University Leadership and Management
An online programme of courses to equip university staff with the skills they need to be outstanding leaders and managers.
Structure
Publication date: July 2012
Programme structure: 6 courses
Core Activities: 21 hours
AdditionalActivities: 45 hours
Overview
University Leadership and Management covers the broad topics common to a management syllabus, but with a specific focus on the challenges faced by leaders and aspiring leaders working in universities and colleges. As a result of completing this programme, staff will be equipped with the skills they need to embrace the opportunities and deal with the challenges presented by today’s complex educational environment.
This course is for:
Academic staff, research leaders and senior support staff who need to know more about good leadership and management practice in higher education.
Learning outcomes:
By completing this programme, staff will be able to:
- Identify, reflect on and tackle with confidence the many challenges facing a manager in the higher education context.
- Conduct a critical analysis of their own leadership and management skills.
- Implement and monitor departmental strategies that are aligned with the university’s mission and culture.
Key features:
- Video dramas and interactive activities featuring a cast of characters to illustrate and reinforce learning points.
- Customisable portfolio incorporating over 100 practical and reflective self-development activities included throughout the courses.
- Over 45 hours of supplementary self-development activities
- Supplement including information on how best to implement the courses for effective results.
Structure:
The programme is comprised of six courses:
- The university context: An introduction
- University leadership and management
- University cultures and organisational management
- Strategic planning
- Managing people
- Managing resources
Course and timings / Overview / Syllabus / Contributors
The university context: An introduction
1 hour, 30 minutes / This introductory course sets out the aims and structure of the programme. /
- Module 1: Welcome to the University Leadership and Management programme: introduction, structure and guiding principles
- Module 2: The higher education context
- Module 3: Personal development – how the programme can address your particular needs
Reviewer: Dr Richard Bolden
University leadership and management
5 hours / This course explores management and leadership theories in the context of higher education. /
- Module 1: Introduction to academic management and leadership: why universities are different, theoretical approaches
- Module 2: Becoming an effective academic manager: benefits, disadvantages, key tasks
- Module 3: Becoming an effective academic leader: how leaders are selected, leadership styles, a personal philosophy of leadership
- Module 4: Maintaining influence: social power, social and emotional intelligence, communication, key lessons for leaders and managers
Reviewer:Dr Rajani Naidoo
University cultures and organisational management
4 hours / This course explores how university cultures operate and how leaders and managers can shape a positive and effective community. /
- Module 1: Understanding university cultures: defining academic culture, stakeholder expectations, psychological contracts, strong and weak cultures
- Module 2: Leading organisational change: types and levels of change, cultural audits, consulting colleagues, implementing change
- Module 3: Building an effective organisational culture: managing constructively, balancing productivity and innovation, managing up and across, being inclusive
- Module 4: Dealing with conflict: resolving conflict, sources of support
Reviewer: Carol Bolton
Strategic planning
3 hours, 30 minutes / This course highlights the importance and practicalities of good strategic planning in today’s higher education environment. /
- Module 1: The role of strategic planning: purpose, principles and process
- Module 2: Developing the strategic plan: scanning and analysing the environment, consulting colleagues and stakeholders, KPIs, risk assessment
- Module 3: Implementing your strategic plan: deciding on an approach, engaging and communicating with colleagues, leading implementation
- Module 4: Monitoring progress, reviewing and revising the strategic plan
Reviewer: Professor Mark Brown
Managing people
4 hours / This course offers practical guidance on the management of staff within higher education institutions. /
- Module 1: The HR challenge: the idiosyncracies of the university environment, approaches to managing people
- Module 2: Motivating staff
- Module 3: Recruiting and inducting staff
- Module 4: Optimising high performance: principles and challenges, establishing and reviewing performance standards
- Module 5: Managing difficult situations: poor performance, grievances, redundancies
- Module 6: Developing staff: promoting a learning climate, team-building, understanding and supporting diversity
Reviewer: Professor Margaret Orr
Managing resources
3 hours / This course examines the many aspects of managing fiscal and facilities resources in a higher education institution. /
- Module 1: Roles and responsibilities: assessing departmental provision, serving as a departmental advocate, managing conflicting resource needs
- Module 2: Resource management in alignment with an institution’s governance, mission and strategy
- Module 3: Understanding departmental finances: revenue and expenses explained
- Module 4: Managing departmental budgets: models, development, cycles
- Module 5: Managing departmental facilities: operational and financial considerations
- Module 6: The art and ethics of resource management
Reviewer: Dr Donald E Heller & Professor Peter McCaffery
Contributors
Lead Advisor:
- Professor Sir David Watson- Professor of Higher Education and Principal, Green Templeton College, University of Oxford
Authored by:
- Course 1 & 3:Professor SheldaDebowski- Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of Campus, University of Notre Dame Australia
- Course 2:Professor Robert Birnbaum-Emeritus Professor of Higher Education at the University of Maryland, College Park
- Course 4 & 5:Professor Peter McCaffery -Deputy Vice-Chancellor, London Metropolitan University
- Course 6: Professor Margaret Barr - Professor Emeritus, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University Dr George McClellan - Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs, Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne
Advisors:
- UK/International Version Editor: Professor Peter McCaffery - Deputy Vice-Chancellor, London Metropolitan University
- US Version Editor: Professor Robert Birnbaum - Emeritus Professor of Higher Education at the University of Maryland, College Park
Reviewers:
- Course 1: Dr Richard Bolden- Senior Lecturer and Head, Centre for Leadership Studies (CLS), University of Exeter Business School
- Course 2:Dr Rajani Naidoo-Senior Lecturer and Director, DBA in Higher Education Management, University of Bath
- Course 3: Carol Bolton- Organisational Development Manager, University of Liverpool
- Course 4: Professor Mark Brown-Director, National Institute for Digital Learning, Dublin City University
- Course 5: Professor Margaret Orr - Director, Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development, University of the Witwatersrand
- Course 6: Dr Donald E Heller-Dean, College of Education and Professor of Education, Michigan State UniversityProfessor Peter McCaffery - Deputy Vice-Chancellor, London Metropolitan University
Developed in collaboration with:
- Bournemouth University
- Cardiff Metropolitan University
- Dublin City University
- Durham University
- Forman Christian College University
- Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
- Massey University, New Zealand
- National University of Ireland, Galway
- National University of Ireland, Maynooth
- University College Cork
- University College London
- University of Birmingham
- University of Exeter
- University of Limerick
- University of Liverpool
- University of Nottingham
- University of St Andrews
- University of Strathclyde
- University of Ulster
- University of the Witwatersrand