Academic Leadership: Fundamental Building Blocks
254
Table 1: Description of Each of the ICVF’s Five Operational Roles and an Example of
Their Application to Academic Coordinators
Role Managerial application*
Academic coordinators
application
Innovator • Is creative
- Encourages, envisions and
facilitates change.
- Sees need for new courses/delivery
approach
- Innovative in teaching approach.
Broker • Develops, scans and maintains
networks
- Acquires needed resources.
- Maintains necessary networks
within and outside of the University
- Secures necessary teaching
resources.
Deliver • Is work focused
- Motivates behaviour
- Sets goals
- Clarifies roles
- Does scheduling, coordination and
problem-solving.
- Ensures courses are designed and
delivered
- Motivates teaching staff
- Sets clear and achievable teaching
and learning goals for the team
- Communicates and clarifies goals
with teaching staff
- Schedules, coordinates and solves
teaching issues.
Monitor • Sees rules and standards are met
- Collects and distributes information
- Checks on performance.
- Regularly collects and distributes
information on teaching
performance
- Monitors own and others’ teaching
performance.
Developer • Is aware of individual needs and
facilitates development
- Develops teams.
- Develops teaching staff
- Participates in mentoring and peer
coaching sessions as a mentor and
coach
- Is aware of strengths and
weaknesses of teaching team
- Develops and maintains teaching
teams
- Arranges for appropriate
development strategies for teaching
team.
Note. *from the work of Vilkinas & Cartan (Vilkinas & Cartan, 2001; 2006) based on Quinn’s model (Quinn
et al., 2003).
Under the ICVF model, the five operational roles are paradoxical in nature (Vilkinas &
Cartan, 2001, 2006). The role of the academic coordinator has inherent paradoxes
which lead to tensions and potential conflict for the individual (Robertson, 2005). That is,
academic coordinators need to deliver a range of Strategies that are inherently
contradictory: caring for the student and dealing with their personal issues (Developer
role) whilst at the same time demanding that the student completes their assignments
(Deliverer role); finding the balance between liberty and regulation, and autonomy and
