A Research On Social Participation In American Public University Governance

The famous American Professor Martin Trow proposed in the early 1970s that when entering the phase of popularization of higher education,the relationship between University and Society will change fundamentally,the public involved in higher education become more popular,University and Society become integration,and social participation in university governance become a common requirement.In 2002,China's higher education gross enrollment rate reached 15%,which made the entering the stage of popularization of higher education;the rate reached 40%in 2015,which made the entering the mass stage;and the rate is expected reaching 50%in 2018-2022,which will make China's higher education enter the popular stage.Therefore,our country will soon face the universal demand of social participation in university governance after entering the stage of popularization of higher education.In addition,in 2010 China promulgated the National Long-term Education Reform and Development Plan(2010-2020),it is also clearly stated that "to meet the requirements of Chinese Conditions and Times,we must rebuild the modern school system of running by law,managing independently,supervising democratically and social participation in it,to construct a new relationship between the government,school and society".How to rebuild the social participation mechanism of university governance is a realistic problem in the reform of university governance in China.The United States is the first country in the world entering the stage of universal higher education.Since 1970s,the social participation in the governance of public universities has been getting stable and mature.Therefore,the analysis and study of the emerge mechanism,practical experience and operation rules of social participation in the governance of public university in the United States can provide theoretical preparation and practical reference for the reform of university governance in the coming stage of popularization of China.Civil society theory,stakeholder theory,the third-way theory and multi-center governance theory are appropriate to explain the theory of social participation in university governance.From the perspective of different disciplines such as political science,administrative science,sociology and economics,the proposition of the social participation in university governance is proved to be logical.Civil society theory is the theory that gives the analysis framework of social participation in university governance,stakeholder theory is the theory that gives the way to define the source of university governance from multiple participations in civil society,the third-way theory is the theory that explains the ideological origins,multi-center governance theory is the theory that emphasizes organizational characteristics of modern university.The application of these theories can clearly define the concept of social participation in university governance.In addition,we can evaluate the level and quality of social participation in university governance through the three dimensions of breadth,depth and validity.Since it is born,the American public university has been developing for more than 200 years.The process of university governance is divided into three stages of occurrence,development and maturity,and they are corresponding to the start-up period of public university,the formation period of the public university system and the period after popularizing of higher education.In each period there emerged an important class of social participants.Investigating into the development process of social participation in public university governance in the United States,we can find that:First,in each period of university governance government,market,society and university make together to share governance of university.Second,there shows different emerge mechanism,different roles playing and different participation function in public university governance of various subject from society.Third,the influence degree of each subject in different periods are not the same--the board of directors dominated in the start-up period;university(president)once played a leading role in forming period;government,society and university kept the balance power participating in governance,and shared governance in the period after popularizing of higher education.Throughout the history of the social participation of university governance in the United States,it follows the logic of epistemology philosophy of university development and the whole process is a procedure of continuous optimization.Taking the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill as an example,investigating from the three dimensions of social participation in the breadth,depth and validity,discussing the two organizations--Board of Trustees and Board of Visitors and the event of Chancellor Search,we can find that it is widely accepted facts and practices by Americans that social organizations and individuals participate in the general affairs in university governance,that social participations are in a wide range,and that the depth of participation has reached the top step.Finally,investigating into the history and reality of social participation in university governance of American public universities,we find some characteristics of American public university governance of social participation,that are government participation is limited,social participation is without borders,university autonomy is limited too,and find some values for American public university governance that are freedom,loyalty,equality,excellence,and find these values are conflicts between freedom and loyalty,equality and excellence.These different values of different stakeholders are fully reflected in university governance in American public universities.This paper also analysis the reform process of Chinese university governance since the Reform and Opening-up,and find that the changing power from the central control to society participation is originated from the Government;also find that in recent years it has substantively emerged the social participation in Chinese university governance through the investigation of University Statute,and find that the social participation in Chinese university governance is still at the primary stage.By comparing of occurrence mechanism of American and Chinese university governance of social participation,we can find that there are two different types of occurrence that are natural growth mechanism for American public university and the top-level design by Government for Chinese university.