Effective governance is now more important than ever to ensure that universities preserve the autonomy fundamental to the vital role they play in our society. These exciting institutions are at the forefront of research and teaching and are expected to be drivers and facilitators of social and technological change, innovation, commercialization, and knowledge transfer. As educators and recipients of significant public funds, they are the focus of public opinion and close financial scrutiny, and must work to comply with ever-changing government policy and increasing regulation. This book is for those who want to learn more about and to participate in university governance. The governance context for universities is unique, and playing a positive and effective role in university governance requires understanding this exceptionality: important concepts, the complex stakeholder context, decision-making structures, and the allocation of responsibilities within the university sector. An Introduction to University Governance is a resource to support current and prospective university governance professionals and those serving on university boards and academic governing bodies, and will be of interest to members of government, consultants, lawyers, mediators, arbitrators, and others who work closely with universities. It is intended to be an accessible rather than an academic book, written to encourage more effective university governance with more engaged participants within the over-150 universities in Canada.

Universities play essential roles in Canadian society. The internal and external governance of these complex institutions faces ever-evolving challenges within a rapidly shifting international context. Written by a national team of scholars, University Governance in Canada asks how institutional decisions are made and who is behind these choices. By exploring the historical evolution and regional contexts of Canadian universities, as well as current trends, the book gives readers deep insight into how these institutions are governed. The authors explore the tensions between academic governance, external and internal stakeholder expectations, and societal demands as they relate to higher education and research in Canada. Comprising a case study of six major universities, the book examines the dynamics of governance at the institutional, provincial, federal, and international levels and reveals how Canadian universities make decisions and how well they are equipped to meet current and future opportunities and challenges. Canadians invest a lot of money, time, hope, and expectations in their universities. University Governance in Canada gives policy-makers, scholars, governors, leaders at all levels, faculty, staff, students, and citizens at large knowledge and tools that will help ensure the country’s universities excel in their missions and deliver fully on these investments.

This is the most comprehensive international discussion of higher education governance ever published. It presents a critical analysis of governance issues and reforms in: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the UK, and the USA. The book explores different theoretical perspectives and presents new empirical evidence on system and institutional governance issues.

Reclaiming Indigenous Governance examines the efforts of Indigenous peoples in four important countries to reclaim their right to self-govern. Showcasing Native nations, this timely book presents diverse perspectives of both practitioners and researchers involved in Indigenous governance in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States (the CANZUS states). Indigenous governance is dynamic, an ongoing relationship between Indigenous peoples and settler-states. The relationship may be vigorously contested, but it is often fragile—one that ebbs and flows, where hard-won gains can be swiftly lost by the policy reversals of central governments. The legacy of colonial relationships continues to limit advances in self-government. Yet Indigenous peoples in the CANZUS countries are no strangers to setbacks, and their growing movement provides ample evidence of resilience, resourcefulness, and determination to take back control of their own destiny. Demonstrating the struggles and achievements of Indigenous peoples, the chapter authors draw on the wisdom of Indigenous leaders and others involved in rebuilding institutions for governance, strategic issues, and managing lands and resources. This volume brings together the experiences, reflections, and insights of practitioners confronting the challenges of governing, as well as researchers seeking to learn what Indigenous governing involves in these contexts. Three things emerge: the enormity of the Indigenous governance task, the creative agency of Indigenous peoples determined to pursue their own objectives, and the diverse paths they choose to reach their goal.

In recent years, a number of controversies have emerged from inside Canadian universities. While some of these controversies reflect debates occurring at a broader societal level, others are unique to the culture of universities and the way in which they are governed. In University Commons Divided, Peter MacKinnon provides close readings of a range of recent incidents with a view to exploring new challenges within universities and the extent to which the idea of the university as ‘commons,’ a site for open and contentious disagreement, may be under threat. Among the incidents addressed in this book are the Jennifer Berdahl case in which a UBC professor alleged a violation of her academic freedom when she was phoned by the university's board chair to discuss her blog on which she speculated about the reasons for the university president's departure from office; the case of Root Gorelick, a Carleton University biologist and member of the university’s board of governors who refused to sign a code of conduct preventing public discussion of internal board discussions; the Facebook scandal at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Dentistry in which male students posted misogynistic comments about their female classmates. These and many other examples of turmoil in universities across the country are used to reach new insights on the state of freedom of expression and academic governance in the contemporary university. Accessibly written and perceptively argued, University Commons Divided is a timely and bold examination of the pressures seeking to transform the culture and governance of universities.

In the early twenty-first century international education emerged as an almost ubiquitous concept within discussions of educational curriculum; the objectives of schools, universities, and colleges; and government policies for K–12 and higher education. Although far from a new phenomenon, many jurisdictions now view international education as a highly competitive global industry. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of international education policy in Canada, tracing the complex history of when, how, and why it emerged as a policy area of strategic importance. Illuminating a uniquely Canadian perspective, influenced by regional interests and federal-provincial tensions, International Education as Public Policy in Canada addresses challenging questions: Why was Canada a latecomer in addressing this policy issue? What is the relationship between international education and Canadian immigration policy? How did international education develop as a major Canadian industry? The resulting essays from leading scholars contribute not only to the growing Canadian literature on international education policy but also to a critical, global conversation. Contemplating where the Canadian story of international education is headed, International Education as Public Policy in Canada calls for a broader debate on ethical practices in internationalization, focusing on inclusion, equity, compassion, and reciprocity.

This book provides an insightful and critical assessment of the state of Canadian water governance and policy. It adopts a multidisciplinary variety of perspectives and considers local, basin, provincial and national scales. Canada’s leading authorities from the social sciences, life and natural sciences address pressing water issues in a non-technical language, making them accessible to a wide audience. Even though Canada is seen as a water-rich country, with 7% of the world’s reliable flow of freshwater and many of the world’s largest rivers, the country nevertheless faces a number of significant water-related challenges, stemming in part from supply-demand imbalances but also a range of water quality issues. Against the backdrop of a water policy landscape that has changed significantly in recent years, this book therefore seeks to examine water-related issues that are not only important for the future of Canadian water management but also provide insights into transboundary management, non-market valuation of water, decentralized governance methods, the growing importance of the role of First Nations peoples, and other topics in water management that are vital to many jurisdictions globally. The book also presents forward-looking approaches such as resilience theory and geomatics to shed light on emerging water issues. Researchers, students and those directly involved in the management of Canadian waters will find this book a valuable source of insight. In addition, this book will appeal to policy analysts, people concerned about Canadian water resources specifically as well as global water issues.