CMI Chartered Manager status for Uni managers

As part of its five-year strategic plan, the University’s 300 plus managers will work to achieve Chartered Manager status of the Chartered Management Institute

THE University of Huddersfield is the first higher education institution in the world to aim for all people and project managers to achieve Chartered Managers (CMgr) of the Chartered Management Institute.

After study and assessment for the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) Level 7 Award in strategic management and leadership, they will become Chartered Managers.  This is regarded as the highest status within the managerial profession and is currently being introduced into the University’s current five-year strategic plan.

The first cohort who are achieving their CMgr status are 90 of the most senior managers in the University, who are undertaking a CMI Strategic Leadership Programme. They include members of the academic staff who also have key managerial responsibilities.

In addition to a rolling programme that will ultimately see more than 300 of the University’s managers become CMgr, there are also members of staff who have already achieved the higher honours awarded by the CMI, including Fellowships.  The top honour is Companionship, which is held by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bob Cryan, himself and now by four of his senior colleagues.

They are Director of Estates and Facilities Colin Blair, Director of Finance Andrew McConnell, the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim Thornton, and Professor Liz Towns-Andrews, who is Director of Research and Enterprise.

Professor Bob Cryan conceived the ambitious project to have all management staff become CMgr.  Once they have achieved this by one of the various routes, they retain it by providing evidence every year that they are continuing their professional development via study and reflection.

“We are the first organisation in the world to attempt this,” said the University’s Head of Staff Development, Danny Benton.  “It will embed best practice leadership and management behaviour throughout the institution and support a transformational and collaborative leadership culture.”

The world-leading project to have all managers chartered by the CMI follows an earlier initiative at the University of Huddersfield that all teaching staff should become Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.  This has helped to ensure that the University is ranked No. 1 for teaching qualifications.