Quick Highlights
Effective higher education leadership combines a clear leadership style, such as transformational or servant leadership, with respect for shared governance: the practice of splitting decision-making authority among a board, administration and faculty. Leaders who ignore shared governance lose faculty trust even when their strategic decisions are sound.
Leadership in higher education rarely fails because of a bad strategic decision. It fails because a decision was made without faculty, board or staff buy-in. This gap between good judgment and the authority to act on it separates administrators who advance from those who are stuck managing resistance.
Arkansas State University (A-State) offers an online Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership with a Concentration in Higher Education Administration program. It is built around both halves of that problem: developing your own leadership style and learning to work within the governance structures that decide whether you get to use it.
Why Is Leadership Important in Higher Education?
Institutions without effective leadership struggle to grow, adapt and stay financially sustainable, and students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community all feel it. Dr. Rick Stripling, who teaches in A-State’s M.S. in Higher Education program, puts the job this way: “Be adaptable to change, stay current on many facets of higher education, know your brand, professionally surround yourself with positive influencers. Develop your vision and strive for it every day.” Strong leaders set priorities, allocate limited resources and hold an institution together through the enrollment and funding pressures most colleges and universities face today.
Leadership Styles in Higher Education
No single leadership style works for every higher ed leader or every situation. Three styles come up most often in higher education specifically:
- Transformational leadership: inspires people to move past self-interest toward a shared institutional vision, often serving as a mentor to help staff build confidence and skills.
- Servant leadership: prioritizes helping staff meet their own development goals over the leader’s personal advancement, building a collaborative, high-satisfaction team.
- Spiritual leadership: motivates through shared values such as respect, sustainability and ethics, fostering a sense of purpose and community.
Shared Governance in Higher Education Leadership
Shared governance is the practice of splitting institutional decision-making among three groups:
- The governing board
- The administration
- The faculty
AAUP’s 1966 Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities was jointly developed with the American Council on Education and the Association of Governing Boards. It remains the reference framework most institutions still use to define which group holds primary responsibility for which decisions.
Faculty typically hold primary responsibility for curriculum, subject matter, instructional methods, research direction and the aspects of student life tied directly to the educational process. Administrators and boards hold primary responsibility for the institution’s finances and overall strategic direction, with faculty expected to have a consultative role in long-term planning, budgeting and the selection and evaluation of administrators.
Leaders who bypass shared governance, even with good intentions, tend to lose faculty trust quickly, which shows up later as resistance to otherwise sound strategic decisions. Recent AAUP reporting on shared governance documents ongoing legislative pressure on faculty governing bodies at public institutions in several states, making this framework more relevant for incoming administrators.
Essential Traits of Effective Leadership in Higher Education
- Forms strong working relationships with students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community.
- Develops faculty and staff into leaders through structured professional development, not just delegation.
- Uses data and available resources to make decisions rather than relying on instinct alone.
- Communicates clearly enough to build trust even when a decision is unpopular.
Become a Higher Education Leader at A-State
A-State’s online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a Concentration in Higher Education Administration covers this ground directly, through Higher Education Leadership, Organizational Change in Higher Education, and Higher Education Policy and Law. The program is a member of the Carnegie Project on Education Doctorate (CPED).
That CPED affiliation means the curriculum is benchmarked against a national network of institutions working to keep doctoral training tied to real practice rather than abstract theory. For a role that depends as much on navigating governance as on making sound decisions, that practice-first grounding is the more relevant credential than a research-only doctorate.
If you’re earlier in your career, a doctorate might be more than you need right now. A-State’s Master of Science (M.S.) in Higher Education program offers a master’s-level entry into higher education administration and is the more direct starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is shared governance in higher education?
Shared governance is the practice of splitting institutional decision-making among the governing board, the administration and the faculty, with each group holding primary responsibility for different areas, as defined by the AAUP’s 1966 Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities.
What leadership styles work best in higher education?
Transformational, servant and spiritual leadership all come up frequently in higher education leadership research. No single style fits every leader or situation; most effective leaders draw on more than one.
Why do faculty push back on administrative decisions even when they seem reasonable?
Often because the decision bypassed the shared-governance process and not because the decision itself was wrong. Faculty expect a consultative role in areas like long-term planning and budgeting, even when boards and administrators hold final authority.
Does a doctorate in educational leadership teach shared governance?
Programs that cover higher education policy and law and organizational theory, such as A-State’s Ed.D. concentration, typically address governance structures as part of preparing graduates for provost, dean and president-level roles.
Is shared governance the same at every college or university?
No. The AAUP framework is a widely used reference, but the specific balance of authority varies by institution, especially between public and private institutions and across states with different legislative environments.
Key Takeaways
- Effective higher-ed leadership combines a personal leadership style with respect for shared governance.
- Shared governance splits decision-making among the board, administration and faculty, following the AAUP’s 1966 framework.
- Bypassing shared governance costs leadership faculty trust even when the underlying decision is sound.
Explore A-State’s online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Higher Education Administration concentration to build both skill sets before stepping into a leadership role.