This article considers the contribution of the governance professional to the governing of further education colleges in the United Kingdom and arises from a wider study of the ways in which college boards develop and implement college strategy. This is the first observational study to focus on what the governance professional does within the college governance space. From observation and other forms of evidence, the governance professional performs a significant, challenging and expert role in the processes and practices of governing colleges. The governance professional is instrumental as a governance sense-maker and, at a higher level, as translator of governing deliberations and decision making. The governance professional role in practice can vary depending upon a range of personal, local institutional and national factors. However, in essence the governance professional exists to legitimise college governance through the structures, processes and reporting of governing interactions. The article considers the extent to which the governance professional is pivotal to the governing of colleges and analyses the implications for college governing. Our research identifies some barriers to gaining greater impact from the college governance professional.

本文考虑了治理专业人员对英国继续教育学院的治理做出的贡献，并且源于对大学董事会制定和实施大学战略的方式进行了更广泛的研究。这是第一个关注于治理专业人员在大学治理空间中做什么的观察性研究。从观察和其他形式的证据来看，治理专业人士在治理大学的过程和实践中扮演着重要的，具有挑战性的专家角色。治理专业人士可作为治理意识的制定者，并在更高层次上充当治理审议和决策的翻译者。在实践中，治理专业人员的角色可能会根据个人，地方机构和国家因素的不同而有所不同。然而，从本质上讲，存在治理专业人员，可以通过治理互动的结构，过程和报告来使大学治理合法化。本文考虑了治理专业人员在多大程度上对大学治理至关重要，并分析了对大学治理的影响。我们的研究确定了从大学管理专业人员那里获得更大影响力的一些障碍。