Part 6 | Educational Leadership Series – The Way Bahamas
What campus unrest in the United States can teach us about collaborative leadership, decision-making, and shared governance—from Ivy League boardrooms to Caribbean universities.
The Moment of Unrest
When Columbia University’s campus erupted in protest over administrative policy decisions, one image captured the nation’s attention—a circle of professors standing arm-in-arm between police barricades and students. They weren’t there to fuel resistance but to mediate trust. Their message was simple: Listen to us. Let us lead with you.
It was a defining test of shared governance—the collaborative decision-making framework that balances administrative authority with faculty and student participation. In the United States, where higher education is both a business and a public trust, shared governance has become a mirror reflecting the strength—or fragility—of leadership integrity.
Defining Shared Governance
At its core, shared governance ensures that no single entity—president, provost, or board—owns the mission of a university. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) calls it a “joint responsibility of governing boards, administrations, and faculties,” rooted in mutual respect, consultation, and transparency.
Simply put, it is a covenant of trust. Administrators set strategic direction, faculty shape curriculum and academic policy, and boards provide oversight and resources. When any voice is excluded, balance is lost. As Bahls (2014) wrote, “shared governance, when implemented faithfully, diffuses power while strengthening unity.”
Unfortunately, that faithfulness is precisely what’s fading.
