AGB Trusteeship Podcast

University endowments are starting to take sustainable investing seriously, not only because students are urging them to but also because ESG—environmental, social, and governance—investing is proving to be good investment practice. For endowments looking to get started, or to expand their sustainable practices, this podcast addresses new opportunities as well as potential challenges, particularly in the context of the current economic and political environment.

In this podcast, AGB's Executive Director of Philanthropic Governance David Bass speaks with Northern Trust Vice President, Director of ESG Sharee Hassan.

With more than 30 years of sustainable investment expertise, Northern Trust shares implications for the ESG landscape in 2023 and beyond.

Opinions expressed in AGB podcasts are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the organizations that employ them or of AGB.

University endowments are starting to take sustainable investing seriously, not only because students are urging them to but also because it’s proving to be good investment practice.

For endowments looking to get started, or to expand their sustainable practices, this podcast will address new opportunities as well as potential challenges, particularly in the context of the current economic and political environment.

In this podcast, AGB’s Executive Director of Philanthropic Governance David Bass speaks Sharee Hassan, Northern Trust's director of ESG.

Sharee leads the development of ESG investment capabilities within Northern Trust Wealth Management's Investment Practice.

With more than 30 years of sustainable investment expertise, Northern Trust will discuss implications for the ESG landscape in 2023 and beyond.

Growing political intrusion into higher education, insufficient preparedness to address demographic shifts impacting campus communities, and public skepticism regarding the value of higher education have the potential to weaken our colleges and universities and severely limit their ability to serve our country and its strategic interests if left unaddressed. In his Trusteeship article, "American Democracy Is in Jeopardy," AGB President and CEO Henry Stoever calls on higher education governing boards to provide strategic leadership to address the threats to American democracy and our country's economy.

In this podcast, Trusteeship magazine editor in chief Carol Schuler talks with Stoever and AGB Senior Fellow and Senior Consultant Ellen Chaffee about what board members can do to become more educated, informed, and inspired to discuss and address these issues.

By taking proactive and strategic approaches to their leased and owned real estate holdings, colleges and universities can generate the liquidity and occupancy-costs savings they need to support their ongoing business strategies. In this podcast, Helen Drinan, president emerita of Simmons University and current interim president of Cabrini College, A&G Real Estate Partners Co-president Emilio Amendola, and Cambridge College Provost Stephen Healey discuss practical approaches to real-estate portfolio optimization, and how boards can think strategically about their properties.

AGB recently released the second edition of Endowment Management for Higher Education. Since the first edition was published in 2017, the COVID-19 pandemic provided a quick stress test for endowments. In this podcast, AGB's Executive Director of Philanthropic Governance David Bass discusses with Nikki Kraus, coauthor of the publication and Chief Client Officer of Strategic Investment Group, and Horacio Valerias, Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Global Partners and a member of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, how the environment in which investment committees operate today is different from the prepandemic era and some of the most important lessons learned in recent years.

Institutionally related foundations are critical to the future success of colleges and universities. The most effective foundations foster relationships between the president and the foundation through the CEO and board chair based on trust, transparency, and open communication. In this podcast, Colorado State University President Joyce McConnell and George Mason University Foundation Board Chair Terri Beirne discuss with AGB Senior Fellow George Watt how alignment of goals and expectations has led to a strong partnership for each of their institutions.