CCU President Michael T. Benson appointed to AGB Council of Presidents
“To serve on this council is a great reflection of CCU,” said Benson. “I’m very pleased to join the presidents of Furman University and Spartanburg Methodist College, who are also a part of this group. The state of South Carolina is very well-represented, and I hope I can add something of value to my fellow presidents and to the AGB.”
The AGB Council of Presidents regularly convenes to discuss strategic priorities across higher education and includes representatives from a range of institutional types. This diversity affords the group a broad pool of experiences that help inform AGB about the obstacles and macro-level trends that governing boards face. In turn, AGB leverages its advisory groups to create tools and resources that benefit more than 2,000 institutions and 40,000 members.
“Our council members generously agree to lend their time and talent to advancing strategic governance across higher education,” said Henry Stoever, AGB president and CEO. “Alongside the AGB board of directors, AGB consultants, and other board governance experts, the AGB Council of Presidents ensures that boards across the country are receiving leading and practical guidance on salient topics throughout the year. These council members help to ensure that we are aware of not only what’s going on at that moment but also what they need to know from AGB to lead with confidence and knowledge in the boardroom. It’s a crucial partnership, and I appreciate their hard work.”
Benson became the third president of CCU on Jan. 1, 2021. He also holds the title of professor of history at the University. This fall, Benson will teach a graduate seminar on World War I. In Spring 2022, he taught an upper-level course: History of the American University.
Prior to joining CCU, Benson served as president of Eastern Kentucky University, Southern Utah University, and Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.
His scholarly work has focused on the development of the research university and its impact on society. Benson’s latest book, Daniel Coit Gilman and the Birth of the American Research University, was released by Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Press in October 2022. He also is the author of Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel and the coauthor of College for the Commonwealth: A Case for Higher Education in American Democracy.
Benson graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science and double minors in English and history from Brigham Young University in 1990. He completed his doctorate in modern history from the University of Oxford (St. Antony’s College) in 1995. He also earned a master’s degree cum laude in nonprofit administration in 2011 from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business, where he was the recipient of the prestigious Father Theodore Hesburgh Founder’s Award. In August 2021, Benson completed a Master of Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University.