Higher Education governance and policy in Spain

The knowledge society of the 21st century is undergoing important changes in the field of information, communication, and globalization, which has led Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to play a leading role in its sustainable development, based on three fundamental pillars: social, economic, and environmental, which go beyond its traditional role based on training students to obtain a professional degree. The need to address these significant changes and improve the quality and efficiency of HEIs has led to a reassessment of their governance structures, which require a more agile governance system that includes professionalized management. The most recent analyses on governance agree that the current mechanisms and systems of participation and decision making must be modified to guarantee greater effectiveness, and an improvement in transparency and accountability with the aim of contributing to promoting the role of the university in society, highlighting its contribution to innovation, research, generation and transmission of knowledge, and fostering collaboration with the business environment to promote the socioeconomic development of the surrounding area. This article analyses the role of the governing bodies in Spanish universities, highlighting the challenges and threats, and providing critical insights that result in improved self-governance.