The Role of Shared Governance in Institutional Hard Decisions: Enabler or Antagonist?

Abstract

The discussion on institutional governance and change is muddled by those interested in carving out a strong role for faculty (AAUP) or for administrators and trustees (AGB). This study explores empirically the ability of shared governance systems to make institutional hard decisions--in this instance, to discontinue academic programs. The four cases suggest that shared governance can be productive in making difficult decisions. The paper also offers suggestions for effective campus governance.