Alexandria, Va., Feb. 4, 2026 —  In alignment with the Core Foundation System, a 501c3 Public Charity, the Alliance for Board eXcellence (ABX) today announced its launch of a new, member-driven organization dedicated to strengthening college and university board governance at a moment of unprecedented change in higher education.

A study by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) illustrates governance capacity as a determining factor in institutional resilience. As institutions face mounting pressures, including enrollment volatility, structural deficits, consolidation, and evolving workforce demands, the goal of ABX is to support presidents and equip governing boards to make more timely, better-informed, and more strategic decisions during periods of transformation.

“Higher education is confronting structural challenges that have fundamentally changed the decisions governing boards are being asked to make – decisions that now determine institutional survival, using governance models never designed for this level of complexity,” said Kamalika Sandell, CEO of Core Education. “ABX exists to help presidents and trustees govern transformation with shared decision logic, grounded in real data, and aligned to the scale and consequences of the moment, without losing rigor, discipline, or mission.”

ABX is designed to support presidents and governing boards as active partners in institutional transformation. Through three integrated program offerings — ABX Financial, ABX Studio, and ABX 360 — the institution creates a shared governance environment where fiduciary oversight, strategic direction, and execution realities are examined together. ABX provides boards with practical tools, shared frameworks, and structured engagement that enable trustees and institutional leaders to align around priorities, test assumptions, and make consequential decisions with clarity and discipline during periods of change.

“The systemic issues facing higher education require administration and management to operate from a new playbook to address the complexities of the market, structural deficits, and changing student and technology demands,” said Rick Beyer, chairman of Core Education. “The same principle applies to the board of trustees, and a new playbook for board governance is required.”

ABX Institutional Membership and Cost

Membership is open to all non-profit higher education institutions. For the first 100 institutions with fewer than 7,500 students, the annual membership cost of $10,000 is paid by the Core Foundation System. ABX organization costs are offset by charitable contributions made to Core Foundation System, a 501c3 public charity. Throughout 2026, ABX will host a series of research briefings, webinars, and convenings for presidents and board leaders. ABX will also host an introductory webinar on Feb. 25 at 12:30 p.m. ET. 

About Core Education PBC

Core Education is a Public Benefit Corporation with a vision to transform the business model of higher education. Our work is comprehensive. We create a culture of prosperity by being a mission-critical strategic partner, providing institutions with the necessary resources to achieve their future state as an organization.  Core leverages its economies of scale to achieve operational effectiveness, technology efficiency, market expansion, and successful capital strategies. We accomplish this through a comprehensive set of supporting services.