Decision making processes of higher education governing boards

Governing boards of organizations have come under scrutiny in recent decades for financial problems, leadership scandals, and a variety of other uncomfortable reasons. Trustees might have prevented challenges and scandals if the appropriate board oversight were in place including the right board structures, practices, culture, governance, and communication processes. Colleges, and university boards in particular, operate in a unique space given their organizations' mission to educate the next generation of students, conduct groundbreaking research that promotes the development of new knowledge, and engage in civic activities among other endeavors. These organizations are held in high esteem because of the importance of their mission, despite reported poor decisions and scandals within the industry. Governing boards vary greatly in size, structure, culture, and effectiveness of operation. Their members make decisions about the direction of the institution, including changes in leadership, mission, purpose, or strategy. However, these decisions remain a mystery to most scholars and, certainly, to the general public who are the consumers of their educational services. With global disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of governing boards and their decision-making has become even more critical to institutions' long-term sustainability. This study utilized a qualitative multiple case study approach to examine how two different types of higher education governing boards (private and public) determine when to make decisions about significant changes within the organization. To develop an understanding of the operations of a governing board in relation to the change process and leadership change, in-depth interviews were conducted with governing board members from two different higher education institutions in the northeastern United States. The communication practices between the governing board and the president in particular were explored as a component of the decision-making process, in light of shifts in the educational landscape due to the pandemic. Through an analysis of governing boards' decision-making process, as well as their structure, culture, governance practices, performance, and relationship to the president of the organization, this study has identified factors that contribute to governing boards' decisions to make significant change.