Under the mantra of running higher education more "like a business," college administrators, boards of trustees and state legislators are attacking the basic principle of shared governance upon which the success of higher education institutions was built. AFT locals have consistently worked to defend shared governance and academic freedom. However, the upsurge in criticism of faculty and other higher education professionals, along with unveiled attempts to undermine democratic governance structures at higher education institutions, called for further attention. As a result, AFT has released a new statement entitled Shared Governance in Colleges and Universities.

This document outlines the current higher education environment and the ways in which shared governance is under attack. More important, the statement sets out six principles of shared governance that AFT believes should be observed in establishing, maintaining and strengthening our institutions.

AFT will be working with its locals as well as other unions and higher education organizations to forward these principles and to protect the vital role of shared governance. As the concluding paragraph of the document states:

Shared governance is vital to maintain the academic integrity of our colleges and universities, to prevent the pressures of commercialization from distorting the institution’s educational mission or eroding standards and quality, and to uphold the ideals of academic freedom and democratic practice. Strengthening shared governance is the responsibility of all colleges and universities, and a priority of our union.

Read Shared Governance in Colleges and Universities: A Statement by the AFT Higher Education Program and Policy Council (pdf, 634k)