Do Changing State Steering Mechanisms have an Impact on Academic Leadership at Universities

Universities have been forced to change their internal management and leadership procedures along with the changing state steering. In Finland, changes in financial steering during last ten years have had the strongest effective impact on internal university management.Budget allocation is a policy instrument that can be used by governments to influence the behaviour of universities. The same applies to the situation within institutions. The way budgets are allocated depends on the relationships between the central university administration and faculties.Finnish universities have started to use the same fund allocation models as are in use at the national level, although the amount of funds to be allocated differs markedly from the national level funding. The increase in external funds, and the increase of state funds to be competed for, create new management procedures inside the university and its faculties. Universities have started to implement entrepreneurial activity models in their management processes.Universities have to find a new way for management to take into account the changing state steering and the increasing external funds, as well as the nature of the academic community. This is a growing challenge for university management and leadership.     

台湾大学建设“一流大学”的个案考察

2005-2015年,台湾大学入选台湾地区“迈向顶尖大学(一流大学)计划”两期。通过对台湾大学建设一流大学的目标、行动与效果进行个案分析,发现台湾大学创建一流大学目标明确、措施有力,纵向比较取得了长足的进步,但在大学排行榜的相对位置却呈现下降的趋势,与预期目标形成反差。台湾大学建设“一流大学”的个案解构说明:“一流大学”建设计划具有积极意义,可以有效地集聚资源促进大学综合水平快速提升;但对排行榜的相对位置变化要有理性的看待,排行榜只是“一流大学”建设成效评价的参考,不能以排行榜位置变化作为“一流大学”建设成效的唯一标准。我们应当允许高校保留自身特色并不断地自我超越,这与“中国特色”“世界一流”的评价理念是一致的。     

大学不能回避战略规划

从20世纪80年代起,美国大学纷纷开始实施战略规划活动,我国大学在20世纪90年代也纷纷开始了自主性的战略规划活动,然而对于大学战略规划活动的有效性问题却始终存在争议,相关实证研究也呈现出支持和否定两种结果。但对大学来说,实施战略规划至少可以有效终止组织内的争论、凝聚发展力量,同时战略规划还是大学回应外部利益相关者重大关切的工具。大学实施战略规划肯定会出问题,但出问题并不表明战略规划在本质上是无效的,真正应该思考的是如何应对这些不可避免的问题。大学必须充分认识到,实施战略规划是为了帮助其更清晰、更有效地思考。此外,如果大学不实施战略规划,就会挑战现有秩序,丧失合法性。以上这些理由决定了大学不应该回避战略规划。     

Opportunity costs associated with the provision of student services: a case study of web-based lecture technology

Universities aim to provide services that are not only beneficial to students but also efficient relative to possible alternative services. Using opportunity cost, this study considers staff and student perceptions of the usefulness and valuation of web-based lecture technology (WBLT). It reveals that a quarter of students did not use WBLT while many staff members thought WBLT had a negative impact on their face-to-face teaching. Further, over a third of students sampled said they would not be affected if WBLT were not made available and many staff members felt constrained by WBLT technology. Some staff members spent a lot of time preparing WBLT while others eschewed the technology altogether. Nevertheless, a relatively small number of students place enormous value on WBLT, as do some staff, even if only simple audio of lectures are provided. The academic policy implications of this study suggest that university provision of WBLT could take into account the opportunity cost of WBLT use as a valuation-basis, possibly recovering costs through extra fees. This would allow for improved decision-making by university administrators and facilitate a move towards a useful measurement basis of WBLT. A wider academic policy implication is to consider whether all universities should produce and deliver WBLT at all and to what extent it should encourage staff to develop enhanced WBLT. Provision of sophisticated WBLT or any other service for students bears an opportunity cost in terms of less preparation by staff for face-to-face lessons or other effective teaching or research.     

The market route to mass higher education: British experience 1979–1996

The period 1979–1996 was one of radical change in British higher education. Initially change was mainly financial, expenditure was cut severely. In response the universities sought funds from elsewhere. By the mid-1980s expenditure cuts were supplemented by government initiatives to encourage universities and polytechnics to undertake research and consultancy contracts with industry and to seek private donations. Education Acts in 1988 and 1992 speeded the pace of change. Most large higher education institutions were redesignated as universities with consequential changes to the idea of a university. Public funding mechanisms were established that encouraged expansion at marginal costs much lower than average costs. The results were dramatic. Between 1989 and 1994 enrollments increased by over 50% and expenditure per student fell by 30%. Financial power shifted from providers to consumers and proxy consumers. Universities began to contract out non-core activities. This paper describes these changes and considers their significance for the nature and meaning of higher education in Britain.     

The Nigerian university system: meeting the challenges of growth in a depressed economy

A phenomenal expansion of the Nigerian university system began with the oil boom of the 1970s. Following a downturn in the nation's economy and the introduction of structural adjustment programmes, government subventions to Nigerian universities have dropped appreciably, and in real terms the universities have suffered considerable decline in purchasing power. Institutional structures for monitoring efficiency have played an important role in efforts to maintain academic standards; but in the face of continued uncontrolled expansion and in the absence of basic facilities for teaching and research, the university system cannot sustain a healthy growth. Greater attention is being given to improved fiscal management, income generation by the universities and rationalisation of academic programmes. As scholarships and bursary awards for able but indigent students are resuscitated, cost recovery measures in the universities need to be intensified. Proposals for the establishment of private universities operating within guidelines prescribed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) should be re-examined.     

An Analysis of Voluntary Disclosure of Performance Indicators by Canadian Universities

Managing by performance indicators (PIs) is an important and controversial issue for many stakeholders concerned with higher education in the university systems all over the world. This study analyzes the voluntary disclosures of PIs by Canadian universities. The sample consisted of the 44 universities used by Maclean's Canadian Universities ranking, which divide the universities into Primarily Undergraduate, Comprehensive, and Medical‐Doctoral. We were able to identify 123 PIs which were regrouped in 18 categories. The top two categories were disclosures about research and finance which are not surprising since research and the financing thereof appear to be the mission of most universities. The larger universities in the Medical‐Doctoral category appear to engage in a much higher level of disclosure of PIs than the Comprehensive and Primarily Undergraduate categories. According to our results, voluntary disclosure of PIs is positively affected by university size and mission. These results seem to be consistent with disclosure theories, particularly political cost theory and legitimacy theory and with previous results in the corporate sector. They are relevant to different stakeholders concerned with higher education.     

日本国立大学的治理现状及其课题——与私立大学比较的视角

伴随着国立大学法人化的实现,日本的国立大学从国家的行政组织体系中分离出来,作为一个独立的存在在法律上得到了认可。与法人化以前,国立大学只不过是文部科学省的一个地方组织相比,这是一个大的进步。但是,法人化以来的事实证明,日本国立大学无论是在治理结构上,还是在实际的运营管理之中,都存在一些难以克服的问题。在国立大学法人的制度设计中,强化校长的权力、加强国立大学财政方面的战略能力等事项的进展并不顺利。     

德国大学教授:教学与科研中的差序平衡蕴意

和世界其他大学一样,德国大学经历了多次变革,但洪堡主张大学应当秉承教学与科研紧密联合的理念却始终享有崇高的声誉。反观之,重研究、轻教学在中国各级各类大学中已经是一个普遍现象,这种一哄而上的局面所带来的负面效应是显而易见的。反省自身,洞悉他者,通过深层解析不同层次、不同办学模式的各类德国高等教育机构中教授的工作特点,揭示德国大学教授在教学与科研中如何秉承"以研究促教学,以教学带研究"的动态平衡范式,以期能给我们启示。     

大学的“无为而治”

大学是每个学子自由之梦起飞的地方,但如今的许多大学都忙于向外寻求,过于"有为",而忘记了作为大学本身应该拥有和承载的义务和责任。"无为"是发挥大学本色,秉持大学理想的核心理念,是大学的安身立命之道。大学,并非因为有大楼才称之为大学,而是因为有大师也。     

An analysis of mobility in global rankings: making institutional strategic plans and positioning for building world-class universities

Since the start of the twenty-first century, university rankings have become internationalized. Global rankings have a variety of uses, levels of popularity and rationales and they are here to stay. An examination of the results of the current global ranking reveals that well-reputed world-class universities are amongst the top ranked ones. A major concern for university administrators in many parts of the world is how to use the global rankings wisely in their mid-term and long-term strategic planning for building their institutions into world-class universities. Four major global rankings have been developed: the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the World University Rankings, the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities and the Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the most influential indicators in these global university rankings that will affect the rank mobility of an institution. Based on an analysis of correlation coefficients and K-means clustering, a model of strategic institutional planning for building a world-class university is proposed.     

关于高校"去行政化"的几个问题

高校行政化倾向是目前我国高校普遍存在的突出问题。高校行政化的实质是指＂高校官本位＂,其主要表征是行政权力主导学校学术与教学事务,干部任命官员化,编制机构设置上的党政同构,权学交易等。高校行政化有深刻的历史根源和复杂的现实背景,其制约了大学功能的有效发挥与健康发展,增加了办学成本,滋生了腐败,影响了社会风气。高校去行政化是一个复杂的系统工程,从根本上讲,首要的是改革政府对高校的管理模式,其次是改革高校内部的治理模式。     

新形势下加快山区电大发展的宏观思考

二十多年来,广播电视大学教育为构建继续教育、终身学习的终身教育体系作出积极的贡献。但是,随着经济社会的发展进步,广播电视大学的发展也碰到了来自普通高校扩招、成人院校壮大、网络院校兴起、生源减少甚至教学环节管理混乱等方面的挑战。作者对新形势下如何加快山区电大的发展作一些初步的探索。     

中国大学章程建设的历程与形态

大学章程是大学治理的基础,从《奏拟京师大学堂章程》到《国立北京大学组织大纲》,从《高等学校暂行规程》到《北京大学章程》起草、从宋代的书院规程到20世纪前半叶的现代中国大学章程以及20世纪后半叶以来的大学立法和章程建设、台湾、香港、澳门等地区大学的章程及大学治理等,中国两岸四地的大学从其章程建设的历程来看,尽管才百余年的现代发展史,却浓缩了古今中外大学治理的思想和机制,呈现出不同的结构形态,不但为中国的大学治理提供了中国自己的道路和经验,还对大学治理的依据、长期发展的基础、世界水准大学的建设有了更加清楚的认识.     

The ‘High Achievers’ project: an assessment of the support for students with autism attending UK universities

In the UK autism is classed as a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. Under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, higher education institutions in the UK are legally required to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities who are placed at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to students without disabilities. Despite the social difficulties associated with autism, and autistic students being at a heightened risk of dropping out of university, high-functioning autistic students are often high achievers academically. The National Audit Office recognises university as a desirable option for academically gifted students with autism. As there have been few studies directly examining the needs of autistic students in post-secondary education by established researchers, we undertook an online questionnaire survey of all UK universities, other than those under foreign ownership, to ascertain current levels of support for students with autism in higher education. This was followed up with Freedom of Information Act requests to establishments that did not respond to the survey. We report our findings based on responses from 99 universities out of approximately 160 establishments in total. As autistic university graduates are at a disadvantage when compared to their non-autistic peers in obtaining employment after graduation, we propose that all higher education establishments follow the government recommendation for providers of services not covered by the Autism Act 2009, but who support people into employment, to adopt the Statutory Guidance issued in connection with the Adult Autism Strategy. Universities should consider seeking accreditation under the National Autistic Society’s accreditation scheme.     

论英国高校与政府关系的演变及其启示

英国的高等教育的发展具有悠久的历史,政府在对高校的管理方面也取得了许多成功的经验。英国高校与政府的关系从早期大学的高度自治逐步走向加强政府的干预。现阶段英国政府与高校的关系呈现三个特征：大学高度自治;中介组织协调,政府宏观调控;社会机构参与,市场机制引导。我国在深化高等教育体制改革的过程中可以借鉴其成功经验,处理好政府与高校的关系,以便更好地管理和建设我国的高等教育。     

A University Grants Commission in a South Asian setting: The Sri Lankan experience

University education in Sri Lanka in modern times has a short history of just over six decades. From 1921 to 1959 there was one University College (1921–1942) or University on the island. With the establishment of two other universities in 1959, the need for co-ordination of higher education activity through a University Grants Commission (UGC) or similar body arose.The establishment of the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) in 1966 was part of a policy of bringing greater government influence to bear on universities and was therefore resented and resisted by the latter. However, the new body, while it lasted, served as a very effective buffer against undue government interference in university affairs. The six year period beginning in 1972 saw a process of centralization of university education under strong government control. The UGC established in 1979 has much the same powers as the NCHE, a wider range in fact than those enjoyed by the British UGC, and much greater influence in university education than the British prototype.Universities in Sri Lanka have always depended on the state for almost all their funds. While this has naturally given government much influence in shaping the structure and expansion of universities, the principle of university autonomy was strongly entrenched between 1942 and 1966. There was a departure from this in 1966, but more particularly between 1972 and 1978. The Universities Act. No. 16 of 1978 re-introduced the concept of autonomous universities. The one area in which state influence has been the predominant factor is university admissions and this influence began in the mid-1950s long before the concept of university autonomy came under systematic attack from the government's Ministry of Education.The author has been a member of the University Grants Commission since its establishment in 1979. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the University Grants Commission or the University of Peradeniya.     

大学文化创新前提性问题探析

进行人类文明思想及先进文化的传承和创新,是大学的必然使命和本职宗旨。但大学能否完满地履行这些职责,则取决于大学的品质和素养,以及大学是否具有相应的境界和能力。我国现代大学的曲折历程表明,要让大学像大学,还须进行艰苦的努力。其需要做的主要工作为:必须对现实的教育思想和文化进行革新,使其由"读书做官"转变为"使人成人",由"官办官管"转变为"大学自治、教授治校、自主发展、自我完善",让大学是大学,而不是准行政机构或"事业单位"。要实现这样的目标,就需要在国家的层次上改变对大学本质的认识,让大学回归其教育本位,自然地发挥对社会的价值和意义。     

我国普通高校开设瑜伽课程的现状调查与分析

通过问卷调查和数理统计等研究方法对我国普通高校开设瑜伽课程的现状进行调查与分析,研究得出:瑜伽运动作为一种新型时尚的体育运动,它独特的健身性和时尚性吸引着广大高校女大学生,瑜伽课程已经在我国部分普通高校顺利开展,但是受到传入时间和场地设施等诸多方面的影响,瑜伽运动在高校的普及和发展较为缓慢;高校应顺应时代潮流,加大对瑜伽课程的投入力度,促进瑜伽课程在高校的发展,深化高校体育课程改革.