Given that faculty have primary responsibility for curricula requirements, academic standards and grading, knowledge and creative production, and peer review of faculty outcomes, faculty leadership is essential to higher education management. These roles are generally undertaken by faculty at the levels of departments and programs, as well as through committee structures, and operate according to the principles of subsidiarity in the academy, rather than being dictated by administrative authority. Faculty play additional leadership roles related to policy- and decision-making, resource allocation, and stewardship of strategic initiatives in collaboration with administrative staff at the school/college level, as well as cross-divisionally with units such as student affairs, budgets and finance, human resources, and athletics.

Studies show that faculty leadership is positively correlated with factors such as quality teaching, ...