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It's not an easy time to be a leader in higher education. Funding to universities is to be cut by £125m next year, though higher education funding body HEFCE is yet to announce where the cuts will fall. The £37m Access to Learning Fund for poorer students has been abolished. The news that student loans are not being paid back at the rate originally expected makes it likely that tuition fees will rise again. Academics, meanwhile, have been engaged in a series of two-hour strikes for more pay.
At a time of financial constraint and widespread dissatisfaction, how can university leaders continue to inspire and motivate? Vice-chancellors have been criticised by the government for awarding themselves large salary rises, but is that criticism justified? When university leaders face unprecedented challenges, including a funding shortfall, increased competition for students and regulatory pressure to broaden access, it could be argued that the job of university leaders is more demanding than it ever has been.
This is how Andrew Derrington, executive pro-vice chancellor of humanities and social sciences at the University of Liverpool, sums up the view of leaders among academics: "We are drowning them in a cascade of initiatives, processes and performance indicators. We put academics under pressure do things that are manifestly stupid. We want to turn first-rate universities into second-rate businesses."
Is Derrington right to say that university leaders are misunderstood? And is there more to being a leader than simply being a good manager? Abhinay Muthoo has written that the leader "needs to be a visionary – someone who can anticipate where trends are headed and to articulate a sense of mission to the university community and the public, to inspire people on the subject of learning at the top levels." He adds: "Mere managers need not apply."
This Friday (4 April) we'll be gathering experts online to discuss the qualities needed by university leaders if they are to steer their institutions successfully through financial difficulties without losing the support and goodwill of the academic community.
We will discuss:
• The challenges faced by university leaders
• The qualities that differentiate a good leader from an ineffective one
• The difference between leadership and management
• How university leaders should set priorities over the next five years
• How to continue to motivate staff and students during a period of uncertainty
The debate – in partnership with the Leadership Foundation – is open to all and will take place in the comments section below this article on 4 April from 12-2pm GMT. Create a Guardian comment account to join in.
Panel
Paul Gentle, director of programmes at the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education. @LFHEPD
April McMahon, vice-chancellor of Aberystwyth University.
Michael Gunn, vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University. @StaffsUniVC
Paula Nicolson, emeritus professor at Royal Holloway, University of London. @paulanicolson
Andrew Derrington, pro-vice chancellor of humanities and social sciences at Liverpool University. @amderrington
David Henderson, senior lecturer in leadership at Cass business school, City University.
Jill Jameson, director of the centre for leadership and enterprise at the University of Greenwich. @jjameson
Jamie Agombar, ethical and environment manager at the National Union of Students, and this year's winner in the inspiring leader category of the Guardian University Awards.
Sue Shepherd, higher education management consultant and PhD student at the University of Kent. @sueshepherdHE
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