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HomeAdministrationFormer Gov. Phil Bredesen Leads Conversation on Higher Education Governing Boards at...

Former Gov. Phil Bredesen Leads Conversation on Higher Education Governing Boards at Belmont

Numerous Tennessee education leaders speak during morning forum

agb-103The Association of Governing Boards’ (AGB) National Commission on College and University Board Governance hosted a public forum on Tuesday, March 25 in the Inman Center’s Frist Lecture Hall. Commission Chair and former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and  AGB President Rick Legon joined members of the commission and invited Tennessee-based education leaders in a roundtable discussion on the issues and challenges facing higher education in the U.S. today.

Belmont President Bob Fisher and former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen participated on Tuesday's panel.
Belmont President Bob Fisher and former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen participated on Tuesday’s panel.

Belmont President Bob Fisher, Fisk President H. James Williams, University of Tennessee Trustee Vicky Gregg, Vanderbilt Trustee Denny Bottorff, Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan and Vanderbilt Associate Professor of Higher Education and Public Policy Coordinator Will Doyle participated in the three-hour conversation. Topics discussed included:

* The future of shared governance (among boards, faculty, and presidents) and how it might be reformed to better address the challenges facing institutions
* Private, nonprofit and public institutions’ responsibility in demonstrating value
* Board roles in accommodating Federal and state governments’ involvement in institutional policy
* Ways  college and university boards can meet expectations for increased oversight and accountability without crossing the line into institutional administration and day-to-day operations

The 28-member commission was formed in 2013 to develop recommendations to strengthen college and university board governance and meet future needs for higher education. The commission will release recommendations in September, 2014.

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