Friend or Foe? Governors and Governance in Higher Education

This chapter provides an overview of the governance of universities in the UK and considers the strengths and frailties of the systems which have developed. Before considering universities, some examples of corporate governance failure are given since they exemplify universal issues relating to self-interest, poor integrity, lack of accountability and honesty, and external interference by government from which important lessons can be learned. The affairs and policies of universities are embraced in the stewardship of their governing bodies. The diversity of governance models in the UK higher education is a reflection of the age, complexity, and ethos of the universities we have. Good governance has been articulated by codes by which universities operate and which provide many safeguards against failure. The relationship between these governing bodies and the agent of state, the Office for Students, which operates as a regulator, is developing. It is hoped that one of the OfS’s guiding principles, which relates to institutional autonomy will survive the pressures of public scrutiny and political avarice, and that the OfS will refrain from institutional interference beyond its regulatory duties.