Higher education endowments are an indispensable resource for covering escalating costs, strengthening financial resilience, supporting important campus initiatives, providing financial aid to students, and keeping higher education affordable. Because of the importance of these assets in the revenue mix, the work of college or university…

In this highly disruptive and uncertain period for higher education, while governing boards and the senior leadership of colleges and universities may be fulfilling their roles conscientiously, their efforts may not be enough to ensure the long-term viability of their institution's business model. Pre-COVID-19 market forces presented significant…

Every year, more news outlets report cybersecurity?breaches--and higher education is not immune from these sinister trends. Cyberattacks on colleges, universities, and foundations have become more frequent, more sophisticated, and more dangerous. Successful cyberattacks can compromise an institution's reputation, result in substantial financial…

An often-volatile economy, changing demographics, and technological innovations in educational delivery are among the dramatic changes across higher education that have forced boards and institutions to question the viability of the existing business model. Flat or declining state support in real terms, lower investment returns in some years,…

"The 2014 AGB Survey of Higher Education Governance" is the fourth in AGB's studies of college and university governance. This report, based on survey responses from 592 public and independent boards, addresses a range of important governance topics that are receiving attention from boards and the news media, including presidential…

After five years of change and upheaval, why is it that governing boards of colleges and universities continue to consider risk on a largely ad hoc basis? The findings from this recent survey, conducted by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) and United Educators (UE), indicate a modest increase in the use of risk…

With proven advice and practical best practices for sound risk management, this robust publication written by the CEO of United Educators identifies how engaged board members should collaborate closely with institutional leaders on a variety of operational and strategic risks. All board members, whatever their role or committee assignment, will…

This survey was jointly conducted by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) and United Educators (UE) and reports data on attitudes, practices and policies regarding enterprise risk management among American colleges and universities. The survey was completed by more than 600 respondents in June 2008. The population…

This publication is part of an Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) series devoted to strengthening the role of key standing committees of governing boards. While there is no optimum committee system for institutions of higher education, certain principles, practices, and procedures prevail. The best practices…

Most campus building projects are high-stakes ventures that, if not correctly planned, may be accompanied by cost overruns, schedule delays, unhappy stakeholders, diminished political goodwill, delays in new programs, or even the forfeiture of a donor gift. The key to managing complexity, reducing risk, and saving time and money lies in one…

Weighing in at 567 pages, including 107 pages of footnotes, the 9/11 Commission Report is a metaphor for the primitive and often dysfunctional state of risk management in large organizations such as colleges and universities. President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, told the commission that government decisions "were made from…

This booklet, intended for trustees of institutions of higher education, offers some instruction on the principles of risk management. Introductory information provides a definition of risk management, which is seen as a planning and strategic function, not solely as a financial or safety assessment. Individual sections then address the following…

College and university trustees have important responsibilities in planning for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. In their oversight role, especially in the areas of planning and finance, they need to ensure that the institution has taken the prudent and necessary steps to reduce risk to the extent possible and to maximize the…