The Role of American Multicampus University Systems as Buffer Institutions in Safeguarding Campus Autonomy

Abstract

Most of the states in the United States have organized their public higher education into multicampus university systems by consolidating previously independent institutions under a single governing board and a single central administration for easy coordination, better control of expenditures and more rational allocation of resources. The central administration provides leadership, not only to identify the priorities, set the strategies and implement the plans to meet future demands, but also to safeguard campus autonomy and academic freedom by acting as a buffer between the campus and external pressures (including governmental agencies) as well as a facilitator for the diverse constituencies within the system and the internal interest groups on the campus.