Leadership and strategy

Earth-centred education is required to solve the climate crisis

Transformative change is needed to deliver Earth-centred education

The time for incrementalism is over. As responsible humans and academic professionals we must radically rethink the purposes and processes of education and development

Mark Fettes

Simon Fraser University

A lecturer presenting a class online

The demand for online education is still growing, so how can we meet it?

Practical strategies for institutional centres of teaching and learning to help faculty meet the increased demand for online education, by LeRoy Hill

LeRoy Hill

The University of the West Indies

Concentric ripples in water

Defining impact: a shift in thinking, acting and being

What is impact? And, more importantly, how do universities foster and measure it? Here is a plan to raise impact awareness, literacy and readiness

Igor Campillo, Glória Nunes, Iñigo Puertas

Enlight European University, Euskampus Fundazioa

How creating third spaces can help your university campus

Creating ‘third spaces’ will revolutionise your campus

Informal communal spaces bring multiple benefits, from encouraging interdisciplinarity to helping with net zero targets, says Jerry Tate

Jerry Tate

Tate and Co

Assessment and percentages just don't add up

When is a percentage not a percentage? The problem with HE marking practices

When an assessor awards a percentage to an essay, report or similar piece of work, this is a subjective mark rather than a genuine percentage – and this is deeply problematic

Andy Grayson

Nottingham Trent University

Hands at laptop surrounded by cloud of tech-related icons

Six ingredients for successful digital transformation

For forward-thinking universities, technology is not an afterthought but a core part of their activities. Here, Nick Skelton distils insight from UK higher education leaders into six components of successful digital integration

Nick Skelton

Jisc

two young women walk up a rainbow-coloured footpath

Supporting LGBTQ+ aspiring leaders in universities

LGBTQ+ staff bring to campus qualities such as courage and sensitivity that are key to leadership. Now a UK programme aims to develop those strengths in future academic and professional services leaders

Catherine Lee, Daniel Burman

Anglia Ruskin University

International partnerships for universities

Seven tips on finding and establishing international partnerships

An international partnership is like a marriage – once the courting is over, long-term compatibility is crucial, says Debra Hinds

Debra Hinds

Arden University

Exit sign

Faculty exit interviews: the when, how and why

There’s never a good time to say goodbye. But here, Eli Joseph provides tips and insights on conducting exit interviews for different types of faculty

Eli Joseph

Columbia University

Researchers discussing their work

What does a 21st-century research and science system look like?

Jim Metson explores what is needed from universities and government to create a transformative research, science and innovation sector in New Zealand

Jim Metson

University of Auckland

People doodling a rocket launch on a blackboard

Universities as business launchpads: creating spaces for enterprise to flourish

What are the vital components of an effective university innovation and entrepreneurship hub? Julian Henry explains

Julian Henry

The University of the West Indies

Woman researcher with pipette wearing protective glasses

How faculty support and entrepreneurial programmes can boost research commercialisation

Universities can support an invention as it moves from the lab to real-world impact through key focus areas such as protecting IP and networking, writes Audrey Calvird

Audrey Calvird

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Rainbow flag outside Cambridge University for LGBT History Month

How LGBTQ leaders navigate a predominantly non-LGBTQ world

Looking at LGBTQ leadership style as a reaction to the power structures that dominate our culture is essential to finding a common thread through a diverse community, writes Karen Whitney

Karen Whitney

Clarion University

The National Student Survey changes could harm higher education

The changes to the National Student Survey could prove disastrous

The removal of well-being-centric questions and the ability to compare with previous years will impede universities’ ability to offer adequate support

Harriet Dunbar-Morris

The University of Portsmouth

Is your university taking diversity seriously?

How to tell if your university is making a genuine effort to increase diversity

There is zero doubt that bias pervades the HE system. Universities need to show they are taking it as seriously as they take publication and other key performance areas

Keon West

Goldsmiths, University of London

Young woman and older man adult students lifelong learning

Challenges and opportunities of the 60-year curriculum

Lifelong learning for a post-digital-transformation, post-Covid world will need a degree of intention, design and flexibility universities do not yet offer, writes Jeff Grabill

Jeffrey Grabill

University of Leeds

International academic partnerships can be very useful

A guide to the dos and don’ts of international partnerships

Navigating cultural issues, considering local rules, establishing red lines and much more will be required if you are to create a strong partnership and protect both partners

Jason E. Lane, Jessica D. Schueller

Miami University

Blocks in the air with a yellow one in the middle

New views on the block: schedule or philosophy?

Colorado College founded its Block Plan in the heady, revolutionary late 1960s. What can a look back over 50 years teach us about the future of compressed and modular modes of curriculum delivery?

Steven Hayward

Colorado College

Fountain pen writing note

The art of fostering collegiality

With responsibility to encourage collegiality in their domain but limited authority to make it happen, what is a department chair to do? Kevin Dettmar shares the uses and misuses of academia’s professional bonds

Kevin Dettmar

Pomona College

Black male student smiling at the camera from his desk

Ten actions to improve the experiences of Black students within UK universities

Patrice Seuwou outlines 10 steps UK universities can take to achieve greater transparency and fairness for Black students

Patrice Seuwou

University of Northampton

Rainbow light bulb in a row of white bulbs

Leadership and the intersectionality of being queer and living with HIV

Coming out as gay was a first step, but it was being open about living with HIV that showed Raymond Crossman how his whole self shaped his role as president. Here, he talks about intersectionality and leadership

Raymond Crossman

Adler University

The DIY guide to academic freedom

A DIY guide to protecting academic freedom

A guide to help faculty manage and respond to threats to their academic freedom, from understanding the source of the challenges to finding allies and resources that can assist

Pedro García-Caro, Katy Krieger, Joe Lowndes, Gabe Paquette

University of Oregon

Illustration of different aspects of university life

To improve the admission process, get faculty involved

Faculty collaboration with the undergraduate admission team can improve class participation, retention rates, course matches and funding yield – and help reduce misinformation about the process and decisions

Rick Clark

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

People in arrow formation, leadership concept

What is responsible leadership in tertiary education?

This leadership model emphasises participation and community over individual heroics and champions broad measures of success, writes Harry Gill

Harry Gill

Zayed University

Man staring at a maze on a blackboard

Why is digital transformation such a challenge for HE?

Size and legacy approaches are among the barriers universities face when it comes to using technology to improve teaching, learning and research. This six-point plan details what needs to happen

Heidi Fraser-Krauss

Jisc

Asian woman holding laptop illustrating leadership

Leadership styles that work in the ‘new normal’

University leaders require a broad set of skills – from using data to creating long-term strategy – as well as the ability to adapt to changing times

Gou Rui, Liu Chao

Macau University of Science and Technology

Image showing a diverse group of staff in a circle

The 10 steps towards inclusivity in universities

Far more needs to be done to improve equity, diversity and inclusion within universities, writes Tetyana Krupiy as she lists 10 steps that can create more inclusive, supportive workplaces for all staff

Tetyana (Tanya) Krupiy

Newcastle University

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

THE podcast: what makes a good higher education leader?

A leadership expert and university president discuss how the requirements of the job have changed and what type of leader the current moment calls for

Jon McNaughtan, Joy Johnson

Simon Fraser University

People-first leadership in university and higher education

The importance of being a people-first leader – and tips on how to do it

There are many small ways you can show appreciation for your employees and make them feel valued on a daily basis, says Sabrina Casas

Sabrina Casas

Colorado State University Global

Mentorship and helping

Leading through mentorship: a guide to the ups and downs

Anna Chur-Hansen reflects on her experiences as a mentee and mentor, how this skill can be developed and how it contributes to the building of a meaningful career

Anna Chur-Hansen

The University of Adelaide

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

THE podcast: an interview with Ruth Simmons, president of Prairie View A&M

The first African American president of Brown University, Simmons speaks about her pioneering work to research Brown’s historical links to slavery, the future of affirmative action, and how to get more people that look like her into university leadership

THE Campus team

THE Campus

Leading with empathy is more important than ever in HE

How to be an empathetic leader during times of change

No one style is the panacea for all leadership challenges but, as Rachel Gibson explains, empathy is a crucial ingredient for leadership success

Rachel Gibson

The University of Adelaide

Motivating a team is crucial in HE

Five ways to motivate and inspire a high-performing team

Senior leaders should hold themselves and their teams accountable for performance-driven metrics, foster psychologically safe workplaces and reward values-based behaviours

Sandy Jones

Colorado State University Global

Catching up with academic colleagues is part of keeping it REAL

Authentic leadership: the four pillars of keeping it ‘REAL’

Corinna van den Heuvel explains how developing a strong personal leadership philosophy is key to authenticity as a leader

Corinna van den Heuvel

The University of Adelaide

Combining business and educational acumen is required for HE leaders

Modern higher education leaders must blend business and educational knowledge

Clearly articulated values, structures that support accountability and metrics that align with strategic goals are the new leadership competencies, says Angela Hernquist

Angela Hernquist

Colorado State University Global

Image of a digital brain representing AI

A model for deploying AI across a university and region

A new supercomputer, new faculty and partnerships with higher education and industry leaders helped the University of Florida transform itself into an AI powerhouse, creating a blueprint for other institutions to follow

Cheryl Martin

NVIDIA

Group high five

Does the UK need an observatory for university engagement with policymakers?

Any such project would need to guard against numerous pitfalls, but the benefits in terms of bringing together various initiatives and engendering new skills could be great

Jonathan Breckon , Sarah Chaytor , Kayleigh Renberg-Fawcett

Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE), Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN), University College London

Image representing higher education as tied to financial interests

To save higher education, we must look beyond traditional university models

If we are to radically transform universities, we must seek solutions from diverse learning projects that have historically been excluded from, or remained separate to, higher education, argue Fern Thompsett, Kristen Lyons and Richard Hil

Fern Thompsett, Kristen Lyons, Richard Hil

Columbia University , The University of Queensland , Griffith University

Image of diverse groups forming supportive circles

How to train university staff to become anti-racist agents of change

Advice on supporting higher education professionals to become anti-racist agents of change, based on Adam Danquah’s experience doing so within his institution

Adam Danquah

University of Manchester

Two ribbons represent a university twinning programme in Ukraine

A collective action framework to help Ukraine’s universities survive and rebuild

There is great potential for like-for-like aid among institutions during times of crises. Here are five lessons from a project that pairs institutions in Ukraine with partners around the world

Charles Cormack, Blanca Torres-Olave

Cormack Consultancy Group

Knowledge transfer partnerships a guide to doing them well

Knowledge transfer partnerships: a guide to doing them well

Advice on running a successful knowledge transfer partnership, based on the experience of James Selfe and Jim Richards co-developing a portable rehabilitation device for sports injuries

James Selfe, Jim Richards

Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Central Lancashire

Advice on effective communication for international collaborations

Clear communication as the key to international collaboration

The success of international research collaborations rests upon clear communication, writes Marian Brady as she offers advice on what this involves in practice

Marian Brady

Glasgow Caledonian University

A team of computer scientists in discussion

What is the secret to leading a successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)?

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships between academics and businesses can result in innovative products and services. Tony Leslie offers 10 pointers on how to increase the likelihood of making these collaborations a success

Tony Leslie

University of the West of Scotland

No one in academia can agree on what research leadership looks like

No one agrees on what research leadership is, let alone how to do it well

The academy has no common idea of what research leadership really is, why it’s important or what good practice looks like. That needs to change, says Matthew Flinders

Matthew Flinders

University of Sheffield, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

The different steps to improved sustainability

To offset or not to offset – that is the question

Carbon offsetting is a hotly debated issue, with critics positing that it distracts from real efforts to reduce emissions. David Duncan explains why a compromise position in which offsetting is used to complement focused efforts at carbon reduction may be needed

David Duncan

University of Glasgow

University leaders need to create policy for permanent remote work

What must leaders consider as they develop permanent remote work policies?

Most agree that remote working is here to stay, so developing thoughtful and effective policy will be critical to ensure that students are served and institutions thrive

Jon McNaughtan, Catherine Whaley, Chelsea Wallace

Texas Tech University

Green shoots

For the common good: why we need ecological universities

Higher education has become too aligned to specific economic interests and needs to be redirected to focus on regenerative values for the common good, argue Richard Hil, Kristen Lyons and Fern Thompsett

Richard Hil, Kristen Lyons, Fern Thompsett

Griffith University, Southern Cross University, The University of Queensland , Columbia University

Student working online

Meaning making: how universities can boost the uptake of edtech among faculty

The key to promoting the uptake of new edtech tools and teaching innovation among faculty, based on research

Na Li, Xiaojun Zhang, Maria Limniou

Xi'an Jiaotong - Liverpool University

A team collaborating on a project

University-edtech collaboration: how to leverage the best of both worlds

Seven lessons for managing successful university-edtech collaborations that result in innovative new programmes, shared by Mònica Casabayó

Mònica Casabayó

Esade

Puzzle pieces

Considering a university merger? Here’s how to do it well

Assessing a merger’s viability, as well as prioritising trust, openness and maintaining organisational cultures are key to success, says Kayla Vasilko

Kayla Vasilko

Purdue University Northwest