GOVERNANCE, AUTONOMY AND DECISION-MAKING AT UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. European countries have undertaken reforms of their higher education systems that have affected the governance structures of universities. These reforms have been guided largely by the agendas set by the Bologna Process and the Lisbon Strategy. METHOD. We analyze the documentation produced by the European Commission on the reform of higher education systems in Europe and examine it in light of the current theoretical interpretation of the theme of governance, autonomy and decision-making in universities. RESULTS. Similar trends are observed in European countries that possess common structures and similar boards, but there are major differences in their members, origin, election process, accountability mechanisms, etc. However, in the same system of higher education, different universities respond in varying ways to the demands of society. In Spain, the state government has not addressed a profound reform of university governance in line with the recommended changes, although it has been widely debated by experts who have reached similar conclusions. DISCUSSION. Although these debates have not been translated into legislative reforms, universities are advancing, some of them in the right direction. Therefore, a possible strategy to tackle Spanish university governance is to analyze how universities are accountable for their decisions and allow them to organize themselves in an autonomous way, as they are already doing in what we call the informal universe.