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Values and ethics in governance

The Nolan Report on standards in public life highlighted the importance of values and ethics in governance, and identified the need for selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership. Most institutions have adopted these principles for the following reasons:

The need for institutions as major bodies receiving public funding to demonstrate best practice in governance.
In an increasingly 'marketised' higher education system it is probably inevitable that governing bodies will become more involved in educational issues than in the past (eg. ensuring a satisfactory student experience). In doing so it will be important for boards to understand core academic values, and have committed themselves to protecting them.
In encouraging students to pursue and open and enquiring approach to learning, governing bodies have to provide leadership in modelling that behaviour in the conduct of their own affairs.

Many institutions set out their expectations of governing body members in a code of conduct, which might cover roles, responsibilities, values and dealing with potential conflicts of interest.

In some other countries the issue is also regarded as important, for example in the USA amongst trustees on boards of universities there is often considerable discussion of the need for boards of trustees (governors) to uphold the values of the university, particularly in the light of pressures on public universities from individual state legislatures or the financial pressures from major donors.

Governors also have a role in ensuring that their institutions act in an ethical and responsible manner. The independent report by Lord Woolf into the links between the London School of Economics and Libya raises a number of governance and managerial issues, and refers to Ethics Matters - Managing Ethical Issues in Higher Education published in 2005.

Further information on propriety and transparency.

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