Change for the Sake of Change
Nearly all forms of academic leadership involve supervising change. Curricula have to be adapted to keep up with advances in pedagogy, the evolving needs of the student body, and new discoveries in the discipline. Research expands continually, building on the discoveries of other scholars and moving in new directions. As…
Collaboration at the Heart of Successful Change Initiatives
Successful change initiatives are driven by leaders and their teams, not solely by an individual chancellor, president, or dean. In the higher education environment, the individuals at the helm work strategically to develop a bold vision for their institutions and then devise an inclusive pathway of collaboration to achieve that vision. As the frontline change agents, they seek ways to influence and reframe opinions about newly proposed strategies that address trends in student needs, financial shortfalls, academic excellence, student access, and expectations of accountability. However, it is through a shared-governance model that they are able to create buy-in for change initiatives from a complex array of campus constituents.
5 Qualities of Successful Change Efforts
Because circumstances vary among disciplines, departments, and institutions, there is no formula for bringing about change, says Jill Perry, program director of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate at Duquesne University School of Education. However, she has observed that successful change efforts share the following characteristics: Collaborative decision making. Decide…
Proven Tools for Academic Leaders to Successfully Lead Change
Department chairs and deans find that campuswide and unit strategic plans expect them to be change leaders. Add on the complexity of engaging in processes that involve politics, negotiation, persuasion, and inspiration, and change leadership can seem overwhelming.
