Public Universities Need Rigorous Oversight by Trustees

By Candace de Russy

"Activist" trustees of public colleges and universities -- somtimes chastised for"meddling" or"snooping" by their critics -- recently have caused a considerable stir in several states. I confess to being one of these trustees and have even gone so far as to snoop in campus course catalogues! Moreover, I am pleased to be counted among the activists. Many trustees have ceded too much of their statutory authority for overseeing public higher education to campus presidents and faculty