In August 2023, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) created and distributed a 60-second survey to AACRAO primary contacts at U.S. institutions asking for information about institutional governance/decision making and the role of the registrar in this function. There were 327 responses from 49 states, the…

Effective shared governance processes enhance institutional effectiveness and sustainability, but governance in higher education is complex. The concept of shared governance lacks common understandings and practice, and models are outdated and need to be more inclusive, nimble, and flexible. Community colleges are responsive institutions and…

The authors of this statement call for a recommitment to shared governance, including meaningful faculty involvement and the consultation of scholars in the humanities before making decisions to eliminate academic programs. Furthermore, they stand for fair treatment and equitable working conditions for faculty, graduate instructors, and staff…

This article provides details about Essential 7, which focuses on "Shared Governance" structures. The shared governance description in "The Nine Essentials, Second Edition" is fundamental to any partnership. PDS partnerships include structures that not only guide the work of the partnership, but also enable collaboration,…

The intention of government to create a fully academised school system in England, whereby every academy will belong to a large multi-academy Trust (MAT), further erodes community engagement and accountability. This paper illustrates how the policy of academisation has enabled a top-down governance framework to emerge, replacing the power and…

Traditional tribal leadership manifests qualities reflected in the "servant leadership" model coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970. Servant leadership focuses on one's service to the community and the creation of an environment where everyone can realize their full potential. The priority is ensuring that community members' needs are…

This article explores shared governance in advancing access, completion, and transfer. Shared governance is a critical vehicle for consultation and collective decision-making in higher education. It is the structure and process through which priorities are set and decisions are made in academic institutions. The demographic cliff facing higher…

Shared governance in higher education means that everyone involved in making decisions and developing policies for a particular college or university has legitimate input. This governing body of individuals may include faculty, administrators, students, regents, and staff. The collective responsibilities that evolve from this shared governance…

It is clear that young people bore the brunt of the pandemic's impact. Disrupted learning, sometimes stretching for two years, forced many students off track and behind academically. Leaders are now faced an unprecedented need to make smart investments with federal relief funds in efforts that accelerate student learning. District leaders should…

In this article, the authors propose a department-level curricular committee structure, called Strand Committees, as a mechanism to facilitate oversight and enact significant change to policies and practices in specific courses. The primary goal of the Strand Committees is improving both student success and instruction while upholding a high…

Using the University of Hawai'i Manoa Study Abroad Center as a case study, this essay argues that in all areas of programming and functioning, a viable Study Abroad Center must involve faculty from all areas of the institution. The author argues that positive outcomes for students depend on shared governance, and the key to shared governance is…

Since establishing its first campus in 1868, the University of California (UC), California's land-grant university, developed into the nation's first multi-campus system in the United States, and is today widely recognized as the world's premier network of public research universities. This short essay provides an historical brief on the role that…

Shared governance has become a critical focus for senior leaders concerned with institutional resilience and effectiveness. A blue-ribbon commission of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB, 2014) called on boards to take seriously this area of responsibility. At the same time, shared governance is a notoriously…

These recommendations have been put together for the guidance and reference of European Students' Union (ESU's) membership of national student unions and student representatives mandated by point 2.3.b. of ESU's Plan of Work 2019-2020: "ESU should develop recommendations on what students can do to promote democratic citizenship education and…

Despite increased attention placed both in and outside Australia on student participation in university governance, there remains a gap in practices and programs that help support students to contribute across various governance groups, councils, and representative roles. This practice report explores two aspects of developing student partnership…