When Do Trustees Matter?

• In Event: Shifting Roles of Board of Trustees

Abstract

Although trustees are widely studied, little attention has been paid to the ways in which trustees shape university operations. We conceptualize trustees as important actors who stabilize universities by forging connections to other fields. Regression analyses of the boards of AAU members from 1985-2015 confirm and refine this conceptualization.

Authors

• Barrett Taylor, University of North Texas

• Sondra N. Barringer, Southern Methodist University

• Sheila Slaughter, University of Georgia