1. How Australian Deans and Faculty Managers Work Together
Working in the Diarchy
How Australian Deans and Faculty Managers Work Together
Maddy McMaster
RMIT University, Melbourne
25 August 2008

2. Key Propositions
Popular models of higher education as organisations don’t fully explain Australian universities
University organisation as a ‘diarchy’: parallel hierarchies
Different assumptions about work by academic and administrative staff

3. BLAINEY,G (1957) A Centenary History of the University of Melbourne p 110

4. University as Diarchy Two distinct work cultures
Tensions between academic and administrative roles
Tensions between collegial and managerial models of universities
McInnis – disenchantment because lack of recognition
Whyley & Callender 1997 UK – lack of career progression & lack of professional recognition
McInnis, Coaldrake & Stedman 99 – blurring/convergence of roles
Shared values about scholarship – teaching & research – but maybe different values about purpose of university – von Humboldt early 19th century (learning for its own sake; academic freedom) and Cardinal Newman 1852 Idea of the University – creation of knowledge for its own sake
Vs values re university as a public institution – social purposes

5. How do Deans and Faculty Managers Work Together?
Work at the intersection of parallel hierarchies
Interviewed 18 deans and 18 faculty managers in six universities
Found differences not explained by formal structures or position descriptions
Three styles of working partnership

6. Nested Partnership
Dean
Faculty Manager

7. Nested Partnership Dean: hands-on, administrator, internal focus
Faculty Manager: facilitator or expert advisor

8. Role of the Nested Dean The buck stops here! Dean, Science/Technology
Technological University

9. Some days I wish we were still academics but it’s too late to go back to that. I’m quite out of touch with contemporary literature.
Dean, Humanities,
Established University

10. I’ve been seven years out of an academic role
I’ve been seven years out of an academic role. I’d need a massive retraining period to go back. And I would get bored: I’m too far removed.
Dean, Business, New University

11. Role of the Nested FM
Give the dean strategic guidance so that he or she doesn't plunge into some dark hole in terms of staffing, industrial relations, load, student matters.
Faculty Manager, Science & Technology, Technological University

12. It's a connecting and interpreting role
It's a connecting and interpreting role. My most important role is to translate university policy - to make it discipline specific, but not so specific you lose sight of the core business.
FM Business, Technological University

13. Conjoint Partnership
Dean
Faculty Manager

14. Conjoint Partnership Dean: academic leader, sets directions
Faculty Manager: administrative leader, plans, implements policy, advises on implications

15. Role of the Conjoint Dean
I continue to maintain a fairly active research life, which means that most of my non-dean’s time is spent writing – reading and writing. And that’s terrific – it’s the best form of therapy. … Probably more of that time ought to be spent thinking strategically.
Dean, Humanities, Established University

16. It's analogous to a government minister and a head of a government department. One has the political responsibilities and sets policy; the other makes sure administrative systems are in place and gives policy advice.
Dean Science/Technology,
Established University

17. Role of the Conjoint FM
The (faculty manager's) role is far more involved with academic decision-making than before. When the faculty executive meets on a weekly basis, her contribution to what are clearly academic issues is just as strong as anyone else.
Dean Humanities, Established University

18. Parallel but not equal.
FM Humanities, Established University

19. We deal with exactly the same issues: he is the academic leader in the faculty, I am the administrative leader in the faculty. The (faculty manager) makes sure things happen.
FM Science/Technology,
Established University

20. Segmented Partnership
Dean
Faculty Manager

21. Segmented Partnership
Dean and Faculty Manager work on different tasks

22. Role of the Segmented Dean
I'm not a traveller by nature: my style is more internal than other deans. I'm a data person … I have a keen interest in the budget, although I'm not an accountant.
Dean Science/Technology,
Technological University

23. Role of the Segmented FM
Administration is the engine room. When it's working best you don't even know it's there.
Faculty Manager Humanities,
Technological University

24. Segmented Partnership
Role Focus
Nested Partnership
Conjoint Partnership
Segmented Partnership
Dean
Plans/decides full range of matters
Jointly plans and decides full range of matters
Plans, decides and implements narrower range
Faculty Manager
Implements plans and decisions on advice from the Dean
Jointly plans and implements full range of matters
Plans, decides and implements defined range of matters

25. Segmented Partnership
Characteristics
Nested Partnership
Conjoint Partnership
Segmented Partnership
Hands-on administrator deans
Strong executive team;
academic deans
Delegations drive specialisation
Deans communicate (internal & external)
Deans communicate externally; FMs internal networks
Deans & FMs focus on internal networks related to responsibility

26. Key Influences Systemic drivers Culture/history of the workplace
Individual behaviours: identification with academic or administrative work culture major influence

27. Role Identification Conjoint Segmented Nested Dean FM Academic
Identifies with …
Academic
Administrative FM
Conjoint
Segmented
Nested

28. Role Identification - Deans
Linked to motivation for becoming dean
Academic deans: ‘accidental tourist’ or ‘good citizen’ deans
Administrative deans: ‘career track’ or ‘corporate’ deans

29. Role Identification - FMs
Linked to career level entry in university administration
Generalist administrators
Professional converts
Former academics

30. Contact Details Dr Maddy McMaster Academic Registrar RMIT University
Melbourne, Australia