A Study On Ideas And Practice Of Shared Governance In Modern American Universities

The definition of shared governance has changed slightly over time, but the commonly accepted definition is from the 1966 Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities. It identified governance as the joint efforts in the internal operations of institutions, but also characterized certain decisions as falling into the realm of different groups. This statement was jointly formulated by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the American Council on Education (ACE), and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB).Henceforth, shared governance idea has became an important principle to assign the power of decision-making in American universities. In fact, shared governance structure and process of different American universities are diverse because of different understandings to shared governance idea. When shared governance of modern American universities has made great progress, its idea and practice are in a dilemma in the same time, such as some conflicts between academic freedom and commonality benefits, democracy and efficiency, faculty depreciation. But the rising of governance theory has provided new theoretical support and methodology for solving the problems of shared governance since 1980s. Today, studying the idea and practice of modern American universities shared governance is very meaningful and important to construct and perfect harmonious higher education administration system in our country.The dissertation consists of a prolegomenon, six chapters and a conclusion. Theory studying part is introduced in Chapter One and Chapter Two; Practice studying part is studied in Chapter Three, Chapter Four and Chapter Five; Comparing and inspiring part is made in Chapter Six.In prolegomenon, the author introduces some reasons to choose this problem, studying status, studying ways and studying methods. And last the key concepts concerned are explained and distinguished.Governance theory studying is made in Chapter One. The author studies and analyses the governance theory deeply in this chapter, through four parts: the rising of governance theory, the definition of governance theory, governance how to replace management, and governance failure and good governance.Modern American universities shared governance idea is studied in Chapter Two. Formation of American universities shared governance idea, its merit and the relationship between shared governance and academic freedom, shared governance and university autonomy, shared governance and professor governing university are analyzed from two viewpoints of history and today.Structure of modern American universities shared governance practice is studied in Chapter Three. In modern American universities shared governance, the make-decision power how to be assigned and all of concerned benefit persons how to participate in the process of decision-making are studied in this chapter through the angle of concerned benefit persons. Degree, power and relationship each other of Board, President, Academic Senate, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Student Senate and Alumni Association in the structure of modern American universities shared governance are discussed separately in Chapter There which consist of seven sections.Process of modern American universities shared governance practice is studied in Chapter Four. Shared governance is the structure and process of make-decision for all of concerned benefit persons in American universities, and thereby differs to administration and management. Controlling, harmonizing and inspiriting are the most important three measures to safeguard shared governance in modern American universities shared governance.The crisis and its developmental trends of modern American universities shared governance are opened out in Chapter Five. Based on the studying before, author brings forward the crisis and challenges, and discovers the developmental trends of shared governance of American universities, and last discusses how to solve these problems in the visual of governance theory.Structures and processes of university governance of China and America are compared in Chapter Six, and then put forward some inspirations and suggestions for Chinese universities to construct university governance structure today. Furthermore, it is very necessary to practice shared governance idea in Chinese universities, if we want to make harmonious higher education come true.In conclusion, author concludes the whole dissertation and deepens the topic. According to the studying status of the idea and practice of modern American shared governance and combing the actual conditions of china's university governance, author puts forward some problems need to recognize and solve now.