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Course Coordinator as Academic Leader. The Team!. Program Overview. Value your feedback!. Group Demographics. 53% are UG coordinators, 30% PG, and 17% both UG and PG 47.8% have courses at regional campuses and 8.7% offshore The number of locations varies from 1-9
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Program Overview • Value your feedback!
Group Demographics • 53% are UG coordinators, 30% PG, and 17% both UG and PG • 47.8% have courses at regional campuses and 8.7% offshore • The number of locations varies from 1-9 • The majority of you (43.5%) have been CCs for > 25 months, 26% for < 1 year and 30.5% for 12-24 months
Academic Leadership: Different From General Leadership? • Requires greater consultation and more detailed explanation to convince academics (and students) that change is worthwhile and beneficial • Academics—assuming I am leading a team—are used to being very autonomous and have great expertise in many areas • Requires more collaborative and considerate approach—low “boss” mentality, rather leading co-workers and colleagues • The same principles apply to leadership in all organisations. But they differ very much in their application to different environments • Not sure/ Don’t know but would like to find out • Have to deal with well educated people
What You Want From the Program • Enhance leadership skills in a changing environment • Understanding academic leadership • Assistance in managing staff and students • Tips on balancing teaching, research and administrative loads • Clearer understanding of role and the university’s expectations • Different perspectives on CC role and how others do it
Discussion • 3 things about your role which are great • 3 things which grate!
Autonomy Pastoral role—assisting students achieve their goals Stimulating Satisfying—when you have a “win” Potential for continuous improvement Having a “big picture” view Diversity of students/issues Role modelling (including the profession) Teaching Staff development Things which are great!
Never stops Multi-tasking (stimulating and exhausting) Cumbersome systems Complexity of hierarchies and administrative processes CCs not being budget managers Frustration—responsibility but no line authority CCs not budget managers Decisions not being made in a timely fashion Urgency of deadlines Managing standards and consistency in different locations Colleagues who don’t deliver (academics and professional staff) Things which grate!
Leadership succession crisis • Focus on effective change management & implementation • Excellent leadership needed at all levels to remain competitive
Course Coordinators • Least well recognised for their roles in determining whether change occurs • “… are critical to engage with change agenda as they focus efforts and assist staff to learn how to make desired change work in practice” (Scott et al. 2008 pxvii)
10 most important influences • Decreased government funding • Balancing work and family life • Managing pressure for continuous change • Slow admin processes • Handling unexpected events • Finding & retaining high quality staff • Pressure to generate new income • Rapid changes in technology • Dealing with local university cultures • Greater government reporting/scrutiny
Areas of Work Focus for CC’s • Working on student matters • Developing learning programs • Reviewing teaching activities • Identifying new opportunities • Managing other staff • Participating in meetings • Managing relationships with senior staff • Scholarly research • Responding to ad hoc requests • Strategic planning
Leadership Capability Framework Scott (2008) Capability Inter- Personal Personal Cognitive Role specific Generic Competency Capabilities that count!
Personal Self regulation (considered decisions, knowing self, work/life balance, calm under pressure) Decisiveness (take hard decisions, tolerate ambiguity, values/ethical) Commitment (energy & passion, perseverance) Interpersonal Influencing (peers & up, motivating, networking, feedback) Empathising (transparent & honest, cultural competence) Cognitive Diagnosis (underlying causes, recognising patterns, identify from mass of information) Strategy (see & act on opportunities, creative, best way to respond, priorities) Flexibility & responsiveness (adjusting, sense of learning, no fixed answers) Competency Learning & teaching University operations Self-organisation skills Leadership Capability Scales & Items
Program Philosophy and Learning Experiences • Theoretical framework • Experiential learning • case/problem-based • “Toolkit” • 360 degree feedback iCVF • Peer coaching/ self-reflection/ journaling • Online resources • Workbook folder
Course Coordinator as Academic Leader Academic Leadership for Excellent Curriculum Course Review Developing Academic Leadership Capacity x2 (iCVF) Building the Course Team Communicating with Emotional Intelligence Building Performance Managing Change & Resistance Developing Key Relationships Program Overview
Next Session! • Academic Leadership for Excellent Curriculum • focus on assessment