The Trustees We Need Now

How boards can steer their institutions toward strategic success

College and university trustees are no longer operating behind the scenes. In today’s volatile climate, trusteeship has become a high-stakes, highly visible role — part strategy, part diplomacy, part defense.

Many boards are actively remaking themselves or pursuing new market niches and revenue sources — all while justifying their decisions to increasingly vocal stakeholders. Once seen as ceremonial or philanthropic, trusteeship is now a front-line leadership position in a politicized, fast-moving arena.

Informed by interviews with two-dozen experts, this report explores how trustees are trying to steer their institutions toward success. This critical resource offers strategic insight, legal clarity, and practical guidance for boards navigating tumultuous times.

Readers of this report will:

• How trustees can carry out their duties effectively amid the current turmoil.
• Guiding principles to help boards execute their duties nimbly and wisely.
• How expertise matters more than philanthropic potential when scouting and recruiting trustees.
• Why diversity of all kinds remains paramount for the makeup of colleges’ boards.

Date: October 2025
Pages: 38
Digital file size:  7.26 MB

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