ABSTRACT
Governing bodies need to adopt an approach of continuous improvement to governance, in order to enhance their own effectiveness and provide an example to institutions about the importance of review and evaluation. An effectiveness review is an important means through which a governing body may engage in proportionate, timely and purposeful self-reflection. Higher education institutions committed to critical self-reflection and the principles of continuous improvement embrace the opportunity to periodically evaluate their performance. In England the higher education code of governance also explicitly encourages a degree of externality in the review process. A critical dimension is stakeholder and wider public confidence in the integrity of higher education (HE) governance. Self-assessment can be accomplished by stating the institution follows the Committee of University Chairs Code of HE Governance. Public interest in and discourse regarding what constitutes good governance has touched many sectors.
