The Roles of Managers (Heads) of Academic and Support Services Units in Achieving the Institution’s Mission Statement

Samuel O. DekoloAsst. Director, Academic Planning (Quality Assurance)Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, LagosE-mail: sam.dekolo@gmail.com

CAPACITY WORKSHOP FOR MANAGERS OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMMEMOSHOOD ABIOLA POLITECHNIC, ABEOKUTA. 9TH-10TH MARCH, 2015

Objectives of this presentationLinking the institution’s mission

statement with the work of the individuals

Identify the roles of heads of academic and academic support units in achieving the mission statement

To offer practical tips on key areas of good practice in human resource management and leadership

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS A MISSION STATEMENT? A mission

statement is a statement of the purpose of an organization or person; its reason for existing; a written declaration of an organization's core purpose and focus that normally remains unchanged over time

Our Mission Statement

To produce skilled technological and professional manpower for self-reliance and community service by developing and deploying appropriate technologies and competencies with adequate linkages and partnerships.

Our VisionTo be “a reference

point in technological, scientific, and entrepreneurial education, accessible to all, for sustainable national development”.

Our Core Values Excellence shall be the

Hallmark of every aspect of our service delivery.

Commitment to producing truly educated, skillful, useful and decent personalities who are equipped for significant contributions to the moral and economic development of the society. 

Everyone Matters Excellence and

Commitment of individual Staff (academic or academic Support) is required to achieve this Mission

As leaders and managers in an academic Institution, we need to know our roles and best practices in managing human and non-human resources to achieve the institutions mission

What is the Nature of Academic Institutions?

Academic Institutions are knowledge and skills based organisations

Academic and support services staff are pivotal in imparting skills and knowledge

Product Cycle may take up to two years or more (i.e. each student that graduates is a product)

Academic freedom makes the system loosely coupled Regulatory Environment (internal and external) will

tighten the loose ends Measurement of success and performance of institutions

are reflected in the quality of outputs or products (graduates).

How self-reliant or employable are our graduates in today’s technology driven world?

Service Delivery vs. Customers (student) satisfaction?

self reliance or Employability Are they satisfied with the curriculum and

teaching-learning process Are they satisfied with other

academic/non-academic inputs Feedback about the institution in relation

to peer institutions (how do they rate MAPOLY?)

Alumni engagement

Characteristics of Academics The have high need for autonomy They expect support from the

leader/manager They want to participate in most

decision making activities Even though they are team members,

their activities are individualistic They have their own reputation with

students They strongly believe in their professional

wisdom and would take time to accept views that contradict their beliefs

ROLES OF HEADS OF ACADEMIC AND SUPPORT SERVICES UNIT

Academic Development and Representation Roles…

To provide academic leadership in the development of departmental research priorities, plans and programmes

To encourage staff to produce top quality research work and ensuring that they have the time to do so.

To ensure continuous review of teaching and research performance with global standards.

To develop departmental development plans, covering teaching, research, staffing and resources for submission to management.

To prepare annual budget as the ‘spending officer’ of the department. Also, ensure that expenditure of non-personnel cost are in-line with the budget provisions.

To provide leadership in ensuring that programmes remain attractive to students, are innovative, up to date, and of a high quality

…Academic Development and Representation Roles

To liaise with the polytechnics admission office on student enrollment.

To have oversight of the department’s appointments procedure and strategy (consult with colleagues, decide appointment priorities and ensure that top-class staff are appointed.

To provide leadership in the development of appropriate alternative internally generated revenue (IGR).

To ensure that adequate preparations are made and represent the department at the Academic Board meetings

To conduct regular departmental meetings to addressed matters of general concern and to alert staff to key ACB issues

To represent the Department, as required or ensure appropriate representation various functions

Quality Assurance Roles

To ensure that the teaching, research student supervision and examination of the department are organized to fulfill obligations.

To ensure that the quality of educational provision is maintained and where possible enhanced (surveys and other information about course delivery and lecturers performance may be introduced).

To ensure that preparations are made for internal and external moderations and reviews of teaching quality and educational processes

Personnel Management Roles Ensure fair and reasonable allocation of teaching and

administrative workloads amongst departmental staff To ensure that staff are able to take advantage of their

entitlements (e.g. annual, maternity and paternity leave) while appropriate cover is available to meet teaching obligations.

To ensure that appropriate mentoring of academic staff on what is expected of them, including training, career development, etc.

To review staff performance annually (APER) and ensure each staff get promotion or salary increment as at when

To take steps to ensure the maintenance of staff morale and harmony within the Department (manage and diffuse interpersonal conflicts and staff grievances which arise from time to time.

To ensure that any cases of redundancy, poor performance, incapacity, grievances, misconduct or harassment are dealt with according to the appropriate codes of conducts and procedures

Academic Support Service Roles

Academic support provides all students supportive services including study skills help, time management training, reading skill development, individual and group tutoring, academic coaching, academic advising and counseling, as well as resources for students with disabilities. 

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Are You a Leader or Manager?

Leadership vs Management The terms 'leadership' and 'management'

are often used interchangeably, but they are two distinct and complementary processes.

Although ‘leadership’ is often considered a superior role to ‘management’, both are essential to all organisations, regardless of size.

By understanding the key differences and strengths of each discipline, organisations can be better placed to make effective use of both.

Leadership vs ManagementLeadership

Leadership is the capacity to influence people, by means of personal attributes and/or behaviours, to achieve a common goal.

Management Management is a set

of processes that can keep a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly.

Leadership is required to create a vision and encourage widespread support, but management is required to actually turn that vision into a reality.

All organisations need both to succeed. The real challenge is to combine strong leadership and strong management and use each to balance the other.

You need to be both! At times ‘leaders’ will need to manage tasks and

projects, and ‘managers’ will need to influence and inspire people.

Managers are not confined to management and leaders are not restricted to leadership. The critical issue is about getting the right balance for the job you do.

Management is generally seen to involve overseeing day-to-day operations, accomplishing goals and achieving tasks, while leadership spans a wider remit that includes influencing and inspiring others, generating ideas and defining a strategy and vision.

What is your Leadership Style?

Leadership Styles – what the manager would say Coercive “Don’t ask questions. Just do it!” Coaching “How about doing it like this?” Pace-setting “Come on, keep up!” Democratic “What do you think?” Affiliative “Okay guys, let’s work together on this.” Authoritative “This is what I see. I want you to see it

too, and I’ll need your help to get us there.”

Leading is like Ropewalk!

How to Lead adaptable – in other words, being flexible and

demonstrating an ability to cope with change self-confident – having faith in your own

abilities and ideas (not to be confused with arrogance!)

proactive – the ability to spot opportunities and come up with ideas and improvements, and to take on additional work or responsibility unprompted

reliable – performing consistently well and delivering on promises

ambitious – having a clear idea about where you are going and how to achieve your goals

Are you a New Manager?

Becoming a manager (Head of Department/Unit ) represents a significant milestone in your career. With your new role will come a number of exciting new challenges and responsibilities and you will need to utilise all your professional and interpersonal skills to tackle them effectively

Tips for New Managers Establish what is expected of you Set clear performance expectations Plan ahead Start with small changes Treat people fairly Be prepared to have difficult conversations Focus on your personal development Build your network. Get some support (know your team, Seek input from your team) Give credits and get regular feedback Work on your communication skills Improve your decision-making skills Keep workplace friendships professional Manage your stress levels

Are You Managing you Career?

Manage your department/unit but your CAREER also!

Your career may well be the primary vehicle for satisfying many of your personal needs-Look to it!

Make Progress!

Careers rarely move forward by themselves. While you are busy as a manager or leader, it is ultimately your responsibility to achieve your long-term career goals

Are You Personally Motivated?

Know Yourself! The way in which you perform at work is

influenced by many factors, not just your skills and knowledge. How you conduct yourself, the way you interact with others and your needs around rewards, all play a significant part in your overall effectiveness.

Knowing and understanding these aspects of your personality can be highly beneficial to yourself and others.

Your Image has Impact

• Appearance• Behaviour• Attitude

Dress Professionally!

Communicate openly and honestly

Be an inspiration

From the way you respond to problems or challenges, to how you manage your workload and conduct your relationships, your approach to work can have a big influence on your team.

As a leader or manager, the way you approach your role can also have an impact on your team members’ motivation; if you put in 100%, your team should be inspired to do the same.

Help team members to grow and develop

Providing team members with opportunities to grow, develop and use their skills in new ways will help to ensure that motivation levels remain high.

It’s important, however, to offer individual employees challenges and opportunities that are appropriate to them.

Celebrate Success!

Recognising and celebrating success in your team is one of the most effective ways of inspiring everyone to keep up the good work.

Saying a simple ‘thank you’ or ‘well done’ to team members can help to boost motivation on a day-to-day basis and will reassure them that their efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Delegate!It is not unusual for people to feel anxious about delegation, either through fear of losing control over the quality or timeliness of their work, or because they feel guilty about increasing another person’s workload.

Why Delegate? making your workload more manageable, allowing you to

get on with essential work that only you can do increasing your chances of meeting deadlines by

removing the distraction of non-essential work providing a development opportunity to the employees

to whom you delegate, particularly if the work is something they wouldn’t normally have the chance to get involved with

empowering and motivating employees by showing you trust them to undertake important tasks for which you have responsibility

gaining a new perspective or fresh ideas about your work, as a result of the employee’s input

Plan!Fail to plan and plan to fail

Authority, Accountability, Responsibility

Authority, Accountability, Responsibility

As a manager, you have the authority to allocate resources, make decisions and take certain actions.

You may be held accountable for doing so, and also be required to take responsibility for seeing that the job gets done.

You may be held accountable for doing so, and also be required to take responsibility for seeing that the job gets done.

Afraid of Feedback?

Good, regular feedback within a team can be an essential tool to help improve performance and morale – yet many people shy away from it.

Be a Coach and Mentor

Coaching and mentoring are both forms of one-to-one paired support relationships aimed at facilitating personal development

Being Credible and Professional

A credible and professional person ...

is concerned about their reputation. They understand the importance of being reliable, honest, trustworthy and organised.

makes good decisions that take into consideration all relevant factors. They make choices and judgements based on what will work for a team, project or organisation as a whole - not just for them as an individual.

shoulders responsibility, and supports the team they are working with. They understand the importance of being responsible for their own actions.

is an effective worker who works hard to achieve objectives. They are aware of the goals expected of them and put plans in place to meet these.

How do you deal with conflicts?

Fact about Conflicts Conflict is an inevitable fact of life. It is borne out of differences and will arise

in any situation where people are required to interact with one another.

Conflict is generally regarded as an impediment to progress.

However it is not always a bad thing and can be a creative force for an organisation when managed effectively.

Absenteeism?

The Ethical DilemmaSometimes you will find you have to make decisions where personal and organisational priorities are in conflict. These can be immensely difficult dilemmas to resolve.HOW ETHICAL ARE YOU?

How do I work with Others?

Greet people when you come into work Be approachable throughout the day Manage your mood Say sorry if it’s warranted Share knowledge Offer help and advice Use your position constructively Be sensitive to the moods of others Thank colleagues for their hard work

Problems or Opportunities?

Finally, Think Ergonomics!

Ergonomics is the application of scientific information concerning humans to the design of objects, systems and environment for human use (posture, eye care, musculoskeletal injuries, stress)

Health and Safety

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!