Governance of Endowments in Saudi Public Universities

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the concept of university governance and the concept of university endowment governance and to uncover the most outstanding challenges that face university endowments when implementing governance concepts. To achieve these goals, the study used the descriptive survey approach that relied on interviews as a tool to collect data. The number of respondents reached (20) respondents from (16) Saudi universities in addition to an interview with the vice president of the Private Endowment board, and the study reached several results, the most important of which are: The activation of university-governance endowments including the issuance of legislations that organize university endowment work and achieve the desired objectives of its establishment. The results of the study also revealed a set of existing challenges facing university endowments in Saudi Arabia, and the results included some of the contributions that help in overcoming these challenges. The study recommended emphasizing the role of university-governance endowments and revealing the best practices of governance locally and internationally that lead to the effectiveness of university endowments in Saudi Arabia, and working to encourage community contributions in university endowments, spreading the culture of its programs, and raising awareness of the reality of its governance.