Chinese American Educational Research and Development Association
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Educational Research & Development Journal
Vol 14, No 1 (2011)
Faculty Roles in University Governance at Two Universities in the United States and China |
| Hongchi Jiang, Michael Wei |
Abstract |
| University governance is a core issue of higher education, and faculty has a critical role in that governance. Based on structured interviews, 20 faculty members (10 each from a Midwest university in the United States and a central university of China) talked about their universitys governance structures and their roles in governance. It revealed that the governing structures in the American university are drastically different from those in the Chinese university. Although both universities faculty members thought they have more or less impact on the governance of curriculum, faculty governance, student governance, and organizational governance, the actual practice, however, is different at the American university and the Chinese university. The Chinese universitys faculty members had less of a say in final decisions and their roles were often impinged upon by their administrators. However, all of the interviewees at both universities felt that faculty should participate in university governance and seek more involvement in final decisions. This paper concludes with suggestions on effective governance for both universities. |
| Full Text: PDF |
ISSN: 1526-8659