Old Wine in New Skins: The Long Evolution of Supervisory Boards in Dutch Higher Education

Governance systems in higher education have been ‘modernised’ in many European countries. Far-reaching changes have been made to ‘the steering and coordination of interdependent actors based on institutionalised rule systems’ (Benz, 2004). We observe changing relationships between the State, society and universities and many reforms, mostly initiated by national governments, which aim at increasing the efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness of internal university governance. The recalibration of governance in accordance with ‘modern’ standards has involved changes in the tasks, positions, roles and composition of many internal governing bodies and sometimes the creation of new governing bodies. The resultant European higher education governance landscape has become exceptionally diverse. A recent European study (Eurydice, 2008) makes a distinction between university decision-making bodies that are responsible for long-term strategic decisions and advisory or supervisory bodies that oversee or monitor the university’s operational, educational and financial activities and are composed solely or largely of external stakeholders.