Most campuses rely on the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) 1966 Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities to describe the “shared responsibility among the different components of institutional government and the specific areas of primary responsibility for governing boards, administrations, and faculties.”2 Now, more than 50 years later—with vastly different circumstances on our campuses in terms of who attends, what they pay, what they expect in return, and how our institutions’ business models function—effective implementation of shared governance is more important than ever. Governing boards have not typically been involved in either assessing or improving the effectiveness of shared governance at their institutions. If anything, they may have looked to presidents or chancellors and the faculty to ensure that shared governance works, assuming it is more the concern of those groups than of the board. It’s time for that to change. Given the challenges facing colleges and universities, governing boards need to become better educated about the state of shared governance on their campuses, understand its potential value in executing needed institutional change, and help ensure its effectiveness in strengthening the institutions for which they are responsible. Effective shared governance, focused on open communication, shared responsibility, a commitment to accountability, and alignment of institutional priorities, is broadly seen as advantageous but is less commonly achieved. In its recent report Shared Governance: Is OK Good Enough? , AGB describes the results of a survey of board members and presidents on the state of shared governance at their institutions. A larger proportion of both groups said shared governance should help align institutional priorities rather than simply define rules of engagement. To move to this preferred level of performance, the three traditional participants in shared governance need sufficient motivation to change how they work together. For board members, that motivation is rooted in their ultimate fiduciary duty to ensure decisions are made wisely and in the best interest of the institution. Key strategic decisions typically benefit from input from a wide range of constituents, including the administration and faculty, whose members have professional and personal interests in the institution’s success and fiscal health. The alignment of priorities for all three groups in shared governance can result from an effective, engaging planning process as well as regular opportunities for inclusive conversations about strategic goals and challenges, new markets and academic programs, and other critical topics.
2 AGB provided advice to the AAUP in the development of this statement and subsequently commended it to AGB members.
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Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
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