Shared governance in higher education: A guide for boards
Steering through the intricate landscape of higher education governance is no small feat. It requires more than just experience; it calls for a deep understanding of shared governance. This vital framework brings together faculty, staff, administrators, boards and sometimes students, to collaborate on policies and decisions.
However, differing interpretations of roles can muddy the waters, making it imperative for higher education board directors to clearly understand their responsibilities. In this article, we explore the concept of shared governance, the role of boards in overseeing shared governance and how technology can support that.
Shared governance in higher education: A guide for boards
Considered a fundamental component of the higher education system, shared governance is a structure where faculty, staff, administration, boards, special interest groups and occasionally students participate in policy development and decision-making on behalf of the institution. Yet, even with this straightforward definition in place since the mid-1960s, the parties often have varied interpretations of their roles and authority.
For example, if you talk with some faculty members, they may tell you that they believe they are responsible for governance and that the administrative role is one of support only. In other colleges or universities, the faculty and administrators believe that a committee makes all decisions for the college by democratic vote.
The reality is all parties have well-defined responsibilities and, as a group, they share some form of accountability for their decisions. The benefit of shared governance is that it taps the knowledge, wisdom and experience of a variety of groups and people with the aim of sharing resources and identifying meaningful opportunities to help move the institution forward.
Who oversees governance in higher education?
To explore the concept of shared governance, it’s important to first understand that governance structures in higher education vary quite a bit. A board of directors, board of governors or board of trustees generally oversees higher education institutions and it’s common for colleges and universities to have more than one board. Each board’s responsibilities may be similar and one board may have full legal responsibilities for the institution regardless of whether it’s public or private.
In a shared governance model, the legal responsibilities are divided between two to three boards, such as a board of governors and a board of directors. Ideally, shared governance is characteristically collegial. All individuals and groups get a chance to contribute and have their voices and opinions heard.
In this example, the board may delegate day-to-day operations to the college or university president while the president has the authority to delegate certain management responsibilities to other officials such as the provost for academic personnel and programs.
Over time, this system of shared governance has evolved to include more representation in decision-making in other facets of leadership, including alumni relations, campus experience and admissions.
A closer look at shared governance in higher education
“Shared governance refers to the joint responsibility of faculty, administrations and governing boards to govern colleges and universities,” according to the American Association of University Professors. “Differences in the weight of each group’s voice on a particular issue should be determined by the extent of its responsibility for and expertise on that issue.”
The concept of sharing the responsibility for governance means that everyone involved has a role, but it doesn’t mean that everyone or every party gets to participate at every stage of decision-making. It’s more than a matter of a simple vote and no one has complete control over the entire process.
Let’s explore this in the context of hiring faculty and administrators. Before colleges and universities practiced shared governance, a university official would conduct the search, recruit candidates, vet them, interview them and make the final choice all on his or her own.
Today, various stakeholders participate in parts of the process that are well-defined. The board appoints a search committee consisting of professors, staff and possibly students. This committee evaluates the applications, makes a shortlist of candidates, conducts the interviews, contacts references and chooses the finalists.
The final decision-maker facilitates background checks and enters formal negotiations with the top candidate. This individual bears the ultimate responsibility for the selectee’s performance, but everyone who participates in the process has some accountability for their part in it.
The idea with shared governance is to spread out some of the responsibility by delegating them to those who are closest to certain issues. For example, the board of directors may give primary (but not total) responsibility to a student senate for coming up with policies that relate to student governance.
Tradition holds that faculty members have the primary responsibility over the curriculum. While this may be true, there are checks and balances in place. Any changes that the faculty deems appropriate must be approved by an accountable officer: a dean, the university provost, the president or the board of directors.
Good governance means having solid processes in place — rules that build a foundation, policies that guide your next steps, and coordinated activities that ensure informed oversight. Our guide simplifies your governance with actionable insights and empowers your board with tools for secure communication and effective decision-making. Download the guide today to transform data into strategic success and drive exceptional performance.
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Shared governance in community colleges
The responsibility for establishing shared governance models in postsecondary education systems and community colleges lies with each state and municipalities.
The Education Commission of the States explains, “While rooted in a state’s culture and history, postsecondary governance systems continue to evolve in response to public interests, such as increasing access and equal opportunity, aligning academic programs with state workforce needs and improving student outcomes.
Understanding postsecondary governance allows policy and education leaders to better grasp their own systems; make comparisons across state lines; and more effectively respond to changes in the state’s demographics, education goals and economic conditions.”
Some of the state governance models for community colleges around the country include:
- State vs. local
- Elected vs. appointed
- State appointed vs. locally appointed
- Taxing authority vs. no taxing authority
- Voluntary shared governance vs. mandated shared governance
Community colleges or postsecondary education programs may have some combination of the governance structures above. Regardless of the governance structure at the community college level, shared governance works best when the institution has a clear mission, and all groups and individuals are committed to the institution’s goals.
The role of boards in overseeing shared governance
Regardless of whether universities are public or private, governing boards (which may be called the Board of Trustees, Board of Regents or a similar title), have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that they’re managing the institution responsibly and sustainably. Other primary roles within the shared governance system may include:
- President
- Administration
- Faculty
In addition to what is often referred to as the governance triad, universities may incorporate other governance groups with undergraduate or graduate students or non-administrative staff when dealing with policy decisions.
Students have the greatest perspective of the issues that impact them while faculty members have the greatest perspective of the effectiveness of curricula. The recommendations that each group makes help to inform the board’s decisions. Boards can choose to accept or reject those recommendations or request additional information. By entertaining all recommendations from students, staff and faculty, boards promote unity and a sense of shared responsibility.
Board management software streamlines shared governance
As colleges and universities embrace the advantages of shared governance for more thorough and informed decision-making, BoardEffect can help improve board management and efficiencies.
Colleges and universities rely on BoardEffect to help them communicate and collaborate between various departments and constituencies. BoardEffect’s software is ideal for entities where multiple constituencies in a shared governance system must work separately and together to fulfill their organization’s mission.
Higher education boards often receive sensitive, highly confidential and sometimes controversial information. BoardEffect enables these institutions to be intentional about the security of their settings so that they can control the level of access. The software, accessible on all mobile devices, offers granular permissions, so board members, administrators, faculty, student groups and others can access only the information that they need to complete their work.
The solution also makes it easy for boards to document who is responsible for specific duties, hold them accountable and foster sound decision-making in a shared governance environment.
True shared governance is a way for higher education leaders to balance increased participation from constituents with clear accountability. At times, this can be difficult to achieve. Shared governance seeks opinions and perspectives on issues that pertain to various groups, while not necessarily giving them equal authority. The key to success in shared governance models is continual and clear communication and the ability to work quickly and efficiently.
With BoardEffect, Diligent offers higher education boards the features needed to support effective shared governance. Find out how we can help you.
