By Molly Kent, Program Coordinator for Education
Public trust in higher education has declined significantly over the past decade, as headlines such as “Growing share of Americans say the U.S. higher education system is headed in the wrong direction” and “Presidents Puzzled on Rebuilding Public Trust in Higher Ed” have become all too familiar.1
The American public’s growing mistrust of higher education is not surprising, given the increased politicization of the classroom, rising college costs, and cuts to federal funding. At this critical moment for higher education, the Academy, together with the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education Initiative, convened faculty governance leaders from across the country at the House of the Academy in March 2026.2 Participants discussed how rebuilding public trust in higher education needs to begin with restoring trust within institutions themselves, particularly between faculty and administrators.
The convening laid the ground-work for building a durable coali-tion of faculty governance leaders focused on information sharing, mutual support, and collaboration while also developing actionable ideas and strategies for how faculty governance bodies can help their campuses navigate the challenges of the current environment.
The meeting began with participants sharing one word or phrase to describe the relationship between faculty and administration on their campus. Many responses reflected a broken sense of trust between the two groups: skeptical, cryptic, mistrustful, rollercoaster, personality dependent. Others were more optimistic about the future: cautiously collaborative, promising, recovering. The discussion raised an important question: How can this optimism help restore confidence and strengthen trust in the higher education sector?
Promote Shared Governance
One of the central questions that the participants explored, “What will it take to mend the broken social contract between faculty and administration?” sparked a robust discussion about the importance of authentic shared governance structures on campus. Academy President Laurie L. Patton defined shared governance as “regular and meaningful occasions for consequential input.” Other participants described shared governance more broadly, such as sharing the decision-making power between faculty and administrators and empowering faculty’s voice.
Faculty governance structures vary widely. Some institutions have large faculty senates with multiple leadership roles; others allow faculty senate leaders to serve on the board of trustees; and some institutions don’t have a faculty senate at all. These differences in the decision-making power granted to faculty demonstrate that shared governance is rarely a one-size-fits-all concept. Participants highlighted the importance of faculty and administrators working in partnership to determine how best to involve faculty in the shared governance process.
For institutions struggling to maintain trust and collaboration between faculty and administrators, participants discussed several ways to strengthen these relationships, such as engaging smaller groups of faculty in discussions about major priorities for the university (i.e., strategic planning), encouraging presidents and provosts to communicate more openly about institutional challenges, particularly budgetary issues and constraints, and focusing on efforts that clearly align with the institutional mission.
Shared governance provides a framework for faculty and administrators to work together to restore trust, but what can individual faculty members do to help restore trust both on and off campus?
Shift Culture
One of the major themes discussed at the convening was the importance of faculty returning to their “why.” One participant suggested that faculty can lead with passion, generosity, and curiosity by refocusing on the broader purpose of their role: showing up for students.
Faculty can begin to restore trust both on and off campus by discussing the ways in which they can shift the culture of higher education toward a more mission-oriented culture. Faculty need to consider how their personal values align with their institution’s mission and how their personal commitments can be reflected in their everyday work.
How can faculty bring this cultural shift into their partnership with administrators? One participant recommended that faculty should take on a larger role of responsibility by considering how faculty can defend the institution and support the broader higher education sector. This requires moving beyond defending the status quo and instead engaging constructively with the administration. At this pivotal moment for the sector, faculty should also consider which elements of faculty monoculture may no longer serve their purpose. Faculty and administrators can work together to build a shared culture centered on supporting students and strengthening education.
Work With the Board
Just as faculty governance structures vary widely, board structures, whether boards of trustees or regents, also differ across institutions. Regardless of the board structure, it’s important for the faculty to understand how to work effectively with the board.
One concrete way in which faculty can better interact with the board is through ex officio faculty positions. Faculty senate leaders in these roles noted that a faculty presence on the board makes a “huge difference” in building strong relationships among faculty, board members, and campus administrators, and ensures that board members regularly hear faculty concerns. This kind of participation helps support effective partnership because even when faculty are not members of the board, they still need to be aligned with institutional decisions. When faculty are not included early in the decision-making process, it can exacerbate existing tensions, such as mistrust on campus, and hinder institutional progress.
Panelists who have worked with a variety of boards noted that some board members may not be familiar with how a higher education institution is run, particularly if they have not been on a college or university campus since they were students. Many of them may have prior experience on industry or nonprofit boards, where shared governance is not a common practice. In higher education, effective governance depends on a sense of shared responsibility among the board, campus leadership, and faculty. Thus, it’s important for faculty and administrators to create opportunities to inform and educate board members. One approach is to invite faculty members to board meetings to share research on relevant academic topics or provide insight into the larger academic community.
Many participants shared some strategies they have used successfully to build strong relationships with their boards. One example is for faculty and the board to clearly define their respective roles within the shared governance structure, maximizing efficient decision-making. Another way is to recognize that trustees are often most engaged when discussions focus on the student experience and how faculty contribute to student learning. Participants noted that board members want to improve the institution and be seen as institutional stewards, much like the faculty.
Restore Public Trust
At the conclusion of the convening, participants were asked, “What should faculty do next to restore public trust in higher education?” They identified several actionable things to bring back to their institutions, such as using shared governance as an instrument to strengthen alignment around the institution’s mission and creating more meaningful partnerships with their board.
However, the most prominent answer that emerged from the conversation was the need for faculty to engage more frequently and more intentionally with the institutional community. Nearly every participant referenced “community” or “students” in their responses, underscoring the urgency faculty feel to keep students and the community at the center of their decision-making. One participant even noted that they would be willing to stand in town halls and “get yelled at” if it meant more involvement with the student community. Another participant emphasized the importance of committing to genuine community engagement, not just a “PR thing, but really thinking about providing incentives for community engagement” and dedicating positions to researching community culture.
What’s Next?
As the convening concluded, one participant observed that the higher education sector has struggled to connect with the public because “we have lost the ability to explain what it is we do well.” At a time when the public is reassessing its trust in higher education alongside other American institutions, colleges and universities need a new vision for the future of the higher education sector. Developing this new vision will require not only administrators and boards but also faculty who can work alongside institutional leaders to build a shared sense of purpose.
For more information about the Academy’s work on higher education, visit the Academy’s website.