Governance in public universities is a critical determinant of academic excellence, financial sustainability, and stakeholder confidence. Malaysian public universities are navigating a rapidly changing higher education landscape, characterized by global competition, societal expectations, and the imperative to balance institutional autonomy with public accountability. This study proposes an Integrated Governance Framework that holistically combines structural, cultural, and participatory elements of governance. The research explores eight key dimensions—authority, leadership, human governance, corporate governance, accountability, integrity, feedback mechanisms, and monitoring—using a qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with academic leaders, including deans, directors, and heads of department from a Malaysian public university, to capture their perceptions and lived experiences of governance practices. Data were analysed thematically using NVivo 14 to identify systemic issues, challenges, and opportunities for reform. Findings reveal that governance challenges are not solely structural but also behavioural and cultural. Complex authority structures and lengthy approval processes were found to slow decision-making, undermining institutional agility. Leadership emerged as a central driver, with participants emphasizing the importance of ethical, consistent, and transformational leadership. Human governance and integrity were identified as essential for building trust, yet respondents reported uneven enforcement of policies and selective handling of misconduct. Corporate governance weaknesses, particularly in subsidiary management and reporting, were seen as a risk to financial and reputational sustainability. Additionally, accountability mechanisms were observed to be overly upward focused, with limited engagement of internal stakeholders. Feedback processes were perceived as tokenistic, and monitoring systems reactive rather than developmental. The study contributes theoretically by advancing an Integrated Governance Framework that unites structural controls, cultural enablers, and stakeholder participation. Practically, it offers recommendations for policymakers and university leaders to strengthen governance, improve transparency, and foster institutional resilience, aligning universities with national higher education objectives and global competitiveness standards.