Universities Independency
By: Prof. Dr. Younes Megdadi
Regulations and instructions emanating from the Jordanian Universities Law with all its amendments explicitly define the concept of universities as academically, administratively and financially independent educational institutions, considering them as institutions governed by governing regulations and instructions to manage them within strategic visions through which they seek to translate their directions, decisions and future plans that enable them to advance their educational mission with autonomous management, including serve her academic career.
However, interested in academic affairs were stopped those interested in academic affairs from questioning the truth and validity of the independence of our universities as stated in the Jordanian Universities Law and the governing instructions? Can universities act freely in the management of their academic, administrative and financial affairs without obtaining prior approvals from the Ministry of Higher Education and its esteemed council and its affiliated institutions, which we do not find in the universities of developed countries except for specific matters, most of which are procedural and protocol? But what we are witnessing in our reality is that our universities are hostage to the law, instructions and decisions issued from time to time by the Ministry of Higher Education and its institutions with great appreciation for them, which impose themselves on universities under the pretext that they are the official authorities responsible for drawing university education policies and organizing and controlling university inputs, which makes it surprising for the universities administrations whose role has become executive and give them freedom of decision in specific cases, and the evidence and witnesses are many, including but not limited to the placement and appointment of university presidents and some first-class leaders, the development of academic programs and their requirements, the academic accreditation of programs, the conclusion of partnerships for academic programs, the absorptive capacities of the numbers of students, and the conditions Acceptance of students, conditions for the localization of faculty members, study plans for academic programs, and others, as it is the decision-maker in all the details of the work of universities, and this confirms that all universities are subject to the approval of the official authorities for reasons of concern for our universities and their educational mission.
Interested in academic affairs believe that the role of guardianship over universities is not one of the successful solutions for their renaissance, rather, it will limit the ability of universities to improve the educational and learning process according to their future aspirations, especially in light of the current developments that have become imposed on the academic decision in universities, for example the internationalization of university education in its comprehensive as a challenge for universities to catch up with global universities.
Universities independence is one of the most important elements of success, academic excellence, competitiveness, building reputation, evidence and evidence abound, and it is clearly visible in the universities of developed countries, which were and still are a model as independent institutions, which made them able to structure their inputs academically, administratively, financially and freely, away from the tutelage box and limiting the role of higher education institutions They are responsible for the responsible oversight of the performance of universities, and as a result, we find their universities occupying advanced ranks in terms of reputation, excellence and global ranking.
Accordingly, we say with confidence that the independence of universities is one of the keys to success and excellence and keeping pace with the requirements of the times, as they are the stakeholders and the decision-makers in managing the compass of the academic, administrative and financial process in all its files and within the frameworks and controls governing university administrations to become a role model regionally and globally, and give them a wide space of freedom, separation and governance It is left to the local community and the labor market and is not under guardianship over it, not to mention enabling universities to get out of restrictions and leaving full responsibility for managing universities in a way that serves their interests, community service and the labor market, in line with the visions of His Majesty the Hashemite King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein and the Crown Prince of the Secretary, may God protect them And he nurtured them.
