john dobson oam - university of the sunshine coast - keynote address: meeting the agenda

Meeting the Agenda John Dobson OAM, Chancellor

Overview

- The governance challenge in the contemporary higher education context

- The evolution of higher education policy and funding

- The evolution of university governance requirements

- Implications for university management

- Implications for university governance

The governance challenge

Elite Mass Universal

Public Private

Regulation Marketisation

Policy definition

loose

A: Collegium

B: Bureaucracy

Control of implementation

loose tight

D: Enterprise

C: Corporation

tight

The Governance Challenge Four University Models (after McNay)

Ramsden (1998)

Evolution of policy and funding: 1980s

Higher Education Contribution Scheme

Evolution of policy and funding: 1990s

International student fees (1990)

Domestic postgraduate fees (1994)

Domestic undergraduate fees (1998)

Evolution of policy and funding: 2000s

Nelson Reforms

Fee flexibility

Student loans (public and private)

Discipline targets

Evolution of policy and funding: 2000s

Bradley Review

Demand-driven system

Participation and equity targets

Evolution of policy and funding: 2010s

Minister Pyne

Expansion of demand-driven system

Introduction of fee deregulation

Evolution of governance requirements:

1980/90s

“Confirmation of management decisions”

Evolution of governance requirements:

Hoare (1995)

Clarification of role of governing bodies:

- Strategic directions

- Internal and external accountabilities

Changes to:

- Size (15)

- Composition

- Appointment method

Evolution of governance requirements:

National Protocols (2004)

Role

Duties

Knowledge and skills

Size and duration of membership

Induction and professional development

Commercial oversight

Evolution of governance requirements: Voluntary Code (2011)

Primary responsibilities

Duties

Protections

Removals

Induction and professional development

Performance review

Size (22) and expertise

Risk management

Implications for university management

Entrepreneurial universities: Pathways to transition

The strengthened steering core Leaders, including academic leaders,

steering an aligned organisation flexibly, creatively and prosperously.

The expanded developmental periphery New academic and professional units

working across institutional boundaries and linking with the community to address new demands and opportunities.

The diversified funding base Development of non-government income

streams to create significant discretionary income so institutional objectives can be realised more effectively and efficiently.

The stimulated academic heartland Embedding transformation by ensuring

academic organisational units engage with the steering core, the entrepreneurial units, and income generating activities.

The integrated entrepreneurial culture Institutionalising entrepreneurial practices, values and beliefs.

Implications for university governance

University of the Sunshine Coast Council Agenda – 4 May 1998

8. GENERAL BUSINESS

Membership

Accreditation

Graduation

Executive

Budgets

Current issues, e.g. Y2K; FoI

University of the Sunshine Coast Council Agenda – 21 October 2004

7. GENERAL BUSINESS

Student fees

Educational profile

Research

Infrastructure

Planning

Policy

University of the Sunshine Coast Council Agenda – 2 June 2011

10. GENERAL BUSINESS

Quality

Equity

Strategy

Risk

Structure

Student load

Performance

University of the Sunshine Coast Council Future Agenda – 7 July 2017

9. GENERAL BUSINESS

Frameworks for:

Leadership and management

Academic and social impact

Income generation

Staff engagement

“Just as universities have moved closer to a corporate model of management, private corporations have become more collegial; large rigid hierarchies of line managers have tended to be replaced by more loosely coupled networks of team managers.” Meredith Edwards referring to Boer (1999) and Gibbons (1994)