THE FUTURE
ISN'T THE RISK. GOVERNANCE IS.

Presidents are being asked to transform their business model—but are boards still governing in a different era?

Core ABX supports presidents and boards align, decide, and lead transformation—together.

THE GOVERNANCE MODEL IS OUTDATED

Higher education is facing structural change in real time.

• Consumer confidence at an all-time low

• Financial pressure is accelerating

• Enrollment is unpredictable

• Acceleration of college closures

• Operating models that no longer work

• AI and market forces are reshaping expectations

And governance needs to catch up.

BOARDS ARE STILL:

• Focused on oversight, not strategic governance

• Do not fully understand their financial challenges

• Comfortable with incremental change

• Lacking a sense of urgency

• Do not fully understand on how to support the president

SO TRANSFORMATION STALLS. OR NEVER STARTS.

Institutions won’t fail because of a lack of opportunities. They’ll fail because governance could not act on them.

WHAT'S REQUIRED NOW:

• Ambition that is greater than the need

• Innovation, technology and market alignment

• A shift from protecting the past to building the future

• Clear alignment with the president

• Governance at the speed of the market

IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, STANDING STILL
IS THE BIG RISK.

The Alliance for Board Excellence (ABX) is a member-driven community for presidents and governing boards navigating real change.

Our focus:

Supporting presidents, and making governance work when the stakes are high

A GOVERNANCE MODEL BUILT FOR SUCCESS.

WE TURN BOARDS INTO STRATEGIC PARTNERS

ABX gives presidents and boards what they don't have today.

VALUE PROPOSITIONS

A CLEAR PLAYBOOK

How governance works in transformation and future prosperity

REAL ALIGNMENT

So boards actively support—not hinder—presidential leadership

STRUCTURED SUPPORT

Sessions, insights, and a peer community facing the same challenges

DEEPER ENGAGEMENT WHEN NEEDED

Governance assessments, financial strategy, and facilitated work

THIS MOMENT REQUIRES A DIFFERENT KIND
OF GOVERNANCE.

ABX HELPS PRESIDENTS AND BOARDS LEAD WHAT COMES NEXT—TOGETHER.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

ABX INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP AND COST

Membership is open to all non-profit higher education institutions. For the first 100 institutions with fewer than 7,500 students, the annual membership cost of $10,000 is paid by the Core Foundation System. ABX organization costs are offset by charitable contributions made to Core Foundation System, a 501c3 public charity.

ABX MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

• Two passes to attend the ABX Annual Governance Conference

• Access to ABX knowledge-bank on financial resiliency, a new playbook for governance effectiveness, and supporting the president

• The world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and effective governance is becoming an AI-enabled institution

• Resources for the presidents, managing board responsibilities, and effective interaction with board members and committees

• Board plenary sessions (Two – one-hour sessions)

• Quarterly updates on best practice governance

ADDITIONAL ABX OFFERINGS

ABX Financial

Workshops for boards to become aware and fully understand their institution’s quality of earnings, alternative paths to prosperity, capital strategy requirements, artificial intelligence (AI) readiness and new financial metrics to address structural deficits and prosperity.

ABX Studio

A fast-paced governance lab. An evolving institute of knowledge for trustees, presidents, and provosts and other key constituents (as appropriate) focused on: governance readiness, strategic pathways for prosperity, capital strategies. This includes the ABX Governance Playbook, highlighting education on Structural Deficits and becoming an AI-enabled institution and key strategic elements of how the board can effectively support the president and provost and operate at the pace of the market.

ABX 360°

Internal review of governance effectiveness, certified board and executive coaching, confidential presidential engagement to achieve a more strategic board, executive compensation reviews, optimized committee structures, understanding fiduciary blind spots, current trends, and board readiness.