WASHINGTON, D.C. – BIG EAST Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman is among the distinguished members named to the Association of Governing Boards (AGB) newly announced Standing Panel on Board Oversight of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Panel is chaired by John T. Casteen, III, President Emeritus of the University of Virginia, and includes an array of veteran leaders in the fields of higher education and intercollegiate athletics governance.
The AGB Standing Panel will be charged with sharpening the focus of governing boards—in conjunction with institutional leadership—on diligent and effective fiduciary oversight of athletic programs and on the welfare of student athletes. Members of the panel will convene periodically to review current issues, trends, and challenges facing intercollegiate athletics and the academic enterprise, as well as judicial, legislative, and regulatory actions concerning student athletes and institutional responsibility for athletics programs.
Ackerman is one of 14 panel members along with John T. Casteeen, III, President Emeritus of the University of Virginia; Kendrick F. Ashton, member of the College of William & Mary Board of Visitors; Gene D. Block, Chancellor of University of California Los Angeles; Carol A. Cartwright, President Emerita of Kent State University; Thomas J. Haas, President of Grand Valley State University; Joanne R. Harrell, member of the University of Washington Board of Regents; Richard D. Legon, AGB President and Spelman College Board of Trustees member; Keith E. Mass, Chair of the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees; James J. Phillips, Vice President for Athletics and Recreation and Athletic Director at Northwestern University; Thomas W. Ross, Sr., President Emeritus of University of North Carolina; Verne O. Sedlacek, member of the Valapraiso University Board of Directors and AGB Board of Directors; Lou Anna Simon, President of Michigan State University; and John D. Walda, President of the National Association of College and University Offices, Stetson University Board of Trustees member, and Vice Chair of Carroll College Board of Trustees.
The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) is the premier organization centered on governance in higher education. AGB provides leadership and counsel to member boards, chief executives, organizational staff, policy makers, and other key industry leaders to help them navigate the changing education landscape. For more than 25 years, AGB has provided guidance on board oversight of intercollegiate athletics.