Portraying the role: Exploring support needs of Programme Leaders in HE through portraiture

Abstract

Programme Leaders (PLs) in Higher Education (HE) hold a complex role that has responsibilities that link to external performance metrics. This role, existing outside of the traditional teaching/research view means it often lacks visibility and esteem (MacFarlane, 2007). How this influences role-holders’ understanding of the role, and how they can be better supported, is the focus of this study, following seven Undergraduate (UG) PLs over the course of the academic year 2020/21. Portraiture was used to capture the ‘complexity of human experience and organisational life’ (Lawrence-Lightfoot and Davis, 1997, xv). A cross-portrait analysis illuminated aspects of the organisational context that influenced PLs’ experiences. Findings from this study suggest that how PLs see themselves in the role influences their experiences. The absence of formal training and induction hinders role clarity and understanding of responsibilities, increasing PLs’ sense of personal accountability. PLs within academic schools with distributed leadership, where they were given autonomy, were better able to view themselves as leaders. This was augmented by a collaborative senior management team and opportunities to connect to other PLs. In hierarchical structures PLs seemed disempowered and had an absence of role understanding and autonomy. This study extends knowledge of the PL role and support needs, illuminating reasons for variances in practice seen in previous studies. It supports the need for culture change around this challenging but strategically important role, along with the importance of ensuring it is valued, and resourced, as the leadership role it is.