ABS MEMBERSHIP
The current number of ABS member schools.
What is 30?
If board approval is not required, an item on the board’s agenda will be there for this purpose.
What is notification? (or What is consultation?)
During COVID, board meetings were held remotely, often using this popular videoconferencing software.
What is Zoom?
The title of the person who typically runs/moderates full board meetings.
Who is the board chair?
This type of trustee has previously been an active/term trustee but now serves in a non-active role.
What is emeritus? - or - What is life?
If July in Atlanta is not your ideal climate, plan a summer trip to New Hampshire, where you’ll find an average July high temperature of 83 degrees as well as this ABS member institution.
What is Dartmouth College?
These rules are a standard for facilitating discussions and group decision-making.
What are Robert’s Rules (of Order)?
In addition to the trustees and the president, most universities have additional participants from this category who regularly attend full board meetings.
Who are administrators?
Common meeting style, post-COVID, when remote meetings via Zoom are no longer necessary and not everyone attends in person.
What is hybrid?
At some ABS institutions, potential nominees are reviewed and/or approved for election to the board by this board committee.
What is the governance committee?
One of the institutions that started ABS.
What is Johns Hopkins or What is Case Western?
Many universities have this governing document, which typically includes specifics related to trustees, board meetings, and officers.
What are bylaws?
This may be a separate, special meeting or a “meeting within a meeting” that provides an opportunity for board members and any invited guests to convene privately.
What is the executive session?
Not including special meetings, the largest number of full board meetings per year held by any ABS member school.
What is 11?
(University of Michigan, 2023 ABS Benchmarking Survey)
Some ABS institutions have these, which restrict how long a person may serve as trustee.
What are term limits?
This state has the most ABS member schools.
What is New York? – 5 - Barnard, Columbia, Cornell, Syracuse, Rochester
2nd – Massachusetts - 4 - Boston University, Harvard, MIT, Tufts
In addition to establishing policy and approving recommendations related to university activities, university boards also lead and/or play a significant role in this leadership transition for the institution.
What is a presidential search?
Attendance at committee and full board meetings is recorded with additional information and action taken at the meetings in this record.
What are the minutes?
Not including special meetings, the fewest number of full board meetings per year held by any ABS member school.
What is 2?
(Syracuse University, 2023 ABS Benchmarking Survey)
The ABS member institution with the largest number of voting trustees.
(per the 2023 ABS benchmarking survey)
What is Cornell University? (64)
While not yet known as ABS, the first board secretaries meeting was held at Johns Hopkins University during this year.
What is 1986?
An academic degree for which a university has waived the typical requirements; at some institutions the board is involved in approving these degrees.
What is an honorary degree?
The term for the minimum number of trustees that must be present at a meeting to make the proceedings of that meeting valid.
What is a quorum?
This person attends board meetings specifically for the purpose of taking meeting minutes.
Who is the scribe?
Name one of the two ABS member schools with a greater percentage of female voting trustees than that of male trustees.
What is Dartmouth College?
– OR –
What is Princeton University?