Professors ‘Should Absolutely Be More Alert’ “There is no question that many colleges and universities are in financial distress, and many more will face daunting challenges in the next decade,” the report says. “The question is whether robust shared governance will survive those challenges. For that to happen, governing boards, administrations and faculties must make a conscious, concerted, and sustained effort to ensure that all parties are conversant with, and cultivate respect for, the norms of shared governance.” Michael DeCesare, professor of sociology and co-chair of the AAUP committee that led the investigation, said Tuesday that “adverse personnel actions will, unfortunately, continue to be taken unilaterally by administrations and boards against faculty members even after we get past the pandemic,” if less frequently than in the past year.