An article in the February 6, 2009, edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education: “Downturn Threatens the Faculty's Role in Running Colleges” is important reading for faculty members curious about – or concerned about – shared governance. According to author Robin Wilson, the current economic climate of belt-tightening and budget-cutting is undermining shared governance on many campuses. In the name of efficiency and the bottom-line, decisions on matters such as curriculum and reorganizing programs are being made at some schools with no faculty input or worse directly in the face of faculty opposition.

TCC, of course, is not among the schools profiled, but the final quotation of the piece is worth our consideration: "If there isn't a good system on a campus for consultation and communication, this climate is going to make that clear," says Ms. [Merrill] Schwartz, who directs research at the association of governing boards. "Good communication builds trust and good will, which are essential when difficult decisions need to be made in a short amount of time."

Click on this sentence for a link to the article.