The Bloomsbury Handbooks of Crises and Transformative Leadership in Higher Education (4 Volumes)

Group Submission Type: Book Launch

Description of Session

Introduction

Global crises, unrelenting change, and disruptions (such as pandemics, financial crises, environmental crises, technological innovations, geopolitical events, and others) have induced both challenges and opportunities for institutions of higher education globally, while threatening the sustainability of many. In its intersections with the rise of protectionism, cultural chauvinism, authoritarianism and demagoguery, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated–or at least rendered more visible–a global climate in which culture wars infiltrated campuses, as well as the very discourse of higher learning. Proliferating scepticism about the value of science and expertise more broadly appears to signal a weakening of trust in the role of universities as transformative agents of positive social and human development. As a result of the complex contextual situatedness of these institutions, responses to these crises, disruptions, and uncertainties have often taken quite different approaches. Under the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, many institutions had to quickly pivot to virtual or blended forms of course delivery, engagement, collaboration, and research. As the three editors reflected on the lessons illuminated, for leaders in higher education, by the COVID-19, we found one of the significant take-aways was the illumination of multiple and intersecting crises and change issues, within diverse local and global geopolitical, social, economic and cultural contexts that leaders in higher education institutions (HEIs) needed to handle. It is the lessons and reflections on the why and how to lead HEIs through these multiple, intersecting and ongoing crises and change that informs the development of the chapters within this handbook series.
Leaders in these institutions have had to draw on a wide and diverse set of knowledges, skills, and dispositions, as they navigate the turbulent and unpredictable waters of crises and change environments. At the same time, many of these institutions recruit, welcome and include diverse students and faculty from around the world. In creating new policies, programs and pedagogical approaches, leaders in higher education have had to work critically, creatively and collaboratively to identify and overcome obstacles related to learning, engagement, inclusion, diversity, recruitment and retention, research, accountability, and partnership development, amongst others. Through their crisis leadership and transformative change initiatives, many leaders and senior administrative teams have found or created new opportunities and are now looking at the valuable lessons learned from their experiences under extreme conditions, and how these might inform the post-pandemic, post-change or post-crisis directions for their university.

Format of the Handbook Series Launch

During this Handbook Series Launch, the 3 co-editors (Dr. Mary Drinkwater, OISE-University of Toronto, Yorkville University; Distinguished Professor Yusef Waghid, Stellenbosch University; and Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane, Queen’s University) will be joined by a number of the chapter authors from across the 4 volumes in the Handbook Series. The presentation will be broken into 7 parts: (i) An Introduction to the Overall Handbook Series (impetus, theoretical framework, CFP, mapping and thematic analysis, volume and chapter organization); (ii) Overview (and some select chapter briefs) of each of the 4 volumes; (iii) Moderated Discussion (with co-editors and chapter authors who are present); (iv) Social and Informal Dialogue for increased and more specific engagement with the chapter authors.

Sub Unit

• Book launches and Workshops / Book Launch

Chair

• Mary Drinkwater, OISE (University of Toronto); Yorkville University

Book Launch Presenter

• Mary Drinkwater, OISE (University of Toronto); Yorkville University

Discussants

• Emily Dobrich, OISE, University of Toronto

• Ezgi Ozyonum, Concordia University Montreal, CANADA