NUI Galway 5-6th June 2008 1 University Autonomy – Safeguarded by Appropriate Accountability Dr....

NUI Galway5-6th June 2008

1

University Autonomy – Safeguarded by Appropriate

Accountability

Dr. J. BrownePresident – Uachtarán

NUI Galway


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Universities Act 1997 – Role of Universities

• ‘Advance knowledge through teaching and research.

• Promote cultural and social life.• Foster a capacity for independent

critical thinking by students.• Contribute to national social and

economic development.’ • etc. (Section 12)


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Universities Act 1997 – Academic Freedom

‘…have the right and responsibility to preserve and promote the traditional principles of academic freedom in the conduct of its internal and external affairs …. ’

…be entitled to regulate its affairs in accordance with its independent ethos…having regard to…effective and efficient use of resources…obligations as to public accountability….’ (Section 14)

Premise: Academic freedom and institution autonomy

are necessary features of successful Universities.


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OECD Report on Higher Education in Ireland

• Funding model must provide implicit strategic direction…and consistent with institutional autonomy and policies should link national strategy with institutional strategies, as appropriate….


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Autonomy – Requirement not a Privilege

• Key role of Universities in social and economic development

• Complex, multiple demands of society• Autonomy provides the freedom to respond• However !

• Autonomous universities must be sensitive to the legitimate demands of stakeholders


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• Moral obligation for an institution in receipt of public funds.

• Best defence against intrusion is to establish strong and transparent accountability systems internally.

• Autonomy can be safeguarded by appropriate accountability provisions.

Accountability


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EUA Graz Declaration (2003)

• ‘Universities must foster leadership…create a structure of governance…create rigorous internal QA, accountability and transparency systems….

• University autonomy creates and requires responsibility…responsible for developing internal quality cultures…

• Internal quality structure to monitor and evaluate all activities…external procedures should focus on checking, though institutional audit, that the internal monitoring has been effectively done….’


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1997 Act Quality Assurance Procedures

• ‘A governing authority shall…require the chief officer to establish procedures for quality assurance….’ (Section 35)

• Procedures to be based on self assessment, external peer and stakeholder review and publication of results.

• ‘ A governing authority shall…having consulted with An tÚdarás… arrange for a review of the effectiveness of the procedures…. ’ (Section 35).

• A governing authority…shall publish the results of the review.


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Accountability

Institutional Level, through the Governing Authority

Academic Units and in particular the roles of the restructured Academic Units


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University Governance

‘The proper balance of autonomy and governance…strong legislation...entrenches university autonomy’

‘A University Senate…control over academic policy…what shall be taught, who shall teach it and how it shall be taught….’

‘Board of Governors…authorised under state legislation…have authority over the university’s budget…over government monies’

– Dr. Michael Stevenson*(VC of Simon Fraser University, Canada)


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Bicameral System of University governance

… Keep the two working together, because if they work apart, we have a constitutional crisis in which the Board managing the resources of the university cannot or will not work to finance the programmes and academic decisions of the Senate ….

See www.sfu.ca/pres/president/speeches


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Universities Act 1997 – University Governance

Each university shall have a Governing Authority…the functions of a university shall be performed by or on the directions of its governing authority…. (Section 15)

Functions…to control and administer land and other property of the university…appoint the chief officer and such other employees…. (Section 18)


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Universities Act 1997 – Academic Council

Each university shall have an Academic Council which shall, subject to the financial constraints determined by the Governing Authority… and to review by that Authority … control the academic affairs of the university, including the curriculum….(Section 27)

Functions shall include…design and develop programmes of study…establish structures to implement these programmes…. (Section 27)


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Irish Universities Act 1997 - Accountability

• Strategic Plan ‘Governing Authority shall…require the chief

officer to prepare a plan ..set out the aims…for the operation and development of the University…strategy for achieving those aims….’ (Section 34).

• Quality Assurance ‘A Governing Authority in consultation with the

Academic Council…requires the chief officer to establish procedures for quality assurance’.

(Section 35).


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Traditional Academic Structures

• Discipline based

• Inflexible and Hierarchical

• Appropriate to the ‘elite’ education model

• Small autonomous units lacking critical mass

• Planning • Compliance

• Unclear on Accountability


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Why Change Traditional Structures?

• Changed Teaching and Research Landscape• Demands of ‘Mass’ Education• 4th Level Ireland

• New Funding Model• RGAM - Outcomes based• PRTL, SIF, SFI etc.

• Accountability and Compliance


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Summary – Traditional Structures

Unable to cope • Funding model• Accountability demands

Unfit for Purpose / Academic Effectiveness The old structure of small silos fails to reflect the

interrelatedness of learning and tended to inhibit the easy cross flow of academic exchange at the levels of student/learner and staff/researcher

Traditional structures reflect the needs of the service providers rather than students and other stakeholders ?


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EUA Review of QA in Irish Universities

Section 48: Irish Universities have large numbers of departments and units, many of which are small, sometimes very small, and a large majority of which are discipline based… changes in these structures are necessary to create critical mass, to strengthen higher collective levels of responsibility and to support inter-disciplinary process….


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Departments by Size (Staff)

Departments by Size

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

20 andabove

15-19.99 10-14.99 5-9.99 0-4.99

Number of Staff

Nu

mb

er o

f D

epar

tmen

ts


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Approach in NUI Galway

• Structure must support the Strategy and engage the People to be effective.

• Engage People: Requires leadership, ‘Buy In’ and where appropriate, training.

• Otherwise…. !


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NUI Galway Academic Structures

• The informing principle is cognateness of the disciplines involved in the formation of new units.

• The application of more than one model is appropriate.

• Respect for academic disciplines while accepting that the disciplines change and develop over time.

• Facilitate cooperation across disciplines, not build new walls.


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NUI Galway Academic Structure

• University consists of 5 Colleges and 16 Schools• College led by the Dean, chairs an Executive

Board of Heads of Schools plus…• Executive Board allocates resources to the Schools• School accountable through the Head of School• Autonomy within Schools:

• In an academic institution the ‘intelligence’ and the ‘knowledge’ lies at the level of the discipline and service leaders

• No single School structure proposed / imposed


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Conclusions• University Autonomy is necessary in a complex

fast changing world.• University Autonomy requires statutory support

and is best facilitated by a bicameral governance system.

• University Autonomy must be coupled with adequate and transparent accountability systems.

• The Autonomy – Accountability model is embedded in the governance and academic structures.

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