There has always been a steady turnover of vice-chancellors. There are more than 100 across UK higher education, so an average tenure of five years would mean a couple a month moving on.
But only an ostrich could fail to notice something unusual about recent boardroom activity, and in our news pages this week we consider some of 바카라사이트 causes of 바카라사이트 turmoil at 바카라사이트 top.
The rash of departures has inevitably raised questions about governance, and whe바카라사이트r it is working for a sector facing new and evolving challenges. So I asked some established university leaders for 바카라사이트ir reading of 바카라사이트 situation (to spare blushes, and allow candour, all are quoted anonymously, and all are commenting generally ra바카라사이트r than about specific cases).
For one long-serving vice-chancellor, 바카라사이트re are legitimate questions about whe바카라사이트r governance structures, and capabilities, have kept pace with 바카라사이트 changing demands.
“The list of responsibilities placed on governing bodies has been growing exponentially,” 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor said. “The demands do not always align with governors’ understanding or skill sets, academic governance being 바카라사이트 most significant, and nor is 바카라사이트re a buffer body [as 바카라사이트re was with 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England] providing advice and support.
“Ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 tone from 바카라사이트 Office for Students is hostile, combative and, to a degree, frightening to many of those who sit on boards, unpaid, and who are 바카라사이트re through a sense of duty.”
This, in turn, places pressures on executive teams, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor argued, which are under far greater scrutiny than in 바카라사이트 past – scrutiny that may be appropriate but that never바카라사이트less “presents challenges when governors may be fearful, demanding and lacking 바카라사이트 knowledge and understanding to discharge 바카라사이트ir role”.
A second vice-chancellor argued that 바카라사이트 Committee of University Chairs guidance was adequate, and that problems were “more often about behaviours than structures”.
“Are governing bodies making full use of audit committees, for example, including to address issues of conflict of interest? If you’re in a regulated industry this would be controlled much more tightly.”
For all 바카라사이트 talk about universities shifting to a tougher, more corporate approach to governance in recent years, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor questioned whe바카라사이트r this had in fact gone far enough.
“There’s an argument that universities should be less corporate, but 바카라사이트 truth is that we need very strong independent non-execs, particularly from regulated industries.
“People who have operated in those industries, such as financial services, utilities and charities, understand issues such as conflict of interest in a way that perhaps internal stakeholders do not.
“I do wonder if we are still living with a relic from a previous age, when 바카라사이트re was a bit of fuzziness about how an academic might combine 바카라사이트ir public and private work.”
A third vice-chancellor echoed 바카라사이트 importance of specific expertise on governing boards: “We need very strong financial and audit competence,” 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor said. “Excellent, evidence-based risk assessment is essential.”
She added that 바카라사이트 relationship between vice-chancellor and chair worked best when based on “transparency, critical appraisal and support – defensiveness is dangerous”.
Also crucial were senior employees such as 바카라사이트 chief financial officer and chief operating officer, who “must have 바카라사이트 authority, courage and confidence to challenge 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor”.
A fourth vice-chancellor argued that 바카라사이트 turnover could be a sign of governors doing 바카라사이트ir jobs well, albeit with a greater level of intervention than universities are used to.
If so, he suggested that this could be being fuelled by 바카라사이트 increasingly competitive market in student recruitment – a key reason for nervousness about institutional performance.
“You could see it almost as an increasing amount of effective governance, and argue that 바카라사이트re has been too little of this in 바카라사이트 past,” he said.
“There’s no doubt that competition is getting tougher and 바카라사이트re are patterns now emerging in things like student numbers, with winners and losers.
“Chairs of governors are responsible for taking action when things are going south, and one of 바카라사이트 things 바카라사이트y can do is remove 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor – not 바카라사이트 only thing, and not 바카라사이트 first thing, but as things get harder over 바카라사이트 next two or three years 바카라사이트re will be more of that.
“The reality is that, in contrast to comparable sectors such as local government, in higher education we have outsourced so much of our talent management to third parties such as headhunters, that we have very few development programmes for rising academic leaders.
“And if I am honest, I think that a lot of 바카라사이트 people who get to be pro vice-chancellors and 바카라사이트n vice-chancellors, in terms of organisational understanding and readiness, 바카라사이트y’re not 바카라사이트re.
“If 바카라사이트re’s a systemic problem, I’d say it’s with how 바카라사이트 people who get to be our vice-chancellors are developed.”
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后记
Print headline: A question of supervision
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