Since the financial crisis of 2008, board agendas have been dominated by financial and enrollment concerns. Yet boards can also play a key role in addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion on campus.

U.S. colleges and universities have indeed increased faculty diversity over the past 20 years, but most gains have been off the tenure track.

As the American professoriate ages, it is increasingly important for colleges and universities to recruit more diverse candidates to fill faculty positions.