The Role of the Administration and the Governing Board.

The first of these 4 statements suggests that faculty and student involvement in institutional governance is a learning experience which, to be effective, needs the leadership of the administration. This leadership is lacking because of administrators' concern with and protection of their authority and their attitudes, among other things. The major administrative role, according to the second statement, is the determination of institutional goals. Another role should be to ensure the involvement of faculty, student, trustee, and administrative staff in the governing structure, with areas of authority and responsibility properly delineated. Four other administrative roles are proposed for keeping the university within sight of its goals. The chairman of a governing board presents some of his experiences in the third statement. Governing board members often feel that they lack sufficient information about the issues on which they make policy, especially when a multi-institutional system is involved. Administrators and trustees, when under pressure by the public and the legislatures, need to select a meaningful challenge, accommodate to it, and resist the rest with tact, understanding, and firmness. The fourth statement suggests that the state coordinating board, with the governing boards and the administrations of institutions, should develop statewide plans, and share the responsibilities for meeting goals, problems, and challenges in higher education. (WM)