Governance with a Purpose. Decisions with Vision.

For higher education,

and for us all

Governance with a Purpose.

Decisions with Vision.

For higher education,

and for us all

Our goal is to assist Boards with strategically keeping institutional missions at the center of university governance.

CSIG offers these resources to assist Boards:

Icon for Strategic & Inclusive Governance Resource Hub

Strategic & Inclusive Governance Resource Hub

The hub offers a collection of practical tools and resources—including explainers, current topic newsletters, model board resolutions, sample meeting agendas, policy templates, training materials, and strategies for high-impact decision-making—to support effective and mission-driven governance.

Rapid-Response Toolkit

The Toolkit is designed to help guide Boards through contentious social and political moments in ways that safeguard student success and fulfill the mission

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Board Governance for Equitable Student Success Curriculum

Informed by brainstorming sessions with trustees and senior leaders, this curriculum offers effective ways to navigate governance challenges and opportunities influenced by the changing educational landscape

Find Your Path Forward

A screen with multiple explainer text boxes pointing to specific spots.

New to governance?

Start with our Governance Explainers

Tools in a toolbox

Facing a challenge?

Check our Rapid-Response Toolkit

A chess piece

Planning ahead?

Explore our Strategic Resource Hub

Find Your Path Forward

A screen with multiple explainer text boxes pointing to specific spots.

New to governance?

Start with our Governance Explainers

Tools in a toolbox

Facing a challenge?

Check our Rapid-Response Toolkit

A chess piece

Planning ahead?

Explore our Strategic Resource Hub

The Center for Strategic and Inclusive Governance (CSIG) advances conversations that inspire mission-centric university governance, for us all.

We create content grounded in research and practice, curate usable resources, and foster collaborative relationships and proactive dialogue to nurture more intentionality in the boardrooms where pivotal decisions are made.

For the long-term benefit of higher education, we believe that developing timely, relevant, and innovative resources to inform governance is the way forward.

We’re here to open doors and advance the conversation…
for higher education, and for us all.

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Strategic and inclusive governance means boards that make better decisions by focusing on mission and including more voices.

Check Out What’s New From CSIG

September 2025

Academic Freedom on the Line: Governing Boards Edition

AAUP Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom, Academic Freedom on the Line Podcast
CSIG Directors Raquel Rall and Demetri Morgan join AAUP’s podcast to explain how boards operate, what “advisory role” really means, and how trustees can build meaningful communication with faculty and communities.
Listen Time — 35 min

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Image of a balance on a table in front of a conference room.
CSIG Inaugural Collection - August 2025

Board and General Counsel Collaboration for Mission-Centered Governance

Balance legal counsel and board authority effectively. Practical guidance for trustee-counsel relationships that strengthen governance.
Read Time — 10 min

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Large college library with two columns of study tables on either side of a walkway.
CSIG Inaugural Collection - August 2025

Explainer: Safeguarding Academic Freedom in Board Decisions

When faculty and policy collide, boards hold the line. Practical strategies to defend academic freedom without losing institutional focus.
Read Time — 10 min

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After a decade of governance research, we know what separates good boards from great ones: the quality of questions they ask.

CSIG provides open-access, research-backed resources for anyone working to strengthen university governance—whether you serve on boards, support them, or help co-create better governance practices.