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This chapter argues that despite the wide-spread institution of gender-blind procedures for appointments and promotions, meritocracy as it operates in academic institutions still fails to realise progressive ideals. Although in certain respects meritocratic systems facilitate women’s entry to institutions, they can also serve to validate women’s ‘failures’ to advance in their careers. Arguing from the fact of the persistence of women’s minor status in certain disciplinary areas, and taking philosophy as a case-study, the chapter advocates a critique of meritocracy that goes beyond bias in individual judgments to explore systemic and gendered conservatism in the reproduction of disciplinary norms. The chapter contests the possibility of separating ideas of disciplinary ‘excellence’ from social contexts that include gender inequity, arguing that the assumed disjunction of ‘equity’ and ‘excellence’ serves to support an untenable understanding of the ‘essence’ of a discipline as given independently of the context provided by a gendered academy.

The Insider’s Guide to Working with Universities was written to help businesspeople, particularly board members and new academic leaders, who work with colleges and universities. The book gives them a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of how higher education works and helps them perform better in their university-related roles. The primary audience for the book is businesspeople who serve on university boards, individuals who bring incredible skills and experience but may have limited prior exposure to higher education. University boards make important decisions about strategic priorities, senior-level hiring, and budgets, their understanding of how universities work is critical to the success of the institutions that they serve. The book also helps people who take on senior positions within universities, perhaps as a dean or president, as well as businesspeople who would like to teach at the college level; donors, for whom a better understanding of academic institutions could help to shape their philanthropy; lawmakers and legislators, especially at the state level, who are responsible for public funding of higher education; and also considered are people in industries, including consulting and online education partners, whose clients are colleges and universities.

This chapter explores the differences among different types of colleges and universities, including large and small, public and private, and different missions (e.g., research versus doctoral versus baccalaureate institutions). Also discussed are the different market segments that academic institutions target.

This chapter goes inside academic institutions and describes schools, centers, institutes, degree programs, and administrative units that comprise a university. We also discuss how curriculum is created and updated, as well as innovations in teaching and pedagogy.