Autonomy for Universities Excellence – Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The campus based universities offering higher education with the autonomy to innovate have opportunities to further improve the quality of their services and hence to reach excellence globally. Due to enhanced competitions through online courses, many campus based universities are redefining their strategies for either survival, or sustainability, or differentiation, or monopoly, or growth & prosper depending on their present status and future plan. In this paper, we have analyzed the challenges and opportunities of present generation campus based universities and how such challenges can be addressed using their operational autonomy to aim for excellence. This includes the generic strategies to be used by campus based universities and their relevancy in the higher education system. Based on a review of private university performance & ranking among US universities, it is argued that the private universities have better opportunity to innovate and hence to reach excellence. The nature and usage of autonomy by universities for academic, research, and technology based innovations, and autonomy for collaboration and expansion of campus based universities are discussed in terms of autonomy for stakeholders. Finally, the predicted consequences of the usage of autonomy by public and private universities are discussed.