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William G. Bowen and Eugene M. Tobin. Locus of Authority: The Evolution of Faculty Roles in the Governance of Higher Education. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015. 400 pp. Hardcover: $29.95. ISBN 978-0-691-16642-1.
William G. Bowen and Eugene M. Tobin tackle the "we" versus "they" mindset in higher education as they make the case for changes to governance in Locus of Authority: The Evolution of Roles in the Governance of Higher Education. Bowen is the former president of Princeton University and President Emeritus of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Tobin, former president of Hamilton College, is the senior program officer for Higher Education and Scholarship in the Humanities at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Both authors began their careers in academe as faculty members, Bowen in economics and Tobin in American history. As a result, they bring a well-rounded perspective on higher education and first-hand knowledge of the challenges faced by faculty and administrators. The book gains credence from their respective expertise, with four case studies providing historical accounts and supporting evidence for their conclusions.
At the heart of their argument is whether an "inherited," "hundred-year-old system of governance practices" can support the changing demands for higher education (p. 1; p. 64). Bowen and Tobin contend that higher education institutions, marked by increased specialization among faculty, professionalization of administration, and perpetual predispositions toward vertical organization, cannot respond appropriately or in a timely fashion to current issues. They suggest movement toward more horizontal organizational structures that drive collaborative practices. However, the authors are quick to caution that it is not collaborative decision-making or consensus they seek. Rather, it is meaningful participation from all campus constituents, true leadership with the courage to act, while assuming the best from all involved. Despite the book's title, Bowen and Tobin readily acknowledge, "this study is really about leadership and how it is both constrained and exercised in the modern college or university" (p. x). Consequently, this book serves as a critical resource for understanding the historical influences on current issues in governance of higher education and how administrators might begin to address their role and the role of faculty in decision-making.
Locus of Authority: The Evolution of Roles in the Governance of Higher Education is composed of five chapters with the...