Controversies over higher education governance are in the news these days. The most recent occurred this summer when several members of the board of the University of Virginia asked the president, Teresa A. Sullivan, to resign, only to be forced to reinstate her after protests from students, faculty, donors, alumni, and others. That situation…

Father Theodore M. Hesburgh served as president of the University of Notre Dame from 1952-1987 and is recognized as one of the most successful university presidents in history. He was very involved in both matters pertaining to the university and those affecting the larger world. One of his most important achievements during his tenure was turning…

This chapter provides an overview of board governance, its effectiveness, and changes over more than four decades. The authors also offer strategies for creating partnerships between presidents and trustees that lead to future institutional success.

Discusses the role of library trustees or board members in public library administrative decisions, examines managerial styles among public library directors, and describes situations that invite the board to micromanage. Sidebar "Success in 10 Steps" suggests ten steps to maintain a balance of power between staff and trustees. (LRW)

Good working relationships with governors and state legislators are extremely important to trustees. It is important to approach the governor and legislators mindful of and sympathetic to the state's total needs. (MLW)

Ideally, a college board of trustees is the final authority that also delegates almost every function. However, the specific things the board does are related to how it was formed and what it was created to do. Some traditions and expectations are outlined. (Author/MSE)

This is a preliminary and tentative exploration of the significance of state authority for the governing of state universities. My limited purpose is to describe the nature of that authority and its apparent impact on university responses to the changing expectations of a new generation of students and faculty."

Conflict between a president and a governing board can be reduced by third party intervention. Before a board changes presidents, trustees should seek the best available outside analysts to help clarify issues and circumstances and identify possible alternative courses. (MLW)

Advocates of corporate governance reform hailed passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 as a long-overdue raising of the accountability bar for corporate directors. Although SOX, as the law is widely known, does not legally apply to nonprofit boards, it has profoundly influenced the way many trustees, especially current and former corporate…

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)

A business executive who is a trustee of a small college describes the world of college management. Three sources of differences between the college and a business are: (1) the absence of profit, (2) the "colleague authority," and (3) the tyranny of entitlements. (MLW)

A list of trustee responsibilities, as adapted from a private college's trustee handbook, includes suggestions for active involvement in decision making, self-education about the institution and issues, and participation in meetings. (MSE)

For colleges and universities, faculty unionism has evidenced the potential to change significantly the nature of institutional relationships. Collective bargaining has brought into the system a different philosophy than the traditional scholarly one of shared authority. As a result, collective bargaining has created a new dimension for governing…

Cogovernance refers to the process of administrators consulting academicians, through committees of faculty members. Competitiveness, rapid change, and the uncertainty that arises from the absence of assured funding underlies the strength of American college presidents. In contrast to the administrative professionals, members of academic senate…

Role of boardroom table shape in college/university governing board decision making is considered. Boards are urged to consider whether boardroom table and room design accurately reflect institutional/group culture and whether they lead to information sharing and collaboration. A semicircular table design is seen as directing energy toward a…