Enhancing Public Accountability Through Stakeholder Participation: Evidence from an Islamic Higher Education Institutions in the Hadith Studies Program at Iain Langsa

Abstract: Public accountability has become a central concern in higher education governance, yet stakeholder engagement in Islamic higher educationinstitutions remains underexplored. This study aims to analyzehow stakeholder participation enhances public accountability in the Hadith Science Study Program at IAIN Langsa. A qualitative case-study approach was employed, involving 30 purposively selected informants representing internal and external stakeholders, including lecturers, students, alumni, graduate users, administrators, community leaders, and government representatives. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and document analysis, and validated using triangulation and member checking. The findings reveal that stakeholder involvement significantly strengthens transparency, responsiveness, curriculum relevance, and institutional legitimacy. Stakeholders contribute through academic feedback, performance evaluation, curriculum alignment with labor- market needs, and policy support. However, accountability enhancement is constrained by limited resources, weak communication platforms, and uneven stakeholder awareness. This study provides empirical evidence that participatory governance plays a critical role in fostering accountable management in Islamic higher education institutions.