Abstract

In recent decades, ideas and practices of shared governance have changed greatly in Denmark, as elsewhere in the world. The Danish law allows for academic councils to play a much stronger role in university governance, whilst recent changes to university governing boards aim to work in the direction of greater political control. This event will start with a paper about shared governance in Australia, UK and USA, followed by a reflective  panel debate about developments in Denmark.

Programme: 

Julie Rowlands ‘The role of university academic councils in shared governance  in Australia, UK and USA’.

Most universities have some kind of academic input into decision making but the remit and powers of academic councils and equivalent bodies vary enormously. This paper is based on detailed empirical research into the workings of academic councils in Australia, and also in UK and USA. In Australia and the UK many of these bodies have substantial decision-making authority in their own right whereas this is not the case in USA. Despite these differences, the presentation will identify some common themes about the role of academics in processes of shared governance. In particular, it will highlight declining academic input into decisions about academic matters in universities in Anglophone nations.

Panel debate

(Members to be announced)

Discussion