Academic boards are faculty committees involved in university decision-making or governance structures. They are also known as ‘academic senates’ or ‘faculty senates’, amongst other names. This entry further defines academic boards and discusses their role in university governance and academic governance. It then looks at changes in academic boards in recent years and key issues and challenges related to academic boards.

Almost all public universities have an academic board or equivalent body, although their composition, place in the university committee structure, and level of decision-making authority may vary from university to university. There are some nationally and regionally identifiable patterns in academic board roles and functions. Many, but not all, private universities also have academic board equivalent bodies.

Within universities, academic boards are generally responsible for overseeing ...