PRACTICING WHAT WE PREACHWHITHER DELIBERATION AND DIALOGUE

IN UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE?

National Coalition for Dialogue and DeliberationAustin, TexasOct. 2, 2008

Bruce Mallory, University of New Hampshire

What we say we do

• Joint governance—”Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities” American Association of University Professors, the American Council on Education, and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, 1966, 1990.

• Collegial governance --characterized by or having authority vested equally among colleagues; of, or related to a college or its students; collegiate; adherence to the ethos, standards and conduct that govern behavior among colleagues within a given organization or profession; marked by camaraderie among colleagues

• Participatory governance--a process emphasizing the broad participation (decision making) of constituents in the direction and operation of political systems. While etymological roots imply that any democracy would rely on the participation of its citizens (the Greek demos and kratos combine to suggest that "the people rule"), traditional representative democracies tend to limit citizen participation to voting, leaving actual governance to politicians.

Spheres of Joint Governance(AAUP, ACE, AGB)

• Faculty (advisory?)– Curriculum, academic standards, terms of faculty

appointments (and P&T), student experience as it connects to academic program

• Administration (executive?)– Strategic planning, reduce obsolescence and foster

innovation, manage fiscal and physical resources• Trustees– Fiduciary and corporate stewardship, mission

oversight, appt. the president, advocate with stakeholders

Consultation, collaboration, dialogue• How can consultation and collaboration be truly

mutual (democratic) when one side has supervisory, financial, and infrastructure power over the other?

• Faculty senates are representative forms of democracy. Why do they have such bad reputations for effectiveness in general? Are they the right forums for deliberation?

• What alternative forums for deliberation exist or could be created?

• How can alternative forums be legitimized and heard?• What are the rewards for engaging in participatory

democratic practices in university governance? • How does the presence of a faculty union affect shared

governance practices?

C,C, and D cont.• Has there been an effort to delineate spheres of primary

authority? (curriculum, standards, planning, finances, mission, etc.)

• What is the difference between faculty senates and academic senates? How can one or the other foster collegiality?

• Who sets agendas, fosters new initiatives, designs assessment and feedback mechanisms?

• What is the culture for decision-making (top down, adversarial, collaborative, bottom-up, bureaucratic, ad hoc)?

• Is there a shared sense of mission and direction?

Principles for more democratic governancein higher education

• Practicing shared leadership for shared governance• Articulating shared goals around key issues• Articulating a shared understanding of internal and external threats and

opportunities (we’re in this together)• Provost/dean must maintain faculty identity and allegiance• Faculty leaders must have university-wide information and commitment• Participation includes all stakeholders, not just elected or appointed

representatives• Break the mold of business as usual—from debate to dialogue, from

we/they to us• Alternative (legitimate) structures and forums for dialogue• Ask first, How might this action/decision affect student learning and

faculty scholarship?• Follow up the results of dialogue; publically demonstrate action,

feedback, progress; celebrate change and a new culture of shared governance

Resources• Mallory, B.L. & Thomas, N.L., When the medium is the message; Promoting ethical

action through democratic dialogue, Change, September/October, 2003.• Mallory, B.L., An Invitation to Dialogue: Shared Governance at the University of New

Hampshire, April, 2008• Mallory, B.L., Leading in the UNH community: Achieving common goals through

shared leadership, August, 2007, http://www.unh.edu/democracy/pdf/catalyst-paper2_20071116.pdf

• Special issue of Peer Review, Student Political Engagement, Spring/summer, 2008• Center for Collaborative Policy, Assessment Report: Governance, Culture, and Climate

of California State University, Sacrament, April, 2008 http://www.csus.edu/ccp/assessment/index.stm

• Mortimer, K.P. & Sathre, C.O., The Art and Politics of Academic Governance, Westport, CT (2007)

• Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/policydocs/contents/governancestatement.htm.