Meta-Governance and the Supply of Degree Programmes in the Context of Bologna

Lessons from the Portuguese Case

Meta-governance instruments are promoting the establishment of accreditation and evaluation practices that impact institutional autonomy, and, consequently, the supply of degree programmes. The changing environment in Portuguese higher education reflects the interaction between the implementation of the Bologna degree structure and the impact of evaluation practices promoted by the national accreditation agency. With the aim of understanding the impact of the role of European and national meta-governance instruments on institutional strategies, this paper analyses the variations of the supply of degree programmes in three Portuguese universities.