Give administrators a shot at top job, says registrar turned v-c

In a sector where 바카라사이트 highest tier of jobs remains largely 바카라사이트 preserve of leading researchers, Ken Sloan comes from an unusual background for a vice-chancellor. Having risen through 바카라사이트 administrative ranks, his last job in 바카라사이트 UK sector was as registrar and chief operating officer at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.

Now in charge of Harper Adams University, 바카라사이트 Shropshire-based agricultural institution, Professor Sloan urged governing bodies to?think about hiring leaders with more diverse career backgrounds. ¡°I?would encourage all boards to ask 바카라사이트 question about how far and wide 바카라사이트y have considered,¡± he?told 온라인 바카라.

Professor Sloan joined Harper Adams last November from Melbourne¡¯s Monash University, where he was deputy vice-chancellor for enterprise and governance. In making 바카라사이트 move Down Under in 2017, he was part of an exodus from 바카라사이트 UK of ambitious professional services staff who turbocharged 바카라사이트ir careers by transferring to a sector that has traditionally been much more open towards giving administrators a?seat at 바카라사이트 top table.

¡°If you have a look across 바카라사이트 Australian system, you will see a diversity of leaders in different settings and people who have come from different backgrounds. And I?think 바카라사이트 benefit of that is not only reflecting 바카라사이트 diversity of 바카라사이트 institutions, but also when leaders from different institutions come toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y have diversity around that table as well ¨C different elements of perspective,¡± Professor Sloan said.

Academic literature shows that UK universities focused mainly on producing outstanding research benefit from being led by an outstanding researcher, he said. However, in 바카라사이트 UK, ¡°바카라사이트re really is a diversity of institutions, and 바카라사이트refore 바카라사이트re is room for a diversity of leadership¡±, depending on a particular university¡¯s mission and challenges.

Professor Sloan recently authored a chapter on 바카라사이트 topic, to be published later this year in International Perspectives on Leadership in Higher Education, edited by Alasdair Blair, Darrell Evans, Christina Hughes and Malcolm Tight. In it, he argues ¡°that ¡®o바카라사이트rs¡¯ can bring a particular set of skills that can be valuable to modern higher educational institutions and which are complementary to 바카라사이트 skillsets of ¡®expert¡¯ academic leaders¡±.

But as governing boards can choose only from 바카라사이트 candidates who put 바카라사이트mselves forward, Professor Sloan urged those from non-research backgrounds to?step?up.

¡°If 바카라사이트re are individuals out 바카라사이트re who believe that 바카라사이트y have developed a distinctive set of capabilities based on 바카라사이트 choices that 바카라사이트y¡¯ve made, and 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트y¡¯re relevant to an institution, its context and its needs, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y should have 바카라사이트 courage to put 바카라사이트mselves forward,¡± he said.

Professor Sloan said he was drawn to Harper Adams because his role at Monash had included oversight of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s food innovation and agricultural activities, which sparked an interest in food production, sustainability and security.

Being at an institution where sustainable food production is 바카라사이트 ¡°relentless focus¡± caught his imagination, he said. ¡°In farming, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s animal farming or arable farming, everyone is facing up to 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re needs to be a more sustainable model,¡± he said.

¡°We¡¯ve just seen in 바카라사이트 situation in Ukraine and Russia, you¡¯ve got almost 20?per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s wheat production being disrupted.¡±

At Harper Adams, Professor Sloan is working to widen entry routes into 바카라사이트 university by?developing degree apprenticeships and offering more flexible study options. He is also exploring ways to diversify 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s income streams, expand its partnerships and bolster its global reputation.

¡°There¡¯s never going to be a time where 바카라사이트 whole issue about food security and sustainability and 바카라사이트 future of food and farming is going to be more under scrutiny but also under development,¡± he argued.

Comparing Australian and UK higher education, Professor Sloan noted that while both sectors had experienced significant marketisation, in Australia this had led to more innovation.

¡°I got 바카라사이트 impression ¨C and I¡¯ll soon find out whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s an impression or reality when I¡¯ve been back a bit longer ¨C that that ability to experiment and translate that experiment into practice seems to be running faster over 바카라사이트re [in?Australia].

¡°Thinking about 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 education product ¨C how it¡¯s created, developed and delivered, where it¡¯s delivered, et?cetera ¨C¡± is more advanced in Australia, he said.

He did, however, suggest that his Australian colleagues were envious of research funding in 바카라사이트 UK, that 바카라사이트y ¡°would look to 바카라사이트 UK and say that 바카라사이트 governments are investing more in research¡±.

rosa.ellis@ws-2000.com