How a Vice Chancellor can bring transformation in HEI'S Qualitatively? A discovery of salient attributes

Abstract:
Every ‘qualified’ Vice-Chancellor turns out to be an ‘ideal’ and ‘competent’ Vice-Chancellor. In fact, apart from the Qualifications, a Vice-Chancellor should have certain essential Qualities and Attributes, which are not always ‘prescribed’. Moreover, even an efficient Vice-Chancellor may not be effective. It is the qualities and attributes which help the Vice-Chancellor to be an effective Vice-Chancellor. Though not formally prescribed, from the perspective of stakeholders, they broadly include:
(a) Highest level of competence, integrity, ethics, and morals;
(b) Commitment to and sympathy with community values and aspirations;
(c) Constant alertness to societal issues: women issues, issues relating to castes, religions, politics, etc. which can disturb the peaceful atmosphere and functioning of the university;
(d) Know-how to take decisions in a limited time, which is acceptable to all concerned;
(e) Absolute impartiality and fairness in dealings with persons and issues, which would help to improve the university’s health by minimizing litigation and thereby saving time and money;
(f) Love for the university community as for a family;
(g) Interest in and ability to improve quality consciousness in the campus (es);
(h) Attitude for attributes of accountability linked autonomy;
(i) A governing system which has synergy of technology-based systems, team building and a hybrid model of collegial cum corporate practices;
(j) Ability to develop a global vision and a global orientation to bring about global visibility for the university

1.0 Introduction

The role of Vice-Chancellors of Indian universities has gained paramount importance. As ‘Chief Executives and Academic Heads of universities’, the Vice- Chancellors are expected to be efficient and effective in terms of (a) implementation of National Higher Education Policy and programmes,(b) institutional change in tune with the national reforms package, (c) quality and innovation enhancement and their sustainability, (d) productive engagement with ‘communities of scholars’ from within their universities and from national and international domains, (e) nurturing of ‘Research and Innovation Ecosystem’ and translation of deliverables to society and economy and (f) adoption of international best practices of ‘Good Governance.’

The vice chancellor is the main administrative officer of the University and is responsible for chairing the Council of the University, the Finance Committee of the Council, and the General Board of the Faculties. They are charged with the task of overseeing and monitoring the administration of academic programs being conducted and the general administration of the university to make sure that the efficiency and good order of the university are maintained.

Appointment of Vice-Chancellor:

The Vice-Chancellor is the principal executive and de facto head of the university. He exercises general supervision and control over the affairs of the university and gives effect to the decisions of all its authorities. He is the ex-officio Chairman of the Executive Council, Academic Council, Finance Committee, and Selection Committees. In the absence of the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor presides over any convocation of the university for conferring degrees. It is the duty of the Vice- Chancellor to see that the provisions of the Act, Statutes and Ordinances and Regulations are fully observed.

In Deemed Universities and Institutes of National Importance, the head of the institution is either called Director General or Director, the latter designation being more commonly used in academic terms in the subcontinent. Though the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor varies according to the university acts and statutes, in general the Vice-Chancellor is appointed by the Visitor/ Chancellor, from a panel of three to five names recommended by a duly constituted Search/Selection Committee. The Visitor’s nominee is the Chairman/Convener of the Committee. The Visitor is empowered to call for a set of fresh names in case of dissatisfaction with the names given by the panel. As mentioned above, there is no uniformity in this practice in the universities and the procedures vary from university to university.

Quality of the Vice Chancellor.

Running an educational institute is very tricky as it requires administration, teaching and research expertise. The universities need an individual who has a first class command over administration to handle university affairs, and a good command over teaching to understand the value and fundamentals of the organization he is handling i.e education, and an effective know-how of research to make sense out of complex environment and to regulate universities in global environment.

The following indicates the required skill-set for the VC.

Administration --• Infrastructure • Enrollment • Performance Measurement • Autonomy • Internal Management etc

Teaching --• Scholarship • Global Exposure • P.hD Faculty • Degrees/Diplomas . Research .- • Collaboration • Funding • Multidisciplinary etc

2.0 Roles & Responsibilities of the VC

The Vice-Chancellor has to evolve as a symphony of orchestra with at least four attributes:

Firstly, preparedness for the structural challenge: Since listening and learning are important as universities have their rhythms and the external environment has its own tempo, the Vice-Chancellor has to start by elaborating major themes that will be developed by him/her. The principal themes should be few, clear and amenable to development.
The complexity of university leadership lies in complex orchestration, since the Vice-Chancellor has multiple audiences who need to understand the proposed central themes of development. Hence, they are to be repeated sensibly to sensitize these audiences.
Secondly, the development stage: The world is ever changing and the projected themes like student experience, research challenges, relating to wider political culture and economic imperatives shaping societies. The VC has, however, a lot more responsibilities and duties outside of just being the nominal head of the university. Given below are some of the key responsibilities of being the vice chancellor of a university. through higher education, need to evolve. This stage is needed to turn fragments into great building blocks. The university leadership needs to develop the strategy to show how fragments can be brought together, how one can triumph against adversity, and how dissonance can give way to harmony.

Devising a strategy for implementation: Implementation is partly a matter of “the daily grind of management” – getting appropriate performance out of individuals, finding the blocks to action and working around, through, or over them. But it is also a matter of understanding how the institution works through the organizational psychology and politics.
Developing a clear action plan to implement the strategy: It is important to understand the factors impacting the desired behaviour and devise appropriate incentives and disincentives. It is to realize that success ultimately depends on the ability to get voluntary commitment rather than forced obedience of the university community.

Commitment is ensured if every individual in the system feels that he/she is also its originator and owner, and so it is his/her interests which are purported to be promoted, thus ensuring that the outcome of all activities in the Institution is not only understood by everyone, but also accepted as one’s own.
Recruitment is a key to making strategies work to get right people in the right place Recruitment needs to be taken very seriously and time spent on recruitment and mentoring is time well spent. It does not just mean putting in the time on appointment panels; it means thinking through, what one needs to do to attract and retain the right teachers. One should not assume that it is difficult to get the best teachers, but think what may attract them to one’s institution.

Thirdly, university governance, whether collegial and/or corporate? There are four types of governance culture in universities:

(a) The Corporate Culture where the emphasis is on the leadership provided by the senior management, top-down planning and monitoring through performance indicators;
(b) The Enterprise Culture where there is a strong quality framework but considerable freedom for the individual to interact with external agencies and where results are expected;
(c) The Bureaucratic Culture where there is a dominance of administration and committees; emphasis is on rules and precedent and also a desire for uniformity and stability;
(d) The Collegial Culture where there is respect for the individual’s autonomy, freedom of expression, considerable devolution of authority, the dominance of academic committees and a tendency to be loose regarding procedures. A new Vice-Chancellor’s early challenge is to strike an appropriate balance between the sector’s different but intertwined models of organization: the collegial and the corporate.

Fourthly, developing teams and team work, building partnerships and collaborations: Collegiality, friendship and intellectual engagement are as critical to being an effective Vice-Chancellor as having acquired the art of management of the university. No matter for what skills a Vice-Chancellor is appointed, the main quality needed is the ability to build strong teams and good working relationship to assist the Vice-Chancellor. Universities also depend so much on their work regionally, nationally and internationally, and that investing time in the key people relevant to this work shall pay rich dividends. Collaborative ventures established on this foundation are more likely to lead to long lasting partnerships that can outlive changes of fortune or people.

Meetings

The vice chancellor has the right to speak at any meeting and give their suggestions on any matter that is related to the university.
They are entitled to be present at any meeting of any other authority or body or committee of the university but are not entitled to vote thereat unless they are the Chairperson or member of that particular authority or body.
The vice chancellor also has the right to convene meetings of any authority, body, or committee, as and when they deem it necessary.

Involvement with the Government

There always needs to be a dialogue between any university and the State so that there is clarity regarding the policies to be followed and the rules that apply with respect to the university.
It is the duty of the Vice Chancellor to make sure that the directions of the Chancellor, if any, are strictly followed, complied with, and implemented. In the case of state universities, as is the case with most universities in India, the governor of that particular state is the Chancellor.
It is also the responsibility of the VC to ensure that any orders made by the State Government in the matter of education are also executed at the right time. However, the vice chancellor also has the power to defer the implementation of a decision that has been taken or a resolution passed by any authority, committee, or body of the university if, they are of the opinion that it does not go in accordance with the directives of the State Government.
They can also decide to defer the implementation of the decision or resolution if it is not in the interest of the university. In such a situation, they are to refer the matter back to the authority, body or committee concerned for reconsidering the same in their next meeting with their reasons clearly recorded in writing.
If the differences persist even after this stage, they shall within a week, with the reasons, be submitted it to the Chancellor for the latter to take a decision regarding the members of the authority, body, or committee involved. After the Chancellor has made a decision, the Vice Chancellor will have to take action as directed by the Chancellor and inform the concerned body accordingly.

Role in the Case of an Emergency with the University

If the vice chancellor believes that there is an emergency that needs to be addressed with immediate effect, they have the power to do so on the grounds that it is in the best interest of the university.
The grounds for this belief must, however, be reported in writing to the concerned body that was, or is, responsible for the normal course of action that follows such an emergency.
If there is a difference of opinion between the authority or body in question and the Vice Chancellor about whether or not this situation warrants the status of an emergency, the matter will have to be referred to the Chancellor, whose decision will be considered final in the case.

Role in Disciplinary Action

The vice chancellor is responsible for the hiring and appointment of teachers at the university. If they are not directly involved, they are so indirectly.
Either way, when it comes to making decisions on the university teachers, the Vice Chancellor is involved one way or the other. However, the action taken by the VC will not include disciplinary action taken against any employee of the university.
If the matter is not an emergency, the VC can make the decision that they feel is appropriate to them at the time and shall, at the earliest opportunity thereafter, place them before the Executive Council or other authority or body concerned.
That being said, they do have the power to suspend members from the meeting of the authority, body, or committee for continuing to obstruct or delay the proceedings of an event or member or for indulging in behavior that is not in line with the expected behavior of a member.
They are responsible for reporting the matter to the Chancellor as well.

Recognition Powers

Some of the other responsibilities that fall under the supervision of the Vice-Chancellor include their power to recognize the relevance and importance of the: Providing recognition to institutions of higher learning and research-specific studies in accordance

Offering recognition to autonomous colleges, empowered autonomous colleges (cluster of institutions), and empowered skill-development colleges
Giving due recognition to private skill education providers
Recognizing qualified teachers from the field of application-oriented industries or companies as domain-specific experts in several professional skills, working as training experts in private skills education providers and empowered skills development colleges.
Approving the recommended panel of referees for dissertations or theses for awarding post-graduate, doctorate, and higher degrees

Qualities Expected of a Vice Chancellor.

A vice chancellor is expected to be the chief functionary of a particular university, having outstanding academic merit and a solid administrative background.

They should be an eminent scholar with the distinction of being a distinguished educationalist in any field or discipline with ample experience in administration.
The VC is a person with integrity, consistent morals, a high level of competence, and self-confidence.
The VC must be able to display prominent leadership skills through their academic worth and intellectual capacity, moral stature, and administrative competence.
They must be able to accept their shortcomings and make sure that they understand what happened and how to rectify it so that they do not repeat the same mistakes.
They must be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the institution and work on improving the former while reducing the latter.
They must be able to adopt new and innovative strategies for improving the overall quality of the institution and be open to communicating them effectively.

Conclusion

The vice chancellor is undoubtedly the most powerful person within the framework of a university and is very important in terms of decision-making and administration.
Their powers are all-encompassing, and their relationship with institutions must be professional and diplomatic so as to foster better relations between different institutions that come under the same university.
The VC is also responsible for the overall culture of the university and all the colleges that come under its administrative jurisdiction, hence allowing to give rather uniform learning and teaching experience under the umbrella of the university.
A lot of deemed universities have been able to replicate their general learning environment across colleges, hence bringing about a sense of college culture that homogenizes over time.
A big part of this culture building comes from the VC’s conscious decisions to implement them.

#Search This #Blog " #Career #Education for #Success - #Discover #Apply #Succeed"

CAREER EDUCATION for SUCCESS "Discover, Apply, Succeed "!