Locus of Authority: The Evolution of Faculty Roles in the Governance of Higher Education

Bowen, William G.; Tobin, Eugene M.

ISBN 10: 0691166420 / ISBN 13: 9780691166421

Published by Princeton University Press, 2015

About this Item

Hardcover with dust jacket. Grey cloth over boards, with silver lettering on the spine. No date listed on title page; copyright page dated 2015. 380 pages. Very good condition. Faint brown marking on front cover, near top edge of front cover. Stamp on bottom edge of pages indicates that this was a review copy. Corners are very lightly bumped, with minor wear. Binding is square and sturdy, and pages are clean and unmarked. Dust jacket is an iridescent grey-blue, with silver and white lettering on the spine and front cover. Very good condition. Minor wear to corners. Press release from the publisher is tucked inside the front cover. Education specialists William G. Bowen and Eugene M. Tobin give their take on the presence of faculty within the governance of educational institutions.

Seller Inventory # 8-1256

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Locus of Authority: The Evolution of Faculty Roles in the Governance of Higher Education
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0691166420
• ISBN 13: 9780691166421
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

Why colleges and universities should change their governance systems―and what could happen if they don't

Do higher education institutions have what it takes to reform effectively from within? Locus of Authority argues that every issue facing today's colleges and universities, from stagnant degree completion rates to worrisome cost increases, is exacerbated by a century-old system of governance that desperately requires change. While prior studies have focused on boards of trustees and presidents, few have looked at the place of faculty within the governance system. Bowen and Tobin explore whether departments remain the best ways through which to organize decision making and if the concepts of academic freedom and shared governance need to be sharpened and redefined. Using case studies of four very different institutions, the authors demonstrate that college and university governance has capably adjusted to the necessities of the moment and governance norms and policies should be assessed in the context of historical events. They also demonstrate that successful reform depends on the artful consideration of technological, financial, and cultural developments. Locus of Authority shows that the consequences of not addressing college and university governance are more than the nation can afford.

About the Author

William G. Bowen (1933-2016) was president emeritus of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Princeton University and founding chairman of ITHAKA. His many books included The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions (with Derek Bok) (Princeton). Eugene M. Tobin is senior program officer for higher education and scholarship in the humanities at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and former president of Hamilton College.