ABSTRACT
Preliminary drafting, evaluation and consultation on key academic policies and strategies may be undertaken by sub-committees of the senate/academic board. In many Higher Education Institutions the governing body may have had relatively little engagement with academic governance, beyond routine receipt of minutes from bodies such as the senate or academic board. In practice, of course, academic decisions impact corporate governance and vice versa – decisions about academic practice can have resource implications and resource decisions will affect the learning environment. The equivalent response then is to rely on annual reports on academic quality and standards; to consider agreed academic Key Performance Indicators relating to education, student experience, and research and knowledge exchange. The availability and impact of the various datasets means that increasing amounts of information on academic assurance is coming to governing bodies. Governing bodies will need assurance that academic governance is effective and risks are being effectively managed.
