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INDUSTRY & RESEARCH that are playing out in the US system at present , and in recent forecasts .
Those trends and forecasts appear to be foreshadowing a reduction in the numbers of full degree applicants and a shift in its nature more towards online study reflecting changes in experiences and expectations in recent years .
What does appear self-evident , is the acceleration towards lifelong learning and a more fundamental rethinking of what job-readiness really means .
All universities are juggling significant faster-paced dynamics here . These are of changes in employer and learner expectations , accelerated changes in future of work needs , and a global reaction against the sector ’ s inability to deliver to under-represented groups .
A book published last year describes many of these dynamics as indicating the emergence of a new learning economy . This assumes a significantly growing demand for the lifelong educational well-being of global learners , but with growth focused outside of 3-year degrees . What new product and business model innovation will universities make in response ?
Such a dynamic situation poses significant challenges for university leaders . These are times that call for compassion in university communities and cultural sensitivity to staff , tired from change . But these times need us all to undertake more change now than ever . It is a time when it is wise to seek to offer clarity more than certainty . It needs us to be deeply focussed on purpose and aligning staff and culture behind it .
We have seen some of the fastest rates of turnover in the senior leadership of Australian universities in the last 3 years . It remains the most common route that new VC ’ s are appointed from outside of the institution . It is quite common for new leaders to completely revamp leadership teams , to reset 5-year strategies , and to focus at least as much on the culture they want to create , as the culture they inherit . The extent to which such an approach creates an environment and a climate fit for innovation and change is variable .
UTS is quite possibly unique in having had every new VC in its history appointed from within . The expression of “ if it ain ’ t broke , don ’ t fix it ” comes to mind and the rise of UTS in various measures of the national system most recently in last year ’ s ARC Discovery results is self-evident . It is
also trying to embrace growth in lifelong learning in its thinking .
The advantages of continuity in leadership from internal appointments are often most evident in the approach of building future strategy and culture from a well-understood standpoint of what it currently is . It would be unusual for a Senior DVC who had been instrumental in developing a current strategy and setting the current culture to suddenly spring a very different new plan out of their back pocket . They would be unlikely to change their values and beliefs when making a move described as being from the home office to the foreign office .
Continuity can be highly advantageous for culture , during times of rapid change . People welcome knowing where they are heading and it being what they had signed up for . It brings its own challenge to then ensure new ideas are explored and that innovation becomes energised rather than stalled by it .
New blood appointments into the senior team are obviously key . Renewing the gene pool in the key support roles can bring about the same regeneration and innovative thinking as a more turbulent knocking down and starting again approach .
It is often argued that the sign of a great leader is the team of leaders they leave behind . Investing in the diversity ,
These are times that call for compassion .
innovation and richness of teams is well served by a strong focus on culture and purpose . But it also requires the head of the foreign office to have a razor-sharp focus on the horizon , the external world , and be more sensitive than others to what is changing and how .
The insights from other global leaders from all parts of our learning economy and research eco-systems , and insights of what these others see next are of critical value in navigating change . They are sometimes difficult to see if you are buried in the bowels of your home institution or context . It often requires outside help and can benefit from collaborative approaches between universities , their leaders and increasingly commonly , by external partnerships .
As the University Accord process and ARC Review play out in 2023 , this ability to hold the home culture and strategy together while being innovative around the big questions that are being explored globally in the extremal environment , will be critical . ■
Emeritus Professor Martin Betts is cofounder of HEDx .
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