From Oversight to Impact: How Governing Boards and Administrators Advance Student Success
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| Title: | From Oversight to Impact: How Governing Boards and Administrators Advance Student Success |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Kemal M. Atkins, Merrill P. Schwartz, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) |
| Source: | Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. 2025. |
| Availability: | Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. 1133 20th Street NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-356-6317; Tel: 202-296-8400; Fax: 202-223-7053; Web site: http://www.agb.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 160 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Gates Foundation |
| Document Type: | Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges |
| Descriptors: | Governing Boards, Administrators, College Administration, College Students, Academic Achievement, State Universities, Community Colleges, Board Administrator Relationship |
| Geographic Terms: | California (San Bernardino), New York (New York), New Jersey, Texas |
| Abstract: | In recent years the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) has seen and responded to a growing need for boards to understand and exercise their responsibilities for oversight of academic affairs and effectively contribute to increasing student success at their institutions. Higher education has been under fire for the cost of a degree, questionable return on investment, low graduation rates, and debt for students, especially those with some college but no degree. This report can help boards and key administrators address these challenges. Governing boards hold the ultimate fiduciary responsibility for all institutional matters, including student success. However, despite the governing board's central role in shaping institutional priorities, there is a notable gap in the research examining how boards leverage their authority and collaborate with administrators to improve student outcomes. Without clearer evidence and effective models of board-administration collaboration, governing boards risk relying on narrow or episodic interventions rather than adopting and sustaining strategic approaches that support student success at scale. Furthermore, the coordination of federal, state, and institutional policies remains an underdeveloped area of board engagement, leaving a critical gap in governance of student-success initiatives. This report highlights how four institutions are advancing student success through effective collaboration between governing boards and campus administrators. By sharing these exemplary approaches, the report aims to inspire colleges and universities to strengthen governance partnerships, improve student outcomes, enhance postsecondary value, and positively shape the future of higher education in the United States. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Access URL: | https://agb.org/reports-2/from-oversight-to-impact/ |
| Accession Number: | ED678017 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | In recent years the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) has seen and responded to a growing need for boards to understand and exercise their responsibilities for oversight of academic affairs and effectively contribute to increasing student success at their institutions. Higher education has been under fire for the cost of a degree, questionable return on investment, low graduation rates, and debt for students, especially those with some college but no degree. This report can help boards and key administrators address these challenges. Governing boards hold the ultimate fiduciary responsibility for all institutional matters, including student success. However, despite the governing board's central role in shaping institutional priorities, there is a notable gap in the research examining how boards leverage their authority and collaborate with administrators to improve student outcomes. Without clearer evidence and effective models of board-administration collaboration, governing boards risk relying on narrow or episodic interventions rather than adopting and sustaining strategic approaches that support student success at scale. Furthermore, the coordination of federal, state, and institutional policies remains an underdeveloped area of board engagement, leaving a critical gap in governance of student-success initiatives. This report highlights how four institutions are advancing student success through effective collaboration between governing boards and campus administrators. By sharing these exemplary approaches, the report aims to inspire colleges and universities to strengthen governance partnerships, improve student outcomes, enhance postsecondary value, and positively shape the future of higher education in the United States. |
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