By Holden Thorp and Buck Goldstein We are honored to help introduce an ambitious series of articles on university governance and hopefully begin an important conversation that directly impacts the future of higher education in the United States. Over the last decade, we have been intimately involved in the subject as both authors and practitioners,… READ MORE
Principles for reform of governing boards
By Holden Thorp and Buck Goldstein Culture is always more important than structure. You can organize, rearrange, and re-engineer indefinitely, but if the underlying culture of an institution is inconsistent with its mission and aspirations, it will ultimately be dysfunctional. This is true for the internal workings of any college or university, but it is… READ MORE
Principles of reform for university leaders
By Holden Thorp and Buck Goldstein The previous five principles are largely directed at university trustees, and the following are intended for consideration by campus leaders. Prioritize Board Education: Teaching a governing board the details of how higher education operates is real work. It’s no different than teaching general chemistry or a foreign language. If… READ MORE
Paul Fulton: A discussion of UNC System governance
By PAUL FULTON Our universities have set this state apart. If we don’t pay attention to our universities’ future, then we’re not paying attention to our state’s future. They are one and the same. Today, our universities tell a complicated story with world-class highs, but also headline-dominating lows. In recent years, the turmoil has risen… READ MORE
History of UNC governance: ‘Lot of cooks in the kitchen’
By D.G. MARTIN Former UNC System President Margaret Spellings spoke for many North Carolinians concerned about the state’s public multi-campus university when she questioned, “You know, are we organized for success? “So we’ve got a Board of Trustees and a chancellor (on each campus), and a President and a Board of Governors (for the System),… READ MORE
UNC Presidential Search: Independence, integrity, stature
EDITOR’S NOTE: A delegation of Higher Ed Works board members met last week with Randy Ramsey, Chair of the UNC System Board of Governors and Co-Chair of the Board’s Presidential Search Committee; and Kim Strach, Executive Director of the Presidential Search, to discuss the search process. The following letter summarizes the group’s major points. December… READ MORE
Who would apply?
ELIZABETH CITY – Randy Ramsey is just settling in as Chair of the UNC Board of Governors. But he deserves credit for wanting to rein in at least one rogue board member for launching personal investigations outside the board’s processes. Ramsey is also co-chair of the committee overseeing the search for yet another UNC System… READ MORE
BOG/BOT appointments: More of the same
RALEIGH – More of the same. That’s what this year’s appointments to both the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and campus Boards of Trustees appear to have given us. After a week of turmoil and tension over relations between the Board of Governors’ chairman and resigning East Carolina University Chancellor Cecil Staton,1 state… READ MORE
UNC is at a crossroads
EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week, a group of North Carolina business, civic, philanthropic and education leaders posted an open letter to those who govern the University of North Carolina System seeking reform of University governance. We reprint their letter here. To those who govern the University of North Carolina: The University of North Carolina is at… READ MORE
Making it Work with UNC’s Board
By Mary Sue Coleman, PhD President, Association of American Universities As a proud alumna of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), I have watched with dismay as the UNC Board of Governors (BOG) has plunged one of the world’s most respected institutions of higher learning into a crisis. This is the institution… READ MORE