The Campus Governance Project investigated the nature and significance of the governance processes on 17 institutionally diverse colleges and universities in order to find commonalities across and within institutions. A pre-interview questionnaire was designed to elicit perceived problems at the institution and names of people seen as good sources of information and effective problem solvers. The people most often mentioned as well as a sample of faculty, students, and administrators were interviewed about the way their institution was run. One of the objectives was to define the role of the department chairman. In comparing the data concerning department chairmen with analyses of other faculty groups, significant differences were found in views regarding general resources and control of the academic program. The data delineate a role that is molded by polar demands "which condition the nature of personal interaction and the social matrix of the problem", a position that is, "by definition, schizophrenic." The interviews highlight the nature and dimensions of the concern for resources and facilities. Recruiting and budgeting are obsessions and committee work is deemed important. Individuals are seen as interchangeable parts of a functioning machine and few chairmen engage in establishing goals. Nevertheless, signs of discontent are rare. Examples of styles of operation, such as the politician/power broker, gigolo, or entrepreneur/hustler, illustrate some of the findings. (JS)