Cultivating Faculty Leadership in Higher Education - an AcademicJobs.com Podcast
The text explores the evolving complexities of faculty leadership in higher education, emphasising the need to move beyond the notion of a monolithic faculty. It argues for cultivating leadership from within the faculties, recognising the increasing diversity in roles, demographics and institutional homes. The text highlights the importance of investing in faculty development, promoting collaboration between faculty and administration. It suggests that institutions should embrace the lifelong development of their faculties into leaders, with particular capabilities in relating, sensemaking, visioning, and inventing. Ultimately, the author proposes that empowering faculty and fostering distributed leadership is crucial for navigating turbulent times and sustaining higher education.
Main Themes:
The Fallacy of a Monolithic "Faculty": The article challenges the notion of a unified faculty, highlighting the increasing diversity and fragmentation within academic institutions based on disciplines, rank, tenure status, demographics, and institutional context.
The Need for Faculty Leadership Development: It argues for a shift in focus towards cultivating leadership from and by the faculties, rather than relying solely on professional administrators. This involves recognising faculty as lifelong learners and investing in their development, not just as researchers and teachers, but also as leaders.
The Evolving Role of the Chief Academic Officer (CAO): The text discusses the expanding responsibilities of the CAO and the emergence of "sub-specialists" (e.g., "vice provosts for giving a damn" about faculty) who play a crucial role in faculty affairs. These individuals need to lead through collaboration and support, acting as bridges between faculty and administration.
The Importance of Distributed Leadership: The article champions a model of "distributed leadership," where faculty are meaningfully engaged in institutional governance and decision-making. This approach is seen as essential for navigating the complexities and challenges facing higher education.
Addressing the Gap in Leadership Capabilities: It identifies a deficit in "inventing" – the capacity to develop new approaches and overcome obstacles – among faculty-turned-administrators. This gap is attributed to the steep learning curve, academic culture, and the reluctance to admit failure.
The Imperative of Lifelong Learning: The article stresses that faculty development is no longer a perk but a necessity for thriving in a rapidly changing academic environment.
Key Ideas and Facts:
Faculty Diversity: The article underscores the increasing diversity of faculty in terms of demographics (race, gender, origin, etc.) and professional arrangements (tenure-track, non-tenure-track, adjunct, etc.). This necessitates a more nuanced understanding of the faculty experience.
"Since Change's founding, the increasing diversity in the roles, demographics, and institutional homes of faculty is the most consequential factor bedeviling the leadership of the faculty enterprise and, therefore, any transformation of the academy."
The Enduring Significance of Disciplines: Disciplines significantly shape faculty members' personalities, behaviours, and allegiances.
"It is a principle of academic politics...that “the fundamental allegiance of the faculty member will be to the smallest unit to which he belongs.”
Conclusion:
The excerpts advocate for a paradigm shift in how academic leadership is conceived and developed. By recognising the diversity within the faculty, investing in their leadership potential, and fostering a collaborative environment, institutions can create a more resilient and effective higher education enterprise. This requires a move away from top-down, administrator-led models towards a distributed leadership approach that empowers faculty to shape the future of the academy.
