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How can universities govern across deep differences in an era of polarization and frayed epistemic trust? Higher education governance too often frames diversity as a risk to be managed rather than a generative force. This article introduces a novel Inclusive Governance Model, co-designed and implemented at a Canadian research university, which operationalizes ethical space, pluralism, and relational accountability. Using participatory action research, 300+ Indigenous Elders and scholars, civil-society leaders, students, staff, and faculty contributed through 54 interviews, 35 focus-groups, and 47 email dialogues. Data were thematically analyzed and returned to participants for prioritization and validation. The circles-of-circles architecture we generated (i) enshrines Indigenous Nations and civil-society organizations as permanent co-decision-makers through parallel paths; (ii) centres trained facilitators to steward dialogue and multi-track diplomacy across worldviews; (iii) connects community-derived priorities to transparent key-performance indicators, resourcing, and accountability loops; and (iv) elevates planetary and future-generations voices, drawing on Indigenous seven-generation thinking and emerging legal norms. Conceptually, the model integrates pluralism, ethical space, relational governance, multi-track diplomacy, and social innovation to move beyond symbolic inclusion toward structural transformation. Practically, it offers a scalable template for faculties – and potentially senates and boards – seeking to host disagreement without erasure and to co-create shared futures across deep difference. Inclusive governance emerges as not only a structural reform but a relational transformation with potential to build trust, enable dialogue, and activate co-creativity across disciplines, sectors, and worldviews.
Bharwani et al. (Mon,) studied this question.