Each year, many community college leaders find themselves, either methodically or haphazardly, making decisions about intercollegiate athletics. There have, however, been few empirical studies on how and why community colleges initiate, expand, or terminate athletic programs. Two studies investigating leaders' perceptions of intercollegiate…

In 2011, the chief executives of the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges & Universities systems will leave their positions, along with the governor of the state. The state will continue to face fiscal challenges, and the campuses will have to figure out how to do more with less. As "Tribune" columnist Lori Sturdevant…

Few board decisions are more important than selecting a new president or chancellor. Done correctly, the appointment of a new CEO impacts positively on the institution's health and future success. Before launching a presidential search, the board and search committee should analyze the institution's mission and goals, and thoroughly review the…

Where members of governing bodies of universities stand in relation to their institution's annual reports is discussed in the broader context of trends in university governance. Data were collected from members of the governing councils of New Zealand's eight universities using questionnaire surveys in 1993 and 2001. During this interval, a marked…

Charles Miller, former chairman of the University of Texas System's Board of Regents, chaired the recent Commission on the Future of Higher Education created by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Here he is interviewed regarding the panel's widely discussed report, "A Test of Leadership," by Pat Callan, president of the National…

Twenty practical and concrete tips for being a responsible and effective college or university trustee are listed in this one-page article. These tips are grouped under three headings: (1) be involved; (2) guidelines for participating in board meetings; and (3) you are responsible for your own education. (KC)

This article, drawn from the book "The Trusteeship of Colleges and Universities, is an enlarged version of a paper presented at the 24th National Conference on Higher Education (Chicago, March, 1969).

This book is a practical and down-to-earth guide to help board members of nonprofit organizations fulfill their responsibilities from developing a mission statement to assessing the success of the organization or the board. The approach can be used by trustees from any type of nonprofit organization, whatever its mission, membership, or size. The…

Many Extension Council members were recommended by associates or friends, a procedure that contributed to homogeneity in council membership. Such homogeneity may make it difficult for council members to perceive problems of clientele with characteristics or attitudes different from their own. (DM)

Continues a discussion about the Open Meetings Act as it relates to libraries in Illinois. Topics include whether library board meetings must be open to the public; exceptions to the requirement for open meetings; closed meetings; and problems with information being leaked from closed meetings. (LRW)

Explores reasons behind higher-than-inflation tuition increases at private colleges, the public interest in tuition rates at private institutions, and what trustees at private colleges and universities can do to bring tuition under control. (EV)

This article describes electronic board portals and how they can contribute to the efficiency of the functioning board in delivering timely information for decision making. The electronic board portals are provider-hosted services that allow those who prepare board materials to organize and place on the Web a secure version of board packets, with…

Boards typically consider various financial indicators to gauge the health of their institutions, such as meeting enrollment goals. But there's one indicator--seldom bragged about--that trustees should pay closer attention to: graduation rates. Growing public attention to the need for more college graduates will increase pressure on campuses to…

"Spectacular error" sounds euphemistic compared to "devastating," "catastrophic," or "meltdown"--terms more commonly summoned to describe the credit crisis and ensuing global economic carnage. Whatever they are labeled, gross miscalculations on Wall Street are having a deleterious effect on college campuses across the country, with many…