The English ideal of university governance: A missing rationale and some implications

ABSTRACT

It is argued that there must be an ideal of university governance towards which the institutions have been moving for many years. A search of general reflections on higher education does not reveal any rationale for this ideal but does reveal some reservations. Thus it does not appear to be possible to appeal to any authority for the assumption that our system is beneficial. Meanwhile, some current doubts about this system can be found. Doubts of this sort appear to have fuelled the setting-up of the Steering Committee for Efficiency Studies in Universities chaired by Sir Alex Jarratt some of whose recommendations are examined in the light of the ideal.

There follow notes on some of the points that would have to be addressed if a rationale for our system were to be written.