Publications

Abstract

Since  establishing  itsfirst  campus  in  1868,the University  of  California (UC), California’s land-grant  university,developed into the nation’s first multi-campus systemin the United States,andistodaywidely recognized as the world’s premier network of public research universities. This short essay provides anhistorical brief on the role that shared  governance,  and  specifically  the  role  of  the  Academic  Senate, playedin  creating  an  academic  culture  of excellence and high achievementin pursuing itstripartite mission of teaching and learning, research and knowledge production, and public service. A key component in understanding the critical role of the Senate in UC’sevolution from  a  single  campus  in  Berkeley  to  now  a  ten-campus  system  is  the  university’sunusual  designation  as  a  public trust in the state constitution that, beginning in 1879,protected the university at critical times from external political pressuresand allowedthe university to develop aninternal academic cultureguided by the Academic Senate. By the 1920s, the emergence of California’s unique and innovative public system of higher education, with UC as the sole public provider  of  doctoral  degrees  and  state  funded  research,  also  helps  explain  the  ability  of  the  UC  system  to maintain itsmission  and formulate what  is  termed aOne  Universitymodel.  The  Academic  Senate  hascreatedcoherencyand shared valueswithin UC,and a culture and expectationfor faculty performance that is unique among universitiesaroundthe world. Thisessay also offersa brief reflection on the Academic Senate’spast influence, its current status,and prospective role. Theoverallintent is to provide context forthe current academic community and  higher  education  scholarsregarding  the past  and  future role  of  faculty  in  university  governance  and management, and what distinguishes UC in the pantheon of major research universities.

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