessons of the flooding--including the key roles of testing emergency plans, nonstop communication,…

The history and strategy behind the Muskingum College (Ohio) decision to reduce tuition by one-third are explained. The policy was adopted as part of a strategic plan to increase enrollment, improve entering students' test scores, boost student diversity, and slow the increase in the percentage of institutional budget earmarked for student…

Governing boards should ask seven questions when a plan fails: where did the plan break down? who was responsible for the plan? were adequate resources available? were goals clear and specific? was the solution appropriate and adequate? were barriers allowed to derail the plan? were key players involved in planning? (MSE)

College/university trustees must constantly remind themselves that each resource decision, either near or long term, is connected directly to institutional mission. Annual measures cover too short a time period, and a balanced budget is irrelevant if institutional leaders do not understand mission and future needs. Changing demographics, public…