University Governance & Institutional Autonomy
In May 2011, Glen Jones (University of Toronto), Julia Eastman (University of Victoria) and Claude Trottier (Universite de Laval), were awarded a standard research grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to embark on a pan-Canadian study of university governance. The project involved the development of case studies of governance at six major research universities located in five provinces. Data were obtained from interviews conducted at each university as well as with federal and provincial government officials and relevant stakeholder organizations.
Objectives
To expand knowledge of university governance in Canada by studying empirically: the commonalities and differences in the way major Canadian universities are governed and in their relationships to government; whether and how their governance is changing; and what forces and factors appear to be at work.
To communicate the findings to a wide audience including: scholars and students of higher education, public policy and governance; public policy makers; university officials and board members; and interested lay people, in Canada and abroad.
To contribute to understanding of the dimensions of university autonomy and of universities’ relationships to state, market, professional and disciplinary bodies and other entities.
To situate Canadian university governance in the context of developments abroad.
Current Status
The data collection phase of the project has been completed and the research team have developed the university/provincial case studies and conducted a detailed cross-case analysis.
The research team is preparing a series of papers based on our analysis.
Papers & Publications
Authors
Olivier Bégin-Caouette, Claude Trottier, Julia Eastman, Glen A. Jones, Christian Noumi, and Sharon X. Li.
Abstract
Knowledge societies have expectations of universities, and it has been suggested that autonomy contributes to universities’ capacity to respond adequately (Altbach & Balán, 2007). This article aims to highlight the dimensions of state oversight and its relation to institutions’ autonomy in Quebec, and to compare the situation with that in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia. A thematic analysis of 77 official documents (including 29 in Quebec) and 93 interview transcripts (including 30 in Quebec) led to the identification of three broad dimensions of systemic governance: the legislative and regulatory framework, universities’ accounting status and governments’ budgetary rules, as well as government interventions in universities’ internal management. The analysis reveals that university autonomy varies by province, with universities in Nova Scotia and Ontario being possibly more autonomous than universities in Alberta and British Columbia; Quebec would be in-between, partly because it includes two university sectors whose dimensions suggest different levels of autonomy.
Résumé
Les sociétés du savoir ont de nombreuses exigences à l’égard des universités ; or il est suggéré que ces dernières répondraient plus adéquatement à ces exigences lorsqu’elles sont autonomes (Altbach et Balán, 2007). Cet article vise à mettre en lumière diverses dimensions de l’encadrement du système universitaire québécois par l’État relativement à l’autonomie des établissements et à comparer la situation québécoise avec celle ayant cours en Alberta, en Colombie-Britannique, en Ontario et en Nouvelle-Écosse. Une analyse thématique réalisée sur 77 documents officiels (dont 29 au Québec) et sur les transcriptions de 93 entrevues (dont 30 au Québec) a permis d’identifier trois grandes dimensions de la gouvernance systémique, soit le cadre législatif et réglementaire, le statut comptable et les règles budgétaires, ainsi que les interventions du gouvernement dans la gestion interne des universités. L’analyse révèle que l’autonomie dont jouissent les universités varie d’une province à l’autre : les universités néo-écossaises et ontariennes bénéficieraient de plus d’autonomie que leurs consœurs albertaines et britanno-colombiennes. Le Québec se situerait globalement au centre puisqu’il comprend deux secteurs universitaires dont les dimensions suggèrent des niveaux d’autonomie différents.
Authors
Julia Eastman, Glen A. Jones, Olivier Bégin-Caouette, Sharon X. Li, Christian Noumi, and Claude Trottier.
Abstract
In order to fulfill their missions, research universities must maintain conditions and capacity for knowledge production and dissemination, while responding to the expectations of governments, other stakeholders, and/or markets. That universities succeed in this quest is vital, not only for their own future as organizations but also for the benefit of current and future generations of students, stakeholders, and society at large. We sought to contribute to the understanding of how higher education institutions and systems rise to the challenge of achieving and sustaining relative institutional autonomy by conducting a comparative case study of the governance of six major universities in five provinces in Canada. This article presents our findings with respect to provincial oversight of the case universities. We found that the case universities appeared to be coming from and to remain at different points on a state supervision/autonomy continuum, but all appeared to be experiencing greater provincial supervision.
Résumé
Afin d’accomplir leurs missions, les universités à forte intensité de recherche se doivent de maintenir les conditions nécessaires à la production et à la diffusion des connaissances, tout en répondant aux attentes des gouvernements, des marchés et d’autres acteurs. L’atteinte de cet équilibre est vitale, non seulement pour leur propre avenir en tant qu’organisations, mais également pour les étudiants actuels et futurs, les acteurs universitaires et la société dans son ensemble. Cet article compare les études de cas de six grandes universités dans cinq provinces canadiennes afin de mieux comprendre comment les universités et les systèmes d’enseignement supérieur parviennent à préserver une autonomie institutionnelle relative. Nos résultats suggèrent que les universités se situent à différents points sur un continuum autonomie/ contrôle étatique, mais aussi que toutes les universités sont assujetties à un contrôle provincial accru.
Authors
Julia Eastman, Glen A. Jones, Olivier Bégin-Caouette, Christian Noumi, and Claude Trottier.
Abstract
There is increasing interest in how universities are governed, externally and internally (Austin and Jones 2016). Drawing on a comparative case study of the governance of six major Canadian universities and the literature, this article describes the impact of federal research and innovation policy and programs on universities and reflects on Ottawa's role. We suggest that the federal government participates in the external governance of universities, but in a way that differs significantly from provincial governments. Canadian federalism appears to be generally beneficial for university autonomy and examination of its operation sheds light on factors that enable universities to sustain their autonomy.
