Development of academics

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Development of academics higher education
futures forum Oct 07The development of
academics to meet the challenges of
tomorrowGood ideas with no ideas on how to
implement them are wasted ideas

• Geoff Scott
• PVC Quality, UWS

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Purpose Focus

• - Set a context for your deliberations
• Key points
• Effective implementation of desired change is now
  the focus
• It the combination of the what and the how
  that makes the difference
• Change is learning
• Do unto others (Matthew 7120)

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Sources

• CEQuery analysis of 280,000 CEQ comments in 14
  universities
• Carrick LT leadership research
• 2 decades work with LT change in universities
  in Sweden, Finland, RSA, Cambodia, Canada, NZ and
  in Australia
• Earlier work on LT change in schools and TAFE in
  Australia, Canada, UK and Spain

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Our context The change forces bearing down on
higher education

• Broader
• Global economy
• New world players
• Global warming
• Population change
• The CIT revolution
• Cheaper travel
• Security

• Specific to HE
• Opening up of access
• Decreased govt /head
• New sources of income
• Growing competition
• User pays
• Student as consumer
• New expectations Gen X
• IT- enabled learning
• Closer external scrutiny

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Implications

• These forces interact feed into off each
  other
• They create dilemmas e.g. mission vs market
  university vs training agency etc
• The focus now is not just on gaining but
  retaining students morally and financially
• This requires us to focus on
• not only what will retain our students and
  engage them in productive learning in different
  contexts FOEs
• but also how to ensure that these good ideas
  are taken up practiced consistently and well

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The What of effective change in Learning
Teaching

• Source CEQuery Parallel Research on engagement
  retention in Universities
• This applies equally to staff and students
• The total experience counts
• Learning is a profoundly social experience
• Teaching information are not learning
• One size does not fit all
• Assessment is a key focus for students
• RATED CLASS A

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The How Making desired LT changes work

• - Change is different from progress
• - Change evaluation in LT making judgements
  of quality
• 1. The idea
• 2. Resourcing
• 3. Implementation
• 4. Impact
• Levels 1 2 are inputs
• Levels 3 4 are outcomes

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Engaging staff with Change Some challenges from
within

• LT Leaders analogies
• Herding cats/juggling
• Gardener/conductor
• Sibling in a troubled family
• Labor in a safe Liberal seat
• Small fish in a cloudy pond
• Meat in the sandwich
• Wading in bureaucracy
• Ferrari with no fuel
• Driving a nail into a wall of blancmange
• Groundhog day/Escher

• No room to lead
• Meetings travel
• Ready aim,aim, aim
• Bureaucratic mud
• Why dont you, not why dont we
• Being out of the loop
• The Xmas Tree institution
• Passive resistance
• The consensus and independence cards

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Key lessons on the effective implementation of
LT changes

• Evidence-based priorities must be set
• Change is learning the gaps
• Motivators to engage are the same as for students
• relevant, clear, feasible, active, just-in-time,
  easy
• It is the total context that helps or hinders
  engagement
• Academic and Support

• Why dont we not why dont you
• Team-based, learn by doing
• Proven solutions in the same context
• Accept that we rise to great heights by a
  winding staircase
• Change doesnt just happen it must be led

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The Effective LT Leader (of change)

• LT leader as facilitator of staff learning
• LT leader as culture converter and model
• The capabilities that count match those of the
  most highly rated teachers of adults
• A particular combination of EI, CI along with
  management/LT knowledge and skills

• Emotional Intelligence (EI) is particularly
  important across all of the roles studied (DVC to
  HOP)
• LT leaders are most challenged when things go
  wrong or when faced by passive resistance
• Effective LT leaders are networked

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LT Leaders tips on handling key change challenges

• Listen, link then lead
• Listen to resistors
• Talk to individuals before a public meeting
• Be accessible but within clear parameters
• Email to confirm each discussion
• Tell all staff what really counts
• Understand what motivates different staff
  intrinsic extrinsic/ snr line staff
• Read and Match

• Clear expectations and indicators of success
  upfront
• Recognise that culture counts practice what
  you preach to shift this as per top capability
  items
• Use teams to test, refine and the scale up
  changes
• Link up use the experience of fellow
  travellers
• Become deft at calling and running meetings
• Build a reciprocal network of those doing the
  same job

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Effectiveness of Different LT Leadership
learning strategies The Carrick Project results

• In rank order
• Learning on the job
• Ad hoc conversations with those in similar roles
• Peer networks within the university
• Informal mentoring
• Study of real life workplace problems
• Peer networks beyond the university
• 7. Self-guided reading
• HE leadership seminars
• 9. Attending LT conferences

• 10. Completing a relevant qualification
• 11. Site visits
• 12. Formal university leadership programs
• 13. Involvement in professional leadership groups
• 14. Annual performance reviews
• 15. Use of 360 degree feedback
• 16. Custom-tailored programs
• 17. Externally provided leadership programs
• 18. Formal mentoring programs
• 19. Work-placements or exchanges
• 20. Leadership info from the net

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Implications for Academic Development

• Model with staff what we want them to practice
  with their students help them to learn by
  doing
• Watch the myths e.g. information is learning,
  change is an event not a learning process
• Focus not only on the what but the how
• Include the key tips from the Carrick LT leaders
  

• Use a range of flexible, just-in-time just for me
  learning methods. For example
• - SFU results with tips from
• fellow travellers
• - CEQuery comments on the
• particular course
• Set up a HOPNet
• Focus on all four levels of quality evaluation
• Be evidence-based
• Push hard for the revision of staff selection and
  promotion procedures using Carrick data

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What next?

• One key thing you will do
• One key thing your university do