AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Shared Governance
of higher education. These efforts undermine shared governance and run the risk of diminishing the quality of what is taught and who teaches. They pose a broader threat to institutional autonomy and integrity. Public institution leaders, including board members, should help inform state policymakers about the risks of overreach. 4. Institutional policies that define shared governance should be reviewed periodically to ensure their currency and applicability. The AGB white paper Shared Governance: Changing with the Times states, “Colleges and universities—their boards, presidents, and faculty—need to be attentive to the effectiveness of their governance practices on an ongoing basis. Neither an unexpected emergency nor a brief window of opportunity is the time to discover that an institution’s governance structure and culture of decision making are not up to the task. Reliable shared governance requires continuous, intentional effort.” The board must be confident that the institution’s foundational documents and policies,
The board must be confident that the institution’s
such as the board’s bylaws, faculty handbook, and the institution’s charter, agree with one another and codify decision-making responsibility in a clear and practical way. AGB research shows periodic reviews of shared governance policies are not common practice, and contradictory mandates or unclear expectations among key groups risk undermining effective governance. The institution’s legal counsel should monitor the timing of policy reviews and bear responsibility for recommending necessary updates for consistency across all related policies. The goal is to establish clarity of roles and processes in a way that facilitates the engagement of the president or chancellor, board members, and the faculty on mission-related and strategic matters.
such as the board’s bylaws, faculty handbook, and the institution’s charter, agree with one another and codify decision-making responsibility in a clear and practical way. foundational documents and policies,
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