In this paper we review the major historical developments in the evolution of Canadian university governance arrangements and synthesise data from two important national studies in order to provide an overview of university governance in Canadian higher education. We provide an analysis of university governance structures and arrangements, and conclude by reviewing a number of important contemporary issues. University Governance in Canada Canadian universities are autonomous, non-profit corporations created by provincial Acts or charters. Following a long period of experimentation with internal governance mechanisms and university-government relations, a number of Canadian universities, including Dalhousie, McGill and Queen's, adopted structures involving two legislative bodies, known as bicameralism. It was the Flavelle Commission of 1906 which clearly articulated the rationale and framework for bicameralism (University of Toronto 1906). The Commission, which reviewed the issue of governance at the University of Toronto, argued that the process by which universities make Tudivor, N.

This study examines the academic senate within the context of university governance in Canada. Data were obtained from a survey of university senate secretaries on senate structure, composition, and operation, and from a survey of senate members on their perceptions of the senate, their role as senate members, and the nature of their work. The study raises concerns over the effectiveness of the senate and suggests a need to review the senate and its role in contemporary university governance within the context of the current Canadian higher education environment.

The objective of this paper is to identify current policy pressures in Canadian higher education and explore their implications for academic decision-making bodies based on data we obtained in our national study on university senates. We describe two interrelated sets of public policy pressures that have emerged in recent years in Canada including ongoing financial restraint and a renewed interest in university research. We conclude by reviewing a number of important implications for Canadian university governance in the context of contemporary policy pressures.

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