Study On The Governance Structure Of Inner Colleges In American Research Universities

Under the circumstances of promoting the reform of college system and moving down of management center,inner college governance has been a key issue of the current governance system and governance ability modernization,and the downward of core power has also become the general in colleges and universities.As the basic unit of education,scientific research and discipline construction,colleges has more distinct character in concentrating power in lower level.As the result of moving down of power in universities and moving up of power in departments,colleges have become the new center of power.But unlike the clear and straight governance structure in universities,the governance structure in colleges has long way to be improved.Perfecting the governance structure is the core issue in university governance,the essence of which is perfecting power disposition in internal decision-making,execution and supervision and makes it serves to the achievement of organization in universities.American research university is one of the most excellent model of university development,and has unique management structure in colleges.This paper studies the governance structure in University of Michigan,Yale University and Duke University by literature analysis,comparative research,case analysis and text analysis.All these three universities have complete rules and regulations in terms of college governance.Governance model of these universities embodies the characteristics of “key point lowered and college-based”.Based on this,in college-leveled governance of University of Michigan,the administration system is governed by Governance body,Executive Committee and Executive Officers Team,and committee system is governed by Standing Committee and Management Advisory Committee;in college-leveled governance of Yale University,the administration system is governed by Executive Management Team,Executive Committee and other Committees and academic governance system is governed by Faculty,Boards of Permanent Officers or other Management Committee;in college-leveled governance of Duke University,the administration system is governed by Administrative Leadership and the academic management system governed by college Council.All these three universities have rigorous and clear governance structure,with straightforward allocation and counterbalance of rights,responsibilities and duties,all of which reflect the advantage of the academic power and administrative power in the effective connection of distinctive characteristics.Through the analysis on governance structure of these three universities,the paper raises three governance models in American research universities: Committee governance model,Faculty governance model and the Council governance model,then summarizes the common characteristics among these three models.Finally,the paper offers suggestions on improving governance structure in domestic research universities.