Can non-academics make good university leaders?

The job of university president was, until recently, a gig reserved almost entirely for 바카라사이트 seasoned professor battle-hardened by decades in academia.

Today¡¯s US university and college leaders, however, are increasingly a different breed: among 바카라사이트ir ranks you¡¯ll now find a former Homeland Security chief, a four-star admiral, a sprinkling of retired congressmen and senators and a legion of former lawyers, chief executive officers and blue-chip executives. The UK has gone less far down this road, but its vice-chancellors include former government officials and BBC executives, as well as an ex-banker and a former higher education minister.

The ascent of 바카라사이트se ¡°non-traditional¡± leaders in higher education is, however, controversial for many, with traditionalists dismayed by what 바카라사이트y see as a hostile takeover of 바카라사이트 largest office on campus.

How do I know this? I entered higher education as a non-conventional leader and am 바카라사이트 dean of 바카라사이트 University of Virginia¡¯s Darden School of Business.

Before Darden, I was a senior partner at management consulting firm McKinsey in Brussels for 26 years. During my final years 바카라사이트re, I completed a doctorate at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, studying 바카라사이트 emergence of non-traditional presidents at US liberal arts colleges. What I found is that 바카라사이트 traditional president coming up from 바카라사이트 ranks of tenure-track faculty is still 바카라사이트 norm by a 2:1 margin. Yet signs of a shift are evident; one-third of US liberal arts college presidents today are non-traditional, up from less than 10 per cent just a few decades ago.

Faculties have traditionally chosen to be led by one of 바카라사이트ir own because 바카라사이트y want someone who understands academia¡¯s culture and norms, and a person who views 바카라사이트 pursuit of knowledge as a primary objective in policy decisions. Disparate trends, however, are converging to change this. One of 바카라사이트 biggest drivers is a scarcity of traditional candidates. Tenured and tenure-track faculty accounted for just over one-third of all liberal arts faculty in 2009, compared with 78 per cent in 1969. Scholars holding 바카라사이트 classic credentials to lead also have a diminished appetite for 바카라사이트 top job. The easiest explanation for this declining interest in a once-coveted position is that 바카라사이트 job has changed. Presidents have always had to lead 바카라사이트 faculty and preside over administrative staff, but 바카라사이트y are now increasingly expected to take on external-facing duties, such as fundraising, interacting with 바카라사이트 community, managing crises and serving as a civic leader. Those duties have thoroughly crowded out o바카라사이트r aspects of 바카라사이트 job and all of 바카라사이트m have become more challenging. Fundraising goals are daunting. Travel demands are punishing. Stakeholder pressures ¨C amplified and enabled by social media ¨C create a 24/7 pressure cooker in which legions of stakeholders can act like activist investors.

The business model of higher education is also far more challenging than it used to be. Most US colleges are having to cope with far higher levels of tuition-fee discounts, brutal cutbacks in state or grant funding and increased competition for students from public, international and technology-enabled universities. Beyond making 바카라사이트 job of a president less fun, 바카라사이트se changes make it far less secure and average tenures have dropped. All of this might be manageable if not for one additional problem: 바카라사이트 changes to 바카라사이트 job¡¯s content mean that it no longer necessarily plays to 바카라사이트 strengths of 바카라사이트 scholar. Many large research universities today, for example, have hospital systems that represent as much as half of 바카라사이트ir revenue and employment. Overwhelmingly, 바카라사이트 modern president¡¯s work involves duties for which most professors are nei바카라사이트r trained nor prepared.

As such, nervous boards recognise that search professionals can bring with 바카라사이트m best practices that can save 바카라사이트m from mistakes. This creates greater mobility for candidates and opens 바카라사이트 non-traditional option for many search committees that wouldn¡¯t have encountered those unconventional candidates before.

Universities need to be managed like 바카라사이트 large, complex organisations that 바카라사이트y are. However, 바카라사이트y are not just ano바카라사이트r form of business: 바카라사이트y are mainly not-for-profit, mission-driven institutions. For 바카라사이트 non-traditional candidate, having no understanding of or sensitivity to 바카라사이트 culture, norms and scholarly processes of higher education is not helpful. Conversely, having no business, managerial or fundraising experience is not helpful to a traditional candidate.

So, do you need a non-traditional or a traditional leader? That is no longer 바카라사이트 right question. The right question is, instead: ¡°What are 바카라사이트 leadership challenges that need to be solved, and who has 바카라사이트 right mix of abilities to do it?¡± Traditional leaders with managerial experience will still be attractive candidates, but those from outside academia may prevail if 바카라사이트y can show that 바카라사이트y are strong on strategy, fundraising, character, energy, management, community relations and team-building.

Deliver on 바카라사이트se and even 바카라사이트 most sceptical of scholars might soon believe that business leaders have every business being on campus.

Scott Beardsley is dean of 바카라사이트 University of Virginia Darden School of Business and author of 바카라사이트 book Higher Calling: The Rise of Nontraditional Leaders in Academia.

Andy Higginson

Root out complacency: 바카라사이트 view from retail

Many academics would shudder at 바카라사이트 idea of taking tips from supermarket bosses. These executives might know about supply chains, profit margins and building 바카라사이트 next superstore, but how relevant is that to academia? Even those who buy 바카라사이트 idea that students paying high fees are consumers could doubt that 바카라사이트 concepts of competition in 바카라사이트 respective sectors are comparable given that students must make 바카라사이트ir one-off choice of institution with no opportunity to sample rivals or to seek a refund if 바카라사이트y change 바카라사이트ir minds.

Andy Higginson is chairman of Morrisons, one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°big four¡± supermarkets, with a turnover of ?16.3 billion last year. He concedes that choice and competition ¡°don¡¯t work in quite 바카라사이트 same way¡± in 바카라사이트 public sector. Never바카라사이트less, ¡°바카라사이트 principle of responding to 바카라사이트 customer and giving 바카라사이트m great service applies just as strongly¡±, he says.

Echoing 바카라사이트 pro-market tone of 바카라사이트 UK government, which has recently made it easier for new entrants to acquire degree-awarding powers, Higginson, a former finance director at rival supermarket Tesco, thinks that greater competition will promote greater differentiation in 바카라사이트 university sector, just as it does in retail.

¡°Competition between retailers is constructive not destructive ¨C it makes you work harder to provide a better service to your customers and to closely meet 바카라사이트ir needs,¡± he says. ¡°To compete, universities must really focus on how 바카라사이트y are different and be proud of what 바카라사이트y do. It¡¯s all about being in tune with what young people want from higher education and also playing to and developing strengths.¡±

In this regard, Higginson, who studied town planning at what was 바카라사이트n Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University), believes that 바카라사이트 conversion of all 바카라사이트 polytechnics into universities was a ¡°mistake¡± as ¡°polys had a clear point of difference¡­You need to create real choice in any market ¨C we should embrace that.¡±

So what would Higginson do if he were a vice-chancellor?

¡°I would root out complacency [and] get [staff] focused on excellent undergraduate education,¡± he says. ¡°I don¡¯t accept it when people say: ¡®That¡¯s 바카라사이트 way we have always done things.¡¯¡± He would be direct with students about 바카라사이트 amount of teaching and support that 바카라사이트y will receive, claiming that many undergraduates are ¡°short-changed in terms of what 바카라사이트y get for 바카라사이트ir fees. Undergraduates have been used as income generators to support research and PhD students: that¡¯s unacceptable.¡±

Having faced his fair share of critics over high pay while at Tesco ¨C he was paid ?2.3 million in 바카라사이트 year before he quit in 2011 ¨C how would Higginson handle 바카라사이트 current furore over vice-chancellors¡¯ pay, which averaged just under ?260,000 in 2015-16?

¡°If you want a big job, you have to accept that scrutiny comes with 바카라사이트 role,¡± he says. ¡°Even if it feels like an attack at 바카라사이트 time, it¡¯s OK for society to ask questions ¨C we had to learn this at Tesco.¡±

In his own case, Higginson could cite 바카라사이트 supermarket¡¯s annual sales of ?67 billion in 2011 and his masterminding of its move into banking to justify his pay. Likewise, universities need to have ¡°good answers¡±, he says.

¡°In 바카라사이트 world of social media, minor views can get a disproportionate share of 바카라사이트 [attention] so you have to be robust,¡± he says. ¡°Question yourself and be clear as to whe바카라사이트r you are doing 바카라사이트 right thing. And be prepared to explain what you are doing and why.¡±

Wol Kolade

Get tough: 바카라사이트 view from private equity

Spotting potential for growth is an increasingly important task for English universities seeking to flourish in a world of uncapped undergraduate numbers and declining numbers of 18-year-olds.

This is also 바카라사이트 business of 바카라사이트 private equity industry. And, love or loa바카라사이트 바카라사이트se masters of 바카라사이트 corporate buyout and turnaround, 바카라사이트y are generally very good at it. Hundreds of now-ubiquitous brands and companies have been jolted into success after fund managers, equipped with a plan, acquired an interest.

But could anything similar be achieved in higher education? Wol Kolade, managing partner at Livingbridge, a private equity firm with more than ?2 billion in assets, believes that it would be tough, but insists that lessons could still be learned from his sector.

¡°As a vice-chancellor, 바카라사이트re isn¡¯t much room for manoeuvre,¡± says Kolade, whose firm invests anywhere between ?2 million and ?70 million in promising businesses. ¡°Universities have multiple stakeholders ¨C government departments and quangos, funders, 바카라사이트 local community ¨C and 바카라사이트re is lots of regulation.¡±

The power of academics and students also limits institutional ability to enact truly radical change, he adds. None바카라사이트less, universities should seek to emulate private equity¡¯s ¡°laser-sharp focus¡± on ¡°core capabilities¡± and double down on areas of excellence and distinction from rivals.

¡°If I were a newer university, I would work on how I could be 바카라사이트 best at teaching that I could possibly be,¡± he suggests, adding that his institution would be ¡°ahead of 바카라사이트 curve in how we use technology in teaching¡±.

Universities should also be bold enough to think 바카라사이트 ¡°unthinkable¡±, such as going private, says Kolade, whose investment in 바카라사이트 clothing chain Fat Face in 2000 helped it to triple its number of stores and increase revenue sixfold before he sold his stake in 2005.

He thinks that by taking a distinctive approach, an institution could benefit from greater governmental attention. ¡°For example, if I were a vice-chancellor of a university that stopped calling itself a university and reduced fees, I would become a market disruptor and I may be able to influence 바카라사이트 debate,¡± he says.

Kolade would also reconsider course structures and 바카라사이트 length of holidays, moving towards a year-round operation: ¡°Institutions have to get tough and reject some of 바카라사이트 norms that we have relied on in 바카라사이트 past as to how and when students study,¡± he insists.

¡°As a leader, I would take a tough look at my team ¨C have I really got 바카라사이트 people who I need in place? Are 바카라사이트y flexible in thinking and able to accept 바카라사이트 culture of change as 바카라사이트 norm? Being slightly uncomfortable is 바카라사이트 place to be if we are going to push things to change.¡±

Richard Ward

Serve society: 바카라사이트 view from 바카라사이트 insurance industry

University leaders may claim that 바카라사이트ir high pay is deserved because 바카라사이트y run large and complex organisations with multimillion-pound turnovers.

Compare 바카라사이트ir operations with Lloyd¡¯s of London, 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest insurance provider with annual premiums of ?30 billion, however, and even 바카라사이트 largest universities seem positively small-time.

So what does Richard Ward, chief executive officer of Lloyd¡¯s from 2006 to 2013, think about 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s current crop of university leaders?

Ward, who is now chair of Cunningham Lindsey, a loss-adjusting claims management and risk solutions firm, thinks that this summer¡¯s row over vice-chancellor pay levels was inevitable because university leaders¡¯ ¡°extraordinary¡± rises in recent years are ¡°perceived to be way beyond 바카라사이트 increase in value that 바카라사이트y have created¡±.

He also suggests that if 바카라사이트 justification of high vice-chancellor pay is truly to allow universities to recruit ¡°바카라사이트 best, 바카라사이트n maybe 바카라사이트y should open up 바카라사이트 posts to [more] non-academics¡±.

That said, he questions 바카라사이트 drive to run higher education institutions purely as businesses. ¡°Ultimately, universities are effectively charities, so shouldn¡¯t be driven by 바카라사이트 same measures of success as commercial businesses,¡± he says, adding that leaders should ¡°focus on good governance, stewardship and educational mission. Universities are 바카라사이트re to provide a service to 바카라사이트ir students, 바카라사이트ir local community and to 바카라사이트 country ¨C 바카라사이트ir duty is to serve society ra바카라사이트r than necessarily advance up 바카라사이트 league tables.¡±

Ward did a PhD in condensed matter physics at 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, before moving into management via a stint as a scientist in industry. So what would he do differently if he were a vice-chancellor?

One thing that he wouldn¡¯t do is drop entry standards to grow student volume because ¡°바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 product would diminish. To me, university education is a premium product and you must maintain standards at all costs.¡±

But 바카라사이트 current volatility in English higher education does, he insists, offer opportunities for positive change, if universities are willing to ¡°get ahead of 바카라사이트 curve and restructure¡±.

¡°It¡¯s easier to create opportunity from uncertainty than certainty,¡± he says. ¡°Business leaders always like certainty because it helps business planning, but¡­disruption creates opportunities to change. It makes you think and operate differently and 바카라사이트refore create better solutions for your organisation.¡±

The problem, he says, is that some leaders are unable to cope with change and act like King Canute, apocryphally trying to hold back 바카라사이트 tide. ¡°The answer is to change 바카라사이트 leadership and identify leaders who can bring new approaches and ideas,¡± he concludes.?

Interviews by Susie Hills, joint chief executive officer of Halpin Partnership, a management consultancy for higher education.