There are four models of University Governance:

Governance ModelsPrepared by Eileen Hogan, Ph.D. for The Executive Vice President, Academic

October 2006

1. IntroductionShared governance in post secondary education is often misunderstood. Richard Alfred (1994; 1998) remarks that it can either be viewed as (a) a system of self-government in which board members, administrators, faculty and students share responsibility in the governance, and cooperate in the operation of the institution or (b) all personnel have a share in the governance. This paper provides definitions, examples and an overview of the four models of shared governance.

2. Shared Governance

Governance is defined as the process for distributing authority, power and influence for academic decisions among campus constituencies (Alfred, 1998). These constituencies include, but are not limited to, the board of trustees, faculty, students, staff, administrators, the academic or education council/senate, and unions (Alfred, 1998). Committees and sub-committees that include these representatives may also play a role. In the 1990s, the face of shared governance changed as (a) students became more critical about the services provided to them, (b) new colleges replaced traditional post-secondary institutions, and (c) accountability and performance documentation was intensified with the concern for improved student outcomes and controlled costs. Schuetz (1999) defines shared governance as a social system of self government wherein decision-making responsibility is shared among those affected by the decision. To be successful, shared governance requires commitment, time and focused effort from all participants including board of trustees, administrators, faculty, staff and students (Lau, 1996).

3. The Four Models of University Governance

(a) Definitions of Each Modeli) Unicameral Governance governed by a single governing body responsible for both administrative and academic matters (Mount Royal College, 2005).

ii) Bicameral Governance - governed by two legislative bodies:

i) a governing board and

ii) a senate or a university/educational council http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/governance.htm

iii) Tri-cameral Governance governed by three legislative bodies

i) a governing board

ii) a senate

iii) a(n) university/educational council http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/govern.htmliii) Hybrid GovernanceShale (2002) defines hybrid governance as a blend of governance, usually unicameral (board or a faculty/academic council or a faculty council established by academic council). Each is responsible for academic governance. The institutions who use this model typically are institutes of technology, institutions that offer on-line or distance education as a priority and/or institutes where about 50% of the courses are on the Web. Many do not have tenure and are privately or independently funded. 4. Overview of Each Model with Examples

(a) Unicameral GovernanceOne body governs the institutions administrative and academic duties. Often bicameral governance operates within the internal, unicameral governance structure.Example:

Athabasca University (AU) Governed by AU Governing Council.

AU, a publicly funded institution in Alberta, reports to the Government of Alberta through the Minister of Advanced Education and Career Development. Through the Universities Act, the government authorizes AU Governing Council to grant degrees and govern its own affairs. The Governing Council exercises the powers and performs the duties of both a board and a general faculties council. Members of the AU Governing Council are appointed under order in council of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta. AU is unique because it is exempt from any or all of the provisions of a number of sections of the Post-Secondary Learning Act. As per Section 34 of the Post Secondary Learning Act, AU has established an Academic Council (Government of Alberta, Post-Secondary Learning Act, 2004).

(b) Bicameral Governance- Most Universities have this form of governanceIn bicameral governance, the Corporate Charter delegates authority over institutional decision making to two legislative bodies: (a) a governing board which usually appoints the president and is responsible for the administrative and financial elements of the university (areas of property, revenue, expenditure, business, and other matters within the context of process and duties accorded it), and (b) an academic senate or a university/education council with responsibility (in some cases on a purely advisory nature but often with specific duties assigned under the charter) for academic matters of an educational/academic nature that affects the university or college as a whole.

Example:

Malaspina University College (MUC), Nanaimo, BC.

Governed by a Board and an Education Council (http://www.mala.ca/calendar/FrontSection/governance.asp)The Board is empowered by the College to manage, administer, and direct the affairs of the institution in areas of property, revenue, expenditure, business and other matters within the context of process and duties accorded it.

The details on how the education council fulfills its roles and responsibilities are spelled out in the Terms of Reference of each of its Standing Committees. Theses committees make recommendations only to the Council which, in turn, may be forwarded to the MUC Board or Executive for ratification or implementation.

The Council has an advisory role to the Board, joint powers with the Board and statutory powers. All communication with the Ministry of Advanced Education is reported to the President by way of copy or covering memo or other means. In matters of a serious or significant nature, the President will be consulted before communication is made with the Ministry.

(c) Tri-cameral Governance: The Corporate Charter delegates authority over institutional decision making to three legislative bodies: (a) a governing board [of trustees] which usually appoints the president and is responsible for the administrative and financial elements of the university, (b) an academic senate with responsibility (in some cases on a purely advisory nature but often with specific duties assigned under the charter) for academic matters, and (c) a university or educational council.

Example: Queens University (http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/govern.html)

Governed by three legislative bodies as follows:Board of Trustees Oversees the management of the university financial matters: operating budget, fees, investments, campus planning, adit etc.

Appoints the Vice Principals, senior officers of the university and, in association with the Senate, the PrincipalSenate

Determines all matters of an academic character which affect the University as a whole

Participates in planning the development of the University

Has final responsibility for the discipline of studentsUniversity Council Discusses any matter related to the well-being of the University

Oversees the election of the Chancellor and the Rectors

Frames bylaws for the election of the Chancellor, University Councillors and Trustees.(d) Hybrid Governance is a new structure in governance where the president and faculty (with some student representation) take on leading roles in university governance (Shale, 2002). It consists of a Board or Academic Council or Faculty Council established by Academic Council. It exists today in higher education because of trends in universities and colleges to reflect a growing convergence between conventional and distance learning modes or technology modes. The academic councils role is to consult with the president. The powers of this council depend on what powers the president decides to give it. The academic council is comprised of the registrar who consults with professors and students and other university employees (appointed under subsection 4), at least half of the members (not appointed under subsection 4) must be professors, and the president may appoint 1 2 additional members.

Example:University of Ontario Institute of Technology (unicameral with faculty councils) (http://www.uoit.ca/EN/main2/11246/13525/14057/uoit_act.html)The university is a corporation without share capital and consists of the members of its board.Board of governorsThe Board of Governors of the university, consists of not more than 25 members, as follows:1. The president of the university, by virtue of office. 2. The chancellor of the university, by virtue of office.

3. Three members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

4. At least 12 and not more than 16 members, as may be set out in the by-laws of the university, appointed by the board, at least six of whom shall be members of the board of governors of the college but who are not employees or students of the college.

5. Four members who are students or employees of the university and who are elected by the relevant constituencies of the university.

Ten members of the convocation constitute a quorum of the transaction of the business.Each faculty has a Faculty Council that is responsible for (a) the academic governance and approval of new programs and courses and (b) policies of the Faculty including admissions, academic standards, curriculum requirements, degree requirements and long-rang academic planning. Faculty Councils are established by Academic Council and operate under the delegated authority of Academic Council. The rules, procedures and membership of Faculty Councils, and proposed changes to them, are reviewed by the executive committee of Academic Council. Each Faculty Council consists of:

(a) The Dean, Associate Dean and Assistant Deans of the Faculty;

(b) All core faculty members of the Faculty with a primary appointment in the Faculty including those on sabbatical or leave;

(c) All core faculty members whose primary appointment is in another Faculty, but who hold a 25% or more secondary appointment in the faculty;

(d) All full time laboratory instructors holding complementary faculty appointments;

(e) Representatives of the Teaching Assistants and Part-Time Faculty who have taught in the Faculty for at least two consecutive academic years and who do not number more than 10% of the categories a, b, c, and d, combined (where this number is at least 10);

(f) Students not to number more than 10% of the categories a, b, c and d combined (where this number is at least 10);

(g) The Dean of the Faculty acts as Chair of the Faculty Council;

(h) Each Faculty shall elect a Vice-Chair annually from among the core faculty members of the Faculty: The President, Vice President and Associate Provosts of the University, the Deans of the Faculties of the University, the Secretary of Academic Council.

Examples: Open University Consortium of BC, Technical University of BC (50% of courses available on Web and with no tenure status), Royal Roads University (unicameral and no tenure) and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (proposed to have most advanced e-learning technologies in Canada).Royal Roads University (unicameral)- is continued as a corporation and is composed of a board and a convocation. The Business Corporation Act does not apply to the university, but on the recommendation, the Minister of Finance, by regulation, may declare that all or part of that Act applies to the university (http://www.royalroads.ca/about-rru/governance/board-or-gov.htm).

The Board of Governors has the duties and may exercise the powers of the board of governors and/or senate of a university under the University Act except those powers given by the president by this act.

The Board is composed of the:(a) president who has the power to set academic and qualifications for admission, set conditions of examination, set curriculum content for courses, award scholarships/bursaries, set recognition for academic excellence, establish committees he deems necessary. The president is assisted by an academic council composed largely of professors (http://www.royalroads.ca/about-rru/governance/board-or-gov.htm).

(b) a professor elected by the professors

(c) up to 6 persons appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council

(d) a student elected by the students

(e) an employee who is not a professor elected by employees of the university who

are not professors

(f) up to two persons who are not employees of the university, appointed by the board

The Convocation of the university is continued and is composed of:

(a) the chancellor, who is chair of the convocation

(b) the president

(c) the members of the program and research council

(d) the professors

(e) graduates of the university

(f) persons whose names are added to the roll of the convocation by the board

(g) the registrar who as secretary of the convocation, must establish and keep up to date the roll of the convocation

The convocation may establish a fee to be paid by its member to defray the necessary expenses of the convocation.6. SummaryShared governance is a system of governance whereby the decision-making capacity of the institution is shared by those affected by the decisions; these include the boards, administrators, faculty, staff and students (Schuetz, 1999). There are fours models of governance: uni-cameral, bi-cameral, tri-cameral and hybrid. In other-words, decision-making in performed by one (unicameral), two (bicameral), three (tri-cameral) or a blend of governing bodies (hybrid). Of the four models of university governance, bicameral governance is the most common and is comprised of two legislative bodies: (a) a governing board that usually appoints the president and is responsible for the administrative and financial elements of the university, and (b) an academic senate or a university/education council with responsibility for academic matters of an educational/academic nature that affects the university or college as a whole.

The challenge of shared governance is for different parties to identify specific areas of responsibility before decisions are made and actions taken (Alfred, 1998). To effectively govern, administrators much work collaboratively with faculty, staff, senates, and unions in an environment wherein the authority of each constituent group is clearly understood.

7. ReferencesAlfred, R. (1994) Research and Practice on Shared Governance and Participatory Decision-making. In Handbook of the Community College in America, Ed. G. Baker. Greenwood Press.Alfred, R. (1998) Shared Governance in Community Colleges. Education Commission of the States, p.1-8.

Government of Alberta Post-Secondary Learning Act. Queens Printer, Chapter P-19.5. [On-line], Available, October 4, 2006 at: http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/Acts/P19P5.cfmLau, R. (1996) Shared Governance and Compton Community College District. EDIM 710 Organizational Management & Governance, Pepperdine University Plaza. ED 396 806.

Malaspina University-College. General Information: Governance of Malaspina University College. [On-line]on May 5, 2005 at http://www.mala.ca/calendar/FrontSection/Governance.aspMount Royal College, (2005) Board of Governors: Report on the Board Task Force on Institutional Governance, September 30, 2005, p. 6.

Queens University (2004). The Governance at Queens University. [On-line], Available, May 5, 2006 at: http://www.queensu.ca/secretariat/govern.htmlRoyal Roads University Board of Governors. [On-line], Available October 6, 2006 at (http://www.royalroads.ca/about-rru/governance/board-or-gov.htm).

Schuetz, P. (1999). Shared governance in community colleges. Eric Digests, 4.

Shale,D. (2002). The Hybridization of Higher Education in Canada. International Review of Research in Open and Distant Learning. Vol 2(2) http.www.icaap.org/iuicode?149.2.2.7

University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Governance.[online], available: http://engineering.uoit.ca/governance.phpYork University. (2006). York Secretariat - University Secretariat, Governance Structure at York University. [On-line], Available, May 5, 2005: http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/governance.htm

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