Academic Values in a Controlled Regulatory Regime: A Case Study of Ghana’s Higher Education System

Academic values are central to the effectiveness and credibility of higher education institutions. However, anecdotal evidence suggest that these values are increasingly shaped, and often constrained, by expanding regulatory frameworks aimed at ensuring accountability and quality assurance. Although previous studies have examined higher education reforms broadly, limited empirical attention has been given to how controlled regulatory regimes influence the expression of core academic values. Guided by Clark’s Governance Theory, this study investigated how autonomy, meritocracy, and academic freedom are preserved and expressed within Ghana’s increasingly regulated higher education landscape. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods cross-sectional design was employed, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative document analysis. The sample comprised 397 staff from public universities, and documentary sources included national regulatory frameworks, institutional statutes, and quality assurance guidelines. The findings indicate that Ghana’s regulatory system provides a strong constitutional and statutory basis for safeguarding core academic values. However, their practical application remains uneven. Practically, institutional autonomy is moderately protected, while administrative and financial autonomy are significantly constrained by centralized approval processes, regulatory oversight, and procedural requirements. Staff perceptions further suggest that the balance between state regulation and institutional autonomy is widely viewed as skewed toward excessive state control. Although policies explicitly promote meritocratic recruitment and career progression, notable implementation gaps persist across institutions. The study recommends the recalibration of the autonomy–regulation balance by reducing excessive procedural oversight and shifting from compliance-heavy directives toward performance-based and developmental regulation.