Explaining the Desirable Criteria of Academic Independence and its Effect on Iranian Higher Education from a Legal Perspective

In the present era, universities are considered as organizations with a lot of complexities. In this regard, academic independence plays a significant role in creating this complexity. Given the importance of this issue, the present study aims to evaluate the desirable criteria for academic independence and its implications for higher education.

In the present qualitative study, a purposeful sampling method was used for data collection. In this regard, theoretical saturation of the data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with 13 experts and policymakers in the field of higher education. Then, a qualitative content analysis was used for coding and categorizing.

The results indicated that the desirable criteria related to academic independence include structural independence, content independence, financial independence, accountability, and decision-making aspects. Further, the agility of universities, advances in science and technology, focusing on the university as the basis, more accountable external stakeholders, and the negative effects of not being prepared for independency have been considered as the effects of academic independence in the area of higher education.