Improving University governance MODERN HE platform

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Improving University governanceMODERN HE
platform Benchmarking
Jose Gines Mora ESMU Board member
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The MODERN Project

• European Platform for Higher Education
  Modernisation
• Three-year EU-funded Project
• Consortium
• ESMU Project Leader
• 9 Partners
• 26 Associates

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ESMU Project Leader

• ESMU is an international non-profit organisation
  promoting good practices in European Universities
  through
• Networks
• Projects
• Benchmarking Exercises
• Seminar and training Programmes
• ESMU provided technical assistance to the
  European Commission for the management of major
  higher education programmes (COMET 19871995-
  SOCRATES, LEONARDO, YOUTH for Europe III)

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Project Partners

1. European Foundation for Management Development
   (EFMD)
2. Centre for High Education Development (CHE)
3. Danube University Krems University for
   Continuing Education
4. Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies,
   University of Twente (CHEPS)
5. European Consortium of Innovative Universities
   (ECIU)
6. European Association for International Education
   (EAIE)
7. International Centre for Higher Education
   Management, University of Bath (ICHEM)
8. Politecnico di Milano Consortium for the
   Innovation of Firms and Public Administration
   Management (MIP)
9. Higher Education Development Association (HEDDA)

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Associated Partners

• Association of Heads of University Administration
  (AHUA)
• Baltic Sea Region University Network (BSRUN)
• Central European University (CEU)
• Compostela Group of Universities
• Danube Rectors Conference (DRC)
• Deans European and Academic Network (DEAN)
• European Association of Distance Education
  Universities (EADTU)
• European Association of Institutions in Higher
  Education (EURASHE)

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Associated Partners II

• European Higher Education Society (EAIR)
• European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI)
• European University Institute (EUI)
• Fachhochschule Osnabrück
• HBO raad (as manager of the European Network for
  Universities of Applied Sciences/UAS)
• University of London, Institute of Education
  (IoE)
• Institutional Management in Higher Education
  (OECD-IMHE)
• Network of Universities from Capitals of Europe
  (UNICA)
• The Norwegian Association of Higher Education
  Institutions (UHR)

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Associated Partners III

1. ProTon Europe
2. Santander Group of European Universities
3. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Center for
   the Study of Higher Education Management (CEGES)
4. University of Kassel, International Centre for
   Higher Education Research (INCHER)
5. University of Oldenburg
6. University of Southern Denmark
7. Heads of University Management and Administration
   Network in Europe (HUMANE)
8. ESMU-HUMANE Winter School Alumni Network for
   Senior University Administrators
9. Winter School Alumni network (WSAN)
10. University of Southampton, CHEMPaS

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Why?

• To provide a structured answer to the current
  fragmentation in the supply of management
  development training for HEIs
• To respond to current priorities in the EHEA and
  ensure HEIs competitiveness to respond to
  external challenges
• Invest in people
• Support potential leaders
• Encourage management training at all levels
  (junior/senior, academic/ admin)

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Modern activities

• Platform web-based/conferences
• Review - supply of mgt programmes demand
• Database of information
• New joint actions - Peer learning
• Dissemination
• State-of-the art reports
• Work closely with EU and all stakeholders

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Modern - Governance

• MODERN conference, Brussels, 9 June 2009
• MODERN state-of-the-art report
• Governance reforms in European higher education
• Produced by CHEPS, project partner

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From government to governance

• - Why ?
• 1. Globalization, internationalization and
  Europeanization
• 2. Economic recessions decreasing public
  expenditures
• 3. The rise of New Public Management
• - More complex and dynamic multi-actor
  relationships
• - Both new shift to supra-national level (EU
  policy agenda) regional level

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Institutional autonomy

• Institutional mission/strategy development
• Internal governance structures
• Introduction of new study programmes
• Internal financial policies
• Conditions of employment of staff
• Access and admission policies

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Institutional mission development

• In many countries national authorities interested
  in determining the missions of the HEIs
• Institutional leadership plays a decisive role in
  developing missions
• Other actors involved are academics, students and
  industry and business

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Internal governance structures

• In most of the countries national legislation
  determines to some extent internal governance
  and management structures
• Institutional leadership strengthened increase
  in number of mid-level positions
• Establishment of quality assurance mechanisms
• Role of academics and students varies strongly
• External stakeholders not much involved

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Development of study programmes

• Most countries - responsibility of the
  institution
• Institutional management in collaboration with
  academics and students
• Institutional autonomy is restricted by programme
  accreditation

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Finance and resource allocation

• Institutional management (government to a lesser
  extent) decision on internal budget distribution
• Significant institutional autonomy (although in
  many countries HEIs follow the same rules applied
  by the government in allocating lump sums)
• Institutional autonomy in determining tuition
  fees - only in few countries

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Student staff and selection

• Mixed picture
• In many countries - centralized national
  procedures and regulations on student access and
  selection
• In other countries HEIs play a key role, i.e.
  institutional management and academics
• Overall shift to enhanced institutional autonomy

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National governance trends

• Increasing institutional autonomy
• Increased emphasis on competition between HEIs
• Introduction of performance-based funding
• National and institutional quality assurance
  systems
• Reform of institutional governance structures

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Internal governance trends

• Strengthening of institutional leadership and
  institutional strategies
• Increased focus on institutional performance
• Collegiality and consensus-based decision-making
  under pressure
• Towards the corporate university?

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EBI-II Benchmarking project

• EU-funded project (2008-2010)
• Four partners ESMU, Institute of Education
  (London), CHE, ICHEM
• Four groups of 10-15 HEIs set up
• Governance
• University-enterprise cooperation
• Lifelong Learning
• Curriculum reforms
• One kick-off workshop (April) and four workshops
  (data gathering, analysis and action plans)

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EBI-II Benchmarking project

• Possible indicators to benchmark governance
• Contextual data
• National Level legislation, degree of
  institutional autonomy
• Institutional Level vision/mission statement
• Governance
• Internal Stakeholders balance, mechanisms
• External Stakeholders mechanisms, selection
• Decision-making key actors bodies, roles
• Governance Quality communication, experience,
  professionalism

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For further Information

• ESMU www.esmu.be
• MODERN platform www.highereducationbenchmarking.eu
  
• EBI www.education-benchmarking.eu
• Nadine Burquel, Secretary-General,
  nadine.burquel_at_esmu.be