Who wins today? University governance and management in model-changing institutions
Keywords:
university governance, model change, university boards, institutional autonomyAbstract
In Hungary, the most contested higher education reform of recent decades has been the so-called model change, which has generated debates domestically and internationally. The legislation granted the foundations maintaining the modelchanging institutions the opportunity to deviate from the governance model prescribed for state institutions, thereby allowing for a more diverse set of institutional governance practices to emerge. Drawing on the statutes of the modelchanging universities, this article examines the (self)governance and management of universities. The findings indicate that in most model-changing institutions, the powers of the senates have diminished, particularly in financial matters. In one-third of the senates, the share of members whose appointment depends on the management or the board of trustees has substantially increased. Overall, four distinct types of senates can be identified: self-governing, marginalised, symbolic, and controlled senates. With regard to management, three main models emerge: the rector–chancellor, the presidential and the rectoral model.
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