As a popular adage observes, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. In application, the adage recognizes that the best plans are often laid to waste, because they lacked community buy-in.
Higher education requires constant adaptation to change. In the last two decades, college administrators have seen rapid changes in delivery formats, student demographics, learning technology, and public policy. Survival requires adaptability in these contexts of change requires. But adaptation at an institutional level requires adaptation at individual levels. The community of individuals has to be ready for change too.
Using a set of transition tools, one program effectively fostered a culture that embraced a major change in course delivery and formatting. According to anonymous surveys, the system for change was viewed positively by all members of the faculty. With faculty buy-in, the transition also yielded improved student evaluations across program coursework in over 80% of instructional features.
Background:
As a popular adage observes, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. In application, the adage recognizes that the best plans are often laid to waste, because they lacked community buy-in.
Higher education requires constant adaptation to change. In the last two decades, college administrators have seen rapid changes in delivery formats, student demographics, learning technology, and public policy. Survival requires adaptability in these contexts of change requires. But adaptation at an institutional level requires adaptation at individual levels. The community of individuals has to be ready for change too.
Methods:
And academic communities, generally, regard change with no small degree of suspicion. Long term institutional viability depend on creating a culture that embraces changes. In higher education, such a culture is marked by the following characteristics
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Transparency in administrative goals
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Faculty governance in adopting the standards
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Failure valued as the first step to success
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Community value for lifelong learning
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A visible support system that meets faculty where they are
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Group celebration of individual successes
Fostering such a culture requires that leaders and key faculty members demonstrate these values in a widely observable fashion. Such role modeling builds the foundation of cultural values and norms that make change possible.
Results:
These principles were consciously applied and executed within the context of a single-purpose institution, during an intiative to radically change and regulate the formatting style in which online courses were delivered in an RN to BSN program. Subsequent anonymous surveys from faculty indicated that initial uncertainty about the changes was resolved as all faculty assessed community support systems during the shift as ranging from somewhat helpful to very helpful.
The change in format was positive not only for faculty, but for students as well, as student course evaluations indicated improved satisfaction across all coursework in more than 80% of the instructional features.
Abbott, M., & Nininger, J. (2019). Go TEAM! Ohio Quality Matters Consortium. [Podium Presentation]
Abbott, M., Nininger, J., & Shaw, P. (2018). Quality control versus academic freedom: Walk the line. Elearn Magazine. Retrieved from https://elearnmag.acm.org/archive.cfm?aid=3240151
Nininger, J., & Abbott, M. (2019). Cohesive, Coherent, & Consistent: Transition Toolbox. 2019 NLN Education Summit [Podium Presentation]
Nininger, J., & Abbott, M. (2018). Beyond vision and mission: Teams as change agents for student success. QM Connect: Quality Matters National Conference. [Podium Presentation]
Nininger, J., Abbott, M., (2018). Facing faculty fears: Building trust for CQI. QM Connect: Quality Matters National Conference. [Podium Presentation]