AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella Leaves Coalition for the Common Good Board

Lynn Pasquerella, president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, has left her role as the Coalition for the Common Good's only independent director, Yahoo reported. Her departure leaves the CCG board with eight members, four chosen by Antioch University and four by Otterbein University.

Pasquerella's Exit and the Board's Balance

Pasquerella joined the coalition shortly after Antioch and Otterbein formed it in 2023. The two universities remain its only members. She confirmed to Higher Ed Dive that her term ended this fall.

Pasquerella first resigned on May 20, citing increasing scheduling demands, but agreed to stay on through her term, which ended September 30. Late last week, she wrote to CCG Board Chair Dan Gifford to confirm that her resignation was in effect and, if it was not, to offer formal notice of her immediate resignation.

The eight-member split could make the six-vote supermajority needed to confirm her replacement as the board's independent member difficult given tensions between the universities. Six-vote supermajorities are also required for some CCG board action items.

Antioch Board Chair Steve Crandall published an open letter to Pasquerella just before learning of her resignation, asking for her help in resolving the dispute between Antioch and the coalition. "Your independent position on the CCG Board gives you an opportunity to encourage a fresh look at the choices ahead and help both universities move toward a resolution," Crandall wrote.

Pasquerella said in a Wednesday email that she was no longer in a position to influence the CCG board since her term had concluded. "I continue to care deeply about Antioch and its educational mission," she said. "I sincerely hope the parties can find a constructive path forward that protects the university's interests, supports its students and employees, and allows Antioch to focus on its future."

Antioch's Governance Dispute With the Coalition

Litigation began in August after the CCG board voted to dissolve the Antioch Advisory Board of Governors, which oversees the university's operations alongside a standing committee of CCG board members elected by the Antioch board. Antioch President Lori Varlotta told Higher Ed Dive that Pasquerella was among the board members who voted for the dissolution.

Antioch leaders argued the vote violated the coalition's bylaws, which require major decisions about the university to be approved first by the Antioch standing committee on the CCG board. An Ohio state court ruled that Antioch's board lacked standing to sue, and a member of the standing committee refiled the lawsuit in September.

Last month, the court approved a preliminary injunction against CCG, ruling that it lacked authority to dissolve the university's board without standing committee approval and could not unilaterally fire Varlotta. The ruling allowed CCG to place Varlotta, who became Antioch president in fall 2025, on paid administrative leave. On Monday, the CCG board passed a resolution ratifying that leave, according to a copy provided by a board spokesperson.

Mediation and Lawsuit Precede the Resignation

A state court ordered Antioch and the coalition to mediation on September 16, 2026, and extended a restraining order blocking CCG from dissolving Antioch's board and taking control of its finances, Higher Ed Dive reported. Antioch, based in Yellow Springs, sued the coalition on September 8, 2026, seeking to block what its leadership called a hostile takeover of its governance, according to American City Business Journals.

The coalition said on July 23, 2026, that it was expanding its workforce-development model to more than 20 partners in healthcare, education, nonprofit, military and industry, EIN Presswire reported.