The role of head of department in the pursuit of excellence |
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| Authors: | Ingrid Moses |
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| Institution: | (1) Tertiary Education Institute, University of Queensland, 4067 St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia |
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| Abstract: | This article discusses the role and functions of heads of departments as analysed in the literature with particular reference to heads in one Australian university. Data on staff's expectations and perceptions of their head's role are examined.Staff from eight departments of the University of Queensland filled in a questionnaire designed to give feedback to heads. The results show clearly that staff attach great importance to the head's  encouragement function: staff wanted their head to encourage good teaching in the department, to stimulate research and publication, and to take account of each staff member's special talents and interests.This was supported by data obtained from over one hundred structured interviews conducted with staff. They were asked, inter alia, what encouragement was given in their department to excellence in teaching and in research; what they would like to see done to encourage teaching and research more and what barriers to excellence existed in the department. Responses indicate that the majority of staff experienced no encouragement for excelling in teaching, whereas most departments and department heads encouraged active participation in research and publication by overt approval, funds, assistance with obtaining outside grants and a variety of other ways. Staff made suggestions on how to overcome the barriers to excellence; these were mostly realistic and practical and, in fact, implemented in those departments where staff felt encouraged in their pursuit of excellence. |
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