Governance, Leadership and University Cultures: Do Universities Critique Social Norms and Values, or Copy Them?

Abstract

The New Zealand Education Act of 1989 lists characteristics of universities, including ‘a role as critic and conscience of society’. My contention here is that universities in the UK, at corporate and senior manager level, have lost the moral high ground necessary to fulfil such a role. The Code of Practice of the Committee of University Chairs (of governors) sets the Nolan Principles of conduct in public life as a benchmark for recognised standards of good practice, but states that members must act in line with the accepted standards of behaviour in public life. I demonstrate that what is accepted in action – operational values and standards – falls well below espoused values and principles. With mass participation, universities have become part of mainstream society, not separate, monastic communities in the reflective Newman tradition. They, therefore, receive attention from a press acting as their ‘critic and conscience’. I examine some of the discourse used in this context, straddling the campus boundary in scope and style. The values essential to academic autonomy operate throughout a university, so enacted values will be examined within the context of organisation culture to draw out lessons from contemporary events to show how they mirror campus norms, as well as to emphasise to leaders the ethics and behavioural standards essential within a higher education context in defending the exceptionality of universities.