Push for academic promotion may cost us more than we gain

THIS is one of those columns that needs a disclaimer right at the beginning.

THIS is one of those columns that needs a disclaimer right at the beginning.

What follows is not written with any individual in mind, not at all. Rather it aims to outline a pathway to a better university structure between academic and administrative roles.

During the time that I have studied and worked in Australian universities, I have failed to understand the logic behind promoting (often the best) academics into administrative positions such as heads of schools, deans or deputy vice-chancellors.

It might seem like the obvious thing to do -- promote scholarly leaders from within the system to the apex of that system's administration. Many do the job very well. But the roles of running a department, faculty or university are very different to the skills that make a good lecturer or researcher. And the shift in roles means that high-performing scholars are largely lost to scholarly research, with their time eaten away by administration.

Some of the best teachers no longer get to stand in front of a class of first-year students and lecture them on foundation principles in their area of expertise.

It's a crying shame.

Given that there is no guarantee good scholars will go on to become good administrators, the system as it currently works guarantees that we lose some of our best academics with no certainty that they will do a good job in the new role they shift into.

The difference between being a good researcher or teacher (the core tasks of an academic) and being a good administrator can be stark. For example, the role of the researcher is often an isolating experience. Nothing is more isolating than studying for the key qualification academics earn -- the PhD. But for an administrative leader, good interpersonal skills are essential.

In this research-intensive age, universities can't afford to lose good scholars to administration. The opportunity cost is felt by the university in terms of its output, and it is felt by the community in terms of lost insights and ideas (even breakthroughs) from research not being undertaken.

What can be done?

Some professors and associate professors make the transition into administration because it is a natural career step, and the only way an academic can increase their salary beyond the professor band. It would be better to include steps within the professor band to encourage academics engaged in teaching and research to continue doing what they do best and be financially and professionally rewarded for doing so.

Dean and head of school positions should jettison their administrative responsibilities, instead operating as board positions. This would free those academics to teach and conduct research in a way that they currently cannot. School and faculty managers should take over many of the administrative responsibilities academics currently have, creating a similar splitting up of responsibilities as occurs between the chairman of a board and the company's chief executive.

With any luck increased responsibilities for such professional administrators would increase the talent pool prepared to embark on such a career.

A lot more work would need to be done to make such a change of management viable. But it is a worthy restructure to consider.

Peter van Onselen is a Winthrop professor at the University of Western Australia.