The dilemma of formal learning and teaching leadership in the creative arts

In response to increasing pressures on universities from government, industry and students, specific formal roles, for example Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) or equivalent, have been created to lead and oversee improvements in the quality of learning and teaching. What are the implications for the Associate Dean when leadership of learning and teaching for one or more creative arts disciplines is in their remit? We draw on informal conversations with 11 Associate Deans who had formal responsibility for leading learning and teaching that included creative arts disciplines in 10 universities across Australia. We explore issues around the role of the Associate Dean in general and then focus on the dilemmas associated with leading learning and teaching in the creative arts specifically. Our conversations reveal that Associate Deans face dilemmas around the viability of programs; communicating with, representing and advocating for creative arts disciplines when they are highly dispersed and often a very small component of a larger group of disciplines; managing to engage deeply with creative arts pedagogies when there is little time available and workloads are high; as well as being recognised and accepted as learning and teaching leaders for the creative arts. Encouraging Associate Deans who have the formal responsibility for leading learning and teaching in the creative arts to network may be a way of exploring and resolving these issues and dilemmas and in so doing strengthen their leadership.