march 7, 2008
Lambert Verveld,University of Groningen
march 7, 2008
Lambert Verveld,University of Groningen
secretary general
update from the netherlands
secretary general
update from the netherlands
today
• some things about the university of groningen
• overview of legal mile stones in the Netherlands since 1950
• major trends and issues influencing the position of the secretary general
• the secretary general today in the Netherlands
university of groningen
• founded in 1614
• 25.000 students, 6.000 staff
• annual budget 500 M€
• science, medicine, arts, social science, law, business
• royal institute in Rome
made in Groningen
• First female student of the Netherlands
• First dutch astronaut
• First president of the European Central Bank
• Present poet laureate
• CEO Akzo Nobel
• Mayor of Amsterdam
• Royal
tradition: professor’s rule
rector for academysecretary general as executive
ministry dominant in descisions about professors and
investments
1950 - 1970
1971democracy at university: elected
university council with governing power
board of five persons (incl Rector),
(2 appointed by the minister)secretary general is executive
tensions between SG and Boardbattle between academic
traditionand renewal of governance
1987
no major governance changes concerning the elected council,
but:board of three app. by ministry
and: secr. gen. not mentioned in law
fundamental change in executive role
academic leadership+ decentralised services
board of trustees app. by minister
governing / executive board of three (incl. Rector, president is
dominant) appointed by board of trustees
trend to recentralise of governance
university council: gives advice instead of governing power
1997
autonomy• employership
• ownership of real estate
• financial freedom (lump sum + other sources)
• marketing (students, staff, general public)
• legal & public accountability
• increase of administrative tasks
major trends• strong growth of students, staff, finance
• fierce international competition
• quality is a key issue
• decentralization (as a result of growth & autonomy)
• recentralization (as a result of IT and efficiency)
• diversification (students, research clients)
people in education &
research• from individual freedom to regulated professionalism
• individual quality of professors more important
• other sources of income for research
• flexible contracts
results• dominance of strategy
• complexity (stake holders, finance, accountability)
• process orientation
• new roles and functions (controler, institutional researcher, auditor, etcetc)
• diversification of institutions (small, broad, technical, research, international)
governance stylestraditional:
board, SG, faculty boards
executive governance + management of administration
and services
managerial: board is executive
the secretary now
A) the traditional secretary as semi-executive
B) the secretary as general director of administration &
services
C) the secretary as secretary of the board, board is the executive
A) & B)
A/B: corporate/administration: strategy advisers, finance,
personell, real estate, communication, student
services, etcA: IT-services, library, facilities
(cleaning, restaurants, etc)A+: support services at faculty
level
C)
secretariat and legal services
and/or: strategy and policy coordination
key factors
• IT is the essential tool (in administration, in information management, in creating efficiency)
• managing of and communicating with ‘the environment’ (general public, politicians, firms, parents, alumni) becomes a major task for the board
• accountability: more stakeholders
common denominators
• close(st) official to the board of the university
• task linked to strategy
• acting at the crossroads of information
• coordinating the execution of the policy of the governing board
• general overview, not a specialist
future
• bringing together strategy and services
• taking care of a reliable administration
• providing adequate management information
• adding value, creating space for renewal, coordinating different strategy paths