The roles and responsibilities of different constituencies in the governance of state colleges and universities are described, based on the position of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. These constituencies include state legislatures, governing boards, system chancellors, presidents, faculty, middle management, and students. State colleges and universities need to continuously monitor the influences of their mission, and ensure that quality is sustained when adaptations occur. Three major changes experienced by academia since World War II are knowledge explosion, collective bargaining, and financial exigency. State government is responsible for providing adequate funding to enable the college to meet its goals and to insure access, while the governing boards have the ultimate responsibility for the development and operation of the institution. Board policy should clearly specify the role and status of the executive officer and the officer's relationship to the campus presidents. The college president's responsibilities include implementing existing board policies and recommending personnel matters and new policies to the board. The roles of faculty, administrators, and students are also addressed. (SW)