About CSIG
CSIG aims to equip boards with the knowledge and tools to prioritize institutional mission in governance decisions, despite political and societal challenges.
CSIG supports boards in advancing innovative practices within their institutions and aligning strategic decision-making while acknowledging diverse campus perspectives through the development of function-specific and action-planning tools.
Trustee boards are uniquely positioned to drive change by highlighting issues impacting institutional missions, holding institutions accountable for progress, and contributing resources and insight.
Our Mission
CSIG inspires mission-centric institutional governance by providing timely, relevant, and innovative resources to inform the decision-making practices of higher education boards.
Our Vision
To be the leading catalyst for transformative and inclusive governance in higher education, empowering boards to strategically champion institutional mission and foster inclusive environments for the benefit of all.
Our Purpose
CSIG aims to equip boards with the knowledge and resources needed to govern strategically and inclusively, ensuring universities remain true to their core purposes in a complex and evolving society.
History of CSIG
The Center for Strategic and Inclusive Governance (CSIG) emerged from a a persistent observation of the gaps at the nexus of higher education governance and the urgent pursuit of equity.
Meet Our Directors
Our directors bring decades of experience in consulting with higher education boards, collaborating with leading higher education partners, and researching higher education governance.
Raquel M. Rall, PhD
University of California, Riverside
Raquel M. Rall, PhD (she/her) is an associate professor and associate dean of strategic initiatives in the School of Education at the University of California, Riverside. Before her appointment at UCR, she was a UC Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow and Assistant Research Professor at the University of Southern California (USC). She has a Ph.D. in urban education policy from USC and degrees in Human Biology and African and African American Studies from Stanford. Her research centers postsecondary leadership and governance. Of particular interest to Rall is research that helps further illuminate the centrality of postsecondary decision-making impacts higher education for students, staff, and faculty. Rall is a national expert whose work on decision-making and equity is advancing higher education in novel ways. At UCR, she teaches courses like Critical Issues in Higher Education, Higher Education Governance, and Educational Leadership.
Demetri L. Morgan, PhD
University of Michigan
Demetri L. Morgan, PhD (he/him), is an associate professor of education at the University of Michigan’s Marsal Family School of Education in the Center for the Study of Postsecondary and Higher Education and an affiliate faculty member in Organizational Studies. Dr. Morgan’s research focuses on the critical role that higher education institutions play in fostering a diverse democracy. He aims to highlight, in an anti-deficit manner, how individuals navigate, resist, and transform socio-political systems, policies, and organizational cultures. His primary research areas include: (a) the impact of student political engagement and activism on institutional change, (b) the influence of culturally sustaining governance on institutional transformation, and (c) the development of more sustainable organizational approaches to STEM education.
Our Project Team
Our project team supports CSIG’s mission and vision by bringing a wealth of expertise, experience, and diverse perspectives that contribute to the development of innovative resources and impactful tools.
Valeria Dominguez, PhD
Project Specialist
What is strategic and inclusive governance? representational and proactive decision-making. Governing boards that reflect their stakeholders can anticipate and address their communities’ unique strengths and challenges, better equipping them to cultivate thriving institutional environments.
Jolande Morgan, JD, PhD
Project Specialist
What is strategic and inclusive governance? visionary leadership that embraces the voices and experiences of diverse stakeholders. It prioritizes big-picture thinking and forward-focused decision-making, aligning actions with long-term goals and the dynamic needs of the community. By integrating strategic direction with inclusive engagement, this approach fosters innovative and sustainable outcomes.
Nia D. Hall, M.A.Ed.
PhD Student
What is strategic and inclusive governance? a commitment to dismantling structural inequities through intentional, justice-centered decision-making. It requires boards to not only include marginalized voices, but to actively reshape institutional logics and policies in ways that disrupt harm and cultivate transformative possibilities.
Vivian M. Nguyen, M.A.
PhD Student
What is strategic and inclusive governance? continuously adapting to evolving campus demographics and stakeholder needs, establishing processes for informed and equity-driven policymaking, and upholding a commitment to both intellectual and dignitary safety to foster academic freedom and a healthy campus environment.
Delaney Rood, M.Ed.
PhD Student, University Enrichment Fellow
What is strategic and inclusive governance? that those who participate in governance (1) are selected for both traditional and historically undervalued forms of expertise; (2) embrace diversity of thought and experience (and view these as assets); (3) advocate for inclusivity for all stakeholders; and, (4) approach decision-making with equity-mindedness.
Brianna Hull-Dennis
M.A. Student
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Jo-Ana Rivera
M.A. Student
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Our Advisory Board
Our advisory board is intentionally curated to offer a diverse range of expertise and perspectives, comprising legal experts, former board members, and academic leaders.
Richard P. Chait
Senior Advisor
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Professor Emeritus of Higher Education
Felecia Commodore
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Associate Professor, Education Policy, Organization and Leadership,
Shauna Ryder Diggs
Regent Emerita, University of Michigan
Liliana Garces
University of Texas-Austin
Ken McIntyre Professor for Excellence in School Leadership
Yvette Gullatt
University of California System
Vice President for Graduate and Undergraduate Affairs, Vice Provost for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Chief Diversity Officer
Matthew Hartley
University of Pennsylvania
Professor of Education and Board of Advisors Chair
Trustee, Widener University
Trustee, Abai Kazakh National University in Kazakhstan
Adrianna Kezar
University of Southern California
Dean’s Professor of Leadership, Wilbur-Kieffer
Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Pullias Center for Higher Education
Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran
Senior Consultant & Senior Fellow, AGB
President Emerita Kalamazoo College
Jane Scaccetti
Trustee, Temple University and Temple University Health System
Former Chair of the Board of Directors of Mathematica Policy Research
Cynthia Shapira
Chair, PASSHE Board of Governors,
Trustee, Brandeis University
Chair, Pennsylvania Board of Higher Education
Our Partners
We understand that the work of higher education cannot be done in silos if we want to maximize opportunities.
We all have a role to play in ensuring the missions of our institutions are carried out and protected. Here are some of the organizations we have partnered with in some capacity to continue to spread the work of the importance of strategic and inclusive boards.
We appreciate their work and partnership to continue to advance higher education.
