Trustees find themselves in the middle of an ongoing battle over accountability and autonomy. Government officials accuse the academy of being more interested in autonomy than accountability--more interested in demanding financial support than in serving public priorities. Business leaders question the responsiveness of colleges and universities to market forces in a changing economy. Beleaguered presidents and chancellors accuse accountability advocates of being two-faced for demanding more services while supplying less support. All sides in these battles look to trustees for backing, and trustees are certainly best positioned to ensure that colleges and universities respond to each of these imperatives without being subservient to any one of them. This article highlights some of the strategies trustees can use to help balance pressures from all corners of the accountability triangle.