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Exploring Effective Academic Governance at a Canadian University

“…The Commission sought to insulate the University from the political whims of government by creating a corporate board appointed by, but separate from, the government, while balancing the public and academic interests between two distinct structures within the overall framework of the institution (Province of Ontario, Royal Commission on the University of Toronto, 1906). This bicameral arrangement has become the dominant model at most universities in Canada, with only a small number of institutions using alternative structures (Jones, Shanahan, & Goyan, 2001).…”

“…The other half of the bicameral model is the financial governance body, usually referred to as the board of governors. The board is responsible for the financial and management affairs of the university, including setting and overseeing the university budget and human resources (Jones et al, 2001;University Act, 1996). Trakman (2008) argues that many institutions are in the midst of crises of confidence and that governing boards must be agents of change, concluding that "good" governance does not simply happen but requires substantial effort to determine the best set of processes and structures for each crisis, specific to the context of the institution.…”