What is Program Curriculum

In universities, the program director is responsible for administrative tasks, supporting students, and curriculum quality for the program of study. For many program directors, the emphasis remains on their academic and teaching activities as a way forward, but the increasing pressures on the institution also exert pressure on the program director role and are seen as serving only to increase workload. The program director, embedded in the daily operational business of learning and teaching, has much less visibility and draws much less attention, even though it is a crucial and highly complex leadership role. The aim of the chapter is thus to bring further attention to the leadership situation of the program director role. To facilitate a framework for better understanding the program director, it is positioned in the domain of collegial leadership. The core challenges and complexities of the role are highlighted in an effort to unpack the role and provide insights into its true nature.