United Kingdom
There are different political environments and systems operating within the different countries within the United Kingdom. Many of the issues outlined in the present profile relate to developments in England and not across the whole of the United Kingdom.
Recent developments:
- Lifting of student number controls for universities in England, partially from 2012/13 and fully from 2015/16
- Major decrease of almost 70% in public grant funding for teaching in England (between 2011 and 2017), as tuition fee ceilings increased for Bachelor/undergraduate students
- Forthcoming changes to Scottish university governance with the Higher Education Governance Act 2016
- New quality assurance approach from 2016/17 including a new focus on teaching excellence with the Teaching Excellence Framework
- Forthcoming changes for universities in England outlined in the Higher Education and Research Bill
Organisational autonomy: high
English universities can decide, without the interference of the State, on all aspects of organisational autonomy, including selection, term of office and dismissal of the executive head, governance structures and inclusion of external members, as well as internal academic structures. Universities may create legal entities freely.
Financial autonomy: high
Universities do require the approval of an external authority for borrowing above a certain level. At Bachelor level tuition fees to national and EU students must be set below a ceiling set by an external authority. Universities may set the level of fees charged at other levels and to international students.
Academic autonomy: high
Universities decide on the overall number of students since student number controls were lifted. They set admission criteria at Bachelor and Master levels. New programmes may be introduced without prior accreditation. Universities undergo institutional accreditation by the national agency. Universities can decide on the language of instruction for all programmes and can design the content of academic programmes freely.
Staffing autonomy: high
Universities recruit their senior academic and administrative staff freely. Salary bands for senior academic staff are negotiated with other parties through national bargaining arrangements, while universities decide on senior administrative staff salaries. There are no specific regulations regarding either dismissals or promotions.
Organisational weighted 100% unweighted 100%
100% Selection procedure for the executive head
The selection of the executive head is not validated by an external authority
100% Selection criteria for the executive head
The selection criteria for the executive head are not stated in the law
This applies to 9 other countries: Austria, Wallonia, Iceland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland,
100% Dismissal of the executive head
The procedure for the dismissal of the executive head is not stated in the law
This applies to 10 other countries: Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, Wallonia, Ireland, The Netherlands, Serbia, Switzerland,
100% Term of office of the executive head
The length of the term of office is not stated in the law
This applies to 5 other countries: Denmark, Wallonia, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain,
100% External members in university governing bodies
Universities can decide to include external members
This applies to one other country: Estonia
Universities can freely decide on external members
100% Capacity to decide on academic structures
Universities can decide on their academic structures without constraints
This applies to 19 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
100% Capacity to create legal entities
Universities can create legal entities without constraints
This applies to 18 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, France, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Serbia, Spain,
Financial weighted 89% unweighted 90%
60% Length of public funding cycle
One year
100% Type of public funding
Block grant and there are no restrictions on the allocation of funding
This applies to 15 other countries: Brandenburg, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, Hesse, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Spain, Switzerland,
90% Ability to borrow money
Universities can borrow money with other types of restrictions
100% Ability to keep surplus
Surplus can be kept without restrictions
This applies to 15 other countries: Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hesse, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland,
100% Ability to own buildings
Universities can sell their buildings without restrictions
40% Tuition fees for national/EU students at Bachelor level
Universities can set the level of tuition fees under a ceiling set by an external authority
100% Tuition fees for national/EU students at Master's level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
100% Tuition fees for national/EU students at doctoral level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
This applies to 8 other countries: Croatia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia,
100% Tuition fees for non-EU students at Bachelor level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
100% Tuition fees for non-EU students at Master's level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
100% Tuition fees for non-EU students at doctoral level
Staffing weighted 96% unweighted 96%
100% Recruitment procedures for senior academic staff
Recruitments are carried out freely by universities
This applies to 17 other countries: Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, Hesse, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland,
100% Recruitment procedures for senior administrative staff
Recruitments are carried out freely by universities
This applies to 20 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland,
67% Salaries for senior academic staff
Salary bands are negotiated with other parties
This applies to 5 other countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, The Netherlands, Norway,
100% Salaries for senior administrative staff
Universities can freely decide on staff salaries
This applies to 5 other countries: Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland,
100% Dismissal of senior academic staff
There are no sector-specific regulations concerning dismissals (national labour regulations apply)
This applies to 8 other countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland,
100% Dismissal of senior administrative staff
There are no sector-specific regulations concerning dismissals (national labour regulations apply)
100% Promotion procedures for senior academic staff
Universities can freely decide on promotion procedures
100% Promotion procedures for senior administrative staff
Universities can freely decide on promotion procedures
This applies to 13 other countries: Austria, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland,
Academic weighted 89% unweighted 92%
100% Overall student numbers
Universities decide independently on the number of study places
100% Admissions procedures at Bachelor level
Admission criteria are set by the university
100% Admissions procedures at Master's level
Admission criteria are set by the university
100% Introduction of programmes at Bachelor level
Universities can open degree programmes without prior accreditation
This applies to 7 other countries: Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland,
100% Introduction of programmes at Master's level
Universities can open degree programmes without prior accreditation
This applies to 7 other countries: Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland,
100% Introduction of programmes at doctoral level
Universities can open degree programmes without prior accreditation
This applies to 12 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Denmark, Flanders, Hesse, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland,
100% Termination of degree programmes
Universities can terminate degree programmes independently
100% Language of instruction at Bachelor level
Universities can choose the language of instruction for all programmes
This applies to 19 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hesse, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
100% Language of instruction at Master's level
Universities can choose the language of instruction for all programmes
This applies to 20 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hesse, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
100% Selection of quality assurance mechanisms
Universities cannot select quality assurance mechanisms
0% Selection of quality assurance providers
Universities cannot choose the quality assurance agency
100% Capacity to design content of degree programmes
Universities can freely design the content of degree programmes and courses (other than for the regulated professions)
This applies to 25 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, France, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,