Changing University Governance Paradigms in the Middle East and North Africa: The UAE Example

When Al Ain University (AU) was incepted in 2005 it was aimed to be a higher education institution of its kind and was meant to grow into an international-class university. Five years later, however, it found itself lagging behind the top twenty UAE universities. In less than half a dozen of years, no less than four presidents have resigned or been terminated prior to the expiration of their terms, in most cases, within one or two years of assuming office which stroke a serious blow to the institution's governance system. This state-of-affairs had had a grave impact on the stability, functioning and growth of the institution and thus prompted an urgent need for a stable organizational model of governance. Consequently, AU developed a new management system derived from the Commission for Academic Accreditation 2011 Standards of UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (CAA Standards) meaning to move the institution forward to accomplishments and excellence. This paper examines the nature and the effects of change involved through the application of the CAA Standards as an organizational model of governance and provides recommendations as to how the model can be efficaciously implemented.