University governance and autonomy: a European comparative overview
Enora Bennetot Pruvot, deputy director for Governance, Funding and Public Policy Development, European University Association
Autonomy remains a necessary condition to enhance higher education institutions’ ability to fulfil their core missions. To support an evidence-based dialogue on autonomy, the European University Association’s newly updated Autonomy Scorecard analyses the regulatory framework applied to public universities across four dimensions of autonomy: organisational, financial, staffing and academic. Published by EUA in March of 2023, ‘University Autonomy in Europe IV: The Scorecard 2023’ collects, compares and weights data on university autonomy in 35 higher education systems. It allows concrete benchmarking of national regulatory frameworks concerning university autonomy, as well as the exchange of good practices. Since 2011, previous editions of the Autonomy Scorecard have been extensively used throughout Europe by the university sector as well as policymakers, in the context of national policy debates and reforms. The wealth of data it offers has been instrumental in providing an overview of the state of university autonomy in Europe and has allowed systems to benchmark themselves in this context. Trends in university autonomy across Europe This year’s Scorecard revealed several trends regarding university autonomy across Europe. Below is a selection of trends per dimension of autonomy.
A frequent narrative promoting efficiency in decision-making and a stronger connection to societal and economic interest has led to the establishment or empowerment of board-type bodies and more frequent involvement of external members. There are fewer unitary governance models, and in particular models where the senate is the sole decision-maker, while systems featuring dual governance structures remain the majority across Europe. The European Universities Initiative has shed light on legal obstacles to transnational cooperation between universities at institutional level. The question of the autonomy of universities and the extent to which they can decide on certain issues themselves has thus gained importance. While many systems are discussing changes to their legal frameworks to give universities more autonomy and further enable transnational collaboration, only a few countries have already implemented changes.
University staff
Data collected on staffing matters reflect the diversity of tensions and pressures at play in the sector. There is recognition that universities require greater flexibility in recruitment, and structural developments have taken place in several countries to simplify procedures. A common feature is the perceived need to open up recruitment, notably towards non-academics, and to attract foreign talent. Nevertheless, in parallel, strong restrictions continue to hamper universities’ attractiveness in that regard. The recurrent evaluation model found in some Eastern European systems (no permanent contract) is questioned in places like Latvia; tenure track is under development or reform in Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, or Sweden, while some countries open alternative routes for recruitment. In many countries, universities still have to cope with rigid recruitment provisions. To be competitive and deliver on multiple expectations, universities require greater flexibility in recruitment. Overall, the Scorecard records various instances of greater flexibility on staffing matters, but no extensive change in the prevailing models. A discussion on academic careers is also emerging, with the goal of reaching a better parity of esteem between different academic paths and missions, and better recognition of the different tasks that academics perform, among them teaching.
Finances
Increased pressure on financial autonomy comes from different angles: the increased use of earmarked or targeted funding for universities combined with eroding core public funding; insufficient public investment in infrastructure; and the lack of coverage of indirect costs in competitive funding. Underfunding leaves universities ill-prepared and vulnerable to shocks and larger-scale crises, without opportunities to build capacities and structures to reap benefits associated to autonomy. The funding model itself, and the parameters according to which public funding is allocated to institutions, also frame and inform, if not constrain, university financial decisions. The drivers of funding allocation may reflect to some extent priorities set by the funders and set incentives for universities to perform in a certain way. Across Europe, performance contracts are becoming a commonly used funding frame for universities. While conceived as strategic, dialogue-based tools, they have sometimes become an instrument of direct steering, including increased detail and connections to government policies, and thus may have significant impact on institutional autonomy. Ownership of real estate has become particularly important in the context of the green transition and rising energy costs. When universities are in charge of regular maintenance but may not own or sell buildings, they have fewer options to invest in sustainable, energy-efficient campuses.
Academic matters
Governance
There are increasing restrictions on the capacity of universities to offer instruction in foreign languages. This illustrates ongoing tensions in the field of internationalisation. While there is more evidence (notably in the political discourse) of proactive promotion of the university sector abroad, with the goal to recruit more foreign students, regulatory frameworks in various countries have become stricter. Certain countries that have a successful internationalisation history, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, have recently set new limits in this area, notably with the goal to alleviate financial pressures on the system and on students. There are also growing concerns expressed by policymakers about the need to preserve the scientific standing of the national language (Norway) or to make sure that programmes remain available to students in their own language (Flanders, Finland).
Over the past decade, public authorities across Europe have often approached their higher education systems through the prism of rationalisation, efficiency, and performance. This rationale may accommodate very diverse approaches, ranging from bringing regulatory frameworks together (landscape consolidation) to further differentiation of sub-groups of higher education institutions (re-structuring). That has translated into governance reforms, as well as efforts to redefine the perimeter of key institutions. European countries have sometimes used experimental approaches in the field of university governance. This may include, for instance, making available new types of institutional status which open options with regard to governance structures. In some cases, these have led to sector-wide change.
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