In)corporating all University Stakeholders to Assure Good Governance

Erol İnelmen

(inelmen at boun.edu.tr )

So if business and university people are working together,

we will have a happy life.

(from an 18th century building in Stockholm)

Abstract

Based on our own experiences, literature survey and case studies, we propose a university management model that will assure “good governance” This paper is the result of empirical work that requires revision based on a sound theoretical framework.

Introduction

We start with the premise that many authors agree that universities are facing severe problems. We claim that a new approach for university management is needed. To support our claim we present evidence from a) our own experiences, b) knowledge provided by other authors and c) cases studies conducted in several institutions. For this purpose a model to facilitate “decision making” among all stakeholders is suggested. Our arguments are based on the personal connections and collaborations we developed in the last decade with several scholars around the globe.

Background

Here we share personal experiences gained in university management.

Following a decade of industrial experience, the author rejoined in 1982 the alma mater with the hope of implementing the “lessons learned”, in the curriculum. During a conference in 1996 we realized that the desired change was only possible by the joined collaboration of university, industry and government. In this occasion we presented a paper pledging the addition of the “civil society” to this collaboration vision (İnelmen, 1996). We also contributed in a conference in honour of Prof.Vedat Yerlici suggesting ways to reconcile education with research (İnelmen, 1997).

We were privileged to participate in the launching of the Sabanci University vision -much in tune with the philosophy of the Santa Fe Institute- (Babüroğlu, 2003) with a presentation on education. The idea of a modern education is very much based on a model focused on a single theme worked by a staff engaged in different disciplines. This idea has been our motto since: shared in many other conferences we attended. Our vision developed nourished by several contacts around the world: the importance of “values in education” became clear as we participated in a world congress (Inelmen, 2006).

Survey

Here we summarize findings from available literature

In a recent visit to Barcelona we were privileged to visit the first democratic parliament -named as “council of the hundred”- where there is chair for each members of the community. There is according to Engwall (2000) “a need for cooperation between governments in different countries”. To stress the importance of practice, a paper on the role of “extra-curriculum activities” was submitted in an educational conference and published (Egi and Inelmen, 1996). Similary, Lattas (2009) suggests that education should provide an environment for “engaged learning”.

In a recent report, Ergüder (2006) highlights issues such as: board of directors, university council, of administrator election, stakeholder participation, financial autonomy, quality assurance and university admittance. The importance of participation is alike pointed by Brennan (1999). The proposal made by several local universities, cover several aspects of academic life: we are warned there of the problems caused by the “excessive participation pressure” on the decision making process (Sevgen, 2009). The experience of Iskaner (2000) can help us envisage new horizons in governance.

Analysis

Here we study cases studies made on selected universities

Contacts with several institutions have made it possible to get first hand information on how changes towards creating an “innovation based environment” have been geared. All the information collected shows how a “university for research” –as the slogan runs in the European context- can be at the service of the wellbeing of the society. A complex set of relations can make efforts be transformed in success stories. It is necessary that representatives of all public and private sectors act in “unision” for communal, regional, national and eventually international social and economical development.

The university of Drexel has been an important source of new ideas through contacts with centre director Onaral (1999): integrating the efforts of doctors, lawyers, engineers, has helped in developing “relevant biomedical research”. The experience of Aalborg University in creating an “industrial valley” was revealed during our site visit. The work of the “community of practice” in electronic field is a good example of collaboration between middle size industry and university (Fink, 2000). An example of small scale industry collaboration was witnessed in Gaziantep University (Unsal, 2001).

Proposal

Here we suggest an innovative model for good university governance.

Industry (with representatives from each sector), government and society at large (students, professionals and alumni) should collaborate together with university, administration. Environmental philosophy, developmental psychology, natural religion, social history, modern ecology, critical education, popular art, alternative medicine and traditional technology should be part of the curriculum. Traditional lectures should be complemented by the use of video lectures and televised conferences. Informal contacts between industry, government, university and society should also be possible.

We suggest a model (see Appendix) that will help in making basic decisions on programming (what), procuring (who), implementing (how) and assessing (why). The “Curi Habitat University” based on this model, aims at “the return to rural life”, with practical application at schools, industry, districts and municipalities at times when environment has been severely damaged and scarce resources in the planet are putting enormous pressure on global institutions: “conflicting agendas” on promotion, performance, quality, security, solidarity, pride, innovation need to be resolved.

We are currently working on a project for a higher education centre in Sardis (near İzmir). This site was selected because it was an important city during the Roman Empire, forming part of the much needed “pax romana” today. We hope here to be able to implement the basic ideas of good governance: policies on resources (in-sourced vs. outsourced), programs (diverse vs. unified), approaches (theoretical vs. practical) and outcomes (financial vs. quality) will be evaluated. Whatever the agendas, “innovation” should be the pillar for university, government, industry and society collaboration.

Conclusion

The success of the model presented above will require that similar “democratic action” be taken in other institutions involved in the system. We acknowledge that this work is only a reflection on the empirical available information and that a more detailed theoretical framework is required. As a conclusion we suggest the need to introduce “social theory” as a framework to analyze the relation between structures, processes and agents that can “illuminate” the roadmap that will make change possible. Integration of all sciences (natural and human) is a prerequisite for a successful implementation.

Acknowledgment

We acknowledge the support of former Rector Üstün Erguder, whose vision for an “enhanced university management” has inspired us since 1992. Former Dean Alper Sevgen has been kind enough to provide evidence of previous work on university governance. The university has funded several of our projects on education.

Reference

Babüroğlu, O. (2003) “Educational futures, shifting paradigm of universities and education”. İstanbul: Sabancı University.

Brennan, J (1999)“What kind of university? : international perspectives on knowledge, participation, and governance” Buckingham [England] ; Philadelphia, PA : Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press, 1999.

Egi, S.M. and Inelmen, E., (1999) “The Role of Extra-Curriculum Activities in the Life Long Education of Engineers”, Global Journal of Engineering Education, UNESCO International Centre for Engineering Education, Vol. 3, No 3, (1999), pp.199-202.

Engwall, L (2000) “Mastering Minerva's Multinationals: National Educational Policies and Globalisation”, Peder Saether Symposium (March9-10,2000)

Ergüder (2006), “Why a new higher education vision”, Istanbul Policy Center, Karaköy, Istanbul, pp. 51-62.

Fink, F. (2000) Personal communication

Inelmen, E., (1996) “The Role of the Third Sector in Enhancing University, Industry and Goverment Collaboration: A Case Study”, UnIG’96, International Conference on Technology Management: University/Industry/Goverment Collaboration, UNESCO Chair on Mechatronics, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, pp. 554-558,

Inelmen, E., (1997) “Reconciling Engineering Research and Educational Activities: A Case Study”, V. Yerlici - Engineering and Education (Ed. G. A. Altay), pp. 325-334, Istanbul, 1997.

Inelmen, E.,(2006) "Genealogy of a Pursuit for Education Reform" in David Evans (ed.), Philosophy of Education: Proceedings of the Twenty-First World Congress of Philosophy, Vol.4 (Ankara,Turkey: 2006), pp.57-64. ISBN 975 7748 36 6.

Iskander, M.R. (2000) “Corporate governance : a framework for implementation” Washington, DC : World Bank, 2000.

Lattas, J. (2009) “Dear Learner: Shame and the Dialectics of Enquiry”, The Internatıonal Journal of the Humanıtıes, Vol 6:11, pp.85-94

Onaral, B. (1999) Personal communication

Sevgen, A. (2009) Personal communication

Unsal, M. (2001) Personal communication

Appendix : “System Thinking” Decision Support for Good University Governance

“The sciences which they learned without any order in their early education will be brought together and they will be able to see the natural relationship of sciences to one another and to true being”.

Plato, Republic, VII 537

Mente sana en cuerpo sano . Agent: belief, intention, knowledge.