Research Forum 2002

Audrey J. Jaeger
North Carolina State University

Governance Toward A Common Good: 
Has It Happened?

North Carolina, like many states in the past two decades, has considered various means of restructuring state higher education governance. States have chosen various patterns of state-level and institutional boards to govern colleges and universities and be responsive to the issues and concerns in the state. Patterns of governance have moved between centralized and decentralized and governing and coordinating in nature. The role and establishment of governing structures have been discussed in the literature. As governance structures have changed, researchers have identified patterns of change, those often responsible for initiating change, and even the likelihood the governance changes will be successful. The state of North Carolina moved from a decentralized governance structure to a unitary governing board for reasons common to many restructuring efforts. This new governance structure would address: duplication of programs and competition for resources; lack of coordination, communication, and consistency; credit transferability; dissatisfaction and conflict with lobbying practices; and lack of accountability. This research will examine whether the University of North Carolina System has served the purposes for which it was developed. A brief history of this system will be provided. Institutional leaders and system leaders will provide their perspectives and help answer this question. As governance patterns continue to evolve, what can states learn from the development of the University of North Carolina System?