Faculty Advancement Network
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The Problems of Governing Boards, the Problems with Governing Boards: A Primer for Ivy+ Faculty

The Problems of Governing Boards,
The Problems with Governing Boards:
A Primer for Ivy+ Faculty

October 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM (Eastern)

Join this virtual colloquium to better understand:

“…[B]oards are uniquely positioned to advance change in ways that other institutional stakeholders cannot… They can illuminate the context, ensure attention to the issues, hold institutions accountable for progress, and contribute their resources, insight, and wisdom.”
— Eckel & Trower, Boards and institutional diversity: Missed opportunities, points of leverage, TIAA Institute, November 2016

  • Roles & Principles: The historical and philosophical principles that have shaped higher education governance and the role of trustee boards at Ivy+ institutions.

  • Governance vs. Management: The day-to-day and long-term responsibilities of effective governing boards and their key functions within an Ivy+ institution.

  • Impact: How a board's strategic decisions impact every corner of an institution, from curriculum to campus culture, at Ivy+ institutions.

ARRIVE TO ENGAGE

  1. Read “Achieving More Effective Boards in the New Year“ (Inside Higher Ed).

  2. Follow the prompts to improve your knowledge about your own university’s trustees.

Colloquium Leaders

Peter Eckel, Ph.D.

Senior Fellow and Director of Leadership Programs, Penn AHEAD; Co-Director, Penn Project on University Governance, University of Pennsylvania [full bio]

Raquel Rall, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives in the School of Education at the University of California, Riverside; Director, Center for Strategic & Inclusive Governance [full bio]

Ivy+ FAN Virtual Colloquium:
Trustees & Presidents

Dialogues for Ivy+ faculty who want to understand how their universities work and the roles faculty can play in helping them work better.

Better Know Your Board: What Every Faculty Member Should Know

  1. How large is your board? 

  2. How often does the board meet? 

  3. What are the board’s committees? 

  4. Who are the types of people who serve on your board? What is the profile of the “typical” board member?  What percentage are alumni? Any higher education “insiders” (faculty, administrators, etc.) on the board? Big donors? 

  5. Do faculty or students from your own university serve on the board? Do they have full voting rights? 

  6. Who is the board chair, what is that person’s relevant background and how long have they served as chair? 

  7. How long are individual board terms and are they the same for all trustees or vary? Are there term limits? Age limits? 

  8. What information can you find easily about your board? What information seems to be a mystery?

  9. If you can find out or guess at, what are the two most significant issues the board has discussed this past year? What is one insignificant issue the board has discussed this past year?