Introduction to Higher Education Management
Overview
Introduction to Higher Education Management (IHEM) has been funded by the eCampus Ontario Virtual Learning Strategy funding and is offered through Ontario Tech University Continuous Learning. The program is a collaboration between:
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Dr. Michael Bliemel, Dean, Faculty of Business and IT, Ontario Tech University
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Dr. Scott Henderson, Dean and Head, Trent University Durham GTA
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The post-secondary sector focuses on academic preparation and qualifications when hiring faculty members and other academic supports. As a result, a certain level of management skills are required to navigate large, complex institutions and the facilities within them. Academics and Support Staff who undertake these administrative roles can often be expected to learn on the fly, with little in the way of formal training or qualifications. The objective of the IHEM program is to close the skills gap and to provide the foundations necessary to become more effective managers and quality leaders.
Who should attend?
This course is designed to develop a broad range of knowledge needed for staff working in Universities and Colleges, faculty taking on administrative / leadership roles and graduate students interested in learning more about how institutions operate as they get ready to enter the academic job market.By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Describe what governance means and identify higher education governance structures and their key elements.
- Describe and differentiate the roles of key governance players (board, academic governing body and administration).
- Apply the legal concept of fiduciary duty within a stakeholder framework.
- Use the legislation and by-laws of any Canadian higher education institution to ascertain its governance model.
Required modules
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Module 1: How Governance Works in Higher Education
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Describe what governance means and identify higher education governance structures and their key elements.
- Describe and differentiate the roles of key governance players (board, academic governing body and administration).
- Apply the legal concept of fiduciary duty within a stakeholder framework.
- Use the legislation and by-laws of any Canadian high education institution to ascertain its governance model.
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Module 2: How Budget Models Work and Evaluating Impacts of Various Academic Scenarios on Budgets
By the end of this module, you will be able to
- Define the four main purposes of budgeting.
- Understand the link between budgeting and strategy.
- Identify various budget models.
- Understand the difference between centralized and decentralized budgeting.
- Understand the difference between operating and capital budgets.
- Identify and explain specific characteristics of academic budgeting.
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Module 3: Best Practices of Meeting Management and Democratic Rules of Order
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Plan and organize a business meeting from agenda to minutes
- Apply basic principles of meeting management guided by Francis and Francis and Robert's Rules of Order
- Explain how motions are made and processed
- Identify and resolve points of order
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Module 4: Strategic Alignment with Unit and Institutional Missions
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand and distinguish the various components of a typical strategic planning process;
- Define organizational mission, vision, and values; Explain how these fit within the overall strategic planning process;
- Analyze a unit or an organization's mission, vision and values, and determine implications for goals and major decisions at different levels.
- Identify stakeholders and their role in the goal-setting and planning process;
- Contrast strategic vs. tactical decisions and goals;
- Examine various levels of strategy and the role each unit of department plays in the planning process;
- Appreciate the importance of fit and coordination amongst activities within and amongst levels of an organization.
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Module 5: Issues and Approaches to Conflict Management
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Define what conflict is.
- Recognize why conflict occurs.
- Manage conflict.
- Leverage positive and negative outcomes of conflict to accomplish goals.
- Use conflict to bring about organizational change.
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Module 6: Communication Best Practices
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand and become aware of the changing contexts in a VUCA World.
- Understand how personality traits (OCEAN - openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), emotional intelligence, understanding of cultural diversity, and "type of leader" tests, can lead to effective leader communication through self-reflection, across the various levels of hierarchy and leadership in the organization.
- Understand the importance of Leadership Communication in internal and external organizational affairs and best practices for communicating to internal and external stakeholders across various media channels.
- Understand the ConNECT Framework and how to effectively lead high-performance co-located and virtual teams.
- Create effective internal and external stakeholder communication strategies during times of change.
- Create effective internal and external stakeholder communication strategies during times of crisis.
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Module 7: Ideation and Problem Solving with Design Thinking
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Articulate the vocabulary and the strategies involved in designing and building solutions using the Design Thinking approach.
- Utilize the Design Thinking process within the higher education context using primary and secondary research principles.
- Engage and guide stakeholders throughout the Design Thinking process with a human-centered approach to problem solving.
- Participate in a collaborative environment to gather information, generate knowledge, and present findings that propel the Design Thinking process.
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Module 8: Issues in Human Resources and the Role of Collective Agreements
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Labour relations and the role of collective agreements.
- Academic hiring.
- Performance assessment and management.
- Other managerial responsibilities in higher education.
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Module 9: Approaches to Team Management and Leadership
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand how to motivate and lead team members.
- Analyze how to deal productively with interpersonal conflict in teams.
- Apply effective mechanisms to encourage team creativity and practical problem-solving.
- Design team process to enable teams and team leadership to make better decisions.
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Module 10: Change Management and Project Management Techniques
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Explain 5 Principles of Change Management in Post-Secondary Education.
- Discuss organizational culture and its impact on change.
- Understand the application of Project Management Principles to Change.
- Make Use of key leadership perspectives of Project Management.
- Explain 3 Principles of Project Management in Post-Secondary Education.
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Module 11: Equity, Inclusion and Diversity
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand the legal framework in Canada.
- Identify the relevant federal and provincial laws for human rights and employment equity.
- Discuss Bona Fide Occupational Requirement and Duty to Accommodate.
- Identify the different types of discrimination and harassment.
- Describe the difference between employment equity, diversity, and inclusio
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Module 12: Strategic Enrollment Management
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand the definition and history of SEM.
- Explain how SEM is used today in Universities and Colleges in Canada.
- Outline the impediments to SEM and how to avoid them.
- Understand the importance of stakeholders and allies.
- Explain the two main areas of SEM - Recruitment and Retention.
- Understand the importance of data in SEM activities.
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Module 13: Accommodations and Mental Health
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Have a general understanding of the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) and the grounds that are protected, with a focus on mental health and disabilities.
- Describe what student supports are available on campuses and who would benefit from them.
- Identify best practices in the event of a mental health issue or crisis on campus.
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Module 14: Academic Quality Assurance in Canada
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Explain academic quality assurance in Canada.
- Describe the common model of academic program review.
- Explain principles of academic quality assurance.
- Name common concepts related to institutional-level and program-level accreditation.
- Critically analyze frameworks and concepts related to academic quality assurance and accreditation.
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Module 15: The Future of Teaching and Learning
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Understand the basics of new course and content approaches (Open course/content, microcredentials etc.) and their possibilities for education.
- Understand course delivery formats (blended, hybrid, hyflex) and their implication in education.
- Understand the impact of the abundance of information on assessment, and how course help websites (Course Hero, Chegg) and tested surveillance software are impacting education.
- Understand the current possibilities of AI and simulation style software and the diversity issues implicit in them.
- Understand new corporate trends (OPMs, publishers) in higher education.
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Module 16: Decolonizing Academia
By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- Define colonization, decolonization, intellectual imperialism, Indigenization.
- Explain the process of colonization and its broad impacts on Indigenous peoples across Canada.
- Understand how legislation contributes to current health, social, economic and education disparities for Indigenous peoples.
- Identify how systemic and institutional structures create barriers for Indigenous peoples within the academy.
- Understand how upper administrators' responsibilities connect to and support decolonizing within post-secondary institutions.
- Identify some mechanisms to facilitate ongoing learning and enacting of decolonizing processes.
Program Features
- Self-directed and self-paced
- Post-module tests may be completed at any time
- Relevant content, focused on Canadian post-secondary educational institutions
- University Certificate provided upon successful completion of all modules
Course information
Self-paced
| Registration fee | Registration status |
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| $749 CAD + HST |
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Discounts
The Alumni/Staff Discount applies to registration in this program/course.
If you are alumni or staff, contact continuouslearning@ontariotechu.ca with your Student/Banner ID before registering for details about how to apply this discount.
You can register for this course through the secure online registration form. All course fees must be paid at the time of registration.
Learners who have completed less than two (2) modules are eligible to receive a full refund less an administrative fee of $50. If more than (2) modules are complete, learners are not eligible for a refund. Refund requests must be made by email to continuouslearning@ontariotechu.ca.
Funding Options
You may be eligible for funding under the Canada-Ontario Job Grant, you can find more information on our website.
Contact our Continuous Learning funding experts to determine your or your organization’s eligibility for the Canada-Ontario Job Grant. We can customize programs specifically for your organizational needs. Contact us for more information.
