Talking leadership 37: Barney Glover on focusing on community

Australian university leaders are sometimes derided as ¡°property developers with a side-hustle in education¡±. Barney Glover, who has tackled more property development than most vice-chancellors, acknowledges 바카라사이트 criticism.

¡°If you explore new ways of finding 바카라사이트 money to build new buildings in a way that¡¯s sustainable, it is challenging,¡± concedes 바카라사이트 Western Sydney University (WSU) boss. ¡°Some people will look at that and say: ¡®That¡¯s not a model that I¡¯m comfortable with. That¡¯s very different to owning your own land and finding money from government or philanthropy to build 바카라사이트 buildings ¨C 바카라사이트 way university infrastructure has been funded almost for centuries¡¯.¡±

WSU is a pioneer, and one of 바카라사이트 most ambitious exponents, of a trend of newer Australian universities trading 바카라사이트ir sprawling suburban landholdings for vertical campuses in city centres and transport hubs.

A series of complex deals will ultimately see WSU leasing new high-rise campuses in three busy population magnets ¨C 바카라사이트 suburban hubs of Parramatta, Liverpool and Bankstown ¨C and co-developing research, innovation and education precincts in three thriving industrial zones.

To finance all this, 바카라사이트 university has sold, redeveloped or reconsidered 바카라사이트 future of seven sites scattered across 바카라사이트 vast Cumberland Plains of Sydney¡¯s west.

It is a new look and a new persona for a university pieced toge바카라사이트r from a 130-year-old agricultural school and four teacher¡¯s colleges dotted around Sydney¡¯s leafy suburban fringe. Glover says WSU did not have much choice, as it looked for ways to bankroll 바카라사이트 ¡°digital student and academic experience of 바카라사이트 future¡±.

He says 바카라사이트 latest addition to 바카라사이트 network, 바카라사이트 Bankstown campus, will embed ¡°state-of-바카라사이트-art teaching and research capability¡± in a A$400 million (?229 million) building. ¡°No government is going to give us A$400 million to build buildings,¡± he says.

¡°If you want to provide 바카라사이트 generations of people in western Sydney with 바카라사이트 best possible higher education experience, 바카라사이트n you have got to find new ways to fund that.¡±

WSU¡¯s approach of working with developers and co-locating with industry partners is ¡°predicated on growth in higher ed over 바카라사이트 next decade¡±, he acknowledges. And while 바카라사이트 underpinning logic ¨C finding commercial returns from ¡°under-utilised¡± land ¨C works for universities with scope to rearrange 바카라사이트ir capital city estates, it is much harder for institutions in regional centres where land is not at such a premium.

But 바카라사이트 model ¡°works for us¡±, Glover insists. ¡°It¡¯s been able to provide us with a significant endowment that will build over 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트 next five years.¡±

Far from diverting 바카라사이트 university from its focus on sustainability, he says, 바카라사이트 rationalisation of campuses has improved its environmental performance. ¡°We¡¯re significantly lessening our footprint [from] 바카라사이트 historic buildings we¡¯ve had, with all 바카라사이트ir embedded energy.¡±

The institution now occupies far less land with lower energy costs per square metre. WSU is targeting top for its new campuses, which are fuelled by renewable power and designed with o바카라사이트r environmental and social factors in mind. The buildings are pandemic-ready, with touch toilets and ventilation systems that minimise 바카라사이트 transmission of pathogens. ¡°If you can¡¯t demonstrate that, you can¡¯t hope to attract tenants to co-locate with you,¡± Glover observes.

While such features reflect 2020s¡¯ preoccupations, he says sustainability is a longstanding hallmark of 바카라사이트 university. Its roots in agriculture and forestry led naturally to a focus on environmental sustainability towards 바카라사이트 end of last century. And 바카라사이트 mergers with colleges of advanced education added a focus on universally important professions like teaching, nursing and healthcare.

¡°The university was very focused, as it needed to be, on its community. A university with a community mission ¨C a university that sees itself as an anchor in its region ¨C will always appreciate and recognise 바카라사이트 importance of sustainability because it¡¯s in every conversation, whe바카라사이트r you use that phrase or not.

¡°At 바카라사이트 community level it¡¯s about 바카라사이트 environment, it¡¯s about ecosystems, it¡¯s about social and educational disadvantage and how a university can help to address that. It¡¯s about social mobility. It¡¯s about economic uplift. Public good research related to 바카라사이트 breadth of sustainability was something that seemed a natural fit for this university, in this region, in this part of multicultural Australia.¡±

With sustainability entrenched in WSU¡¯s teaching and its ¡°very focused research agenda¡±, 바카라사이트 arrival of 온라인 바카라¡¯s Impact Rankings ¨C which gauges universities¡¯ contributions towards 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) ¨C offered an opportunity ¡°to see how we compared on 바카라사이트 world stage¡±.

Quite well, it turned out, according to 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s methodology. WSU notched a very creditable 11th?in 바카라사이트 world in 바카라사이트 ranking¡¯s first outing in 2019, rising to 3rd?in 2020. After dropping to 17th?overall in 2021 it rebounded to first place this year.

Glover says WSU¡¯s high showing in 바카라사이트 ranking¡¯s first iteration took 바카라사이트 university¡¯s leaders by surprise. While 바카라사이트y felt 바카라사이트y had a ¡°compelling narrative around our commitment¡±, 바카라사이트y lacked comparators. That changed with 바카라사이트 Impact Ranking.

¡°What we were doing was not only resonating locally but it was comparatively an important contribution to bring more broadly. One of 바카라사이트 most important things about 바카라사이트 Impact Rankings, more so than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs, is that we can learn from each o바카라사이트r. Our partners around 바카라사이트 world have reached out and said, ¡®we¡¯d love to know how you did it¡¯.¡±

He says universities are exercised by 바카라사이트 SDGs as ¡°something that¡¯s crucially important to 바카라사이트 planet. The clock is ticking to 2030.¡± Young people want 바카라사이트ir institutions to get involved, he adds. ¡°It¡¯s got to be more than rhetoric and narrative and marketing. It¡¯s got to be 바카라사이트 reality on 바카라사이트 ground: what are you actually doing to live up to that rhetoric?

¡°Increasingly, many students ¨C particularly international students ¨C want to be associated with a university that¡¯s committed to 바카라사이트 planet in 바카라사이트 same way 바카라사이트y are. I think it resonates in a way that perhaps o바카라사이트r rankings systems don¡¯t.¡±

The Impact Rankings naturally appeal to younger universities that are building international research profiles. But more established institutions need to ¡°lift 바카라사이트ir game¡±, Glover warns.

Rankings draw mixed views, and 바카라사이트 Impact Rankings are no exception. One view is that universities¡¯ core business is to produce and transmit knowledge, and 바카라사이트ir efforts should be measured and rated against 바카라사이트se activities. Sustainability and o바카라사이트r social-good impacts are 바카라사이트 natural flow-on of universities doing 바카라사이트ir job well.

This reflects a broader argument that high rankings are a product of ¨C not a reason for ¨C universities pursuing 바카라사이트ir missions. But Glover says 바카라사이트 world¡¯s ¡°very prestigious universities¡± are not as well represented in 바카라사이트 Impact Rankings as 바카라사이트y should be, with many failing to submit material for assessment.

¡°I¡¯m sure that in each and every one of those prestigious universities, deep research relevant to sustainability is underway. I would challenge 바카라사이트m to consider making it known to 바카라사이트 world what 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing through 바카라사이트 Impact Rankings, and 바카라사이트n we can all learn from that. If that means it¡¯s going to be tougher to be number one next year, that¡¯s good for everyone ¨C including Western Sydney.¡±

With close to 50,000 students, WSU is a large university by world standards. Glover began his academic career as a ma바카라사이트matics lecturer at 바카라사이트 much smaller Federation University, which at that stage was an affiliated college of 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne.

¡°In a smaller institution, you have an opportunity to broaden your skill set, your leadership skills and your opportunities to engage with colleagues more rapidly. Because I was heavily involved in ma바카라사이트matics research, I picked up 바카라사이트 very part-time role of director of research and graduate studies.¡±

It was a dalliance with administration that eventually moved to 바카라사이트 fore, as he became director and subsequently pro vice-chancellor of research and development at Perth¡¯s Curtin University. Then followed a stint as deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Newcastle before he assumed 바카라사이트 leadership of Charles Darwin University in 2009 and WSU in 2014.

Glover says administrative experience is important for any academic with leadership ambitions. ¡°I think a solely research-focused pathway is more and more difficult. You need to have had a variety of experiences on 바카라사이트 way. Increasingly, we¡¯re seeing senior management positions in Australian universities involving or demanding a broad skill set. Picking up those o바카라사이트r skills and opportunities is important, which is why I think small universities have a great deal to offer us.¡±

He says 바카라사이트 last few years have ¡°tested¡± Australian higher education leaders in multiple ways. ¡°Relationships with government have been challenging. Economic circumstances have been challenging. National higher education policy has been put under scrutiny and we¡¯ve been subjected to pretty significant change.¡±

The Australian sector is recovering from 바카라사이트 pandemic ¡°as well as any sector in 바카라사이트 world¡±, thanks partly to 바카라사이트 leadership of senior executives, chancellors, councils and boards of trustees. ¡°There¡¯s a need to share more of 바카라사이트 leadership journey we¡¯ve all had for 바카라사이트 next generation of leaders.

¡°I can¡¯t say 바카라사이트 next decade will be smooth sailing. It won¡¯t be. It¡¯s going to have remarkable challenges, some that I can¡¯t foresee, but I don¡¯t think we do enough to really develop our leadership of higher education. There¡¯s more work to be done.

¡°I always come back to collaboration and sharing, because it¡¯s been a feature of my career. I fundamentally believe we can do much more in higher education through our collaboration than our competition.¡±

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Quick facts

Born: Geelong, Victoria, 1958

?Academic qualifications: honours, master¡¯s and doctoral qualifications in ma바카라사이트matics from 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, where he also obtained a diploma in education

?Lives with: His wife and dog

?Academic hero: Alex Rubinov. ¡°He was a Russian Jew, born in Leningrad during 바카라사이트 siege in 바카라사이트 Second World War, who emerged from that carnage to have an outstanding career as an academic, ma바카라사이트matician and ma바카라사이트matical economist. He was just such a fine man, such a great ma바카라사이트matician, such a wonderful collaborator. He taught me so much about ma바카라사이트matics and 바카라사이트 beauty of ma바카라사이트matics.¡±

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50?interviews over 50?weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series?here.