[4] AGB is located in Washington, D.C.[4] According to Gale Business Insights, the organization, "addresses the problems and responsibilities of trusteeship in all sectors of higher education and the relationships of trustees and regents to the president, the faculty, and the student body.
This award was named for John W. Nason, who was president of Swarthmore College during World War II and chair of the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council.
[17] In 2020, AGB launched its Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (JDE&I) Initiative, recognizing the urgency for governing boards to examine and address systemic barriers in their own work, at all levels of the institution, and beyond the borders of the campus.
[19] The association also published the Principles of Trusteeship,[20] and Policies, Practices, and Composition of Governing Boards of Colleges, Universities, and Institutionally Related Foundations, a report that builds on data that AGB has gathered since 1969.
[22] The council plans to develop policy recommendations to advance higher education as a critical component of the United States’ ability to stay globally competitive.
[24] AGB provides leadership, counsel, and training resources for board members, organizational staff, policy makers, and others involved in the running of colleges and universities.
[25] These resources aim to help members in the areas of fiduciary duties,[26] governance,[26] orientation and onboarding,[27] student success,[28] and conflicts of interest.
[26] AGB developed self-paced orientation courses that cover subjects such as governance, fiduciary responsibilities, and board composition and culture.
[30][31] This includes symposiums, workshops, shadowing a sitting university president or chancellor, and attending the AGB National Conference on Trusteeship.
[35] In the joint publication Collaborative Leadership for Higher Education Business Model Vitality from AGB, NACUBO, Baker Tilly, and the Council of Independent Colleges, primary author Stephen T. Golding outlines how institutional leadership can define expectations, clarify business goals and objectives, and prioritize the steps to position the institution to address challenging economic conditions.
[37] Foundations traditionally help to finance special projects and initiatives; however, their role has shifted and now also includes working as a philanthropic and entrepreneurial partner to support their school's basic business and operating model.
[39] Foundations traditionally help to finance special projects and initiatives; however, their role has shifted and now also includes working as a philanthropic and entrepreneurial partner to support their school's basic business and operating model.
[42][43] AGB called on boards to take an active role in student success, paying special attention to issues of equity, inclusion, and belonging.