Higher education has relied on the power of collaborative decision making on college and university campuses through the model of shared governance since the early 1900s. However, the principles of shared governance are now more thoroughly tested than ever before. In response to these simultaneous pressures and challenges, the leadership of education must be at once both agile and purposeful while drawing upon a deeper well of knowledge to inform its decision making. The current model of governance has notable weaknesses, not the least of which is the tension that exists when constituents come together with competing and, at times, antithetical demands and expectations. Although the issues in academe are changing, the structures have remained relatively static, calling into question both the relevancy of shared governance and its feasibility in modern times. Analyzing shared governance in this context should not seek to radically suggest changes to the system by rewriting the principles that are steeped in tradition. The presented assumption, however, is that the many changes and challenges that are "at academe's doorstep" require colleges and universities to rethink shared governance. Shared governance between administration and faculty needs to be viewed as a sanctioned vehicle of collaboration, not a rivalry.