Shared governance has been a hallmark of higher education in the United States since the early twentieth century. Since its inception, faculty, administrators, trustees, and other interested parties have either bemoaned or celebrated the idea. We offer a variety of viewpoints that bring to light various ways to think of shared governance. The intent is to foment dialogue and debate about the shape of shared governance for the future. Our assumption is that many challenges are at academe's doorstep that may require significant changes. If those of us who work in colleges and university are not well organized to deal with those challenges, the solutions that we develop will be love's labors lost. Governance is the means to implementing ideas that either respond to problems or provide new strategies. If academic governance is ineffective, then it needs to be reformed. The shape of those reforms is what the authors of this volume consider. Chapters address the subject of shared governance from several perspectives, including partnerships between the state and higher education; disjointed governance in university centers and insitutes; a cultural perspective on communication and governance; and balancing governance structures with leadership and trust. Contributors also explore a conceptual framework of faculty trust and participation in governance. This is the 127th issue of the Jossey-Bass quarterly report series New Directions for Higher Education.

Today, institutional leaders face numerous struggles: intervention from boards of trustees, alumni, and state legislators; decline in financial support from the states; and competition in an increasingly global marketplace. While it is agreed that effective governance structures allow institutions to respond creatively to these challenges, how best to allocate control in order to maximize institutional efficiency, preserve academic freedom, and ensure institutional identity remains unclear. Increasingly, administrators look to non-academic institutions for governance and management strategies. In Competing Conceptions of Academic Governance, William G. Tierney brings together faculty members, administrators, and policy experts to discuss differing views of academic governance at institutional, state, and international levels. Topics include the effects of globalization and the prospect of international accreditation; balancing the entrepreneurial and philosophical goals of higher education; the interaction between state governments and public universities; and the conflicting interests and roles of boards of trustees, administrators, and faculty. Carefully weighing various models and strategies, Competing Conceptions of Academic Governance provides new ways of understanding and addressing the changes that are transforming higher education.

Shared Governance in Higher Education Set (Volumes 1, 2 and 3) For those seeking a way to change opinions of shared governance from pointless and unlikely to possible and intriguing, Shared Governance in Higher Education, Volume 1 will trigger meaningful conversations by offering valuable new perspectives. Experienced governance members, the contributors provide practical insights for everyone involved in academic governance and illuminate the subtle aspects of governance that make the difference between success or failure. Each chapter takes a different view of governing within institutions of higher education and explores topics such as engaging all stakeholders (including students) in shared governance; building on the benefits of a large, complex system; and bringing together pressing current needs with realistic strategic planning. Several in-depth descriptions of academic challenges, and the many roles of governance in addressing them, are thoughtfully explored. The contributors look both deeply and broadly, moving beyond platitudes. The result is a volume that will appeal to those beginning their terms of service as governance members or transitioning into leadership positions, as well as those looking for ways to assist others via governance symposia or conferences, and that will enable readers to shape their involvement in shared governance in unique new ways.

Offers valuable insights into the governance process in higher education. Shared Governance in Higher Education Set (Volumes 1, 2 and 3) Building on the resources offered in the first volume of this series, this second volume offers governance members, leaders, and other academics valuable insights into the governance process in higher education. In a chapter drawn from his keynote address at the March 2015 SUNY Voices conference, Steven Bahls, president of Augustana College, provides a critical study of institutions of higher education. Nine additional chapters offer a thorough analysis of academic processes that are usually hidden from view, including development of a sexual assault policy, faculty review of administrators, and successful use of task forces. Contributors describe subtle considerations and compromises, which effective governance leaders can incorporate into collaborations leading to effective outcomes. Readers of this volume will better understand how to avoid pitfalls of their own, as contributors illustrate hard-earned wisdom and lessons learned. Practical insights and guidelines on leadership development, budget development involving governance leaders, and mentoring are provided. This volume will provide readers— faculty, staff, students, and administrators—with the pragmatic resources they need to recognize and resolve governance challenges on their own campuses. Sharon F. Cramer is a Distinguished Service Professor Emerita at Buffalo State College, State University of New York, and Parliamentarian for the SUNY University Faculty Senate. She is the editor of Shared Governance in Higher Education, Volume 1: Demands, Transitions, Transformations, also published by SUNY Press.

Shared Governance in Higher Education Set (Volumes 1, 2 and 3) Shared governance impacts every member of the campus community, including faculty, staff, students, and administrators. Contributors to this volume—presenters at multiple SUNY Voices conferences on Shared Governance—explore how campus members can effectively improve the dialogue about critical issues and become better informed about the subtle, sophisticated strategies needed to move from discussion to action. Readers will gain new insights, enabling them to reexamine their own governance, both their current circumstances and possible futures. Included here are examinations of the key elements and models of shared governance, the role of faculty governance in institutional diversity and inclusion, relationship and rapport-building, and communication in times of change. Also discussed are assessment rubrics, campus and systemwide experiences, and analyses of shared governance in the accreditation process.

Shared Governance begins with the premise that today’s higher education governance practices have lost their focus and vitality. By re-examining the original suppositions of shared governance, along with an infusion of seminal democratic values and principles, a contemporary model is envisioned. From historical perspectives on shared governance, the book then takes a view of current governance models through the lens of Critical Theory and Open Systems Thinking. Political, corporate, and school system models are briefly reviewed before moving on to application to colleges and universities. Each chapter concludes with a continuous story of a young and maturing college vice president as she grapples with a static and worn governance system at her institution. She strives to reinvigorate the notion of shared governance and to bring staff and students into the process. The final three chapters of the book each include an essay written by individuals who have served on the ground level of shared governance at their institution. These people include: an administrative assistant who helped to create a Staff Council; a Student Government Association president who took a nascent SGA and gave students a new voice; and, an associate dean who mentored students in this developmental process.

Examines what works and what doesn't in restructuring state systems of higher education and offers guidelines for producing successful change. Describes changes from five states--detailing the political, economic, and social events that prompted the restructuring, the process by which it was implemented, and the systemic effects of restructuring.