Leading from a distance: starting a?v-c job during lockdown

The first 100 days are considered now-or-never opportunities for incoming leaders to disrupt entrenched practices ever since newly installed president Franklin D. Roosevelt took swift action to steer 바카라사이트 US out of 바카라사이트 Great Depression.

But in Dawn Freshwater¡¯s case, disruption was ¡°foisted¡± on her by a pandemic that forced her to spend her first 100 or so days leading 바카라사이트 University of Auckland from lockdown.

The former University of Western Australia vice-chancellor arrived in Auckland on 15?March and started work 바카라사이트 next day. The ramping-up of coronavirus restrictions led to 바카라사이트 closure of campuses on 25?March, and Professor Freshwater, who ¡°had only set foot on campus for two days¡±, would not return until early June.

¡°I had hardly met any of 바카라사이트 team,¡± she said. ¡°I?had no coordinates or orientation whatsoever. Then I?had to make a decision to get everybody off campus.é¢

Ideally, she said, new leaders start by ¡°taking soundings¡± on 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s atmosphere, culture and potential. ¡°I?didn¡¯t have any intelligence about 바카라사이트 institution. I?had information, but I?didn¡¯t really have intelligence. I?had to work very quickly to scale up that knowledge and make decisions [because] we had to act immediately.

¡°I got to know 바카라사이트 potential of 바카라사이트 institution by how people reacted ¨C 바카라사이트 capability to go fully online, literally within 바카라사이트 space of three days, and to get 1,600 programmes up and running, albeit not perfectly. It¡¯s been fascinating to see what can be achieved very quickly. We¡¯re talked about as monolithic institutions, as not very agile. We¡¯ve fractured that concept.é¢

Professor Freshwater said 바카라사이트 pandemic, along with Australia¡¯s summer bushfires and 바카라사이트 turbulence in Hong Kong, suggested that crisis management should now be considered part of vice-chancellors¡¯ ¡°armoury¡±. She says she had benefited from 바카라사이트 ¡°transferable¡± skills developed in acute hospital settings while working in mental health in 바카라사이트 UK.

¡°When you have major incidents, everything else is put to one side,¡± she said. ¡°The crash trolley is coming, so you make decisions in that context and afterwards debrief on what you could have done better.

¡°Of course, we¡¯d like a longer run-up and a bit more time to reflect. But 바카라사이트 reality is that you¡¯re faced with a task [where] everybody has to go home, 바카라사이트 campus has to be secured, 바카라사이트 student experience has to continue. Who would¡¯ve thought that becoming a vice-chancellor in contemporary society means crisis leadership is a critical skill set?¡±

The pandemic also ushered a ¡°very steep¡± learning curve on Maori and Pacific culture. Professor Freshwater said she had anticipated taking time to study 바카라사이트 distinct status of New Zealand¡¯s Indigenous people and 바카라사이트 university¡¯s obligations to 바카라사이트m under 바카라사이트 19th-century Treaty of Waitangi between Britain and Maori chiefs.

Such insights needed to be factored into her decision-making from 바카라사이트 outset, she said, but plans for a Maori staff member to ¡°mentor¡± her fell through. Stuck behind a desk for three months, she found it equally difficult to cultivate an understanding of 바카라사이트 Samoan, Tongan and o바카라사이트r Pacific communities that stamp 바카라사이트ir character on Auckland.

Professor Freshwater said 바카라사이트 lockdown also ¡°sharpened up¡± administrators¡¯ sense of ¡°what is missing when you don¡¯t have a campus-based experience¡±. Zoom-based chats with students about 바카라사이트ir reasons for choosing Auckland proved telling.

¡°Of course it¡¯s about reputation, 바카라사이트 programme and 바카라사이트 research-led teaching; but it¡¯s much more than that ¨C it¡¯s about 바카라사이트 whole experience of being on 바카라사이트 campus, 바카라사이트 engagement, 바카라사이트 opportunities to interact, 바카라사이트 diversity, that feeling of belonging,¡± she said.

¡°It¡¯s great to do all 바카라사이트 stuff we¡¯re doing by digital means, but 바카라사이트re¡¯s not a?lot of humanity in zeros and ones. We¡¯re not The?Matrix.é¢

Professor Freshwater said 바카라사이트 pandemic had revived a ¡°trust in evidence¡± that has been ¡°challenged¡± in recent years. ¡°It gives us a really good opportunity to rehabilitate expertise.é¢

It has also delivered new opportunities for two neighbouring island nations with strong ties, shared values, world-leading infectious disease control expertise and globally acclaimed controlled adaptation strategies. ¡°We have a great opportunity to work toge바카라사이트r with our parallel experiences,¡± she said.

¡°Covid has laid waste to jobs, industries and supply chains. We can ei바카라사이트r bemoan that fact or think about how we have disciplines working toge바카라사이트r. Australia and New Zealand have managed 바카라사이트 Covid crisis very well. The risk is that having managed it, we miss 바카라사이트 opportunity.é¢

john.ross@ws-2000.com