On January 26, 2009, the Brandeis University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to close the Rose Art Museum (Waltham, Massachusetts). The proceeds from the subsequent auction were to be reinvested in the university to ensure its long-term financial health. The reaction to the decision by campus constituencies provides a case study to show the…

Few colleges choose to close. One that did was Saint Mary's College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Although trustees resisted for a decade, they ultimately made the decision before an anticipated denial of accreditation, allowing the college to control its final days in ways not possible for those who wait until an outside agency forces closure. This…

Institutionally related foundations have played a vital role in raising and managing private resources in support of public institutions of higher education. Unlike private grant-making foundations, college and university foundations are typically incorporated as public charities under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Although they…

On June 7, 2007, the Antioch University board of trustees declared that Antioch College, an independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, was in a state of financial exigency, and, two days later, voted to suspend college operations after the next academic year. After that year, the board oversaw the closing of the college while…

This article presents the story of Wilson College, the only college in the United States where a group of alumnae took the trustees to court over the issue of the announced closing and won the case. The court reversed the trustees' decision on the grounds that the college had failed to seek approval from the court before announcing the change in…

The chancellor of a state's community college system works with the college presidents to establish accountability for a common set of goals.

An academic leader needs to have a basic understanding of the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions, evolving laws, and legal issues affecting higher education and the relationship between legal considerations and academic administration. At the same time, an academic leader must focus on accomplishing the goals, objectives, and…

Governing boards and administrations wrestle with complex endowment policy decisions that will determine current institutional quality and future institutional viability. This chapter presents data from the 2006 NACUBO Endowment Study (published in 2007), divided into the following issues of endowment management: historical returns; endowment…

Conflict between president and governing board or within the governing board can be reduced, it is suggested, through informal third-party intervention. Some broad categories of conflict are named including the finance dilemma, the divided board, the domineering individual, the special interest syndrome, and the breakdown in confidence. (MLW)

Describes how state higher education governing boards can use benchmarking to provide direction for colleges and universities. Provides an in-depth example and indicators used by selected state higher education boards. (EV)

This article describes reasons why strategic planning in academe may fail (e.g., the president does not assume the role of chief planner) and why other efforts succeed (e.g., a realistic timetable for results is set). Leadership, communication, involvement, training, timing, and concern for the individual as well as the organization are stressed.…

Building an effective board requires attention to trustees' roles and responsibilities, selection of new trustees, board organization, and criteria for measuring trustees' performance. Full participation is essential for effective decision-making, and six committees can be helpful: executive, nominating, finance, development, academic affairs, and…

Attainment of fiscal stability in the 1980s at the expense of providing adequate resources for plant maintenance, it is suggested, must be avoided by introducing facility management programs anticipating rather than reacting to change. Plant utilization, maintenance, and modernization are seen as requiring continuing attention. (Author/MLW)

College trustees have a responsibility to institute investment policies that preserve real endowment value. The chief financial officer's responsibility varies, but at a minimum should provide the board with essential information and ensure that trustees understand the importance of policy decisions. Critical tasks include establishing and…

The expected turbulent environment in the 1990s for higher education requires well-oriented, educated, and active governing boards. Suggestions based on interviews with over 120 college trustees and presidents are offered in the areas of trustee orientation, trustee education, group development, campus governance, and strategic planning. (MLW)