PART 2 | GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE

Academic Governance: Structures, Policy and Practice

From shared governance to NEP 2020 and quality culture

Dr. Naraginti Amareswaran Reddy | Dept. of Education, NEHU, Shillong

UGC-MMTTC, Gauhati University, Guwahati | 30 September 2026

Recap of Part 1

• Context: loosely coupled, professional
• Lenses: four frames
• Styles: transformational, servant, distributed, adaptive
• Human side: trust, conflict, decisions

Learning Outcomes: Part 2

• Understand governance models and bodies
• Read NEP 2020 as a leader
• Build a quality and ethics culture
• Lead change with evidence

1

Governance Structures

Who decides what

Governance Models

• Collegial: consensus among scholars
• Bureaucratic: rules and hierarchy
• Political: bargaining among groups
• Cybernetic: self-correcting systems
• Real universities blend all four

Birnbaum (1988)

Shared Governance

• Faculty lead on curriculum and research
• Board and administration lead on finance and law
• Trust and communication hold it together
• Joint statement of principles: AAUP (1966)

AAUP (1966)

Statutory Bodies (Central University)

Top Bodies

• Court
• Executive Council
• Academic Council

Support Bodies

• Finance Committee
• Planning Board
• Selection Committees

Names and powers depend on your Act and Statutes: verify

Academic Bodies

Academic

• Board of Studies
• School Board
• Research Committee

Quality and Welfare

• IQAC
• Grievance Cell
• Internal Committee

Decision Rights: Clarity Prevents Conflict

• Map each decision: who proposes, approves, implements
• Follow the Act, Statutes and Ordinances
• Record reasons in minutes
• Review overlapping powers regularly

Transparency and Accountability

• Right to Information: proactive disclosure
• Publish policies, admissions and results on time
• Open selection criteria
• Accountability builds legitimacy

RTI Act (2005)

IKS

Indian Roots of Governance

Assemblies, saṅgha, gurukula and modern builders

Sabha and Samiti: Ancient Deliberation

• Vedic assemblies debated and advised rulers
• Dharma set limits even on the king
• Modern link: collegial and shared governance

Atharva Veda; Jayaswal (1924)

Sangha: Consensus in Buddhist Monasteries

• Decisions taken in assembled meetings with rules of procedure
• Dissent heard, agreement recorded
• Nalanda and Takshashila: renowned learning centres
• Modern link: Boards of Studies and committees

Vinaya tradition; Nalanda records

Arthashastra: Administration and Audit

• Defined duties for each official
• Regular inspection and accountability of officers
• Revenue and expenditure recorded
• Modern link: audit, RTI and transparency

Kautilya, Arthashastra

Institution Builders of Modern India

• Ashutosh Mukherjee: Calcutta University, scholar-administrator
• Radhakrishnan: University Education Commission (1948)
• Vikram Sarabhai: PRL, ISRO, IIM Ahmedabad
• Lesson: vision, autonomy and trust in talent

IKS in NEP 2020

• NEP encourages Indian Knowledge Systems in curricula
• Ethics, values and constitutional duties in education
• Local languages and traditions in teaching
• Leader task: integrate IKS with rigour, not ritual

NEP 2020

2

NEP 2020: Governance Reform

Autonomy, accountability, accreditation

What NEP 2020 Asks of Leaders

• Empowered Boards of Governors
• Merit-based appointment of leaders
• Light but tight regulation
• Multidisciplinary institutions
• Leaders as facilitators

NEP 2020, Section 19

Graded Autonomy

• Academic autonomy: curriculum, pedagogy
• Administrative autonomy: structure, staffing
• Financial autonomy: resources and use
• Linked to accreditation and performance

NEP 2020

Autonomy With Accountability

Autonomy Gives

• Innovation
• Faster decisions
• Curriculum freedom

Accountability Demands

• Outcome data
• Public disclosure
• Ethical conduct

Balance is the leader's central task

3

Quality Culture

NAAC, NIRF, outcomes

IQAC: From Documents to Daily Practice

• Plan, act, review, improve continuously
• Involve all faculty, not only the coordinator
• Use feedback from students and alumni
• Evidence over ritual

Outcome-Based Education

• Programme Outcomes to Course Outcomes
• Assessment aligned to outcomes
• Attainment analysis
• Close the loop: improve teaching

NAAC and NIRF: Use Them Wisely

• Accreditation checks quality, ranking compares
• Metrics guide, they must not replace purpose
• Data quality and honesty matter
• Celebrate improvement, not only position

4

Ethics and Integrity

Trust is the licence to lead

Ethical Leadership

• Transparency in appointments and purchases
• Fair workload and credit for work
• Protect whistle-blowers
• Ethics is what leaders tolerate

Northouse (2021)

Conflict of Interest

• Declare relationships and interests
• Recuse from decisions involving them
• Keep records
• Apply the same rule to everyone

Responsible AI in Academic Governance

• Use AI to support, not replace, judgement
• Disclose AI use in teaching and research
• Verify outputs, protect data
• Set an institutional AI policy

Student Voice and Grievances

• Accessible grievance channels
• Time-bound redressal
• Student representation in bodies
• Safe campus: anti-ragging, gender sensitivity

5

Leading Change

Turning policy into practice

Kotter's 8 Steps, Academic Style

• Create urgency with data
• Build a coalition of respected faculty
• Form a vision and communicate it
• Enable action, remove barriers
• Win small, then anchor in culture

Kotter (1996)

Resistance Is Information

• Ask what people fear losing
• Involve sceptics early
• Offer training and time
• Do not confuse silence with consent

ACTIVITY | Case: Implementing NEP 2020 in a Department (20 min)

• Choose one reform: multidisciplinary courses or credit transfer
• List stakeholders and likely concerns
• Plan first three steps

ACTIVITY | Action Plan (20 min)

• One governance issue at your institution
• One leadership move, one policy fix, one metric
• 60-second pitch to a colleague

"Great universities are built by leaders who make others leaders."

Thank you | Questions and Discussion