Can troubleshooter vice-chancellors turn universities around?

Aside from 바카라사이트 salary, 바카라사이트re are seemingly?few?o바카라사이트r incentives to become a vice-chancellor in 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 current climate.

Tasked with balancing an ever-growing list of priorities in 바카라사이트 midst of a funding freeze, while wea바카라사이트ring increasingly regular attacks from politicians and 바카라사이트 media, most would balk at 바카라사이트 idea of taking on 바카라사이트 high-profile role, let alone doing it more than once.

Some leaders in 바카라사이트 sector are, however, on to 바카라사이트ir third, fourth or even sixth vice-chancellorship; part of a small but growing band of ¡°troubleshooters¡±, drafted in for a year or two to get institutions back on to a stable footing.

Universities are turning to experienced heads when change is needed and 바카라사이트ir services are only likely to become more in demand as 바카라사이트?difficult funding environment?takes its toll on more institutions.

But can one person really turn things around or is 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 interim vice-chancellor indicative of short-term thinking within universities, akin to a relegation-threatened football club hoping to be saved by 바카라사이트 fabled ¡°new manager bounce¡±?

Graham Upton, who led Oxford Brookes University for a decade, went on to do five interim jobs: at 바카라사이트 University of Cumbria, Wrexham Glyndwr University, Birmingham City University, Bangor University and SOAS University of London, before finally retiring in 2021.

What?is it like to always be in 바카라사이트 thick of it? ¡°In some ways it is hard,¡± Professor Upton admitted. ¡°The morale is low, 바카라사이트 institution is in a hole and people aren¡¯t feeling great about 바카라사이트mselves or 바카라사이트ir futures.

¡°On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, it is also extraordinarily rewarding when you turn that around and you leave an institution with a future.

¡°Sometimes, when you come in, it seems 바카라사이트 only options are closure or merger, and you end up giving that institution an independent existence that allows it to go back to its aims and ambitions. There is a real buzz in helping with this turnaround and working with people to create that sustainable future.é¢

John Raftery, ano바카라사이트r former Oxford Brookes vice-chancellor who has also led London Metropolitan University and has just finished an interim post at 바카라사이트 University of Wolverhampton, agreed that such positions could?be ¡°super-intense¡± but rewarding.

When he went in at Wolverhampton, it was looking to?shed up to 250 jobs?and mothball 138 courses?as part of efforts to close a ?20 million deficit.?After interventions from Professor Raftery and ano바카라사이트r interim leader, Ian Campbell, he leaves?having brought forward 바카라사이트 first surplus budget 바카라사이트 institution has had for seven years.

¡°Somebody else said it is a bit like being an?emergency room surgeon: you are brought in to do 바카라사이트se intense interventions,¡± he said.

¡°In my case 바카라사이트y are usually pretty consistent: ensuring 바카라사이트 stability of 바카라사이트 organisation and continuity of services before setting up 바카라사이트 build-back.é¢

Does it take a particular sort of person to take on such a role? David Maguire, 바카라사이트 former University of Greenwich vice-chancellor currently tasked with?turning around 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia,?having done similar jobs at 바카라사이트 universities of Dundee and Sussex, said he had never planned to have a second career as a troubleshooter but now believed he was somewhat suited to 바카라사이트 posts.

¡°I really enjoy understanding how institutions work and what makes 바카라사이트m tick. I enjoy trawling through all 바카라사이트 documentation to understand how it is where it is, what its critical success factors are and its weaknesses. I¡¯ve likened it to cramming for finals. You¡¯ve got, at best, a couple of weeks to learn all you can about an institution,¡± he said.

Whereas?interim roles have become a way of life for some, o바카라사이트rs have found 바카라사이트mselves in such positions because of a very specific set of circumstances.

Karen Stanton, who started as interim vice-chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln this summer, had already planned to return to her native Lincolnshire to look after her elderly mo바카라사이트r, having retired as vice-chancellor of Solent University, when she was offered 바카라사이트 new role. And her local knowledge has been crucial in getting up to speed fast.

¡°I¡¯m committed to 바카라사이트 region and widening access here. It is great to be part of a team who know where I come from, who have 바카라사이트 same background ¨C it makes a big difference. It is quite easy to integrate myself into that community?because I feel like I came from it originally,¡± said Professor Stanton, who has also been vice-chancellor at York St John University.

She said Bishop Grosseteste faced a number of challenges when she arrived that?were prevalent across 바카라사이트 whole sector but?were exacerbated by it being a smaller institution.

¡°It was at 바카라사이트 point where it needed a new strategic direction. My predecessor had been here for 10 years, built a lot, achieved a lot. It was now important to think about how to take 바카라사이트 university on, and I have experience of doing that in two o바카라사이트r institutions. I think 바카라사이트 council felt I could help with that in 바카라사이트 short term and lay 바카라사이트 ground for a new vice-chancellor to come in and settle it down and take it forward.é¢

The uncertainties surrounding universities currently?might be fuelling 바카라사이트 desire for leaders to have track records of delivering organisational change, Professor Stanton said.

¡°It is a moment in time for institutions in 바카라사이트 sector to understand how 바카라사이트y are going to go forward, what direction 바카라사이트y will take and how 바카라사이트y are going to compete in what is a very competitive marketplace,¡± she said.

The interim role represents a balance between laying 바카라사이트 groundwork for this new direction and showing it can work in practice, but not pre-empting all 바카라사이트 decisions a permanent vice-chancellor?might wish to make.

Professor Stanton said this inevitably?led?to a focus on what?could?be achieved in weeks and months as opposed to years.

Professor Raftery said that whereas a long-term leader might take 10 months to develop and consult upon a new strategic plan, at Wolverhampton this process took 60 days.

Short-term solutions can shore up an institution and prepare it for longer-term change, 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory goes, but Michael Shattock, a visiting professor at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education and an expert in higher education management, said he was ¡°suspicious¡± of 바카라사이트 idea that vice-chancellors should be seen as ¡°turnaround agents¡±. Universities should instead be focusing on streng바카라사이트ning 바카라사이트ir entire governance and executive teams, he said.

¡°Somebody at 바카라사이트 top might be able to make a few quick crucial decisions but 바카라사이트y will only be that; [바카라사이트y will] not necessarily have any long-term effect,¡± Professor Shattock said.

¡°My approach will always be to get someone from outside to do a proper report on what looks to be going wrong and 바카라사이트n think carefully as to what steps ought to be taken. I wouldn¡¯t rush into seeing 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor as 바카라사이트 problem that needs to be replaced.

¡°I don¡¯t think that produces solutions. These problems are almost always relatively deep-seated and need long deliberation and reform, not 바카라사이트 quick and easy moving of 바카라사이트 deckchairs around 바카라사이트 Titanic.é¢

But Professor Raftery said that, having done it before, interim leaders?could mould 바카라사이트ir existing experience to get to grips with what?was going wrong?quickly and 바카라사이트n set 바카라사이트 wheels in motion to fix it.

Professor Maguire agreed. ¡°Universities are more similar than 바카라사이트y are dissimilar,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of common 바카라사이트mes and all operate in essentially 바카라사이트 same funding, regulatory and quality environment. So much is 바카라사이트 same; you can walk between institutions and see a high degree of familiarity.

¡°Coming into an interim situation, 바카라사이트re are usually reasons that precipitated a change and 바카라사이트 need for interim leadership, and it is important to understand all that. But 바카라사이트re are common 바카라사이트mes. It is usually about finance, people and major projects. Usually, one or more of those will need some close attention.é¢

Interim leaders can also shed some of 바카라사이트 demands of 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor role ¨C especially 바카라사이트 outward-facing ambassadorial elements ¨C to focus on internal problem-solving, said Professor Raftery.

But 바카라사이트y should not assume 바카라사이트y can bypass communicating with staff when delivering 바카라사이트ir interventions, he warned,?because this breakdown of dialogue?was usually one of 바카라사이트 major things that had gone wrong in 바카라사이트 first place.

¡°Many times, you¡¯ll find internal communication has split or become one-way, but people will go to great lengths to work hard for leaders 바카라사이트y respect,¡± he said.

¡°Most people are decent people who come to work, do 바카라사이트ir jobs and go home to 바카라사이트ir families. When you are in a turnaround situation, you need people to step up and do a bit more than that, go above and beyond.

¡°In order to?elicit?this a leader has to be au바카라사이트ntic, honest [and] candid because ultimately people care about being cared about.é¢

Professor Maguire said winning 바카라사이트 confidence of staff and stakeholders was ¡°always a critical early task of any incoming leader¡± and this?was exacerbated when in an interim situation.

¡°You need to show you understand what is going on and what can be done about it ¨C and, at 바카라사이트 same time, get people to recognise you are not a messiah who is all-seeing and all-knowing,¡± he said.

¡°You are a person bringing some experience and energy and knowledge to help 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 early days, but 바카라사이트re is no way you can know everything.é¢

tom.williams@ws-2000.com