In today's fast-paced and competitive higher education landscape, universities must continually evolve to meet new student expectations, diverse audiences, and shifting market trends. This requires bold, collaborative leadership to navigate and implement transformative change. The Leading Educational Change programme is uniquely designed to equip academic, professional service and other university leaders with the skills and insights necessary to drive strategic and operational educational innovation together. Unlike traditional leadership courses, this programme focuses on the vital intersections between teams, departments, directorates, schools, colleges and faculties, emphasising the importance of cross-functional collaboration in managing and delivering successful educational change projects. Whether you are a Head of Estates working on learning space transformation; a Director of Digital Education embedding inclusion in online communities; an Associate Dean working with your Quality team to design new Degree Apprenticeships; or a Deputy Head of School working alongside a Student Vice President on the recruitment, training for Student Representatives, this course will prepare you to work seamlessly with your counterparts, breaking down silos and fostering a unified approach to institutional change.
Register your interest and find further information on this programme
Key Themes Explored:
- Understanding the dynamics of change: Gain a deep understanding of the complexities and drivers of change within your context. Reflect on contemporary thinking about organisational change and how it applies to your institution.
- Develop your vision for change: Learn how to articulate a compelling vision for your educational change initiative that aligns with your institution’s mission and values. Master the art of communicating this vision to inspire and mobilise your collaborative partners.
- Strategic planning and implementation: Acquire the tools and frameworks necessary to design and operationalise your strategic/operational plans for educational innovation. Hone your abilities to navigate the politics and cultural nuances of your institution to ensure your initiative is successful.
- Fostering a culture of innovation: Explore and compare with your peers alternative strategies for creating an environment that encourages experimentation, risk-taking and continuous improvement. Enhance your skills in building and leading teams that are committed to collaborative, transformative change.
- Engaging stakeholders: Understand the importance of stakeholder engagement in your change process. Learn additional techniques for building strong coalitions, managing resistance and ensuring broad-based support for your initiative.
5% Early Booking Discount available
There is a 5% early booking discount for bookings made before 30 September 2024 on this service. This is in addition to a 25% discount if your organisation is an Advance HE member.
Programme Delivery
The Leading Educational Change programme is designed for those in key roles responsible for driving education delivery and change initiatives. It offers a comprehensive framework to help you develop and enhance your capabilities as educational leaders by focusing on your real-world challenges and the latest sector trends. Participants can enrol individually or as part of an institutional group.
Throughout the course, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the internal and external drivers that shape their educational change projects, from portfolio transformation and student experience initiatives to the impact of education policy, regulation or reporting requirements. The programme also emphasises the practical application of learning; participants will work on their own live project within their institutions, with progress feeding into collaborative action learning sets as part of
programme sessions.
Introductory Networking Launch | Fri 26 Apr, 2-3.30pm UTC+1
1.5-hour scene setting introductory session and networking
Day 1 | The Strategic Landscapes for Change | Tue 30 Apr, 10am - 3.30pm UTC+1(informal check in from 9.30am)
- Your institutional strategies and ‘change’ / ‘transformation’ programmes
- How your education strategy sits in relation to institutional mission and change programme
- The different parts of organisation dedicated to leading and managing change
- Key change leaders / networks / stakeholders: how they currently relate and interconnect
Day 2 | Change Scenarios: Your Role & Project | Wed 15 May, 10am - 3.30pm UTC+1 (informal check in from 9.30am)
- Thinking about own role and change agency
- Defining and sharing own Change Project
- Preparing for ALS / “change sets”
Action Learning Sets Fri 24 May, morning or afternoon session depending on group allocations
A half-day of facilitated group coaching to bring fresh perspectives and inspiration for solutions to your real and intractable leadership challenges.
Day 3 | Collective Reflections on Educational Change | Tue 18 Jun, 10am - 3.30pm UTC+1 (informal check in from 9.30am)
- Change dimensions and challenges
- Change networks and dynamics
- Stakeholder mapping and influencing work
- Reflections on individual change roles
- Change leadership / delivery plans
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the programme, participants will be equipped to:
- Bridge the gap between academic, professional services, central teams and/or external partners: Develop stronger collaborative relationships between academic and professional leads within and between universities, fostering open discussions on change agendas and institutional priorities.
- Navigate cultural and operational complexities: Engage in frank, solution-oriented discussions about the challenges of cross- service and cross-team change initiatives, honing the leadership skills required to manage these complexities effectively.
- Engage in cross-institutional dialogue: Participate in ongoing, cross-institutional discussions focused on key education change programmes, such as those related to higher education policy, portfolio development, student experience, and digital transformation.
- Drive relevant and impactful change: Define and refine the 'change themes' for your action learning sets, ensuring that your learning is directly applicable and highly relevant to the change initiatives that you are leading.
- Lead with values and collaboration: Cultivate leadership qualities that prioritise values-driven decision-making, collaborative principles and effective consultation models, paired with the project management skills necessary to execute successful change initiatives.
Why this programme?
The Leading Educational Change programme is your opportunity to become a driving force for positive transformation in your institution. By participating, you will not only enhance your ability to lead change but also gain the tools and confidence to collaborate effectively across departments, breaking down barriers and building a cohesive approach to educational innovation. Join a community of forward-thinking leaders dedicated to shaping the future of higher education – together!
Step into the future of university leadership and make a lasting positive impact on your institution.
Why Advance HE
This programme has been created after a period of research and consultation with key stakeholders and builds on Advance HE’s experience of developing leaders across all levels of University life which includes:
- Our combined, cross-directorate expertise in Strategic Leadership Development, Educational Enhancement and Development, EDI Impact and Awareness in relation to Change Projects
- Our existing education enhancement frameworks that ‘guide’ education change and development, and could be deployed and discussed within the Leading Educational Change Programme
- Our long term experience across many of our programmes in engaging with and developing (mixed cohorts of) Academic and Professional Staff
- Our cross-sector understanding of change ‘infrastructures’ in Universities: drawing from our rich, international member network
- Our understanding of the dominant drivers for educational change, nationally and internationally, in terms of market trends, student expectation, educational innovation and policy-driven priorities and reporting / quality requirements
- Our sophisticated suite of existing leadership and development programmes from which to adapt and develop programme structure, resources, modes of delivery, participation and outputs
- Our access to a diverse pool of staff and associate facilitators with collective understanding of ‘educational change programmes’ in practice and in leadership, meaning we are delivering from a position of experience as well as expertise.
Meet the Delivery Team
