16/2/2017 UniversityDemocracyinDemocracies?

(https://www.insidehighered.com)

UniversityDemocracyinDemocracies?
SubmittedbyDanielLevyonFebruary17,20138:23pm
Blog:TheWorldView[1]

TheIssue

Egyptrecentlymovedtowardtheelectionofdeansandpresidentsinitspublicuniversities.
Whereverdictatorshipfallsandgovernmentsaresuddenlyelectedbythecitizens,asintheMiddle
EasttodayorEasternEuropein1989,ormoresporadicallyovertimeinLatinAmerica,Asia,and
Africa,amajorhighereducationquestionarises:shouldtherebeasignificantcounterpartof
internal,representational,electoral,universitydemocracy(henceforthuniversitydemocracy)?

Letsputasideherethequestionofthebalanceofpowerbetweenuniversityautonomyand
governmentcontrolinademocracy.WhatIaddressismostlydifferent:howtheuniversity(withina
democraticnationalpoliticalsystem)shouldbegovernedinternally.Shouldfacultyelectnotjust
departmentchairsbutdeans?Presidents?Shouldstudentshaveavote?Shouldtheyserveon
decisionmakingcommittees?Shouldstudentsandfacultyserveonboardsand,ifso,shouldthey
electtheirownrepresentativesorshouldtheirrepresentativesbeappointedbyothers?Whoshould
setcurriculumanddisciplinarypolicy?

Ratherthantacklingsuchquestionsindividually,Iidentifytwocontrastingbasicviewsofdemocracy
thatplayoutverydifferentlyinthegeneralconsiderationoftheappropriatenessofinternal,
representational,electoral,universitydemocracy.Ofcourseadvocacy(andreality)oftenfalls
betweentheextremesofeitherfulldemocracyornodemocracybutcommondifferencesaremajor.

TheViewFavoringUniversityDemocracy

Onebasicviewseestheproperapproachtosuchquestionsasobvious:Thereshouldbedirect
democraticparallelsbetweenthenationalpoliticalsystemandtheuniversity.Democracyforthe
countryshouldmeanconsiderablecorrespondingdemocracyfortheuniversity.Likecitizensofa
country,membersofauniversitycommunityshouldbeabletoparticipateactively,havean
importantvoiceinpolicymaking,andelectmanyoftheirleaders,who,inturn,shouldbelargely
accountabletotheirconstituencies.Democracyisgood,moredemocracyisbetter.

Thecaseforuniversitydemocracymaybeparticularlyimportantfornewnationaldemocracies.Itis
oftenthenewdemocraciesthatstarklyfacethequestionofwhethertohaveuniversitydemocracy.
Many(suchasPutinsRussia)areformaldemocracies,notconsolidated,robustdemocracies.
Theyarefragileortheyhavemanyundemocraticfeatures.Societyremainslargelyundemocratic.
Theresonlylimiteddemocracyoutsideorinbetweennationalelections,andtherearemajor
limitationsonfreedomofexpression,information,andfreeassociation.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/worldview/universitydemocracydemocracies 1/3
16/2/2017 UniversityDemocracyinDemocracies?

Thosewhofavoruniversitydemocracybelievethatitcanhelp,howevermodestly,inthesecasesof
weaknationaldemocracy.Ontheonehand,itcanprovideatleastsometrulydemocraticspace.On
theotherhand,itcanbeamodelandaforcefornationalleveldemocracy.Alongwithother
democraticsocietalinstitutions,theuniversityshouldbreedpositivepoliticalsocializationfor
democraticnorms,participation,trust,tolerance,thepracticeofnegotiationandcompromisein
shortademocraticpoliticalculture.

PerhapsthebestknownhistoricaltraditionofuniversitydemocracyistheLatinAmericanco
government(begunwiththeCordoba,Argentinareformsof1918).Proportionalrepresentationon
decisionmakingbodiesanddirectelectionofadministratorsremainhallmarkfeaturesinmanyof
theregionspublicuniversities.TheWesternEuropeanstudentrevoltofthe1960sand1970smade
paralleldemandsforwidespreadstudentandfacultyrolesingovernance.Thoughsuchinternal
democracyhasbeenbuffetedinrecentdecadesbystatesectormanagerialismandpressuresfor
increasedaccountability,marketforces,thegrowthofprivateinstitutions,andneoliberalfavoringof
consumerchoiceovercollectivedecisionmakingthroughrepresentationalprocesses,Latin
Americaitselfinrecentyearshashadarevivalofmovementsforwidespreaddemocracyinside
publicuniversities.

TheViewOpposingUniversityDemocracy

Instarkcontrastistheviewthatnationaldemocracy(whetherstrongorlimited)shouldnotinclude
universitydemocracy.Vibrantnationaldemocracydoesnot,inthisvision,requirethatsocietal
institutionsbeinternallydemocratic.Someoftherationalesforthispositionaregenericallyrelevant
forsocietalinstitutionsandassociationsthatformpartofapluralistdemocracy.Pluralistdemocracy
famouslyallowsforhierarchywithinchurches,advocacyorganizations,businesses,unionsand
educationalinstitutions.Thereasoningisespeciallypowerfulforprivateinstitutionswhere
membershiporparticipationisvoluntaryinstitutionsofchoiceneednotinternallyprovide
unrestrictedvoicethatdeterminespolicy.Butthereasoningappliesalsotomanypublic
organizations.Ofcoursetherearedebatesovertheshapeandvolumeofvoice,participation,and
representationwithininstitutions,butthevisionIidentifyhereisantitheticaltooveralluniversity
democracy.

Sometaketheviewfurther:notonlyareinternallydemocraticinstitutionsnotrequiredwithin
nationaldemocracies,theyaredetrimentaltoit.Anationaldemocracyneedsstrongautonomous
societalinstitutionsthatcanchartandpursueclearcoursesofaction.Institutionalautonomycanbe
underminedbytheinternalconflictanduncertaintyassociatedwithwidespreadandshifting
representationandelectoralpolitics.

Fortheparticularcaseoftheuniversities,onemightrelaxthecaseagainstuniversitydemocracya
bit:weredealingwithahighlyeducatedcommunityandsocializingyouthforthebroader
democraticstage.Ontheotherhand,thecaseagainstelectoralandrepresentationaldemocracy
mightbestrengthenedwhenitcomestouniversities:academicandpolicydecisionsshouldbe
madebyhighlytrainedandcapableexperts,notthecommunityatlarge.

InthisviewLatinAmericancogovernment,inthoseinstancesinwhichitappearsinextremeform,
epitomizestheillsofuniversitydemocracywithitspursuitofvotesoversoundacademicpolicy,
chronicconflictandconfusion,rampantinefficiency,shoddyteaching,poorresearch,andlackof
accountabilitytosocietyanddemocraticgovernment.SouthAsiaspublicuniversitiesareoften
similarlydepictedbythoseopposedtouniversitydemocracy.Incontrast,themostprominentand
mostprominentlyinvokedexampleofanationaldemocracythatbasicallydeniesuniversity
democracyisofcoursetheUnitedStates.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/worldview/universitydemocracydemocracies 2/3
16/2/2017 UniversityDemocracyinDemocracies?

Sucharetwoverycontrastingvisionsofwhethertohaveampleuniversitydemocracyinside
democraticpoliticalsystems.Almosteveryoneprofessestobefornationaldemocracybut
democracyisacomplexconceptwithdifferentlegitimateviewsofwhatitisandwithdifferent
legitimateviewsofwhatitmustincludeandwhatisappropriatetonourishit.Shouldademocratic
nationalpoliticalsystemhavedemocraticuniversities?Theresnotjustonecommonanswer.

SourceURL:https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/worldview/universitydemocracydemocracies?
width=775&height=500&iframe=true

Links:
[1]https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/worldview

undefined
undefined

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/worldview/universitydemocracydemocracies 3/3