Shared governance: Determining faculty members current level of participation in institutional decision making in Shaqra University and TVTC

Abstract

University shared governance refers to the control and administration of higher education institution in which faculty members, administrators, and trustees share equal responsibilities. Currently, shared governance between faculty members and administrators inside academic institutions is still an unending point of concern in the educational realm worldwide including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Thus, this paper wants to determine the level of participation of Shaqra University's (SHU) and Technical and Vocational Training Colleges, (TVTC) Faculty members in institutional decision-making in line with the global shared governance apprehension through the administration of survey questionnaires distributed to both institutions. Of 140 opinion poll dispensed to SHU and TVTC, 128 were reclaimed and had high validity. The respondents were composed of assistant professors, associate professors, professors, assistant lecturers and lecturers. This study, upon checking its stability and coefficient, concludes the following: (1) the level of participation of faculty members of SHU and TVTC in general decision-making including decisions concerning academic training, students/trainees, staff member, program plans, local society, and administrative/finance has significant difference, (2) the factors affecting decision-making also has significant difference due to system regulations, nature of the problem and environmental conditions, (3) the relation of decision-making participation to job satisfaction has no significant difference. This discovery transpires to the recommendation of increasing the faculty's participation in academic and administrative decision-making more than its current level.