University department head

Description

University department heads lead and manage the department of their discipline in which they are academic leaders and work with the faculty dean and other heads of department to deliver the agreed faculty and university strategic objectives. They develop and support academic leadership in their department, and lead entrepreneurial activity for income-generating purposes as they promote the reputation and interests of their department within the university and to a wider community in their field.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to university department head:

academic head of department
head of university department
head of department in a university
head of academic department
university department director
university head of department

Minimum qualifications

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as university department head. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

University department head is a Skill level 4 occupation.

University department head career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to university department head.

dean of faculty
secondary school department head
nursery school head teacher
special educational needs coordinator
further education principal

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of university department head. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of university department head with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of university department head.

Curriculum standards: The governmental policies concerning educational curricula and the approved curricula from specific educational institutions.
Assessment processes: Various evaluation techniques, theories, and tools applicable in the assessment of students, participants in a programme, and employees. Different assessment strategies such as initial, formative, summative and self- assessment are used for varying purposes.
Project management: Understand project management and the activities which comprise this area. Know the variables implied in project management such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.
Learning difficulties: The learning disorders some students face in an academic context, especially Specific Learning Difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and concentration deficit disorders.
University procedures: The inner workings of a university, such as the structure of the relevant education support and management, the policies, and the regulations.
Curriculum objectives: The goals identified in curricula and defined learning outcomes.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of university department head.

Manage university department: Supervise and assess the university support practices, students’ well-being, and teachers’ performance.
Cooperate with education professionals: Communicate with teachers or other professionals working in education in order to identify needs and areas of improvement in education systems, and to establish a collaborative relationship.
Assist in the organisation of school events: Provide assistance in the planning and organisation of school events, such as the school’s open house day, a sports game or a talent show.
Guarantee students’ safety: Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.
Provide education management support: Support the management of an education institution by directly assisting in the managerial duties or by providing information and guidance from your area of expertise to simplify the managerial tasks.
Provide information on study programmes: Provide information on the different lessons and fields of study offered by educational institutions such as universities and secondary schools, as well as the study requirements and employment prospects.
Assess employees’ capability levels: Evaluate the capabilities of employees by creating criteria and systematic testing methods for measuring expertise of individuals within an organisation.
Show an exemplary leading role in an organisation: Perform, act, and behave in a manner that inspires collaborators to follow the example given by their managers.
Provide feedback to teachers: Communicate with the teacher in order to provide them with detailed feedback on their teaching performance, class management and curriculum adherence.
Use office systems: Make appropriate and timely use of office systems used in business facilities depending on the aim, whether for the collection of messages, client information storage, or agenda scheduling. It includes administration of systems such as customer relationship management, vendor management, storage, and voicemail systems.
Write work-related reports: Compose work-related reports that support effective relationship management and a high standard of documentation and record keeping. Write and present results and conclusions in a clear and intelligible way so they are comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
Make improvements to work activities: Make recommendations for improvements to work activities
Advise on lesson plans: Analyse policy issues which impact on students’ experience of education. Advise on the ways in which lesson plans for specific lessons can be improved in order to reach education goals, engage the students and adhere to the curriculum.
Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
Advise on teaching methods: Advise education professionals on the proper adaptation of curricula in lesson plans, classroom management, professional conduct as a teacher, and other activities and methods related to teaching.
Lead inspections: Lead inspections and the protocol involved, such as introducing the inspection team, explaining the purpose of the inspection, performing the inspection, requesting documents, asking appropriate questions, and maintaining a high level of professionalism when investigating subjects.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of university department head. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Funding methods: The financial possibilities for funding projects such as the traditional ones, namely loans, venture capital, public or private grants up to alternative methods such as crowdfunding.
Adolescent socialisation behaviour: The social dynamics through which young adults live amongst each other, expressing their likes and dislikes and the rules of communication between generations.
Human resource management: The function in an organisation concerned with the recruitment of employees and the optimisation of employee performance.
Education administration: The processes related to the administrative areas of an education institution, its director, employees, and students.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of university department head. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Represent the organisation: Act as representative of the institution, company or organisation to the outside world.
Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
Develop organisational policies: Develop and supervise the implementation of policies aimed at documenting and detailing the procedures for the operations of the organisation in the lights of its strategic planning.
Escort students on a field trip: Accompany students on an educational trip outside the school environment and ensure their safety and cooperation.
Evaluate education programmes: Evaluate ongoing training programmes and advise on potential optimisation.
Recruit employees: Hire new employees by scoping the job role, advertising, performing interviews and selecting staff in line with company policy and legislation.
Monitor educational developments: Monitor the changes in educational policies, methodologies and research by reviewing relevant literature and liaising with education officials and institutions.
Prepare youths for adulthood: Work with children and young people to identify the skills and abilities they will need to become effective citizens and adults and to prepare them for independence.
Identify education needs: Identify the needs of students, organisations and companies in terms of provision of education in order to aid in the development of curricula and education policies.
Plan shifts of employees: Plans shifts of employees to ensure completion of all customer orders and satisfactory completion of the production plan.
Promote education programmes: Promote ongoing research into education and the development of new education programmes and policies in order to obtain support and funds, and to raise awareness.
Handle conflicts: Mediate in conflicts and tense situations by acting between parties, such as service users, important others like families, and institutions, striving to effect an agreement, reconciliate, and resolve problems.
Maintain contract administration: Keep contracts up to date and organise them according to a classification system for future consultation.
Work with virtual learning environments: Incorporate the use of online learning environments and platforms into the process of instruction.
Develop professional network: Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.
Create a financial report: Finalise project accounting. Prepare an actual budget, compare the discrepancy between the planned and actual budget, and draw final conclusions.

ISCO group and title

1345 – Education managers

 

 


 

 

References
  1. University department head – ESCO
Last updated on August 8, 2022