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To understand higher education systems and the relationship between the state, systems of higher education, and their respective colleges, it is helpful to understand governance and how it manifests in institutions. Birnbaum (2004) ascribes governance in higher education institutions to the structures and processes designed “…to achieve an effective balance between the claims of two different, but equally valid, systems for organizational control and influence” (p. 5). These systems consist of professional authority assumed by the faculty and legal authority assumed by trustees and the administration. This definition of governance is appropriate for higher education institutions because it captures the parallel academic and administrative functions and
addresses who is responsible for or involved in decision making. Still, this definition addresses what governance is designed to do as opposed to what the structures and processes look like.
Other scholars have defined governance in higher education institutions as the process or structure of decision making. Kezar and Eckel (2004), in a review of theoretical perspectives applied to the study of governance in higher education, state that governance is “a multi-level phenomenon including various bodies and processes with different decision-making functions” (p. 375). They allude to the dual academic and administrative functions of institutions in the “various bodies” but further assign different decision making functions to these bodies. These differences in decision making suggest that faculty have authority over decisions involving curriculum or other academic matters, whereas the administration has authority over decisions involving fiscal and human resources, operations, and other related matters.
Amey, Jessup-Anger, and Jessup-Anger (2008) maintain that effective governance involves decision making processes that are grounded in thoughtful deliberation and evidence, attributing a sense of purpose to the decision making process. Additionally, Ingram and Tollefson (1996) define governance as “the framework within which decision making occurs” (p. 133). Further, they advance the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (1973) definition of effective decision making authority as the “agency whose decision generally stands and is not reversed” (p. 133), which associates decision making with levels of authority. Based on studies of governance reviewed from the literature, decision making is cited as an important
element of governance, though there are apparent variations in governance across states and institutional context.
Birnbaum (2004) distinguishes between “hard” governance and “soft” governance. Hard governance refers to the structures, rules, and policies in an organization that “define authority relationships, prescribe certain organizational processes and encourage compliance with enacted policies and procedures” (p. 10). On the other hand, soft governance refers to the system of social interactions in an organization that “…help to develop and maintain individual and group norms” (p. 10). Hard and soft governance have emerged from different theoretical frameworks. Elements of hard governance can be ascribed to theories of rational choice, whereas elements of soft governance are embedded in cultural and social cognition theories that focus on behaviors and expectations of participants that help mold organizational processes and culture. Though hard and soft governance can be mutually reinforcing, Birnbaum contends that organizational characteristics, such as the culture and structure, influence participant expectations of how decisions are to be made and how influence and authority are dispersed. Thus, his discussion of hard and soft governance alludes to elements of authority and influence in addition to decision making.
As previously indicated, governance in higher education encompasses the structure, rules, and policies of the institution, as well its social relationships and culture, which underscores the multitude of theories used to study governance. In a review of theoretical perspectives applied to the study of governance in higher education, Kezar and Eckel (2004) contend that previous scholarship on governance has focused on structural theories and to a lesser extent on alternative explanations for understanding
governance. Though Kezar and Eckel cite seminal literature on the application of structural theories to the study of governance in higher education, this literature does not examine structural theories in relation to higher education systems, and more specifically, community college systems.
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