University Autonomy : Actual and Preferred Location of Authority. ASHE 1988 Annual Meeting Paper / Jerry N. Boone and Others.

A study is presented to determine (1) where people influential in public university governance believe various typical decisions are being made and (2) where they believe those decisions should be made. The kinds of issues that bring about most disagreement as to proper authority in governance and administration are identified. Centralization of authority at the state level and loss of control over university operations are common complaints of faculty and administrators. A national survey of people involved in university governance and administration, inside and outside the institution, solicited judgments about ideal and actual authority lines. A questionnaire containing 50 typical university decisions (financial, academic, faculty, student, and administrative) was distributed to two universities per state. Those studied were from five levels of public university authority (faculty, presidents, governing boards, coordinating agencies, and legislators). As a whole, the sample exhibited great satisfaction about decision authority; however, information about current decision practices differs from one group of respondents to another. In all decision areas, presidents and faculty want more authority at the campus level than they believe they have at present; all external groups, particularly legislators, want less authority at the campus level in all areas. Legislative involvement is a controversial point. The "Study of the Location of Higher Education Decisions" questionnaire is attached. Contains 7 references. (SM)

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