Shared Governance at Rutgers

The NBFC is one of several entities that uphold Rutgers’ long-standing commitment to shared governance, defined by the American Association of University Professors as “the joint responsibility of faculty, administrators, governing boards, and others for the decision-making processes that shape the institution” (AAUP, Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities, 1966). Shared governance recognizes that universities function best when decisions draw on the collective expertise and perspectives of all academic stakeholders.

At Rutgers, shared governance bodies include faculty councils at each of the Chancellor-led units – New Brunswick and also Newark, Camden, and RBHS (outlined in Rutgers University Policy) – as well as the Rutgers Senate, which represents faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Rutgers’ shared governance ecosystem also includes nearly twenty unions, among them Rutgers AAUP-AFT and Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union.

What Is Shared Governance?

Shared governance in higher education is both an ethical commitment and a practical system. It is:

  • a framework for inclusion and accountability: ensuring that faculty, staff, and students have structured, meaningful roles in shaping institutional policies;
  • a mechanism for leveraging distributed expertise: so that decisions reflect the lived realities of those conducting teaching, research, and facilitating student learning; and
  • a practice of transparency and shared responsibility, sustained through early engagement and predictable feedback loops between non-management constituencies and administrators.

When functioning well, shared governance produces decisions that are better informed, more legitimate, and more sustainable – because they arise from mutual respect and collective problem-solving rather than unilateral action. It is also a source of institutional resilience, particularly in times of political, financial, or social stress, when open consultation and trust are essential.

Photo of Prof. Bob Boikess.Professor Bob Boikess: Shared Governance Visionary and Advocate

The NBFC honors Professor Bob Boikess (1937-2025), whose decades of service profoundly shaped Rutgers’ shared governance. Joining Rutgers in 1968 as a professor of chemistry, Prof. Boikess became one of the University’s longest-serving and most respected faculty members.

Prof. Boikess was well known for his fearless integrity, command of institutional history, and unwavering defense of academic freedom, faculty rights, and student welfare. Across his leadership roles in the NBFC, University Senate, and Rutgers AAUP-AFT, Bob brought clarity, courage, and intellectual rigor to every discussion. Colleagues recall his boldness in debate and willingness to stand alone when principle demanded it. He championed equity for non-tenure track and adjunct faculty, affordable education for students, and transparency in university decision-making, speaking candidly against the corporatization of higher education. His leadership on academic freedom, faculty compensation, student-athlete welfare, and teaching evaluation reform left a lasting imprint on Rutgers governance.

To those who served with him, Bob was both truth-teller and teacher – a model of what it means to show up, read deeply, engage thoughtfully, and argue from conviction without disrespect. He was a steadfast ally of vulnerable colleagues and a living embodiment of shared governance in action: courageous, collegial, and deeply devoted to Rutgers as a community of learning and care.