Governance Of Higher Education Institutions Research Articles

Participation of Students in all Areas of Governance in Higher Education Institutions in the Light of the Literature – A Systematic Review

This paper presents a comprehensive methodology for conducting a systematic literature review on student participation in higher education institutions (HEIs), focusing on decision-making, student engagement, and extracurricular activities. Following PRISMA guidelines, the review uses evaluation criteria techniques to ensure the quality and transparency of information critical to the design of the paper. A search strategy utilising key terms across EBSCO and Web of Science databases identified 41 relevant articles. Each article underwent thorough analysis, addressing research inquiries about student participation in educational institutions. The review combines findings from diverse perspectives while highlighting students’ importance in decision-making and the relevance of student voices in this process. In addition, it highlights the importance of student engagement and the impact of extracurricular activities on academic success. Through such discussions, the paper emphasises the need for integrated frameworks focused on understanding student participation across higher education institutions, suggesting recommendations for optimising student involvement or participation in decision-making processes, fostering student engagement in teaching and learning, and enhancing participation in extracurricular activities. Overall, the paper highlights the multi-dynamic nature of student participation in the modern structure of higher education institutions and advocates for a holistic approach that empowers and motivates students to participate in all areas of the education system, which will go a long way in shaping their educational experiences.

New Education Policy and Higher Education Reforms in India

The New Education Policy (NEP), 2020, adopted by Government of India, envisages significant and far-reaching reforms in higher education sector in India. In this article, I foreground certain peculiar features of the process of massification of higher education in India, including privatisation and fragmentation. I locate the political economy of higher education in India in tensions inherent in centre–state relations and the pressure to respond to popular aspirations on the one hand and maintain standards on the other. The NEP, 2020 does not appear to acknowledge these historical processes. Instead, they appear to rely on a corporate model of BoG-driven governance of higher education institutions to drive the envisaged changes.

Governance of Higher Education Institutions through Faculty Perspectives

The present study investigated the factors influencing faculty satisfaction within higher education institutions. A quantitative survey with 30 items was administered online to faculty members (n=72) from diverse disciplines and institutional roles. Specifically, the study examined the effects of top-down leadership, hierarchical organizational culture, and the current challenges faced by academic institutions. The results showed that faculty satisfaction was significantly influenced by the leadership style at the institutional level while institutions with rigid hierarchical cultures tended to have lower faculty satisfaction. The study also identified several challenges faced by academic institutions, including budget constraints, increased workload, and shifting educational paradigms. These challenges also directly impacted faculty satisfaction in a negative way. In conclusion, to enhance faculty satisfaction, institutions should foster transparent leadership, promote a participatory organizational culture, and proactively address the challenges posed by the evolving higher education landscape.

Managing green culture for environmental performance in smart campus transformation

ABSTRACT The evolution of technology and information necessitates changes in the governance of higher education institutions geared more toward sustainability. An approach based on a green culture driven by collegial leadership is imperative. This research aims to present a solution for enhancing environmental performance through effective green culture management in a smart campus facilitated by Distributive Leadership. An explanatory survey was conducted among randomly selected staff, including faculty, totaling 387 participants. A structural model was constructed and examined based on data collected through a questionnaire. The research findings indicate that leaders at various levels still need to fully possess complementary abilities and characteristics that are mutually reinforcing and necessary for ensuring a transition toward a smart campus. The optimization of roles and functions of individuals in this transformative process, as a team directing the formation of a green culture, remains suboptimal. This situation results in the staff’s need for more achievement of environmental performance. In this transformative process, the role of Distributive Leadership is to shape both the green culture and environmental performance. This role embodies the concept of a smart campus that ensures a balance between integrating the Internet of Things and ethical responsibilities toward the environment.

Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Information System Governance in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Approach

This research aims to investigate the factors that influence the effectiveness of Information Systems (IS) Governance in Higher Education Institutions (IPT) using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The background of this research reflects the importance of IS in supporting operations, management and decision making in a higher education environment that is increasingly complex and dependent on technology.The PLS-SEM method analyzes the relationship between key variables that influence the effectiveness of IS governance at IPT. It is a powerful multivariate statistical approach that allows factor analysis and regression in a single framework, allowing researchers to holistically understand how factors relate to each other. The results of this research will likely provide valuable insight for decision-makers at IPT in improving IS management and utilization. Practical implications include the development of more effective policies, better management strategies, and improved IS infrastructure. In addition, this research is also expected to provide an essential contribution to academic literature in understanding the factors that influence the effectiveness of IS governance in the higher education context. By better understanding the factors that influence the effectiveness of IS governance, IPT can increase its competitiveness, improve the quality of educational services, and support the achievement of its strategic goals. This research is expected to significantly contribute to understanding how IS governance can be implemented and managed more effectively in higher education environments through the PLS-SEM approach.

Assessing Effects of Government Funding on University Policy- An Institutional Theory Perspective

Over the past 80 years’ university administrators have exhibited flexibility in their responses to evolving government funding patterns. One possible factor in these changes is the consequences of policy decisions at the federal and state government levels that have resulted in institution wide policy decisions in colleges and universities. These policy decisions have affected department policies and faculty member behaviors. Utilizing institutional Theory allows a discussion of the effect that government policy decisions have on responses within the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In this manner, Institutional Theory can be used to discuss how university administrative decisions have affected instruction in the United States—a case that can illuminate on policy and governance in HEIs across the globe and the implications these issues have on infusing critical thinking in higher education pedagogy. In the case of the US presented in this study, government funding patterns of the past 60 years have resulted in university policy decisions that have adversely affected the classroom experiences of students and created environments that do not elicit the same level of thinking from students. Being aware of the cascading effects of these patterns can help key stakeholders in universities to adjust policies to improve instruction and student thinking patterns.

From the Standpoint of Instructional Designers: Critically Investigating the Coordination of ID Contributions to Collaborative Online Course Development

Instructional Designers (IDs) are talented assets to higher education institutions (HEIs) that have positioned online course development as part of long-term strategic plans. This study investigated the experiences of IDs involved in online course development while working dyadically with faculty members in U.S. HEIs. The study focused on the textually mediated coordination of social working relationships and engagement outcomes on the professional identities of eight ID subjects; analysis of HEI websites and observational field notes were included in the dataset. Five thematic narratives emerged within the analysis: a question of professional (dis)regard, a culture of complex collaborative work, a conversation of representation in HEI governance, a translocal chain of bossy (mis)coordination, and a song of silent, external attributions. These themes provided a platform for disseminating ID lived narratives and perspectives within a relational framework informed by Human Resource Development (HRD), where, in the literature, their experiences can inform and benefit the improved performance of HEIs engaged in online program production and governance.

Non-Sexual Violence Values in Academic Culture of Universities in Indonesia

Sexual violence that happens in Indonesian universities is often considered trivial and receive little attention. Universities that are healthy, comfortable, safe, and free from sexual violence will ensure the continuity of educational activities. Colleges or universities should be a place for students to gain knowledge and improve morale. This article focuses on describing the non-sexual violence values developed by universities in their academic culture. This qualitative research was conducted at Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) and Universitas Palangkaraya (UPR). Data was collected through surveys, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), secondary data review, and observation. The results of the study showed that universities have developed non-sexual values ​​by strengthening the governance of higher education institutions and the culture of the community of students, educators, and educational staff.

Integration of sustainability in the curricula of public higher education institutions in Portugal: do strategic plans and self-report align?

PurposeThis study aims to explore the alignment between strategic plans of the Portuguese public higher education institutions (HEIs) and their perception of the integration of sustainability in education and curricula.Design/methodology/approachThe strategic plans from 15 institutions were selected for content analysis; data about the integration of sustainability in education and curricula, from these HEI, were collected with an online questionnaire (self-report survey). Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed.FindingsStrategic plans of the Portuguese public HEIs seem to not be sufficiently aligned with self-assessment integration of sustainability in education and curricula.Research limitations/implicationsThe classifications used in the content analysis were constructed and revised by the authors to reduce coder interpretation issues and subsequent bias in the results. However, some subjectivity could remain. The analysis of strategic plans and self-report surveys answered by top management, or a technician, does not assess the practices and sustainability implementation in education and curricula.Practical implicationsThis study allows the self-report of already-implemented practices to be compared to the planned strategy of HEI governance in Portugal as stated in their strategic plans.Originality/valueAn analysis and respective insights on the lack of connection between strategic planning and self-report practices about sustainability implementation, using Portugal as a case study.

Student’s Co-Creation Behavior in a Business and Economic Bachelor’s Degree in Italy: Influence of Perceived Service Quality, Institutional Image, and Loyalty

Universities play a significant role in the economic development of society as they provide knowledge and skills that are essential for social sustainability. In recent years, universities shifted their focus towards student-centered education and need to reconsider their sustainable strategies to become more competitive by encouraging student co-creation behaviors. To create a unique experience, universities aim to involve students in creating and delivering their educational experiences. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the perceived quality of educational service and the institutional image of a university influence students’ value co-creation behavior, and the role of loyalty in this process. The study is based on two complementary studies conducted in an Italian public university. The first study involved 720 undergraduate students with one business management bachelor’s degree who completed a questionnaire to collect primary data. The second study used six focus groups to identify which specific students’ experiences and university activities stimulated co-creation behaviors. The results show that student loyalty plays an important mediating role between university image, students’ quality perception, and co-creation behavior. Additionally, only three dimensions of quality, namely quality non-academy aspects, quality reputation, and quality access have an impact on students’ loyalty. Therefore, only two dimensions of brand image, university brand knowledge (UK), and university brand prestige (UPR) have a direct effect on value co-creation behavior. These findings have important implications for higher education institutions (HEIs) to develop managerial strategies that increase students’ co-creation behavior. The co-creation process should be considered as part of HEIs’ image-building and quality policy-enhancing strategy. Despite the value co-creation approach being overlooked in studies on HEIs governance, this study highlights its potential as a strategic approach for improving service quality and university image.

Student Participation: Issues for the Governance of Higher Education

The paper reports findings of a research project aimed at developing insight into student participation in the governance of higher education institutions. The project was carried out in two institutions in Portugal, analyzing numbers and forms of participation, identifying facilitators and constraints to participation, and analyzing the students’ perceptions of their own participation. The study was carried out in the context of the European purpose of creating a cohesive European Higher Education Area (EHEA), and in light of theoretical perspectives of the sociology of public action. The concept of participation put forward by the Council of Europe in 2003 was mobilized in the sense that true participation involves making a difference in decision-making. The research objectives required both quantitative and qualitative data collection; therefore, a mixed-methods approach was adopted, including document analysis, interviews, and a questionnaire. The cross-analysis of the data collected enabled the researchers to characterize the participation of students in formal governing bodies and in other institutional contexts, identify facilitators and constraints to participation resulting either from the legal framework, the institutional culture, or personal contexts, and simultaneously capture individual perceptions of participation on the part of the students. The results enabled the authors to make a set of recommendations for political action both at national and institutional levels.

DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNAL GOVERNANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE EVALUATION OF ADMINISTRATION AND ACADEMIC STAFF ATTITUDE

The purpose of the present study is to outline and justify the role of internal governance in higher education institutions to provide an eff ective quality management.The methodology: The study is carried out using the questionnaire designed solely to higher education sector based on key peculiarities and features of an academic fi eld.The originality of the paper is that it discusses the fi ndings of the research about the role of eff ective internal governance for the eff ective quality management in higher education. Secondly, the current study is the fi rst attempt to study the role of internal governance as one of the most important pillars of quality management in higher education at the regional level.The fi ndings of the study reveal that both administrative and academic staff of higher education institution (Kazakh national university) consider the importance of developing key procedures and processes in aligning to internal stakeholders’ needs. The obtained results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed dimensions of internal governance and open new insights into the concept of quality management from the perspectives of an institution’s internal environment.

Governance in Higher Education Institutions: a glimpse from the US

All over the world, higher education (HE) is perceived to be crucial and strategic for the development of regions and nations. In this aspect, the United States (US) higher education plays an important role, and it is recognized for several enduring features that make it distinct from other HE systems throughout the world. The US higher education is diverse and dynamic, with a commitment to academic freedom and cutting-edge research, and a wide range of institutions and programs are available to students. The enormity of the system exceeding 4,000 institutions and serving around 20 million students is clearly one feature. Its emphasis on access and availability is another. In recent times, one might wish to add its, perhaps, overzealous affinity for a market-driven philosophy. Finally, the mechanism of control through governing boards consisting of citizen-trustees that has endured since its beginning at Harvard College must be highlighted. The aim of this article is to present an overview on governance of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the US. We attempt to describe the main parameters around governance of public higher education, and we offer critical insights through a comparison with the private sector in the US and its European counterpart.

Factors affecting students' preparedness for the fourth industrial revolution in higher education institutions

PurposeKnowing the students' readiness for the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is essential to producing competent, knowledgeable and skilled graduates who can contribute to the skilled workforce in the country. This will assist the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to ensure that their graduates own skill sets needed to work in the 4IR era. However, studies on students' readiness and preparedness for the 4IR in developing countries such as the Sultanate of Oman are still lacking. Therefore, this study investigates students' readiness level and preparedness for the 4IR. The findings of this study will benefit the HEIs policymakers, administration, faculties, departments, industries and society at large since they will be informed of the student's readiness and preparedness toward industry 4.0.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopted the measures from the same context as previous studies in this study. The questionnaire was divided into three sections; the first part described the purpose and introduction of the search with the surety to keep the data confidential. The second part consisted of demographical information like gender, education. The last parts consisted of four subsections, question items in these parts are based on the related previous study. Characteristics consisted of 14 items, knowledge consisted of 18 items related to 4IR technologies, Organizational Dimension comprised of four items related to academic programs, curriculum and training. Preparedness contained two items. The participants have rated all the items in 5-Likert scale.FindingsResults from structural equation modeling showed that students' characteristics, knowledge of 4IR technologies and organizational dimensions significantly impact their preparedness for the 4IR. The study also found that organizational dimensions have the highest impact on students' preparedness. Furthermore, the organizational dimension significantly influences students' knowledge of 4IR technology. Moreover, students' characteristics related to 4IR are significantly affected by their knowledge of 4IR technology and organizational dimension. The findings suggest that HEIs are responsible for increasing the adoption of 4IR, and therefore organizational dimensions such as the academic programs, training, technological infrastructure and others are all critical for preparing students for a better future and should be given a priority.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has used academic programs and training to measure the organizational dimension. However, other important factors should be considered, such as technological infrastructure and leadership and governance of HEIs. Second, the current research depends on quantitative data, so future research should implement a mixed methodology (questionnaires, depth interviews, document analysis and focus group) to understand the factors affecting students' readiness for 4IR clearly. Finally, although the 4IR has numerous benefits, it also has challenges in its implementation, so future studies should focus on challenges encountered by different stakeholders in implementing 4IR-related technologies.Practical implicationsThe curriculum must include mandatory courses related to IT infrastructure design, user experience programming, electronic measurement and control principles, and programming for data science. HEIs should also foster interdisciplinary knowledge by integrating IT, Engineering, Business and Sciences. Furthermore, the HEIs should develop their infrastructure to have smart campuses, labs, classrooms and libraries to make HEIs a space where knowledge can be generated and innovative solutions can be proposed. This entails HEIs offering necessary hardware, software and technical support because if the HEIs improve their technological resources, students will be capable of using 4IR-related technologies effectively.Originality/valueThe advancement of technology has resulted in the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics, cloud computing, data science, virtual reality and 3D printing. It is essential to investigate students' readiness for 4IR. However, there is no study as per researchers' knowledge talked about students readiness in HEIs in the Arab world. This study could be a basis for more research on students' perception of the 4IR covering students from various backgrounds and levels.

Different Preferences or Opposite Directions? Reforms and Job Satisfaction at Public and Private Universities in Spain

Recent decades have witnessed how both in Spain and elsewhere, legal reforms have helped to transform the management and governance of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). These transformations have changed the conditions in which academics work, with a knock-on effect on their job satisfaction. Although these legal developments in Spain have basically been the same for both the public and private sectors in Higher Education, the evidence gathered in this article shows that the rate of cases of loss of job satisfaction is higher in public institutions than in private ones. The article provides an initial explanation for this situation, whereby the legal reforms have been met with different organisational solutions in these two kinds of institutions.

6 - Brief Assessment of Higher Education Governance in Ethiopia: Reflection on the Leap of the Decade

The article attempts to explore the overall patterns of governance of higher education institutions in Ethiopia in the recent past that witnessed the massification of higher education institutions, and to investigate and display the change and continuity that have been observed in the governance of these institutions. It tries to offer some insight concerning the governance aspect in the ever-expanding and the most pressing issue of the Ethiopian higher education system. The paper presents a snapshot of the contemporary higher education development in the past two decades and associated features in Ethiopia by identifying the central issues related to principally governance, the legal framework and the political context. As the boom of higher education in the country became prevalent the governance bottleneck is one evident issue that vehemently impacts the missions of the institutions. The indispensable governance issues did not equally accompany the expansion of the higher education institutions in the last decade, and structure and other resultant issues that need to be adopted and made plain. In addition, the vivid demarcation between the institutions and the interested political groups at various levels, and the roles and relationships among them need close observation and appraisal so that the much-needed quality education and the contribution of research and community service will be significantly realised.

Practices and Outcomes of Social Responsibility Governance in Higher Education Institutions. The Portuguese Case

The study of social responsibility has gained high interest and extended its field of action to higher education institutions (HEIs) which, as entities, whether profit or non-profit, play a relevant role in the community in which they operate. The purpose of this article is to determine whether this role is visible and performed by HEIs. If so, the purpose of the article is to determine which HEIs are active in these practices and their specificity. Finally, the objective of this article is to determine the main results of such practices under the dimensions of university social responsibility created by Vallaeys et al. (2009): responsible campus, professional and citizen training, social management of knowledge and social participation. The methodology used focused on a qualitative, questionnaire-based survey study carried out on a sample of HEIs in the Porto region (Portugal) consisting of 27 HEIs divided between universities and polytechnic institutes. Data collection was carried out by e-mail and 14 answers were obtained, from which it was possible to perceive that the 14 HEIs respondents are aware of the concept and understanding of SUW. Executed practices vary between HEIs, with the majority comprising the economic, environmental and social areas. As results in the four domains of action the HEIs bet on lectures and seminars, social welfare, improvement of living conditions and social inclusion of professionals and students, the surrounding community, social justice, human rights and social cohesion, ethical respect, environmental sustainability and training of professionals able to grasp and apply this knowledge in the community among others.

Leading university internationalisation: The future of Euro‐Chinese academic cooperation

AbstractUnder the pressure of globalisation, both China and Europe have active strategies to internationalise their higher education systems. This paper explores the cultural and institutional constraints of these strategies in both territories, analysing their impact on the cooperation and competition among higher education institutions. The article focuses on the historical and current practices of internationalisation in Europe and China, the strategic goals underlying these practices, and the implications of internationalisation strategies in constraining the choices and actions of academic leaders in Chinese and European higher education institutions. This article contributes to the literature on Chinese and European cooperation in higher education by analysing the points of conflict and opportunities for growth. Despite differences (e.g., centralised vs. decentralised systems, top‐down vs. bottom‐up decision‐making processes, and the roles of leadership in the governance of higher education institutions), there is a common interest in promoting economic competitiveness, developing a knowledge‐based society, advancing research, attracting and retaining talent, and reducing regional inequalities. The paper concludes that cooperation is possible in specific areas in which neither China nor Europe can succeed alone with the same impact that would be possible with cooperation.

An international foresight reflection on entrepreneurial pathways for higher education institutions

Recent decades have seen many countries reforming their higher education systems, affecting the mission and governance of higher education institutions (HEIs). HEIs are now expected to produce entrepreneurial capital and to be catalysts for regional economic and societal development, taking on significant roles in entrepreneurial ecosystems. Hence, this article addresses entrepreneurial ecosystem stakeholders’ preoccupation with and interest in the role of HEIs in the future and assesses the opportunities and risks associated with HEIs pursuing entrepreneurial pathways. The authors propose five future scenarios, which they term ‘worldwide’, ‘transdisciplinary’, ‘adaptive learning’, ‘blended’ and ‘ecosystem’. These scenarios demonstrate that internationalization, digital transformation, collaborative networks and co-creation processes are key drivers of the advancement of higher education and provide guidance for HEIs and policymakers on the framing of decision-making agendas related to possible entrepreneurial pathways. Based on experts’ assessments, the authors consider the transdisciplinary and blended scenarios to be the most auspicious.

Identities of Chinese Community-Based Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia: an Exploration Study Using the Concept of ‘Roots’

Malaysia is a multi-racial country where about a quarter of the population are ethnic Chinese. Arguably, Malaysia is also the only country outside of Greater China to have a ‘complete’ Chinese education track from primary to higher education. The Malaysia higher education system, consisting of both public and private higher education institutions, has five private higher education institutions that can be considered as ‘Chinese community-based’. These institutions were established by various interest groups in the Chinese community with seemingly different purposes. Hence, based on interviews with 23 participants, ranging from institutional leaders, administrators, mid-level academic managers and academic staff across three ‘Chinese community-based’ institutions, this paper explores the identities of these ‘Chinese community-based’ institutions. Using the concept of ‘roots’ (根) as an analytical lens, this paper illustrates three distinctive identities of these institutions which can be described as the ethnically proud (寻根问祖), the accommodator (落地生根) and the uprooted (失根群族). The understanding of these different identities illuminated the fact that there are subtle but crucial differences even across the three selected ‘Chinese community-based’ higher education institutions in Malaysia. More importantly, this diversity has crucial implications for policymaking in the governance of higher education institutions, positioning and branding of these institutions, as well as understanding of educational development of the Chinese diaspora outside of Greater China.