美国高等教育领导力的当代挑战

Contemporary Challenges to Leadership in American Higher Education

当前形势下,美国高等教育面临四个主要问题:巨大的财政压力、学术自由受到威胁、政治约束下的全球合作与竞争以及如何明确高校的宗旨与使命。面对这些困难,美国高等教育领导力以"共同治理"的原则为基础,不同机构在决策过程中扮演正当合法的角色,包括受托人(理事会)、校长及其行政管理团队以及教员等在内的各方承担各自的职责。面对各种困难,各单元都能在良好的领导力作用下发挥重要作用,任何机构做出审慎决定前,能够对所有观点进行考量,在所有成员恰当参与的情况下做出的决策更有可能成功落实并产生持久的效果。

Under the current situation, American higher education faces four main problems:financial challenges;threats to academic freedom; globalization; and clarifying the mission and purpose of the university. Faced with these difficulties, American higher education leadership is based on what we call "shared governance." This means that several different bodies have a legitimate role in decision-making. The basic components are the Board of Trustees, the president and his/her administrative team, and the members of the faculty. Each of these groups has its relevant sphere of responsibility, and if the structure is working well, the entire university benefits. Whichever type of issue we have before us, whether financial stringency, potential constraints on academic freedom, global collaboration and competition, or defining the purposes of the university, each group brings something important to the table.