2nd Edition

Governance of Higher Education Global Perspectives, Theories, and Practices

By Ian Austin, Glen A. Jones Copyright 2025
    312 Pages 7 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    312 Pages 7 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    The new edition of Governance of Higher Education explores the work of traditional and contemporary higher education scholarship, providing readers with an understanding of the assumptions, historical traditions, and paradigms that have shaped the scholarship on governance worldwide.

    Updated throughout to reflect current higher education governance research and with expanded discussion of key theories and new relevant concepts, this book brings together vast and disparate writings, including frameworks drawn from a wide range of disciplines and newly bolstered case studies. Coverage includes the structures of governance, cultures and practices, the collegial tradition, as well as newfound critique of outdated organizational theory, leadership concepts, quality assurance and accountability, and system governance. Furthermore, this work synthesizes the significant theoretical, conceptual, and empirical scholarship to advance research and practice of governance.

    As universities across the globe face a myriad of challenges and multiple stakeholder demands, Governance of Higher Education offers scholars, practitioners, and higher education graduate students an essential resource for advancing research and the practice of governance.

    1. Conceptualizing Governance in Higher Education  2. Theories of Governance: Institutions, Agency, and External Influences  3. Theories of Governance: Structure, Culture, and Internal Dynamics  4. State-University Governance: Concepts, Perspectives, and Shifting Tides  5. State-University Governance in Selected Countries  6. Academic Self-Governance: Concepts, Theories, and Practices  7. Governance as Politics and Processes  8. Governing the Managed Enterprise  9. New Issues and Challenges in Governance  10. Concluding Observations and Reflections

    Biography

    Ian Austin is Dean of the Centre for Business at George Brown College, Canada.

    Glen A. Jones is Ontario Research Chair in Postsecondary Education Policy and Measurement, and Professor of Higher Education at the University of Toronto, Canada.

    Praise for the Previous Edition:

    "This book is a masterful compilation of global theories and realities of academic governance. It provides a coherent discussion of the ideas behind university governance as well as the realities of the 21st century."  

    Philip G. Altbach, Founding Director, Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, USA

     

    "Higher education is ever more important and in its governance (variously directed, managed, collegial and democratic) there is much at stake. Governance of Higher Education has done a marvelous job in opening a complex field to common scrutiny and understanding. It will be used throughout the world. Highly recommended."  

    Simon Marginson, Joint Editor-in-Chief of Higher Education and Professor of International Higher Education, University College London, UK

     

    "Based in theory and comparative in scope, Governance of Higher Education is a comprehensive and cutting-edge account of the topic. A resource for anyone interested in the ways in which higher education systems are organized and managed."

    Brendan Cantwell, Assistant Professor of Educational Administration, Michigan State University, USA

     

    “The governance of systems is critical to how well higher education serves the needs of learners and society. I’ve used this book over and over again in my teaching to provide an essential understanding of different approaches and their implications. I highly recommend it.”

    Ellen Hazelkorn, Joint Editor, Policy Reviews in Higher Education and Professor Emeritus, Technological University Dublin, Ireland