Research On The Governance Model Of Higher Education In Canada

Higher education in Canada has been developed more than three centuries since the establishment of the first higher education institutions in 1663, of which the governance characteristics has an inextricable connection with its unique historical development. As a federal state, local authorities have the responsibility of educational duties and governance in Canada and higher education institutions assert autonomy according to laws of each province and rules and regulations of colleges. External factors such as government, market and intermediary organizations have an important role in the management of higher education in Canada. In the governance of university level, most universities keep the typical bicameral governance model and others keep unicameral governance model or mixed model. In the governance of community colleges level, provincial government is responsible for exterior governance and college accomplish interior governance through setting up committees, such as the board and the executive board. No matter in which model, internal and external stakeholders of Canadian higher education institutions affects the whole process of higher education governance in different extent showing the features and modes of co-governance of stakeholders.This dissertation takes University and Community college as the research object. Through analyzing the historic transformation of Canadian higher education governance, Exterior environments of higher education governance and operating mechanism of internal governance organization in higher education institutions, to recognize the current situation of the governance of Canadian higher education. Based on the analysis of the previous chapters and the ingredients of governance model, constructs the governance model of Canadian Higher Education and concludes the characteristics of governance. It consists five chapters.The introduction consists of research background and significance, review of the literature, research direction and methodology, definition of concepts, innovation and deficiency of dissertation.Chapter 1:Historical development phase diving of Canadian higher education governance is expounded in this part. The division based on the evolution and the development of the governance policies in different historical stages, changes in external governance environment and the internal governance characteristics of higher education in Canada. The first phase is based on the governance of the concept of colonialism and religion; the second stage is a stage that higher education is independent and higher education underwent secular reform; the third stage is the stage which is based on the idea of nationalism and autonomy; the fourth stage is the stage that based on the concept of democracy and pluralism to govern higher education.Chapter 2:Exterior environments of higher education governance are described. The effects and influences of governments, markets, intermediary agencies or third parties on the development of higher education in Canada or the relationships between them with higher education are discussed. The reason why we talk about exterior environments of higher education governance firstly, other than internal operation mechanism of higher education governance, is that the system arrangement or internal operation mechanism of Canadian higher education are largely influenced by exterior environment.Chapter 3:Interior governance mechanism of Canadian higher education. This paper selects University of Toronto in Ontario and McGill University and Dawson College in Quebec as the representative, to analyses three typical power namely, academic power, administrative power and democratic rights how reflected in internal organization of institutes and how institutions achieve the internal governance through the arrangement of the organization.Chapter 4:According to the analysis of context ahead to explore the interior governance model of higher education and its features.At last, through research and analysis, we come to the conclusion that institutions of higher education in Canada although have different governance modes and governance structure, but from a macro perspective, and the governance of higher education in Canada tend to stakeholders governance mode.This article suggests that the process of discussing Canadian higher education governance actually is the process of comparing the college governance structures in China with that in Canada. Simple comparison is not the purpose, while enlightenment is. The rule point of comparison is to promote the improvement of ourselves. College governance in China and Canada are distinctive and both with some problems. Combination with our national conditions and using their strong point is the key solution. The real value of this dissertation is that lessons, as well as comparisons, are mutual.