University Governance

Dimensions of Variance in the Proposed Typology of American Public Higher Education Systems. CSHE 3.26

Maria Khan
James Johnsen
2026

The typology of public higher education systems is important because system-level characteristics shape institutional behavior, policy implementation, performance, and student outcomes in ways that institutional-level analyses often overlook. This article presents a theoretical framework for key dimensions of variance in the proposed typology of public higher education systems in America, including mission, governance authority, size and scale, institutional composition, funding models, and state social and economic context. It reflects patterns observed in system-level data spanning more...

Career Journeys of Diverse Leaders in Higher EducationClimbing the Rough Side of the Mountain

George Blumenthal
Josefina Castillo Baltodano
Ding-Jo Currie, Ph.D.
2024

This book provides a study of diverse leadership development through the extraordinary journeys of ten retired presidents and chancellors who have left an indelible impact on higher education.

Representing a rich multicultural background, each chapter tells a personal story of transformation and triumph, highlighting the various, non-traditional paths to senior leadership. Hailing from both private and public, two- and four-year institutions across the United States, these trailblazers showcase that excellence knows no bounds. Contributors reflect on the struggles and engagements...

Politics, Markets, and University Costs: Financing Universities in the Current Era, by Roger L. Geiger

Roger L. Geiger
2000

The purpose of this study is to determine the factors shaping the financing of the principal universities of the United States, and to explore the consequences for institutions and for students. Revenues are the lifeblood of these or any other universities. The level of resources that universities command from society determines the level and scope of their activities, and who provides these resources greatly affects their behavior. Moreover, where resources are concerned, both inequality and inconsistency have been the rule. During the 1980s, universities generally were able to lift their...

The University of California: Creating, Nurturing, and Maintaining Academic Quality in a Public University Setting by C. Judson King (January 2018)

C. Judson King
2018

150 years following its founding in 1868, the University of California is regarded by many as the most successful and highly respected public research university in the world. In The University of California: Creating, Nurturing, and Maintaining Academic Quality in a Public University Setting published by the Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE), former Berkeley and University of California provost and former Center director Judson King explores and analyzes the factors that have been most important for that success, what makes UC tick, and what approaches have made it...

The Pursuit of Knowledge Speeches and Papers of Richard C. Atkinson by Richard C. Atkinson, Patricia A. Pelfrey and David S. Saxon (2007)

Richard C. Atkinson
Patricia A. Pelfrey
David S. Saxon
2007

Richard C. Atkinson’s eight-year tenure as president of the University of California (1995–2003) reflected the major issues facing California itself: the state’s emergence as the world’s leading knowledge-based economy and the rapidly expanding size and diversity of its population. As this selection of President Atkinson’s speeches and papers reveals, his administration was marked by innovative approaches that deliberately shaped U.C.’s role in this changing California. These writings tell the story of the national controversy over the SAT and Atkinson’s successful challenge to the...