The Council for the Defence of British Universities released its 2024 research report called “University Governance: Views from the Inside,” highlighting the vital role of governing bodies, the privilege felt by board and committee members, but also the challenges that they face.
The report found that some governance processes were too complicated, there were examples of undemocratic decision-making, hierarchies developed within many committees and there was often a lack of transparency. These are all impediments to good governance in higher education, which can lead to suboptimal outcomes for the university or college and its development.
This article explores what good governance means in tertiary education and how to achieve it in your institution.
Key takeaways
- Establish defined roles and responsibilities across councils and committees to ensure strategic alignment and legal accountability
- Recruit members with varied backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to challenge norms and encourage well-rounded decision-making
- Publish meeting minutes and decisions to ensure visibility, fairness and accountability across the institution
- Involve students, staff, alumni and the wider community in governance processes to gather valuable insights and build ownership of decisions
- Navigate tensions between academic independence and regulatory demands by aligning governance with the university’s long-term mission.
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What is good governance in higher education?
Good governance in higher education relates to creating a robust culture, systems, principles and processes that contribute to developing effective strategy, meeting regulatory and legal demands and holding university management accountable for their actions.
Higher education governance can be complex, with multiple committees feeding into the council. Each committee must be fully prepared for meetings, hold constructive discussions and debates, make well-informed decisions and turn them into actions that contribute towards the good governance of the institution.
The Committee of University Chairs (CUC) sets out six elements of good governance in its Code of Governance for higher education establishments. They are:
- Accountability
- Sustainability
- Reputation
- Inclusion and diversity
- Effectiveness
- Engagement.
Governing boards of higher education institutions face scrutiny from a range of external stakeholders. This includes national government, particularly in relation to funding matters, regulators and student bodies, such as the Office for Students (OfC) which is developing a list of clear expectations for governing bodies, with the understanding that a well-governed institution directly or indirectly improves student experience.
Following a 2025 consultation with chairs of governing boards, the OfC concluded that “We encourage chairs of all institutions to keep questioning and sense-checking their governance arrangements – examining what is and isn't working and thinking about how to improve.”
How to promote good governance in higher education
Establish governance structures, roles and responsibilities
Governance oversight of a tertiary education establishment can be complex, requiring the clear separation of roles and responsibilities within the structure. This often means having a main council to address the overall governance requirements and a structure of dedicated committees beneath it, providing in-depth guidance.
This might include:
- Strategy committee
- Ethics committee
- Audit and risk committee
- Health, safety and well-being committee
- Nominations committee
- Remuneration committee
Your council and committee members should understand why they have the position they do and what they are expected to do within that role. As well as having an overall mission for the governing body, each committee should also set its remit, goals and expectations for its own specialist area.
Both staff and student governors and board members should understand that they all take responsibility for adhering to the legal and regulatory requirements, meaning that they should speak up if they feel there has been an oversight or omission.
Implement governance processes
Many universities recruit a mix of council members, including staff governors, student representatives and lay members, who are neither staff nor students, but who are knowledgeable in matters that are of importance to the strategic future of the institution.
In line with the CUC’s elements of good governance, ensure you put in place a governing board recruitment process that prizes diversity and inclusion. This can refer to the background and demographics of the candidate, but also to their experience, expertise, perspective and outlook. Good governance relies on challenging the norm and one way to achieve this is to recruit people to your governing body who tackle problem-solving from different angles.
Consider your succession planning procedure, too. Without a plan in place to develop new talent, you can find your organisation with damaging skills gaps when members step down.
You should also implement a training programme for continuous improvement and ensure that your council members have the opportunity to learn new skills to tackle the challenges universities face in the future. Make sure there is a governing board evaluation process in place, which helps you understand how effective your governing board is and how you can develop your governors in the future for greater success.
Ensure transparency and accountability
The report by the Council for the Defence of British Universities illustrated an issue occurring in some university governing boards and committees, where some members met outside of the formal environment and developed agreements and alliances that were not subject to scrutiny within meetings. This meant that there was no transparency over how they made decisions, meaning it was difficult to hold them to account.
It is essential that all governing bodies publish meeting minutes and details of decisions, including the gist of the discussion, in a timely manner. This shows that the body has undertaken the correct procedures for managing agenda items and all members have had a fair chance to contribute and direct the conversation. Only when a matter has been properly scrutinised by meeting attendees can it be seen to have been dealt with properly. This way, the governing body can be truly accountable for its decisions.
There needs to be a clear process for delegating action items to relevant members and a method of tracking their progress towards completing these tasks. This displays openness and ensures the member is held responsible for carrying out the work of the governing board, council or committee.
For cases where there is a concern that individuals are bypassing correct governance procedures, you should implement a whistleblowing mechanism. A tool like IntegrityLog allows for confidential or anonymous reporting of complaints that you can follow up, maintaining contact with the whistleblower through the secure digital channel without revealing their identity to unauthorised personnel.
Ensure stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement is key to good higher education governance. By ensuring your boards, councils and committees include representation from the faculty and student body, you gain valuable insights into how decisions will affect the day-to-day running of the institution in practice, rather than just in theory. These stakeholders can take ownership of the decisions made, providing perspectives that are invaluable for ensuring you make better decisions for the benefit of the establishment.
Developing strong connections with alumni groups adds valuable external viewpoints to your governance process. These stakeholders provide the benefit of having viewed the institution from both inside and outside, allowing them to add their collective wisdom to your strategy development.
It is important not only to listen to stakeholders, but also to ensure you communicate decisions and strategic direction to them in a clear and consistent manner. This interaction helps them understand what you are trying to achieve, allows internal stakeholders to contribute towards its implementation and empowers external stakeholders to act as cheerleaders for your establishment.
Challenges to good governance in higher education
| Challenge | Explanation |
| Balancing autonomy with accountability | Universities must preserve the academic freedom of their faculty and student body, while still demonstrating clear oversight of finances, compliance and risk factors. Striking the right balance can be difficult and can lead to tension between governing bodies and students and academic staff. |
| Over-governance and administrative burden | Excessive layers of committees, policies and reporting requirements can slow decision-making, divert resources from teaching and research and create “governance fatigue” among staff and governors. |
| Lack of clarity and role confusion | Ambiguity over the responsibilities of councils, senates, executives and committees can result in efforts being duplicated at the same time as blind spots appear in other areas. This can lead to an inconsistent strategy and obstacles in the way of achieving the institute’s goals. |
| Reputational risks and external pressures | Heightened public scrutiny, league-table competition, reduced government funding, impediments to foreign students enrolling and increasing compliance demands can push institutions to prioritise short-term reputation management and survival over long-term, mission-aligned governance practices. |
FAQ
What is the difference between governance and management in higher education?
Academic governance refers to the strategic oversight and policy direction provided by governing bodies such as the university council or board, while management involves the day-to-day operations led by stakeholders such as the vice-chancellor and senior administrators.
How does governance affect university rankings?
Strong academic governance structures promote accountability, academic quality, financial sustainability and strategic direction, all of which contribute to a university’s performance metrics that can influence national and global rankings.
How do UK universities ensure transparency in decision-making?
UK universities ensure transparency by publishing council and committee minutes, involving students and staff in governance processes, meeting with the requirements of the CUC Code of Governance and engaging with bodies like the OfS.
Conclusion
Communication, clarity and transparency are key elements in good governance in higher education. By choosing the right board members and filling skills gaps, then allowing them to collaborate effectively with other members of the board, council or committee, you can lead to better-informed decision-making that benefits the future of the institution. And by documenting this process in an open and transparent manner, you show stakeholders that you have their best interests at heart.
iBabs is a meeting management platform that allows universities to create agendas in minutes for meetings across your governance structure. It provides templates for minutes that allow you to distribute them soon after the meeting and show stakeholders how decisions came about. The solution also allows for collaboration between all meeting members and provides functionality to assign and track progress on action items. Request a demo today to find out how iBabs can improve your governance processes.
