Academic Governance in the Contemporary University

Reviews / Votes

"The book chronicles the changes in university governance in Anglophone systems in a thorough and systematic way. It brings together in one volume an analysis of the trends and issues facing the governance of the world's major higher education systems. It is the only recent work that I know of which does this. The shift from "academic governance" to "executive governance" has been one of the most important changes facing higher education nearly everywhere. Rowlands' documentation and analysis of these changes is deep and rich." (Professor V. Lynn Meek, University of Melbourne)

"This is a much needed and carefully crafted comparative analysis of the UK, USA and Australia as to the changing role of academic boards or senates in university governance. Rowlands' skillful use of theory in clear, accessible language goes to the heart of a troubling shift in power away from academics to the executive in the modern university in more regulated/deregulated and marketised contexts. Rowlands illustrates how academic boards or senates now function less as sites of debate and more in a performative role of quality assurance, thus symbolizing the weakening role of academics relative to executive leadership and management in decision-making about the core work of teaching and research, although with significant national differences. The focus on the internal mechanisms of university governance highlights issues regarding academic freedom, institutional and professional autonomy, tenure, accountability, workload and student participation and how academic norms are moving towards commercial foci." (Professor Jill Blackmore, Deakin University)

"In an era that has seen the decline of the professor and the rise of executive senior management, Julie Rowlands builds round a focus on the senate/academic board to examine how universities are run. She shines a light on power, where it resides, how it is exercised and what checks and balances exist. This illuminatingbook will be essential to courses on higher education management and key reading for those involved in governance, not least representatives of staff subject to New Public Management." (Professor Ian McNay, University of Greenwich)