Challenges of University Governance: Notes on Matters of Authority and the Professionalization of University Manangement

Abstract

Latinamerican univeristies, as complex organizations by excellence, are going through a minefield of challenges that are well worth unveiling. Generally speaking, the enviroment in which universities operate, cohabit a great number of decition makers and advocates of public policies, whom most of the time, lack of the mínimum technical competences or the professional requirements; which is extremely dangerous for such an estrategic role that plays the sector in countries’ progress and developement. The present paper has proposed itself to reflecto on the matters of autority and profesionalization of management within universities, as one of the primary challenges of university governance. With this in mind, a theoretical investigation, supported by reviewing and sistematizing academic literature on the specific subject was used as resort, and contributions of Burton Clark were taken as main reference. Among the most relevant conclusions, it is factible to affirm that the challenges that university governance faces to overcome what Clark calls the inertia state of traditional universities, it stans out: to develop network contacts between leaders to create a culture oriented to change; to adminístrate in a innovatite way, based on skills, leadership, flexibility, permanent contextualization, capacity to produce and manage changes; to demand different postures oriented to profesionalization from education managers, excecutives and technician, overall, an administration with new techniques and management methods.