Governance of Universities
The DCU Governing Authority is charged with the overall governance of the University in accordance with the Universities Act 1997.
Good governance is central to the effective operation of Irish Higher Education Institutions and this requires that a framework of structures, policies, and processes are in place to achieve the desired outcomes.
Accordingly, the Governing Body of the University is responsible for ensuring that good governance, conduct, management and accountability arrangements are in place across the university and its campus companies.
Further details of the university's governance arrangements are provided below.
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) Act 2022 provides that one of the functions of the HEA is to support the effective governance of designated institutions of higher education by overseeing appropriate Governance Oversight Frameworks to underpin public confidence in the higher education system and requiring accountability and compliance with those governance oversight frameworks.
The HEA acknowledges the responsibility of designated institutions of higher education for the performance and governance of those institutions. In exercising its oversight role, the HEA acknowledges the value and importance of institutional autonomy and flexibility, while requiring that this should proceed within a transparent governance and accountability framework.
The HEA must be able to rely on assurances from the institutions that the systems and procedures in place are effective and ensure timely, responsive actions are taken to address issues identified.
The Governance Oversight Framework sets out the mechanisms in place for the HEA to effect robust oversight of the higher education institutions. This framework requests assurance from institutions of their compliance with relevant legislation, Government circulars, the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, 2016 (“Code of Governance”), statutes, charters, articles, and instruments of governance.
Primary Legislation
The Dublin City University Act of 1989 conferred the status of a university on DCU.
Dublin City University Act 1989
The primary piece of legislation setting out how Irish universities are to be governed is the Universities Act 1997.
The 1997 Act was subsequently amended by the Higher Education Authority Act 2022, especially in regard to the makeup, role and function of the Governing Authority (see subsections 72 to 84 of the Act).
Higher Education Authority Act 2022
Other Legislation
In addition to the above pieces of primary legislation the university is also subject to a host of other pieces of legislation. Details of the most relevant ones are provided at the link below.
In August 2016, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform published a revised Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies to meet the highest standards of corporate governance and to provide a framework for the application of best practice taking account of developments in respect of oversight, reporting requirements and the appointment of Board members.
In 2017, the Irish Universities Association (IUA) commenced the revision of the 2012 Code for the Governance of Universities, bringing the original Code of Practice in line with the revised 2016 Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) was consulted at various stages of the project and provided an initial analysis of the 2016 Code sections which were not relevant to the educational sector.
In 2019 a new Code of Governance for Irish Universities (see link below) was drafted taking the original 2016 Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies as its starting point.
2019 Code of Governance for Irish Universities
The provisions of the 2019 Code sit alongside and complement, but do not override, the University's existing legal and other obligations.
The 2019 Code is voluntary and operates on a ‘Comply or Explain’ basis which means that the University is required to confirm that it complies with the Code in its governance practices and procedures and must provide reasons if there are provisions of the Code for which it is not in compliance.
The updates in the 2019 Code of Governance were part of a broader reform of governance across the Irish public sector. The Irish Universities Act, 1997, originally established the legal framework for university governance, but the subsequent codes have been developed by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) to provide more detailed guidance and align with evolving standards of best practice. The 2019 revision was a direct response to the publication of the State Code in 2016, aiming to ensure that the governance of Irish universities meets the same high standards expected of all state bodies.
Endorsement by DCU Governing Authority
At its meeting of February 14th 2019 the Governing Authority of the University formally endorsed the 2019 Code.
Further information regarding the university's organisation and management structures may be accessed at the link below.