Power Relations within the Centralised System of University Administration: A Case Study of Public Universities in Northern Ghana

The legitimization and exercise of power within university governance structures have a significant influence on participatory decision-making, academic freedom, and institutional autonomy. Documents such as university laws, regulatory guidelines, strategic plans, and policy circulars play a crucial role in reflecting and reinforcing these power relations within centralized university administrations. Despite their importance, the role of such documents in shaping power dynamics in centralized systems has received limited scholarly attention. This study investigated how power is constructed, legitimized, and reproduced within the administrative frameworks of three public universities governed under centralized systems in Northern Ghana. Employing a document analysis approach, official texts, including university statutes, policy manuals, regulatory frameworks, and ministry directives, were systematically examined. The findings reveal that power is constructed through hierarchical appointments and codified in regulatory frameworks, with authority concentrated in externally appointed governing councils, leaving minimal room for internal participatory governance. Furthermore, the legitimization of power is embedded in formal documents that frame centralized control as essential for “efficiency,” “order,” and “academic excellence.” Foundational documents, particularly the universities’ establishing Acts, institutionalize governance logics that prioritize control over collaboration, significantly constraining institutional autonomy and academic participation. Drawing on Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power, the analysis illustrates how authority operates through subtle regulatory mechanisms rather than overt coercion. The study concludes that centralized governance fosters performative participation, with executive decision-makers dominating and academic staff relegated primarily to implementation roles. It recommends revising university Acts, statutes, and administrative policies to strengthen the governance roles of Academic Boards, Faculty Councils, and Departments, particularly regarding curriculum development, staff appointments, and budgetary decisions, thereby promoting more democratic and inclusive institutional practices.