A Governance Assurance Framework for a University Leadership in the Age of Polycrisis

Abstract

Higher education has undergone a significant transformation from its historic character as a community of scholars. As higher education institutions are being called upon to present a more business-like complex, a growing executive management style built on a foundation of governance and deeper accountability has taken root. The effect is the introduction and implementation of practices that conflict with the traditional values of the university, accompanied by concomitant resistance to managerialism and the bureaucratization of the academic project. The article examines six governance frameworks and identifies five key drivers of governance: leadership and direction, strategy and performance, accountability, ethical culture, and stakeholder relationships, as well as a sixth lever: monitoring, evaluation, and improvement.