CHANGE AND GOVERNANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: Comparative Case Studies

Five case studies are presented covering actual and potential substantial changes made at the University of California and its Berkeley campus. The roles of university governance, including roles of faculty and shared governance, in those changes are emphasized. Four of the five cases (closure of the School of Criminology, consideration of closure or major modifications to the School of Education, reorganization of the biological sciences, and the closure of the School of Library and Information Studies coupled with the creation of a School of Information) deal with academic program and structure. The fifth case (changes in admissions policy and a large expansion of academic outreach efforts) stemmed from a policy change imposed by action of the Regents of the university and a state ballot initiative. Aspects of the cases are compared and contrasted, with attention to the abilities of research universities to respond to present and future forces of change.