Administrative Oversight and Faculty Autonomy: Implications for Governance in Higher Education

This quantitative study addresses a gap in governance literature by examining the underexplored relationship between administrative control and faculty autonomy in higher education. Drawing on Bolman and Deal’s Structural Frame, this investigation examines how governance structures impact faculty perceptions of independence in academic decision-making. Data were collected from 29 full-time faculty members using a validated survey instrument measuring administrative control and faculty autonomy. Descriptive statistics profiled respondents, and inferential methods—Spearman’s rank-order correlation and simple linear regression—tested the relationship between the two variables. Results show a statistically significant, moderate positive correlation between administrative monitoring and faculty autonomy (r = .42, p < .05), indicating that structured oversight may coexist with or even enhance perceived autonomy. However, regression analysis reveals that administrative control alone weakly predicts faculty autonomy (β = .21, p = .08), suggesting the influence of additional institutional or interpersonal factors. These findings provide evidence-based guidance for governance reform, underscoring the need for policies that balance structural oversight with supportive organizational cultures and relational dynamics to sustain faculty autonomy.