Faculty Governance At Evangelical Christian Colleges And Universities

Abstract

An instrument was designed to assess the current state of faculty governance at those institutions of higher learning that are members of the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The purpose was to arrive at a clearer understanding of the variety and range of governance systems that are currently in place among CCCU schools. In addition, the identification of faculty concerns was assessed. The goal of the authors is to provide a tool for the faculty at these particular campuses to help improve the faculty governance systems. By determining the different structures and systems in place, the faculty and the administration will be in a better position to ascertain if the current systems at institutions are meeting their designed purpose. The results indicate that there is truly a wide range of systems currently being utilized. Size appears to be a large factor in determining the particular organizational alignment in place; 26 institutions reported that all faculty are part of the main faculty governing body (MFGB). MFGB size was deemed appropriate in the majority of institutions (90.6%); however, respondents also indicated that the optimal size would be smaller. An average of 6.43 committees/councils report to the MFGB, the top three being: educational policies, professional development, and faculty reviews. Salaries, workload, and budget issues rank the highest in concern for the faculty, and decision making for these fell within the “effective” range.

Notes

∗Twenty-six institutions report that all faculty are part of the main governing body.