More autonomy, more control, less funding: Trends and tensions in the system-level governance of Australian universities

Abstract

Over recent decades, many governments have sought to comprehensively reform the system-level policy and governance arrangements for their public universities in order to increase the efficiency and accountability of these organizations and their operations. This was meant to be achieved mainly through a) the consequential use of formal performance measurement systems; and b) the devolution of decision-making competencies to universities and their leadership, thus making these organizations directly responsible for their actions and the results achieved. Focusing on the Australian case, I identify and analyze two specific governance dynamics that are closely associated with this reform agenda..