Finding the Sweet Spot

I could have participated in the insightful discussions on Shared Governance and University Leadership forum last Saturday, but the paternal duty of preparing for a Family Day in my son's school prevented me from being in two places at the same time.

Good thing there is a report by the De La Salle Philippines Media Bureau:

"A German educator discussed principles on Shared Governance and University Leadership to Lasallian educators in a forum held last 16 February at the DLSP Multipurpose Hall, 20th Floor Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC Hall.

Prof. Michael Fremerey, director of Institute for Socio-cultural Affairs Studies at Kassel University in Germany, emphasized that “shared governance” means the active participation of stakeholders in a university through their collaboration on projects and activities. But he clarified that administrators must identify stakeholders who will play a role in a certain project. For instance, students and faculty may participate in revising or designing a curriculum.

Fremerey, who is also expert in organizational development, said that a university must be transparent in terms of providing access on basic information to the stakeholders.

In terms of accountability, he emphasized that a university should focus on quality and relevance of education, which he considered as areas of challenges that educational institutions face today. “We have to admit that these challenges have not been born and created in the university itself. The call for more quality and more relevant (education) has come from public, economy, and political systems,” he said.

Even if there is a shared governance, leadership still plays a big role in educational management, Fremerey said. He emphasized that “leaders (the educators themselves) have to respond to expectations of the community, if they want to be accepted as leaders.”

Moreover, Fremerey said that an educator should underscore the dynamic balancing of polarities: between change and stability, system and individuals, as well as self-organization (creativity) and intervention (caring)."

On a side note, at least I got a chance to talk to Dr. Fremerey during the ride from the airport to the Legend Hotel in Mandaluyong (one of the value hotels in the Philippines) on the night before the forum.

Speaking of shared governance in Education, perhaps this is something that Social Software can help enable?