Customer Stories
University of Louisiana System
Discover how one Louisiana higher education system transformed board operations across nine institutions with AGB OnBoard.
Customer Stories
Discover how one Louisiana higher education system transformed board operations across nine institutions with AGB OnBoard.
Industry: Higher education
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Board Management Goals
Results
OnBoard Capabilities Utilized
The University of Louisiana System is one of the nation’s largest higher education systems, encompassing nine institutions that collectively serve 83,000 students and graduate 16,000 each year. Its impact extends beyond education: One in 16 Louisiana jobs is fueled by the system.
Though each institution has a distinct role, scope, and mission, all fall under the oversight of a 16-member board, 15 appointed by the governor and one elected student including one student representative. The board meets every other month to review a wide range of issues, from academic programs to personnel items to system-wide initiatives, and make decisions that move the institutions closer to their mission.
Managing oversight across nine institutions is no small feat. “As you can imagine, we have so many materials that come from those nine institutions,” explained Dr. Claire Norris, Senior Vice President for Advancement, Research, and Strategy at the University of Louisiana System.
The board relies on timely, well-organized information to make informed decisions. Yet, the system’s lean staff often struggled to deliver materials efficiently and provide the level of support the board needed to be engaged and impactful.
See Claire’s comments about the University of Louisiana System’s experience with OnBoard below.
For years, board operations at the University of Louisiana System were managed manually. Staff relied on shared drives and email to prepare for bi-monthly board meetings, and while the process seemed tedious at times, it felt like it was working. They met deadlines and shared materials, and the team believed it was adequately supporting the board.
The perception shifted as part of the system’s strategic planning process. “In that process, you learn a lot about yourself,” Claire says.
As part of the strategic planning process, the team surveyed board members and presidents to gauge how well the board was operating. The feedback was eye-opening. Directors reported low levels of communication, felt they weren’t receiving materials early enough to prepare, and expressed frustration with fragmented systems that left them unsure whether they had the most current information.
“We thought we had it going on,” Claire says. “We had no idea of the stress they were experiencing with every board meeting.”
The feedback made clear that continuing with manual fragmented processes was unsustainable. For a board tasked with overseeing nine universities and making decisions that impact 83,000 students, that lack of clarity and trust was standing in the way of truly effective governance.
The survey results served as a wakeup call, pushing leadership to re-examine how the board operated. With a lean staff, efficiency was critical. The team needed a solution that would simplify processes, improve communication, and give directors a clear, consistent place to access the most current information.
Some key requirements quickly became apparent. For starters, the platform had to be intuitive – easy for a diverse board of varying backgrounds and levels of comfort with technology. “We wanted to be mindful that no matter your background, technology does not become a barrier,” Claire says.
It also had to serve as a single source of truth, ensuring everyone accessed the same up-to-date version of materials with just a few clicks. Finally, robust training and support were essential to increase adoption and build confidence among staff and board members.
The team had tried using a shared drive, but without version control or clear workflows, documents were scattered and difficult to manage. Security was another concern, as sensitive personnel and system matters required strong permissions and data protection.
A referral from another Louisiana system led them to AGB OnBoard. The platform checked all the boxes: intuitive design, robust training resources, and the ability to set permissions and safeguard sensitive information. “[AGB OnBoard was] able to address our concerns, and that made the decision pretty simple,” Claire says.
After the decision was made, the next order of business was rolling out the platform and bringing staff and board members into a new way of working. Change management and gaining buy-in was top of mind. As Claire puts it, “We’re not just bringing on new initiatives for the sake of it. This had to be a platform that made us better. If it wasn’t going to do that, our staff would’ve checked me on it.”
Implementation began by introducing AGB OnBoard to the staff members who were most closely connected to preparing board materials and supporting directors, including committee leads. Next came a staff-wide meeting to introduce the platform, followed by a soft launch designed to identify issues and address questions before going live.
“The platform actually shed light that we had some process deficiencies that we needed to address,” Claire says. “No one’s fault … just something we needed to do as a system. That’s what that soft launch playground space did for us.”
The deliberate approach to change paid off. Staff quickly grew comfortable with the platform thanks to training sessions with AGB OnBoard’s team, and by the time the board began using it, the transition felt seamless.
“[The team at AGB OnBoard] was awesome. You were patient, you understood the change management piece, and that was greatly appreciated,” Claire says.
— Claire Norris, Senior Vice President for Advancement, Research, and Strategy, University of Louisiana System
The shift to AGB OnBoard coincided with onboarding new directors, which felt like a lot to navigate at once. However, adoption was smooth. As one new board member shared, “I jumped right in and was able to access all the materials.”
AGB OnBoard boosted directors’ confidence. They no longer had to wonder if they had the right email or the latest version of a document. Everything was available in one place.
Beyond convenience, the platform has also helped build trust. By giving board members direct, transparent access to timely information, staff reduced confusion and strengthened accountability. “We believed we had been transparent,” Claire says. “But we weren’t quite hitting the mark. AGB OnBoard gave our board confidence that they had access to the right information at the right time.”
In addition to preparing for board meetings, the team at the University of Louisiana System also leverages several features to transform the way they work.
These features extend AGB OnBoard’s value well beyond board meetings. “We’re using it for surveys. We’re using it for board orientation. We’re using it to assign tasks to our board members when we need things to get done. All this stuff is now in AGB OnBoard,” Claire says.
The shift to AGB OnBoard delivered immediate, visible results. What had once been a fragmented, manual process became streamlined and transparent. Board members knew exactly where to go for information, and staff could deliver materials and ensure directors were accessing the most current version.
AGB OnBoard also introduced a new level of accountability. Engagement analytics now show who has logged in, how often, and when. Staff can send reminders ahead of deadlines or upcoming meetings, ensuring directors show up prepared and ready to engage in meaningful discussions.
“Before, we had no idea if they were reading the material or not,” Claire says. “Now, we can see engagement, send nudges, and provide support if someone falls behind.”
The platform also elevated the public perception of board operations. By publishing materials online in a clean, professional format, the system signaled a clear commitment to transparency. “When that link came out and we put it on our website, everyone knew we made a change for the better,” Claire says.
Most importantly, AGB OnBoard strengthened the relationship between staff and directors. With access to timely, well-organized information, the board can spend less time chasing documents and more time making decisions that impact 83,000 students.
“I feel like it was pretty darn flawless,” Claire says. “At this point for us, we’re just kind of full steam ahead. Everything we do that touches the board now lives in AGB OnBoard, and that’s how we know we’re moving in the right direction.”
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