The question of whether the presidential spouse should be compensated is one on which it seems everyone has an opinion. "Trusteeship" magazine asked two such people with differing views to weigh in. (Note that the use of the term "spouse" is also meant to include "partner.") David G. Horner, president of The American…

Last August, the U.S. Department of Education disclosed that 149 nonprofit private colleges and universities had failed its "financial-responsibility test" for fiscal year 2008-2009. This article explains what the financial-responsibility test is and how it is used, explores what the implications might be for colleges and universities,…

In an era of demands for greater accountability in higher education, an increasingly polarized political environment, and scandals such as that at Penn State, access to information is becoming everyone's business, affecting public and independent institutions alike. Although Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) demands are often annoying or…

The real danger with a successful president and a complacent board is that the board will no longer have the benefit of a "marketplace of ideas" when making critical decisions. Boards that rely on an experienced president as the major source of their information are just as likely as a student's single-source paper to arrive at…

Moody's Investors Service provides credit ratings for hundreds of private and public colleges and universities--ratings that can strongly influence the interest rates higher-education institutions can obtain when they want to borrow money. How colleges are governed and managed are key determinants of those credit ratings, especially in an…

Much has been made of the Internal Revenue Service's introduction of the completely revised Form 990 last year. The Internal Revenue Service's primary goals in implementing the revised form are to increase transparency and promote accountability and compliance. Indeed, the information required in the new form will offer the clearest picture to…

Guidelines for governing boards in creating policy statements on conflict of interest are offered. Issues discussed include defining conflict of interest, perceptions of such conflict, trustee responsibility, and the need for appropriate documentation. A sample policy statement and sample disclosure form for trustees and institutional officers are…

This article argues that the information fund accounts provide about a college's financial health is too limited and that global accounting provides more complete and accessible records of institutional performance, including total income and spending. The experience of Williams College (Massachusetts) is used as an example. (MSE)

This article argues that the debate over the public's right to know versus a public college or university's need to make some decisions in private often generates more heat than light, and that the most important interactions put at risk by open-meeting acts and sunshine laws involve board dynamics. Some suggestions are made for minimizing this…

The potential for conflict of interest in college and university trustees is high. A 1974 court decision (Stern vs. Sibley Memorial Hospital) established guidelines for trustees of nonprofit organizations, and a survey of 566 colleges and universities reveals how institutions are managing such conflicts through policy statements and…