MenuInventory of the Commission on University Governance Records, 1969-1971
Abstract
The Commission on University Governance at Duke University was created in April 1969 by Chancellor pro tem Barnes Woodhall. The group was charged with studying changes in university organization nationwide to create a model for administration at Duke. The group also focused on increasing student participation in university governance. The records include minutes, memoranda, correspondence, and reports produced by the Commission on University Governance, as well as reports, clippings, and other printed matter gathered by the Commission for reference purposes. The Commission published its findings and recommendations in three "Interim Reports," concerning the Board of Trustees, the Central Administration, and Departmental Governance.
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
- Duke University Archives
- Creator
- Duke University. Commission on University Governance.
- Title
- Commission on University Governance Records, 1969-1971
- Extent
- 2.5 linear feet, , 2 boxes
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Duke University Archives.
- Language
- English.
Administrative Information
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Access Restrictions
Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Contents of the Collection
Browse List of Series
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Expand AllHistorical Note
The late 1960s was a time of rapid change at American colleges and universities, as most experienced a surge of politicization by student activists; at Duke, this was most clearly exemplified in the Allen Building takeover of February 13, 1969. In response both to this local event and to national trends in higher education, the Faculty Committee on Student Concerns, the Executive Committee of the Academic Council, and the Student-Faculty-Administrative Council (SFAC) recommended the creation of a Commission on University Governance. In April 1969 Chancellor pro tem Barnes Woodhall appointed this committee, with the hopes that future demonstrations similar to the Allen Building takeover might be avoided if effective official opportunities for student participation in university governance could be established. The Commission on University Governance was therefore charged with the task of studying changes in university organization nationwide, focusing particularly on student participation in governance, and making recommendations for Duke accordingly.
Members of the Commission eventually agreed that this purpose was best accomplished by dividing university governance into three categories: departmental governance, the central university administration, and the Board of Trustees. The latter body was already the subject of a study by a Board of Trustees Special Committee headed by Brantley Watson, and the Commission coordinated its efforts with the Watson Committee. The Commission on University Governance also worked simultaneously and cooperatively with the Chancellor's Advisory Committee, "The Committee of Twelve," which replaced the SFAC as the forum for airing Duke community grievances and which was meant to advise the administration concerning potentially volatile campus issues. The Commission on University Governance met 34 times between October 27, 1969 and May 17, 1970, at which time it adjourned for the school year and was never reactivated.
Subject Headings
- College administrators.
- Duke University. Administration.
- Duke University. Board of Trustees.
- Duke University. Commission on University Governance.
- Student participation in administration.
- Universities and colleges--Administration.
- Universities and colleges--Administration--Evaluation.
- Universities and colleges--Departments.
- Woodhall, Barnes, 1905-
Related Material
- Office of the Chancellor records: Committee files. (University Archives, Duke University.)
- Charles B. Wade papers. (University Archives, Duke University. )
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Commission on University Governance Records, University Archives, Duke University.
Provenance
Received 23 January 1974 from the Chancellor's Office as A74-68.
Processing Information
Processed by Cat Saleeby, completed March 2002.
Collection was 4.2 linear feet (7 Hollinger and 1 RS box) pre-processing. Primary actions taken include refoldering, weeding of duplicate materials, and establishing series arrangement. Forty 7" reel to reel audiotape recordings of the Commission's meetings were discarded, as typed transcriptions and/or detailed minutes were available for each of its 34 meetings. Also discarded was a 4-volume report to the British Parliament by the Prime Minister's Committee on Higher Education (Robbins Committee), as relevant portions were photocopied and retained with other reference files. Eleven volumes of The Study of Education at Stanford were discarded, while Volume X, "Government of the University," was retained. Student Perspective, 1964: The Student Philosophy and other Duke reports found in multiple University Archives collections were likewise discarded. A binder which included copies of Commission minutes and correspondence through the first 10 meetings, created to introduce new Duke President Terry Sanford to the Commission's purpose and actions, was discarded, as it duplicated exactly the material in folders for the first 10 meetings. However, the introduction to this volume, which provides a summary of the Commission's creation and Fall 1969 activities, is filed in Box 1 under Correspondence - Miscellaneous.
Encoded by Joshua McKim, February 2003
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.