LOCUS OF AUTHORITY

LOCUS OF AUTHORITY argues that every issue facing today's colleges and universities, from stagnant degree completion rates to worrisome cost increases, is exacerbated by a century-old system of governance that desperately requires change. While prior studies have focused on boards of trustees and presidents, few have looked at the place of faculty within the governance system. Specifically addressing faculty roles in this structure, William G. Bowen and Eugene M. Tobin ask: do higher education institutions have what it takes to reform effectively from within?

LOCUS OF AUTHORITY shows that the consequences of not addressing college and university governance are more than the nation can afford.

William G. Bowen is president emeritus of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Princeton University. He is also founding chairman of the not-for-profit organization ITHAKA.

Eugene M. Tobin is senior program officer for higher education and scholarship in the humanities at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and a former president of Hamilton College.