The course explores the challenges of academic leadership and management and how best to meet these challenges.

In reading, reflection, class dialogues and workshops, participants will:

• examine theories, frameworks and perspectives for understanding these challenges and how to deal with them

• develop skills and strategies required for effective management and leadership in an academic context.

The course has a strong practical focus and provides many opportunities for participants to extend their repertoire of skills and strategies. Particular attention is given to the self-management skills that underpin effectiveness in managing and leading others.

Depending on the interests of participants, topics may include:

• Theories of leadership
• Managing/leading oneself
• Managing time and workload
• Emotional intelligence
• Effective communication
• Managing performance
• Leadership styles
• Power and influence
• Negotiation & conflict resolution
• Dealing with ‘difficult’ people
• Working in groups and teams
• Managing across cultures
• Leading and managing change

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. Use a structured process of action learning cycle to continually develop your management/leadership skills
2. Analyse and evaluate your past approach to professional development and devise ways of strengthening your approach
3. Analyse and evaluate your own and others’ leadership practice
4. Identify and analyse your and others’ strengths in management/leadership and the skills that you need to further develop
5. Craft well-formed plans for building on your strengths and for developing skills in areas where your skills need to be strengthened
6. Analyse contextual opportunities and constraints impacting on your and others’ management/leadership practice
7. Contextualise contemporary theories and models of management/leadership within the academic context

Assessment will be based on a leadership portfolio, comprising:

• completed exercises from each week's course notes, relating course concepts to experience and practice
• reflections on each week's readings and class discussions

• a review of the course participant’s approach to skills development
• an interview-based analysis of the leadership & management practice of an academic leader/manager;
• action learning reviews analysing and assessing critical incidents in course participants’ current or past practice
• an evaluation of current leadership & management competencies, and a plan for the further skills development
• other material which, in the view of course participants, documents the way in which they have been expanding their understanding of academic leadership & management, and critiquing and enriching their approach.

Course delivery

Eleven classes on Tuesdays, during the teaching periods in Semester 1, starting on 9 March

• Eight classes of 1.5 hours (from 12.15 to 1.45 p.m.)
• Three workshops of 3 hours (from 12.00 to 3.00 p.m.)

An average of 4 hours per week reading the notes/reading(s) provided each week and completing the reflective activities in the notes. 

An average of 4 hours per week in preparing assessments and the portfolio, and in further reading outside the notes/readings provided each week. 

Paul Ramsden (1998), Learning to Lead in Higher Education, London and New York: Routledge.

Staff Development Scholarship Scheme

The Vice Chancellor is encouraging eligible staff to undertake the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education or the Master of Higher Education, by making this course (and the total program) available to eligible applicants through the Staff Development Scholarship Scheme (i.e. HECS-HELP/tuition fees are waived) http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/admission/sds/index.php