Academic Governance

Pages: 8-14

Publisher: Sage Publications

Place of Publication: Thousand Oaks

DOI: 10.4135/9781483318332.n9

Abstract:

Governance is a highly contested concept concerning the exercise of collective control toward common goals. In the context of higher education institutions, the concept of governance refers to their internal structure, organization, and management. Academic governance is the way in which a university is operated; it concerns both the internal (institutional) and external (system) governance of the institution. Internal governance refers to the institutional arrangements within universities, such as lines of authority, decision-making processes, financing, and staffing. External governance refers to the institutional arrangements on the macro- or system level, such as laws and decrees, funding arrangements, and evaluations.

The principal academic governance model for both public and private universities through the 1980s was based on a collegial shared form of governance. The tradition of shared governance rests on the assumption that faculty should hold a substantive role in decision making alongside the institution’s key stakeholders; these stakeholders include the university rector, president, or CEO, and representatives from management, administrative staff, and students. The most visible vehicle for faculty involvement is typically a faculty senate or a similar body. Such bodies currently exist in more than 90% of colleges and universities in the United States and with small variations in Europe and the rest of the world.

During the 1980s, the idea of the so-called corporate or entrepreneurial university emerged. This concept was based on the notion that even nonprofit public universities should run themselves as businesses to enable them to address societal and market needs and to control their own budgets. In practical terms, this meant that universities should develop relationships with industry, secure external (other than government) funding, and be able to at least break even in terms of managing their finances. Today, both models coexist in a delicate balance. The traditional model advocates for free public higher education for anyone at any cost, whereas the new model argues for a market-driven, performance-led university for those who can afford it. This (encyclopedia) entry discusses the existing models of academic governance, their structure, key issues, and the current and future perspectives. It also discusses the challenges that the latest developments in online education are posing in academic governance.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/27098/

http://sk.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-online-education

Source: Manual

Academic governance.

Authors: Giousmpasoglou, C.

Editors: Danver, S.

Pages: 8-14

Publisher: Sage

Place of Publication: Los Angeles

ISBN: 9781483318356

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/27098/

https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-online-education/book243381

Source: BURO EPrints