Defending the Tradition of Shared Governance

By Joan Wallach Scott

The Board of Regents of the University of California thrust the question of who governs colleges and universities into the limelight in July 1995 when a slim majority of its members voted -- against the advice of the university's president, its nine chancellors, and top faculty representatives -- to end affirmative action in admissions, hiring, and contracting.

Unfortunately, violations of the tradition of sharing governance among trustees, administrators, and faculty members are not