Religious transformative collegial leadership in higher education

Introduction This study investigates leadership management practices in six higher education institutions in Tulungagung Regency: UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, Universitas Bhineka Tulungagung, Universitas Tulungagung, STAI Diponegoro Tulungagung, STAI KH. Muhammad Ali Shodiq Tulungagung, and STIT Muhammadiyah Tulungagung. Methods A qualitative multi-site design was employed involving 24 participants, including institutional leaders, vice leaders, heads of study programs, lecturers, and administrative staff. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, non-participant observations, and analysis of strategic documents and quality assurance reports. Data were analyzed thematically using cross-case comparison. Results The findings reveal that leadership management is strongly shaped by religious values, collegial traditions, and adaptive responses to digital transformation and accreditation demands. Significant disparities were identified in research governance, doctoral qualifications, and digital infrastructure across institutional types. UIN SATU demonstrates a more established quality assurance and research ecosystem, while smaller institutions rely more on charismatic and community-based leadership. Discussion This study proposes the Religious Transformative Collegial Leadership (RTCL) model consisting of five pillars: spiritual foundation, collegial participation, adaptive transformation, professional empowerment, and community connectivity. The model provides a contextual framework for strengthening governance in regional higher education while balancing cultural legitimacy with modern managerial demands.