On Limitations and Consequences of Change: Dutch University Governance in Transition

In several countries, the internal governance structures of universities were substantially changed in the 1990s or are currently under discussion. Frequently found designs are those that strengthen executive leadership at the central and middle level of universities. In this article we present three large-scale reforms in Dutch university governance,using an elaborate classification scheme derived from classic issues in political science. Moreover, in the second part of the article we address the implications and limitations of the latest reform inside a university. It will show that the formal situation – stipulated in the law – is somewhat different from the actual situation: ‘real’ changes appear to be less radical than those on paper. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.