The US Academy’s Perceptions of Academic Governance

U.S. institutions of higher education trace their origins primarily to British models, with an overlay of German influence especially in the organization of graduate education and research. Through the mid-nineteenth century most U.S. institutions were privately established, but thereafter (at least until very recently) the public sector has received much support. The long history of private establishment led to a tradition where individual IHE came to be established by independent boards of trustees that had final responsibility for management and governance. The expansion of the public sector led to a partial revision of that pattern, with state systems governed by state-wide boards of trustees. Thus the American system of governance has always rested final responsibility in boards of trustees, which may either be self-selected or selected through elections by a defined constituency. In some cases, academics have representation in boards of trustees, but they never are a majority.