What Does Autonomy in Universities Look Like?
What Does Autonomy in Universities Look Like?

Summary/Abstract: A university is a learning community, dedicated to learning at ‘higher’ levels. It is from this simple and – I think – uncontentious description of universities that I build my argument for the autonomy of universities, for what autonomy looks like in universities (somewhat in contrast to official descriptions, as at https://www.university-autonomy.eu/), and for what universities would look like if they were exonomous. After describing the rather dangerous term ‘autonomy’, I will go on to explain why and how autonomy is important. Autonomy – infused with care, curiosity and community – is equally relevant to the two activities that dominate universities: teaching-learning and research. My conclusion is rather simple, like my initial description of universities as learning communities. When those in universities focus primarily on learning alone (they focus on just learning), and when the ways in which they do that is personal and therefore congruent with justice (they focus on just learning), universities will be enabled to demonstrate a significant degree of autonomy.

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