Generally, discussions of shared governance in higher education do not include university committees. This study addresses this gap, through the lens of open systems, reconceptualized loosely coupled systems, and micro foundations. Using social network analysis, this study explores the documented governance networks of formal university committees within and across institutions and the utility of those networks for institutional leaders. Findings suggest that this is a useful way to examine the meso-level of university governance processes, including recommendations for research and practice.