12 July 2018 
Alex Killick, Interim HRD
The Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA) has just published its whitepaper “Never a Dull Moment: The Role of the Registrar”. It is a timely report that gives some interesting insight into the organizational mechanics and machinations of modern day universities. It is based on a survey of the AHUA members with a number of respondents reflecting:
“You need to have the skin of a rhinoceros”
For those of you fond of Aesop, you will also know that the Rhinoceros got its skin as a result of scaring a Parsee that was making a cake. The grumpy smooth-skinned Rhinoceros scares the Parsee up a tree, and proceeds to steal his cake. Understandably the Parsee is not happy. A few weeks later, during a heatwave, the Rhinoceros unbuttons his skin and goes for a swim. The Parsee seizes the opportunity of rubbing the skin with stale hard cake crumbs. The Rhinoceros returns, puts on his skin, which is very itchy and uncomfortable – making him very angry, and horribly scratchy which is why every Rhinoceros has great folds in its skin and is very bad tempered.
When you read the AHUA report and see the range of responsibilities and extent of expectations, it is probably not surprising that there are a few Rhino Registrars out there. So what role should HR play to support our universities in defining what is needed (from a Registrar) at the top table, what skills and attributes are important and what are the implications for succession planning?
Suite Spot
There used to be an old joke when HR emerged from the ashes of Personnel.
Q. What’s the difference between a Director of HR and a Director of Personnel?
A. About £20k a year and a BMW.
So what’s in a name? Quite a lot it seems. The cynical view was that this was simply old wine in new bottles, but nowadays aspiring Executives all want to be part of the ‘C’ Suite. Being a Director is now viewed as being as second order and you’ve not made it unless you are a fully-fledged ‘C’ (short for Chief). So now you have COOs, CFOs, CIOs, CMOs, even CHROs. And whether we like to admit it, there is a premium price tag attached too. As can be seen from the AHUA report, this functional C Suite model doesn’t fit neatly within a university context – with around 20 different job titles covering 30 possible functional areas (and this was only from 45% of the total AHUA population). Universities also have a naming convention all their own. To those not used to the flamboyant titles such as Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice- Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Provost, University Secretary and Registrar, there is some puzzlement to how these job titles read across in other sectors. When you’ve been on the inside and see the application in full ceremonial style, such as at the recent installation of our new Chancellor, Dr Annie Lennox, then the import of the language is clear and resonates. However, the language of titles is changing and it is now very common for C Suite nomenclature to be seen; what is also clear and reinforced by the AHUA report is that there is no standard definition of a Registrar or its variant derivatives. They range from the Head of Unitary Administrations to quite niche governance roles. This makes spotting them, attracting them, let alone keeping them, a bit of challenge.
From an organisational design perspective, most VCs would expect there to be Board level accountability for both the academic endeavour and the professional and support infrastructure to ensure a cohesive balance, strategically and operationally. Increasingly these roles have to serve multiple purposes; it feels a little like we are expecting individuals to act as the combined back 4 of a Premier League football team and a striker at the same time.
We need to help our universities develop the right structures with the right support so that our Registrars (or equivalent) have the best chance to succeed with such broad and heavy responsibilities on their shoulders.
Skills and Attributes
Every institution is different, but the AHUA report suggests that there are three main areas covered by the Registrar role: governance, advisory and operational management. It’s a complex mix of assurance and support to the Court/Council, trusted adviser to the VC as well as leading multiple professional teams.
Regardless of the breath of job function, the following summarises the key attributes needed to survive, but hopefully thrive in the role:
Resilience – (Backbone of steel and skin of Rhinoceros)
Heightened Diplomacy – (and patience of a Saint)
Independence (of thought and can speak truth unto power(s)
Networking expert – (people magician and politically astute)
Operational master – (versatile and flexible Jack of All Trades and Master of Some)
We need to ensure that we articulate the best ways to test that individuals have the necessary skills and attributes. It is not unusual to focus on the architecture (what functions should they manage as well as what formal qualifications might be optimal) rather than ensuring that they have the personal qualities – which you can’t rely on solely through traditional recruitment approaches.
Succession Planning
The variability of role raises a number of challenges for job design and how universities ensure that they have succession planning considered. Many of the respondents in the AHUA survey suggested that the skillset (probably meaning personal attributes) of their direct reports are the same as those they need to do the role. At my university, we are currently out to market for a Chief Operating Officer– ours is deliberately pitched to take on the mantle of a range of specific support functions including Finance, Facilities, IT and People – but not the Registry and Governance roles that sit elsewhere. Key though will be the ability and flexibility to take on different roles and responsibilities to provides a degree of future proofing.
We can help in the short term by adopting a ‘job crafting’ approach (bespoke/customization of role and person) to maximise likelihood of success in role as well as minimise negative impact from role ambiguity and load. In the longer term we could start a conversation about whether we need to focus on developing a clearer professional identity with AHUA and UHR working together at a national level to develop some consensus on a C Suite role and the underpinning development routes. Who knows we could end up with a Chief Rhino - I mean Chief Registry Officer - either way there’s an opportunity to get even more skin in the game.
Alex Killick
Director of People at Glasgow Caledonian University
UHR Treasurer
