What does it really mean to serve on a higher education board? In this podcast, governance expert Tom Hyatt breaks down fiduciary duty—not just as a legal requirement, but as the cornerstone of courageous, strategic leadership. Learn why showing up, speaking up, and standing by your mission matters more now than ever. Opinions expressed in AGB podcasts are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the organizations that employ them or of AGB.
Jul 15, 2025•13 min
What do governing boards need to know to protect their institutions’ missions and values during these politically charged times? Constitutional scholar, former University of Vermont President, and AGB Board Member Tom Sullivan discusses the legal challenges facing higher education today with AGB’s Vice President for Content Strategy and Development Doug Goldenberg Hart. Opinions expressed in AGB podcasts are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the organizations that employ them or...
Jul 01, 2025•23 min
What’s next for higher education policy? AGB's Director of Strategic Communications Joe Brenckle and Penn Hill Group Principal Alex Nock break down major federal proposals that could reshape funding, student aid, and accountability, and why governing boards must stay engaged. Opinions expressed in AGB podcasts are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the organizations that employ them or of AGB.
May 29, 2025•13 min
Recorded on March 17, 2025 Venture capital can be a powerful portfolio driver for institutional investors when approached strategically. In this podcast, Cerity Partners Senior Principal Nat Fraser speaks with AGB Senior Consultant John Griswold about how venture capital is a critical asset class that offers significant return potential but requires boards to have a careful understanding of its unique risks and dynamics. Opinions expressed in AGB podcasts are those of the speakers and not necess...
Apr 16, 2025•23 min
As colleges and universities face mounting pressures from all directions - donors, politicians, alumni, and various interest groups - the ability of governing boards to maintain their independence has never been more crucial. This autonomy isn't about resisting political influence; it's about ensuring that boards can fulfill their fiduciary duties and make decisions that serve their institutions' missions and values. Board independence is key to institutions maintaining their role as crucial inc...
Jan 23, 2025•17 min
As colleges and universities attempt to navigate today’s challenging economic environment, they are increasingly relying on their endowments to fund operating costs. That sometimes means spending beyond their endowment’s spending policy guidelines, which presents a difficult dilemma: How do they serve present needs yet also safeguard the institution’s long-term financial sustainability? In this podcast, AGB’s David Bass speaks with Cambridge Associates’ Tracy Filosa about the balance that instit...
Dec 12, 2024•24 min
Foundation boards must create leadership succession plans for themselves and their CEOs. In addition, a strong institution-foundation partnership is crucial when a university leadership transition occurs. In this podcast, originally presented as a webinar, AGB Consulting’s Natalie Boehm speaks with AGB Senior Consultant Jane DiFolco Parker and AGB’s Executive Director of Philanthropic Governance David Bass about the vital role of succession planning in ensuring continuity and growth for foundati...
Nov 26, 2024•25 min
Dr. Claudia Hampton was the first Black woman to serve on the California State University Board of Trustees and was a key force in the fight for affirmative action in the CSU system. Hampton gained the trust of her predominantly male, white fellow board members by employing “sly civility.” In this podcast, AGB Executive Vice President Mary Papazian, former President of San Jose State University, speaks with Dr. Donna Nicol, who is the Associate Dean for Personnel and Curriculum in the College of...
Oct 31, 2024•25 min
Artificial intelligence plays a key role in digital transformation, allowing institutions to scale their efforts and streamline their work. In this podcast, David Bass, AGB’s executive director of philanthropic governance, and Fundmetric CEO Mark Hobbs discuss the use of AI in fundraising in higher education. Effective use of AI and an improved data infrastructure can help you prioritize and personalize outreach, adapt to changing donor demographics, and identify untapped donor potential. Opinio...
Sep 20, 2024•25 min
With the 2024 U.S. presidential election on the horizon, how do the Democratic and Republican Party platforms address higher education policy? The election outcome will affect students and institutions, and board members should prepare so they aren’t caught off guard. AGB’s Morgan Alexander and Penn Hill’s Alex Nock discuss the potential impacts of the election, highlighting the GOP's call for eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and the emphasis both parties place on Title IX and altern...
Aug 28, 2024•15 min
The U.S. Department of Education released the final rule on Title IX on April 29, 2024. These new regulations emphasize broader reporting standards and more mandatory reporters, which could lead to an increase in Title IX reporting. In this podcast, Sally Mason, president emerita of the University of Iowa and AGB Senior Consultant and Senior Fellow, and Peter Lake professor of law and director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy at Stetson University and AGB Consultan...
Jul 19, 2024•30 min
Strategic enrollment planning goes beyond attracting new students. It involves supporting current students, evaluating program offerings, and understanding the broader environment. In this podcast, Stuart Jones of Southern Utah University and Lew Sanborne of RNL speak with AGB’s Cristin Toutsi Grigos about the importance of board and campus-wide engagement in strategic enrollment planning, regular assessment of the impact of those strategies, and how thinking small can lead to big changes over t...
Jun 06, 2024•24 min
Changing student expectations, technological advances, and the need for flexibility have been driving a digital transformation in higher education. To make the most of that transformation, colleges and universities—and the boards that oversee them—need to develop a strategic plan and align technology with their institutional goals. In this episode, AGB Senior Consultant Amy Hilbelink, who most recently served as campus president of Pittsburgh, Online at South College, and Chris Moloney, associat...
May 23, 2024•23 min
The Department of Labor recently issued a new rule affecting exempt and non-exempt employee status, which classifies employees based on job characteristics and determines if employees are eligible for overtime pay. The new rule could change who falls into those classifications, including staff and faculty on campuses around the country. AGB’s Morgan Alexander speaks with Alex Nock of Penn Hill Group about the implications of the new rule for colleges and universities, and what questions boards s...
May 17, 2024•15 min
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) serves as the crucial link for students pursuing higher education by determining their financial support needs. However, this year's revised FAFSA rollout has encountered significant challenges—including false starts, communication issues, and inaccurate data—garnering attention both within and outside academia. These delays are causing widespread disruptions for students, families, and educational institutions, with particularly severe implic...
Mar 19, 2024•18 min
Boards play a critical role in protecting the autonomy of higher education institutions and must lead proactively to navigate challenges to independence. In part two of this podcast, Board Independence Under Fire, AGB Interim President and CEO Ellen Chaffee and AGB Senior Fellows and Senior Consultants Jill Derby and David Maxwell discuss the importance of education and dialogue within boards to understand their responsibilities, including safeguarding institutional integrity and academic freedo...
Feb 28, 2024•18 min
While governing boards need to be open to input and recommendations from their college, foundation, or system’s stakeholders, they must also discern between what’s appropriate and what could compromise their independence and their institution’s mission and integrity. That’s especially important these days, as political polarization is increasingly creating challenges for board members in fulfilling their fiduciary duties of loyalty, obedience, and care. AGB released a Board of Directors’ Stateme...
Jan 31, 2024•26 min
An effective enterprise risk management, or ERM, program is more than just identifying risks; it should add value to an organization by focusing on managing and monitoring risks over time. How do boards distinguish between disruptive and strategic risks? How do campuses address student mental health as a crucial area of risk? What are the key questions boards need to ask to assess the effectiveness of ERM and wellness initiatives at their institutions? In this podcast, Barbara McCuen Jones, AGB’...
Dec 06, 2023•23 min
A federal government shutdown loomed large in September, but a last-minute agreement pushed the conversation to November. In this podcast, AGB's Morgan Alexander talks with Alex Nock of the Penn Hill Group about the top-line budget issues affecting higher education, where Congress is in its deliberations, and what colleges and universities need to understand how the next round of budget talks will affect them. Opinions expressed in AGB podcasts are those of the speakers and not necessarily those...
Nov 08, 2023•12 min•Ep. 39
After a 33-year career at Wichita State University, Elizabeth King is retiring as president and CEO of Wichita State University Foundation and Alumni Engagement. In this podcast, Elizabeth and David Bass, AGB executive director of philanthropic governance, discuss shifting trends in advancement, cultivating a culture of philanthropy, best practices for working with your foundation board, and advice for future foundation leaders. Opinions expressed in AGB podcasts are those of the speakers and no...
Sep 28, 2023•26 min
AGB's Board Professional Certificate Program, launched in July 2022, was created by board professionals for board professionals. In this episode, Patti Kunkle, AGB’s senior vice president and chief membership experience officer, speaks with AGB Senior Consultant and Senior Fellow Lynnette Heard and Kent State University Vice President and University Secretary Charlene Reed, program task force members. They discuss why AGB created the program, the anticipated learner outcomes, and recommended add...
Jul 31, 2023•22 min
As the upcoming election season approaches, board members and top campus administrators must increasingly anticipate and navigate cultural challenges with tact and insight. In this episode, Erin Bossen and Simon Barker of Blue Moon Consulting Group speak with AGB’s Morgan Alexander about proactive strategies that decision makers can pursue to foster inclusivity, navigate controversies, and maintain harmony within their institutions. Drawing upon their extensive experience in crisis and issues ma...
Jun 20, 2023•22 min
Intercollegiate athletics is changing at a rapid pace with implications for regulatory, programmatic, and governance oversight. In this podcast, Kent State University President Emerita and AGB Senior Consultant Carol Cartwright speaks with Huron’s Tim Walsh and with Jim Delany, a former commissioner of the Big 10 Conference about conference realignment, name-image-likeness, regulatory environments, and what boards need to know. Opinions expressed in AGB podcasts are those of the speakers and not...
Apr 14, 2023•25 min
Higher education is on the edge of change with more institutional closures and consolidations, and colleges and universities must continue to think strategically. Diversification of revenue streams is one such way to plan for the future. In this podcast, AGB’s Associate Vice President of Content Strategy Doug Goldenberg-Hart speaks with RNL Senior Vice President Todd Abbott and Brad Goan, PhD, the senior advisor for strategic innovation at the University of Montana and an associate consultant wi...
Mar 28, 2023•23 min
University endowments are starting to take sustainable investing seriously, not only because students are urging them to but also because ESG—environmental, social, and governance—investing is proving to be good investment practice. For endowments looking to get started, or to expand their sustainable practices, this podcast addresses new opportunities as well as potential challenges, particularly in the context of the current economic and political environment. In this podcast, AGB’s Executive ...
Mar 07, 2023•21 min
Growing political intrusion into higher education, insufficient preparedness to address demographic shifts impacting campus communities, and public skepticism regarding the value of higher education have the potential to weaken our colleges and universities and severely limit their ability to serve our country and its strategic interests if left unaddressed. In his Trusteeship article, “ American Democracy Is in Jeopardy ,” AGB President and CEO Henry Stoever calls on higher education governing ...
Nov 03, 2022•23 min
Demographic and market changes are having a serious impact on higher education enrollment. Board members need a solid understanding of their institution’s marketing position and reputation, as well as of the relationship between institutional mission and enrollment strategies. In this podcast, AGB Associate Vice President for Content Strategy and Development Cristin Toutsi Grigos speaks with RNL Vice President Lew Sanborne, who leads strategic enrollment planning, and Eric Groves, RNL’s Senior V...
Oct 24, 2022•22 min•Ep. 31
By taking proactive and strategic approaches to their leased and owned real estate holdings, colleges and universities can generate the liquidity and occupancy-costs savings they need to support their ongoing business strategies. In this podcast, Helen Drinan, president emerita of Simmons University and current interim president of Cabrini College, A&G Real Estate Partners Co-president Emilio Amendola, and Cambridge College Provost Stephen Healey discuss practical approaches to real-estate p...
Oct 10, 2022•23 min
With an expected higher level of student activism when students return to campus in the fall, what can institutions expect and how can governing boards and administrations plan—together—to be prepared? In this podcast, Simon Barker and Pam Roskowski from the Blue Moon Consulting Group discuss with AGB’s Morgan Alexander how the upcoming fall semester may bring challenges, and how boards plan to address these challenges over the summer....
Jun 02, 2022•19 min
AGB recently released the second edition of Endowment Management for Higher Education . Since the first edition was published in 2017, the COVID-19 pandemic provided a quick stress test for endowments. In this podcast, AGB’s Executive Director of Philanthropic Governance David Bass discusses with Nikki Kraus, coauthor of the publication and Chief Client Officer of Strategic Investment Group, and Horacio Valerias, Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Global Partners and a member of the Virginia Te...
May 17, 2022•25 min•Ep. 29
