The Role of the University Head of Department

Smith, Robert

doi:10.1177/0263211x020303004

Cited by 40 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Witte, etc. ); -experience of use of the results of the research in scientific researches which have state registration ("Development and implementation of intra high school system of forming, training and development of managerial capacity of the higher school of the Russian Federation" (2001-2002,…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Head of a University Department: Competence and New Activity Priorities

2017

European Journal of Contemporary Education

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The purpose of the article is to justify the increasing role of a university department in achieving the major objective of higher education, namely to train highly qualified specialists for the national economy. The article contains some of the results of monitoring (questionnaire) of 350 heads of departments of Russian universities, as well as 30 experts -experienced representatives of the university management. The factors that complicate the job of university departments and their heads have been identified; new requirements for professional competence of heads of departments have been established; the results of the analysis of changes in the structure, content and priorities of the activities of heads of departments have been stated. Based on the results of a survey of heads of departments and highly qualified experts, measures to improve management efficiency at a university department as a key element of a Russian University have been proposed.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of publications of foreign authors (R. Smith, B. Smith, Tony Bush) (Smith, 2007;Smith, 2002;Bush, 2016) is devoted to studying of the role of the head in a management system of the educational organization, in particular a dean of a faculty in a management system of university.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Head of a University Department: Competence and New Activity Priorities

2017

European Journal of Contemporary Education

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“…Government-mandated mergers in 2002-2004 reduced the number of South African institutions of higher education from 36 universities and technikons to 23 new institutions. Like other educational institutions worldwide (Lungu 1985;Smyth 1995;Smith 2002;Fitzgerald 2009;Pijl and Frissen 2009) the management structure and associated decisionmaking and strategic management processes of the chosen university resonate with a bureaucratic structure. To describe this structure, we adopted classifications developed by Mintzberg (1990) and extended the description to that of a machine bureaucracy.…”

Section: The Research Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Findings confirmed that roles were changing and academic managers experienced unique challenges within their working environments. These challenges include the more managerial nature of HOD work in both statutory and chartered universities (Smith 2002) and an increasing amount of management and bureaucratic work at the expense of their teaching and research (Floyd 2012). The HOD is also required to provide leadership for both academic and administrative functions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of managerialism on the strategy work of university middle managers

Davis

Rensburg

Venter

2014

Studies in Higher Education

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In an attempt to understand the effects of managerialism on university managers in a developing country, we set out to gather rich data on the strategy work of middle managers through a single case study at a South African university. Managerialism has the potential to solve inefficiencies in university systems and processes, as it could help to simplify the complex university management environment. Yet, our findings show that middle managers at the chosen institution are constrained by the effects of managerialism. Managerialism has resulted in a tyranny of bureaucracy which translates into disempowered middle managers, a culture of conformance over collegiality, control at the cost of innovation and experimentation and an over-articulation of strategy which devalues the strategy. To cope with the identified negative effects of managerialism, middle managers create their own systems outside the bureaucracy and provide more support to peers and subordinates.

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“…Not only is there a lack of preparation for department chairs as educational leaders, there also seems to be little substantive knowledge base regarding leadership for learning in VPE (Burke 2014). In fact, much of the literature on leadership in post-secondary contexts draws heavily on business literature, which focuses on overall roles and responsibilities and rarely gives serious consideration to issues of teaching and learning (Basham and Campbell 2010;Crossman and Cameron 2014;Smith 2002). In the context of VPE specifically, Adams and Gamage (2008) identified the need for leaders to focus on the educational dimension of their work and suggested that the shift to managerial responsibilities is having an effect on leaders' abilities to ensure quality educational programming.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Departmental leadership for learning in vocational and professional education

Hoekstra

Newton

2017

Empirical Res Voc Ed Train

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Background: To maintain relevance, institutes for vocational and professional education (VPE) need to be responsive to changes in society and industry. This requires leaders and educators in VPE to keep developing themselves and their practices. In institutes for VPE many decisions regarding program curriculum and teaching practices are made at the department level. Yet, the preparation of department chairs in postsecondary contexts rarely focuses on improving teaching and learning. A substantive knowledge base regarding leadership of teaching and learning in VPE is lacking. A model of leadership for learning in VPE is proposed as comprising three elements: (1) developing a shared vision and goals; (2) promoting instructor learning; and (3) leading the educational program. The study explores ways in which seven chairs and associate chairs from western Canadian VPE institutes conceive of and enact leadership for learning in their departments. The paper thus aims to contribute to the building of a knowledge base on leadership for learning in VPE.Methods: A multiple case study approach was used to explore chairs' conceptualization and enactment of their leadership for learning. Data collected included interviews with five chairs and two associate chairs from five departments across three institutes for VPE in western Canada. Observational data from department meetings and interviews with instructors were used to provide contextual information and corroborate our findings. In cross-case analysis, chairs' and associate chairs' conceptualizations and strategies were themed and categorized according to the three elements of leadership for learning as identified in the literature.

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The Role of the University Head of Department

Cited by 40 publications

References 22 publications

Head of a University Department: Competence and New Activity Priorities

Head of a University Department: Competence and New Activity Priorities

The impact of managerialism on the strategy work of university middle managers

Departmental leadership for learning in vocational and professional education

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