Universities’ Autonomy in Times of Changing Higher Education Governance: A study of the Swiss academic labour market

Abstract

Although eternally debated, the issue of autonomy in higher education is rarely analysed in its complexity. To address this issue, this article uses an analytical matrix which combines the distinction between substantive and procedural autonomy and the distinction between HEI governing bodies, academic professions and individual academics. This framework allows for analysing—by the example of the Swiss academic labour market—how changes in national steering can lead to the redistribution of autonomy between the mentioned actors. Further insights relate to the observed higher education system’s decentralised character. Empirical findings—based on the examination of three special programmes initiated by the federal government—indicate that HEI actors lose some substantive autonomy in favour of the Confederation, and—against the general tendency induced by New Public Management to reinforce HEI governing bodies—procedural autonomy is rather redistributed to individual academics and academic professions.

Keywords:

• governance
• staff recruitment and retention
• national systems of higher education

Notes

1. The Swiss higher education sector is composed of 10 universities which are under cantonal competence—that is to say mainly ruled by law of the corresponding region (canton)—two federal institutes of technology, eight universities of applied sciences and 14 institutions of teacher education. Cantonal universities concentrate the largest proportion of students.

2. LAU—Loi sur l’aide aux universités et la coopération dans le domaine des hautes écoles.

3. In some cases, full professors may be employed to a limited percentage, which gives them the possibility of carrying out parallel professional activities such as lawyer, architect, medical practitioner, etc.

4. Source: Federal Statistical Office, http://www.bfs.admin.ch, accessed March 2010.

5. Source: Federal Statistical Office, http://www.bfs.admin.ch, accessed March 2010.

6. It was only in the late 1960s that the Confederation gained a clear competence of (co‐) funding of the cantonal universities, through the LAU (Loi d’aide aux universités; Perellon, 2001).

7. In French: “Encouragement de la relève académique”; in German: “Akademische Nachwuchsförderung”.

8. Source: http://www.snf.ch, accessed October 2008.

9. Source: Federal Statistical Office, http://www.bfs.admin.ch, accessed March 2010.

10. Swiss National Science Foundation, Swiss University Council, Swiss Science Council.

11. Source: Federal Statistical Office, http://www.bfs.admin.ch, accessed March 2010.

12. Candidates must have studied or worked at a certain time in their career in another HEI or even in the private sector rather than in the HEI in which they benefit from the programme.