University governance and institutional performance: an analysis of brazilian federal university statutes

Abstract

Brazilian Federal Universities (FUs), as part of the Union’s indirect administration, are governed by their university statutes. These normative instruments structure institutional governance by regulating aspects such as the functioning of governing councils, the allocation of public resources, the selection of university presidents, and the rights and duties of the academic community. This study analyzes the relationship between statutory characteristics and the academic and administrative performance of FUs, with a focus on identifying governance elements associated with better outcomes. The analysis encompasses the statutes of 69 FUs, employing a quantitative approach through panel data linear regression and a qualitative assessment of normative content. The performance indicators – dependent variables – used were the General Course Index, Success Rate, and Current Cost per Student. The results indicate that the mere existence of a statute is not associated with institutional performance. However, specific provisions, such as the accountability of governing councils, the method of selecting university presidents, student rights, and faculty evaluation mechanisms, show correlation with performance indicators. This study contributes to the literature on university governance by highlighting the role of statutes in the institutional efficiency of Brazilian Federal Universities.