Votes of no confidence have increasingly been used, particularly by internal campus constituents, to indicate severe discontent with and distrust of higher education presidents. No national benchmarking institution or educational agency collects data on votes of no confidence or sets standards for what is considered a normal number of votes of no…

The boundaries of higher education organizations (HEOs) are becoming increasingly porous both in the USA and globally. Research has shown that individuals within universities (e.g., trustees and faculty) can serve as boundary spanners who connect universities to their external environments. However, our knowledge of how individuals span HEO…

Many institutions of higher education are better known for their athletics programs than their academic offerings. Should a crisis arise, athletics scandal and notoriety can threaten the future trajectory and financial health of the campus. As such, lapses in intercollegiate athletics oversight can create fractures and tensions within institutions…

Higher education quality and standards are rarely far from the headlines or ministerial speeches. This Policy Note considers the important -- and changing -- role of England's governing bodies in academic governance, as they are expected to provide increased assurance that standards are being maintained or enhanced. The author suggests some…

According to John Carver (1990), no single relationship in an organization is as important as that between the board and its chief executive officer. That relationship, well-conceived, can set the stage for effective governance and leadership. However, the line between governance and administration in community colleges is not always as clear as…

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) play a leading role in supporting educational equity, enrolling two-thirds of all U.S. Latino students despite representing less than a fifth of all American higher education institutions. These colleges and universities manage to provide substantial support and prioritize student-centered organizational…

This article provides an account of the undermining of collegial governance at the University of Alberta in relation to the restructuring of the university in 2020 by the senior administration and board on advice provided by the Australian consultancy firm, the Nous Group. The current president of the university has publicly promoted the…

Governing boards of organizations have come under scrutiny in recent decades for financial problems, leadership scandals, and a variety of other uncomfortable reasons. Trustees might have prevented challenges and scandals if the appropriate board oversight were in place including the right board structures, practices, culture, governance, and…

The organization and management of universities have changed radically in recent years and has been the subject of various studies. One line of research that receives little attention, however, is the study of the leadership of university presidents as relevant actors in the academic and administrative management of universities and in the…

This study explores how aesthetic decisions influence community college presidents. Aesthetic choices communicate powerful messages (McArdle-Clinton, 2008). These messages influence a campus community, affecting access, cost, decision, and equity (Bouillard & Deslandes, 2015; Connor & Schrecker, 2010; Fairclough, 1995; James, 2013). These…

The purpose of this experimental research study is to garner systematic dynamics and governance understanding of what prohibited and subsequently advanced women's considerations to obtain a presidential appointment at historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) across the United States from 2020 through 2023; and why those appointments…

After serving more than 20 years as president of Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC) in Montana, President Carole Falcon-Chandler leaves behind a long list of accomplishments, a legacy of compassionate and visionary leadership. This article examines President Falcon-Chandler's life and contributions to the college and that of her successor, Dr. Sean…

Alongside the Disney theme park, miles of beaches along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Florida's long southern peninsula is filled with political, social, and cultural differences. The state's diversity comes as close to any geographic location in the world characterised by the term 'internationalism,' racially, ethnically, and…

In January 2023, the AAUP announced the establishment of a special committee to review an apparent pattern of politically, racially, and ideologically motivated attacks on public higher education in Florida. Since then, the undersigned members of this special committee have interviewed more than forty faculty members and a former president at…

Structural changes in European universities have been the subject of a significant body of research analyzing how governance is affected by external stakeholders such as states, markets, and other academic institutions, and the influence of internal stakeholders such as faculty and students. As state-imposed reforms interact with national…