Academic Leadership and University Management: Governance, Strategy and Rankings – London, 27 Sep – 1 Oct 2027

Programme overview

Introduction:

Many universities appoint deans and heads of department for their scholarship, then expect them to steer budgets, councils, talent and international standing with little preparation. Faculties drift, research stays scattered and ranking positions slip without anyone owning the indicators. This Core Concept course develops academic leadership for university management: how governance bodies share authority, how faculty strategy is set and funded, how global ranking methodologies work, and how academic staff, research centres and partnerships are led. Participants build a Faculty Strategic and Ranking Improvement Plan.

Course Objectives:

• Clarify decision rights between the governing board, academic council, university executive, college councils and departments under a shared governance model
• Translate the university strategy into a faculty strategic plan with priorities, initiatives, owners and a balanced scorecard
• Interpret QS and THE ranking methodologies and select the research, reputation and internationalisation indicators a faculty can realistically move
• Direct academic talent through workload allocation, recruitment, promotion criteria and succession planning for academic posts
• Lead research centres, industry collaborations and international academic partnerships with clear charters, funding models and exit terms
• Steer change, handle professional conduct cases fairly and align the faculty budget with strategic priorities

Target Audience:

• Deans and associate deans who lead colleges and answer to the university executive for results
• Heads of academic departments who allocate teaching, manage academic staff and chair department councils
• Vice-presidents and vice-rectors who oversee academic affairs, research, graduate studies or international relations
• Directors of research centres, institutes and chairs who secure funding and lead research teams
• Senior university planning and strategy leaders who coordinate institutional plans and performance reporting

Course Outline:

Day 1: Academic Leadership Roles and University Governance

• Academic Leader Role Map: Rector, Vice-Presidents, Deans and Heads of Department
• Shared Governance Model: Governing Board, Academic Council and University Executive
• Decision Rights Matrix for College and Department Councils
• Collegial Versus Managerial Authority: Leading Peers Without Line Power
• Faculty Leadership Diagnostic Across Research, Teaching, Talent and Finance

Day 2: University Strategy and Global Ranking Methodologies

• Cascading the University Strategy into a Faculty Strategic Plan
• Faculty Balanced Scorecard with Leading and Lagging Measures
• QS Ranking Indicators: Academic and Employer Reputation, Citations per Faculty and Faculty/Student Ratio
• THE Ranking Pillars and the Weight of Research Performance
• Controllable Versus Structural Ranking Indicators for a Single Faculty

Day 3: Academic Talent, Research Output and Reputation

• Academic Workload Allocation Model: Teaching, Research and Service Balance
• Faculty Recruitment Pipeline, Selection Panels and Visiting Scholar Schemes
• Promotion Criteria, Academic Career Tracks and Succession for Chairs and Directors
• Research Output Plan: Publication Strategy, Citation Visibility and Author Affiliation Discipline
• Academic Reputation Building Through Peer Networks, Alumni and Employer Engagement

Day 4: Research Centres, Partnerships, Change and Conduct Cases

• Research Centre Charter, Funding Mix and Sunset Review Criteria
• Industry Partnership Models: Sponsored Research, Endowed Chairs and Joint Laboratories
• International Academic Partnership Portfolio: Joint Degrees, Staff Exchange and Co-Authorship
• Kotter Change Model Applied to Faculty Restructuring and Programme Closure
• Academic Professional Conduct Cases: Grievances, Research Misconduct Allegations and Fair Process

Day 5: Faculty Budgeting and the Strategic Ranking Improvement Plan

• Faculty Budget Model: Revenue Streams, Cost Centres and Strategic Reserve
• Case Brief: A Science Faculty and a Business School Seeking Higher Ranking Positions
• Ranking Gap Analysis and Three-Horizon Initiative Portfolio
• Council Presentation and Stakeholder Negotiation Rehearsal on Resource Trade-Offs
• Faculty Strategic and Ranking Improvement Plan Presentation and Peer Critique

Skills You Will Gain:

• Academic Governance Design
• Faculty Strategic Planning
• Ranking Methodology Interpretation
• Academic Workload Modelling
• Academic Talent Management
• Research Centre Leadership
• Academic Partnership Development
• Faculty Budget Stewardship

Why Attend This Course:

• Take back a Faculty Strategic and Ranking Improvement Plan built around your own college, department or research centre
• Speak with authority in council and executive meetings about which ranking indicators your unit can move and at what cost
• Handle workload disputes, promotion decisions and conduct cases with a fair, documented process that colleagues accept
• Exchange leadership practice with deans, heads and research directors from public, private and specialist universities

Conclusion:

Leading a faculty means turning scholarly ambition into governed decisions, funded priorities and measurable standing. The week moves from leadership roles and shared governance, through faculty strategy and QS and THE ranking methodologies, to academic workload, talent, research output and reputation, then to research centres, partnerships, change and conduct cases. The final day links the faculty budget to case work and closes with each participant presenting a Faculty Strategic and Ranking Improvement Plan for peer critique.