ABSTRACT
Abstract Institutional power over the decision-making process in post-secondary
institutions has traditionally been concentrated in the academy itself and, to a lesser extent,
in state regulatory offices. Recently, however, this type of governance has been challenged
and, in many places, replaced by a new, entrepreneurial model emphasizing more control
by college administrations, increased involvement by outside “stakeholders,” and the use of
competition among and within schools for students and resources as the main criterion for
determining investment and curricular priorities. This article describes the entrepreneurial
model of academic governance, then shows it in action through a detailed examination of
the presidential succession crisis at the University of Virginia. This case study reveals
many aspects of the discourse of entrepreneurial governance and illustrates the utilitarian
nature of the model. The article proceeds to consider the reasons why such a discourse
developed, tying the entrepreneurial model to the promulgation of neoliberal ideologies that
are remaking social institutions more generally. The effects on the role of education in
democratic politics in the United States are then analyzed. The conclusion of the article
speaks to the difficulties of addressing these effects and recommends ways of analyzing
responses to the model by the institutions and individuals involved.
