Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor (Engagement, Strategy and Quality)

Dr Paul Rowland has worked in senior roles within the Higher Education Sector and the Australian Public Service. Within the HE sector, the focus of these roles has been on ensuring alignment in areas of institutional strategy, operational planning, quality of service delivery, effective resource utilisation, and institutional review. From 2001 to 2004, Dr Rowland led the first of its kind within the sector infrastructure collaboration program between two metropolitan Universities (Griffith and QUT).

In his current role, Dr Rowland is responsible for strategic coordination of the University's engagement activities, in particular implementation of the recommendations from the UWS Review of Community and Regional Engagement (2012). He is also responsible for ensuring the alignment and integration of University activities at the strategic and operational levels. This includes the development and operation of UWS quality management systems, the UWS Business Intelligence platform and institutional review systems.

Before joining the Higher Education sector, Dr Rowland held Senior Executive Service roles for eight years in a number of Australian Public Service agencies. These roles involved executive responsibility for the delivery of human services (employment, education, training, psychological and income support services) within large agencies of up to three thousand staff, across networks of geographically dispersed service outlets. For three years (1995-1998) Dr Rowland represented the Commonwealth Minister on the Queensland Vocational Education, Training and Employment Council (VETEC), the Queensland State Training Authority, and the Queensland State Curriculum Council.

Dr Rowland has led a number of major change programs in large institutions, including the implementation of competitive tendering for the delivery of human services, transition to purchaser: provider arrangements, implementation of shared service models, and institutional cultural change programs. He has developed a strong interest in the organisational dynamics of large institutions, especially during periods of major change.  

Dr Rowland has a PhD in Leadership (Griffith 2008), and an MBA (University of Qld 2000). His research interests are in the impact of leadership style on the way large institutions adapt and change in turbulent and uncertain environments. Dr Rowland has been teaching in Australian MBA programs since 2000 in areas of leadership, strategy in global firms, organisational change, organisational behaviour, and strategic HRM.

Dr Rowland has an interest and involvement in water and track sports, music, and property restoration.