II. Research methodology of the study
The study of the way the reform was implemented is of great interest and the present study was conducted in order to identify the way the provisions of the reform are perceived and implemented at academic staff level and at academic management level, in both public and private universities.
The research objectives
Given the situation in Romania our research question is how much do management of state universities benefit of the institutional autonomy that they were given? How much do the financial autonomy they receive by law, contribute to the diversification of sources of funding for universities? How is the academic autonomy implemented at university level? How accountable are universities given the autonomy they received?
Therefore, the study proposes the following objectives:
1) To evaluate the implementation of academic autonomy by assessing its contribution to changes in academic curriculum and academic programs at university level.
2) To assess how financial autonomy at university level determined the better use of existing resources and the finding of new sources of financing.
3) To study the mechanism of decision-making regarding academic issues and financial issues within universities. Is the past model of transmitting decision top-down (from senates to faculties and individuals) preserved or there is more delegation of decision-making at faculties level and at individual level?
4) To assess the university accountability towards state for using its funds and towards students for the programs delivered, programs that have to correspond with the demand from the labor market.
Research methodology
In order to reach these objectives, the research was organized in two phases:
Phase 1: Two detailed case studies were developed for two universities, one state university and one private university. The two universities were chosen from the economic field in order to ensure comparability. Information about employees and decision-makers at all levels within the university, about the way the financial and academic autonomy granted by law is perceived and is implemented, was collected. More details are offered in the section about the case studies.
Phase 2: A country-wide mail survey was conducted with the managerial staff of the 141 public and private universities in Romania (Statistical Yearbook, 2001).
Information about the new and old sources of finance and new and old educational programs; about the decision making related to these issues were gathered in order to assess the implementation of financial and academic autonomy at university level. More details are offered in the section about the national survey.