Models of Higher Education Governance: A Comparison of Israel and Other Countries

Abstract

Higher education governance refers to the legal appropriation of decision making power within universities between the various governance structures (faculty, academic committees, senates, and boards) and administrative structures (departments, programs, presidents, and vice presidents). The purpose of higher education governance is to articulate common public interests and to realize their goals while determining the limits of authority in theory and in practice – who shall decide and what is at the focus of decisions. From the late 19 th century until the early 1950s, university governance followed the principle of administrative autonomy, meaning that they were free to act and conduct themselves according to their own standards without bowing to the needs or demands of a funding government. However, the transition to a capitalist economy and society, in addition to the rapid rise in the number of students and the transformation of higher education into a mass commodity, required countries worldwide to seek new models of governance, with the aim of increasing academic order and efficiency. The different styles of governance can be charted along three main models, based on the mutual relations between market forces, the state, and higher education. The current paper reviews the various models of higher education governance and portrays the Israeli model. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of each model are discussed, as well as the future of Israeli governance in light of local winds of change and global trends.