Introduction
The Five Star Academic Leadership Program is based on the premise that Leadership is a continuous process of pursuing personal growth and development so as to enable the effective fulfilment of roles and responsibilities of individual professionals throughout their careers.
It has to be acknowledged that individual growth and development will directly impact on organisational growth and development. It is therefore well known and accepted that the best universities around the World are the ones that are well led, well directed and dependent on unique, visionary, entrepreneurially oriented, passionate individuals who bring about transformational thinking in everything they do and who influence all those around them in a positive manner so as to create extraordinary performance standards.
The Program has therefore been designed as an integrated process so as to develop, enable, support and recognize academic leaders at all levels and to provide them with an opportunity for self-growth and development. The program is also structured to allow connectivity amongst academic leaders and to encourage the free transfer of thoughts, ideas and best practices.
How the Five Star Academic Leadership
Program is structured
Guiding Principles
The main principles include:
- Capability and aptitude building
- Capacity and Competence to perform specific tasks
- Continuation to learn, absorb new knowledge and further develop
- Celebration of achievements and milestones reached.
Knowledge Development
To give academic leaders the opportunity to be exposed to new concepts, management principles and relevant new innovative thinking and to do so through carefully crafted seminars, the use of interactive discussions and discussions etc.
Competency Building
To provide delegates with the opportunity to focus on self and relevant development, particularly in the skills and competency sets that they wish to focus on and further develop. The process used here is self-evaluation, self-assessment of own university, critical thinking and analysis, action planning, reflective learning etc.
Community of Practice
It is vitally important to acknowledge that learning and development in the 21st century takes many forms with the informal learning style being acknowledged as a viable alternative. An especially dedicated Portal is created to act as a hub for academic leaders and professionals to share ideas, transfer knowledge and discuss pertinent issues and topics relevant to specific interest groups. The ELITE Portal is an infrastructure developed to support the 5 Star Leadership program and its members.
Accreditation/Certified Professional Development
In order to recognise accomplished academic leaders, the 5 Star Program will provide opportunities for delegates to further their CPDs and to obtain academically and internationally recognised qualifications.
Overall, the 5 Star Academic Leadership program is a unique model that will focus on the growth and development of academic professionals holistically, using a bend of options, opportunities and practices and through a Life Long Approach with a sustainable development as the end goal.