How University Boards Work

A completely updated guide to helping university trustees become effective stewards of their institutions.

Boards of trustees hold immense responsibility in guiding the future of colleges and universities. They hire and fire presidents, approve and monitor strategy, oversee finances, and safeguard institutional missions and autonomy. Yet many trustees enter this role with limited understanding of the distinct culture, structure, and values of the academic institutions they are selected to govern.

In this second edition of How University Boards Work, former university president Robert A. Scott offers a practical and candid guide for navigating the complexities of academic board service. Originally published in 2018 and widely adopted in board development programs, this updated edition incorporates insights gleaned from years of training sessions, executive coaching, and a radically altered higher education landscape. Elements unique to this edition include:
• A new preface addressing the contemporary pressures affecting higher education governance, including political interference, enrollment challenges, changing public attitudes, tuition pricing, overall costs and ROI, and post-pandemic adaptations.
• Expanded guidance on key topics such as consent agendas, indicators of institutional vitality and vulnerability, risk assessment, and succession planning.
• Updated index entries and terminology reflecting evolving governance concerns such as cybersecurity and free speech.

With illustrative examples of effective and problematic board behavior and actionable suggestions for trustee development, How University Boards Work remains the definitive primer for trustees of both public and private institutions.