Towards a truly collegial way to run a university

By Philip G. Hultin. The excerpt in University Affairs from Peter MacKinnon’s book University Leadership and Public Policy in the Twenty-First Century: A President’s Perspective presented an idealized vision of university governance that I think most of us basically agree with: legislation has established the structures of Canadian public universities, and universities should be run as the framers of this legislation intended. Boards of governors are indeed “empowered to supervise and decide on university finances, business and property” while senates “have plenary authority for establishing and supervising academic programs and activities.” This sounds like a perfectly reasonable, peaceful and collegial way to run a university – if indeed it were actually the way things were run. More...