A Continuing Role For Academics: The Governance of UK Universities in the Post–Dearing Era

Abstract

The governance of higher education has become a recognised cause for concern. Many academics lament the demise of an easy collegiality in the face of the rise of a harder managerialism that robs them of control. But outsiders to the system, concerned about the efficiency and effectiveness of higher education management, are critical of the extent to which academics seem all too eager and able to block changes that might lead to universities better addressing the needs of society.This paper rejects the simple nostrums of both those who hark back to a collegial golden age and those who make the case for a brave managerial future. It argues that universities that are capable of real strategic change in response to challenge are capable of transcending the dichotomy between collegiality and managerialism as modes of organisation. In these successful universities, academics must be involved and prepared to lead, but they must also work in partnership with administrators, in institutions that will be strong to the extent that there is a shared vision that makes the institution rather more than just the sum of warring departments 'Are higher education institutions best managed by a cadre of professional (and presumably permanent and full-time) managers, or through collegial processes?' (Bargh, C., Bocock, J. et al. (2000)

Governance and Higher Education in Pakistan: What Roles do Boards of Governors Play in Ensuring the Academic Quality Maintenance in Public Universities versus Private Universities in Pakistan?

“…According to Dearlove (2002), 'universities are innovative when it comes to piecemeal and incremental change, but deeply conservative when it comes to actually implementing systemic change across the whole of an institution. '…”

“…What this means is that there should be quality programs in universities and programs that are not productive should be shut down so that better quality programs can be introduced. The downside to strategic change is that academics are not ready to give up their research and that can hinder this kind of change (Dearlove, 2002).…”

Transforming University Governance in Ukraine: Collegiums, Bureaucracies, and Political Institutions

“…According to Dearlove (2002), collegial forms of governance in higher education are on the retreat. He comments on opportunities for collegiality in university governance:…”

Mudança no conhecimento e na profissão acadêmica em Portugal

“…Em um registro diferente, agora centrado na análise dos resultados sobre o grau de filiação dos acadêmicos às suas disciplinas, unidades orgânicas e instituição, essa lógica de hibridação mantém sua consistência. Os resultados observados confirmam as conclusões de vários estudos internacionais no campo (Askling, 2001;Enders, 2001;de Weert, 2001;altbaCh, 2001;Dearlove, 2002;bertrand et al, 1994), segundo as quais a "lealdade" dos acadêmicos às suas disciplinas científicas de socialização profissional sobrepõe--se aos seus sentimentos de filiação às instituições ou unidades orgânicas.…”