Questioning Leadership in Higher Education

Questioning Leadership in Higher Education - Thursday 6th June 2013, 14.00 – 16.30, Room 1.21, Graduate School of Education, 35 Berkeley Square, University of Bristol. Booking: To book a place or for further information, please contact: Richard Budd Richard.Budd@bristol.ac.uk. Places are limited so booking is essential. This event is sponsored by the Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS) VC Initiative, University of Bristol and involves collaboration with The Community for Research in Higher Education (CHER), Hong Kong (led by Professor Bruce Macfarlane) and The SRHE SouthWest Higher Education Network (SWHE), UK (led by Dr Lisa Lucas).
What is Academic Leadership? Reflections on identity, influence and change in UK higher education    
Abstract: Recent trends in higher education, such as increasing participation rates, internationalisation, funding, policy and market competition, have challenged traditional assumptions on the nature and purpose of HE and its place in society.  Throughout this period, it has been argued, there has been a general shift away from ‘collegial’ towards more ‘corporate’, ‘entrepreneurial’ or ‘managerial’ approaches to leadership and management informed by private sector practices. Whilst a ‘business like’ approach to running universities may be understandable given the size and budgets of these organisations and the competitive environment in which they operate, the utilitarian ethos that underpins such an approach may be experienced as conflicting with the normative values traditionally associated with academic work. To this extent emerging forms of leadership and management practice may be experienced as conflicting with ideals of collegiality, academic freedom, education and scholarship, ultimately distancing and disengaging the very people that universities seek to influence and involve in institutional governance, strategy and change. Read more...