Aspiring Vice Chancellor Development Programme for Black & Asian Heritage Senior Professionals

Key Information

Duration: 9 months
Entry Requirements: Executive Professorial Level and above
Workload Average Weekly Commitment: Approx. 8 hours
Application Process: CV and Supporting Statements
Master Class: 2 days in every 2 months
Enrolment: September 2024
No fees for 2024
Closing date for applications - Friday 30 August 2024

This programme is developed and facilitated in partnership with the Caribbean & African Health Network.

Express Your Interest

Overview

Background

Across the UK, there is a significantly high number of ethnically diverse students studying within higher education establishments. In 2021, 27% of the university population were from an ethnic minority background with an overall population total of 54.9 % of Asian people, 48.6% Black, 72.1% Chinese and 40.8% Mixed Race compared to 33.3.

Despite the representation of ethnic minority students within the university settings (and many who hold the highest level of qualifications), less than 1% of the university graduates enter academia and hold senior positions at professorial, deanery, executive or Vice Chancellor levels.

About the Vice Chancellor Programme

This programme will produce our first cohort of Black and Asian trained leaders ready for Vice Chancellor roles across our UK Universities. The Programme is designed to address the lack of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic staff at the highest decision-making positions in UK higher education. The goal is to provide the foundational skills to lead using mentorship and coaching which will prepare participants for VC roles.

The programme will engage participants by empowering them with the tools they need to become senior leaders of the future. The interactive teaching and learning will provide opportunities to work collaboratively with their peers. They will have opportunities not only to observe practice at the executive level, but they will learn by doing. The insights, skills, and competencies will be developed over time so that participants are given the space required to navigate the academic and business world effectively.

Who the course is aimed at:

If you are an experienced employee within a Higher Education Institution working at Senior Executive level and want to position yourself as the highest-level decision maker in academic and administration matters in a higher education institution, then this programme is for you.

This programme is for experienced Senior Executives such as Finance Directors, Deans, Pro-Vice Chancellors or Professors who are keen to take the next step.

Programme Outline

Entrepreneurial and strategic leadership principles
Negotiating and navigating the academic and business landscape
Inclusive workplace culture.
The current EDI challenges from academic and professional lenses
Strategies and policies in HE institutions
HEI in the current climate commercial, quality, academic portfolio
Financial management and regulatory compliance including different income streams and managing a diverse portfolio.
The Big People Questions - academic and professional support service structures
Governance arrangements within HEIs
Networking and Influencing (political, supportive)
Communicating for influence
Supporting and Scaling Engagement
Change Management within HEIs
A live brief / senior leadership project to be delivered at own institution on any of the programme content.

There will be a central theme and focus of self, identity, preservation, and resilience throughout the programme.

Programme Costs

The cost of the programme for the first cohort will be free. However, participants will be expected to cover their own transport and hotel costs.

Programme Team profiles

Sharon Germaine-Cox

Programme Partner

University of Bolton

Fozia Uddin

Programme Partner

University of Bolton

Charles Kwaku-Odoi DL

Programme Partner

CAHN

Dr Faye Ruddock DL

Programme Partner

CAHN

Professor Christian Harrison

Programme Partner

University of Bolton

Stephen Nyjama

Partnerships Officer

CAHN

Contact us

For any queries or to make an application to this programme please contact us on applyVCDP@bolton.ac.uk

Application Criteria

Black or Asian Heritage
Senior Executive Professional
Written support from VC or delegated Executive
Curriculum Vitae of relevant skills and experiences
Personal Statement
Interview

The individual will gain agreement from their employer to be seconded to complete the programme.

Due to the nature of the programme which focuses on personal development and encourages frank and open discussion, it may not be suitable for two participants to attend from the same institution. Hence, only one participant is expected from an institution.

Where and when you will study

The residential master classes are delivered at the university campus in Bolton and residential master classes. In addition to the classroom-based sessions you will be expected to actively work with your mentor to learn within the working environment which will include up to 6- 8 hours per week of mentoring and coaching throughout your study.

Participants contractual obligations

Participants are expected to attend all residential sessions. A participant will not be awarded a certificate of completion if they fail to attend more than one session.

The directed study period will continue for 9 months at UoB however beyond that aspiring VCs will continue to gain self directed skills and experiences to support their development to apply for VC positions

Where and when you will study

The residential master classes are delivered at the University campus in Bolton and residential master classes. In addition to the classroom-based sessions you will be expected to actively work with your mentor to learn within the working environment which will include up to 6- 8 hours per week of mentoring and coaching throughout your study.

Residential action learning sets dates: