Chapter 12 – General Readings
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coordinators and their institutions. Recommendations that emerge from research that is
causal and uncovers novel phenomena should account for the persistence of patterns
and factors that undermine academic leadership in ways that run counter to the desires
and designs of both the institution and the Program Directors. Currently much of the
literature on academic leadership is simplistically prescriptive, as if it were a matter of
institutional or individual willpower to resolve the dilemmas and paradoxes of
organisational life (Hoppe, 2003; Raines & Alberg, 2003).
There is a need for a theory, such as the ICVF, that identifies the key leadership
skills and abilities required for effective academic leadership of programs. Such a theory
would take account of the changing role of academic leadership in higher education and
the impact of the actions and functions of academic leaders on student learning
outcomes.
Future research is needed to determine if such a theory would need to vary for when
academic leadership is required in:
- undergraduate and postgraduate programs;
- different disciplines;
- different institutions; and
- national and transnational programs.
A resulting measure of effective leadership in academic programs could be
developed to select and evaluate the performance of academic coordinators.
There is also the intriguing question concerning the ways in which organisations, in
this case a university, are unaware of the limitations in their responses to environmental
demands. More specifically, can the ICVF contribute to our understanding of the
tendencies of institutional decisions, and how might these institutions learn to reflect on
these biases and their effects?
Implications for Policy
There needs to be a change in the strategic direction and priorities of universities if
academic coordinators are going to be given the opportunity to develop and display
academic leadership. There is a need for the policy development mechanisms of the
University to become cognizant of the unintended consequences of policy deployment
and incorporate reflective policy practices that are sensitive to paradoxical
implementations. That is, our initial findings suggest that reflective behaviours and
strategies be developed at an organisational as well as individual level (Schön & Rein,
1994).
To achieve these outcomes, academic leadership must be valued by the University
as evidenced by career paths for academic leaders and appropriate remuneration
(Marshall, 2006; Yielder & Codling, 2004) with role clarity for academic leaders (Yielder
& Codling, 2004).
Conclusions
The role of academic coordinators is an important one in a rapidly changing and
increasingly complex higher education and world environment. It is important that the
professional development of academic coordinators focus on the development of
identified leadership skills. They have a clear role in the achievement of both short-term
priorities and long-term goals in relation to teaching and learning. They are the bridge