Structures, Responsibilities, Relationships: Towards Effective University Governance

1
Structures, Responsibilities, Relationships
Towards Effective University Governance

• Speaker
• Dermot Gleeson
• Chair Governing Body
• University College Cork

2
Governance

• The process or system by which the University is
  directed controlled

3
Governance

• Includes the following concepts
• Authority
• Accountability
• Stewardship
• Leadership
• Direction
• Control

4
Governance

• Governance is about rules and laws but not just
  about rules and laws
• The Governance ideal being
• a seamless web of mutually deserved trust
  between the various stakeholders

5
Governance

• The legal architecture of control defines the
  power of different participants, and how that
  power is exercised
• The state
• The staff
• The students
• The Governing Body
• The Academic Council

6
Good Governance should

• Protect and enhance an institutions reputation
• Mitigate a variety of risks
• Enhance performance, morale and credibility

7
The basics of Governance

• Includes for example
• Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
• Clearly understood descriptions of roles and
  responsibilities
• Effective mechanisms for oversight and
  accountability (e.g. system of risk management
  internal audit).
• Provisions for acceptable levels of openness and
  disclosure
• External audit

8
The basics of Governance

• Standard mechanisms of management control
• Setting of objectives and the making of plans
• Identification of key performance indicators, for
  accountable officers
• Standard financial monitoring
• Control of assets
• Systems for authorisation and approval of
  expenditure
• Systems for assessing the quality of performance
  in academic and non academic roles
• Procedures for the appraisal of investments
• Procedures leading to good procurement practices
  and a well staffed internal audit function

9
The Irish Model

• Governing Authority or Board
• Academic Council
• President
• The Secretary, Registrar and Bursar

10
External Governance

• Relations with
• The Higher Education Authority
• Department of Education
• Minister

11
Roles and Responsibilities

• President - Chief Executive
• Sets the tone
• Provides leadership
• Principal Ambassador
• Engages funders (private public)
• Requires extraordinary range of skills and
  attributes (e.g. diplomacy, steeliness, energy,
  work rate, standing in the academic and wider
  community)

12
Roles and Responsibilities

• Secretary
• Key role Steward of the constitutional and
  business rules and procedures
• Co-ordinator of the flow of business with a key
  role in ensuring the quality of governance
  overall

13
Governing Body

• Comprises
• President
• Independent Chairman
• Small number of Senior Officers of the University
• Representatives of the academic and non academic
  staff
• Representatives of local and central Government
• Representatives of the graduates
• Student Representatives
• Representatives from certain nominating bodies

14
Governing Body

• The third schedule of the 1997 Act
• Section 8 (3) provides
• A member of a Governing Authority of a
  University shall act at all times in the best
  interests of the University and not as a
  representative of any special interest

15
Governing Body

• Central feature of its operation
• Obligation on each individual member to vote and
  make decisions not in the interests of their
  nominating constituency but in the interests of
  the University as a whole

16
Governing Body

• The third schedule of the 1997 Act
• Section 8 (3) provides
• A member of a Governing Authority of a
  University shall act at all times in the best
  interests of the University and not as a
  representative of any special interest
• (Least of all, one self)

17
Governing Body

• Quality of key players at the top of the
  Governance pyramid
• Relations between members of the Governing Body
• Votes should be kept to a minimum
• Duty of loyalty and confidentiality
• Small number of committees

18
Governing Body

• Scarcest commodity for any Governing Body is time
• Appraisal and assessment
• Self
• President
• Management group within the University

19
Role of Governing Body

• In relation to strategy approving the key
  strategic objectives and overseeing their
  implementation
• Setting the tone at the top influencing the
  culture of the Institution
• Evaluating Board and presidential performance
• Communicating with key stakeholders
• Abstaining from day to day management
• Not attempting to adopt an executive role

20
The Distinction between Governance Management

• there is a world of difference between
  governance and management. Governance involves
  the responsibility for approving the mission and
  goals of the institution oversight of its
  resources the approval of its policies and
  procedures and an informed understanding of its
  programmes and activities.
• Management, in contrast, involves the
  responsibility for the effective operation of the
  institution and the achievement of its goals
  within the policies and procedures approved by
  the board the effective use of its resources
  the creative support and performance of teaching,
  research and services and maintenance of the
  highest standards of scholarly integrity and
  professional performance.
• The responsibility of the board is to govern but
  not to manage
• (Glion Declaration II)

21
Role of Governing Body (2)

• Members have Inescapable personal
  responsibilities
• Duty of honesty, loyalty and good faith
• Holding the Executive accountable
• Preserving autonomy of the institution and its
  academic freedom
• Minimise tedious processes

22
Relationships

• Between Governing Body and President should be
• Supportive
• Provide Direction
• Correcting, Interrogating and Enquiring
• Holding to account

23
Relationships

• Presidents point of view, the Governing Body
  should be a
• Sounding board
• Resource
• Restraint (in some cases)
• Source of encouragement, providing recognition of
  Presidents efforts
• Academic Council

24
Keys to good Governance

• Quality, skills and character of the people at
  the top of the Governance Pyramid
• Skills of President

25
Bad Governance

• Poor control
• Poor direction
• Incoherent or divided leadership
• Resulting in
• Reputational damage
• Loss of standing
• Loss of good staff

26
Some issues in the current Governance Culture

• Excessive size of a Governing Body
• Constituencies are the correct ones but
• total number of members limits the amount of
  time available for discussion
• Small parliament rather than a Board

27
Some issues in the current Governance Culture

• Absence of a strong consequences culture
• Not just differentiated pay
• Academics repudiate the importance of financial
  remuneration
• Recognition of outstanding achievement is crucial
• Absence of reliable recognition mechanisms can
  lead to loss of morale

28
Some issues in the current Governance Culture

• Complex and inaccessible rule book
• The need for reform of University Statutes

29
Keys to good Governance

• Respect for, and attention to formal
  documentation such as
• University Statutes
• The Universities Act
• Strategic plans
• Key performance indicators

30
Keys to good Governance

• System of good Governance should attend to and
  facilitate the legitimate interests of various
  stakeholders
• State
• Teachers
• Researchers
• Students
• Those who seek to employ the graduates

31
Keys to good Governance

• System of good Governance should attend to and
  facilitate the legitimate interests of
• Schools
• Research institutes
• Government departments
• Commercial entities

32
Communication by Governing Body

• Not just the quality of the Governors
• but
• Effort and clarity which is put into
  communication by the President and Governing Body