Course details

This programme aims to develop and integrate participants’ knowledge and skills in management and leadership. It is tailored to the variety of middle-management roles within the university, and emphasizes self-development and the strategic elements of management.

Participants are likely to include departmental and divisional administrators and experienced specialist managers in central administration or services, between grades 7 and 10 (but typically at Grades 8 and 9). Usually, participants will be leading one or more functions and/or teams, and may be managing staff who are themselves managing staff. Participants may have advanced skills in one area (such as HR or finance) but feel that they would welcome development in other aspects of management and leadership, or they may be experienced managers who wish to update and advance their skills.

The course provides a natural progression for those who have completed the Introductory Certificate in Management (‘first-line managers’ programme’) or a similar course elsewhere, and have since acquired additional management responsibilities. It may also suit those who have already progressed beyond this introductory level without having undertaken previous formal learning activities. Individual support and guidance will be provided to participants to help them to devise their own development plan.

The course is delivered through a mixture of workshops, seminars, on-line work, action learning sets and self-directed study. It is designed to be relevant to the work-place, with each participant working on a live issue throughout the core programme; to facilitate as much interaction and joint working as possible across different functions, departments and services; and to incorporate a range of different ways of learning about the same topic to meet different needs and learning styles.

Acceptance on the course is subject to meeting the following criteria:

• being currently employed by the University, at Grades 7 - 10 and;
• being currently employed in a management role involving leading one or more functions or teams;
• having the support of your own line manager/supervisor, for instance in allowing time off to attend workshops, providing opportunities to practise skills learned on the course, use of departmental IT facilities, mentoring or coaching.

We generally run the programme annually, with a maximum of 20 participants per cohort. There is currently a waiting list for participants and places should become available in Michaelmas Term 2013; if you wish to be added to the list, or have any questions about the programme, please contact Clare Wakeham on 01865 (2)86814.