Convergent Institutional Logics in Public Higher Education: State Policymaking and Governing Board Activism

This article investigates the convergent institutional logics driving decision making at an activist governing board in higher education. Through a case study of policymaking by a state-level coordinating board in Massachusetts, the article identifies four primary logics of action: mission differentiation, student opportunity, managerialism, and system coordination. The study concludes that institutional logics are a powerful mechanism for understanding shifts in public higher education governance and results in predictable political outcomes in the negotiation of constituent interests. The article also considers the potential contribution of further examination of institutional logics on studying higher education politics and institutional stratification.