The sixth installment of the Academic Leadership Institute’s webinar series featured Jennifer Hobbs moderating a conversation with panelists Ben Vinson, David Rowe, and Lamar Richards.
The webinar, held Wednesday, April 16, 2025, discussed the crucial elements of effective relationships between boards of trustees, university administrations, and campus communities in today’s challenging higher education landscape.
Opening remarks from Jennifer Hobbs, Senior Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and University Initiatives at The New School and ALI alumna, introduced the topic and the mission of the Academic Leadership Institute, which aims to increase the representation of rising leaders prepared to take on today’s challenges with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Questions from moderator Hobbs ranged across topics including: building trust with boards, defining the role of student trustees, the evolution of board responsibilities amid financial pressures, balancing board oversight with institutional autonomy, and strategies for diversifying board membership. All discussions revolved around a central question: how can university leaders and boards work effectively together to navigate complex challenges while maintaining institutional values?
Panelist Ben Vinson, President of Howard University, emphasized trust as the foundation for effective board relationships, introducing his “PACT” framework—Preparation, Anticipation, Communication, and Translation. “Without this anchor of trust, board support can slip and university leadership can begin to falter,” noted Vinson. He stressed the importance of having clearly defined roles and responsibilities, with various constituencies understanding their respective “lanes” in university governance.
Panelist David Rowe, President of Windermere Consulting, highlighted his “three C’s” of effective board relations: Consistency, Clarity, and Communication. Rowe observed how boards have evolved from primarily serving as cheerleaders to taking more fiduciary responsibility: “Boards are beginning to understand that they have to be stewards of the mission of the institution as well to help see it through different times.” On board diversity, Rowe cautioned that “boards are typically a lagging indicator of the diversity of the institution” and urged leaders to make board diversity “a leading indicator” of where the institution wants to go.
Panelist Lamar Richards, former student trustee at UNC Chapel Hill, shared insights from his unique perspective, noting that “a successful student trustee in many ways will be one of your loudest and most persistent advocates.” Richards emphasized the importance of thorough onboarding for trustees and bringing student perspectives to governance conversations. When discussing uncertain times, Richards advised, “Don’t blink… If institutions of higher education can’t be resilience hubs, can’t be places where we foster resilience to these moments, then we’re failing as a construct.”
Hear more from out panelists and learn from this riveting webinar by watching the full recording, now available on the U-M Center for Social Solutions’ YouTube channel:
