This article proposes a new way of thinking about shared governance, focusing on the informal and sometimes unintentional interactions among faculty, staff, and even students. We argue that an operational place to start reconceptualizing shared governance is to look at the everyday interactions that collectively make up the hidden experiences of…

The ethical decision-making style of community college leaders affect students. Therefore, it is important to understand how the resulting bureaucratic college procedures impact students' college-going decisions.

This chapter begins with a retrospective look at governance in community colleges based on a working understanding of governance as a correlate of decision making. In its simplest form, governance is "a process for distributing authority, power, and influence in decision making among constituencies" (Alfred and Smydra, 1985, pp. 201-202). What…

Traces collective bargaining's growth in community colleges. Identifies trends toward increasing emphasis on governance in contract negotiations and toward separating governance issues from economic issues in the bargaining process. Considers the relationship between faculty senates and unions and explores alternative bargaining approaches. Offers…

Recognizing that a governance system is only as effective as the people involved, a Washington community college studied the ways in in which administrators relate to one another in the job setting. With the help of a consultant, a healthier physical and psychological climate has been achieved and institutional effectiveness has increased. (DC)

Task forces composed of students, faculty, administrators, and classified staff at Harford Community College (Maryland) undertook a year-long examination of the existing participatory governance structure in 1973-74. The governance system, the self-examination process, and the recommendations made are described. (DC)

Argues that rapid change and tight resources demand reality-based planning, rather than planning models that ignore internal and external customers or emphasize process over product. Describes the Strategic Guidance Model (SGM) which provides colleges with strategic visioning, organizational assessment, environmental scanning, quality improvement,…

Community college boards of trustees in three provinces in Canada are actively involved in institutional governance. Although government appointees alone can adequately perform the trustee function as agents of society, student and faculty representatives are invaluable assets to the board and to the constituencies and institutions they represent.…

Since its establishment in 1969, Dawson College (Montreal) has emphasized equal faculty and student participation in all facets of college decision making. Student and faculty attitudes, the effects on the college, and the strengths and weaknesses of such an emphasis are described. (DC)

The successes and failures in balancing state and local control of public community colleges are explored in this collection of essays describing effective and non-effective coordinating and planning efforts. Vincent S. Darnowski explores the Connecticut community colleges' struggle with a centralized state bureaucracy. Sidney W. Brossman uses the…