Campuses as Evolving Organisms

1. Campuses as Evolving Organisms Al Baldwin, Ph.D. Campus Dean, Lakeshore Campus College of Lake College Grayslake, IL

2. Overview This presentation examines issues in achieving overall organizational goals from a multi-campus educational institution from a ecosystem perspective.

3. Take-home objectives: • Individual campuses are distinct organisms • Multiple campuses add complexity to the management of the institution. • Multiple campuses can add uncertainty to the institutional decision making process. • The distinct nature of individual campuses can be leveraged to meet the goals of the institution while meeting the needs of the service area where each campus is located.

4. What is an educational ecosystem? A system formed by the interaction of community entities such as public school systems, employers, ethnic groups, and local/state governments within their environment.

5. Two Elements of College/University Ecosystems Ecosystems are controlled both by external and internal factors. External factors such as politics, the educational governing bodies control the overall structure of an college/university ecosystem and the way things work within it, but are not themselves influenced by the ecosystem. Ecosystems are dynamic entities—invariably, they are subject to periodic disturbances and are in the process of recovering from some past disturbance.

6. Ecosystem Management Defined (well – roughly!) • Although definitions of ecosystem management abound, there is a common set of principles which underlie these definitions. • A fundamental principle is the long-term sustainability of the production of goods and services by the ecosystem; • It also requires clear goals with respect to future trajectories and behaviors of the system being managed. • Other important requirements include a sound ecological understanding of the system, including connectedness, ecological dynamics and the context in which the system is embedded.

9. Why Multiple Campuses Matter to those of us that Manage Them Managing independent campuses becomes increasingly difficult as resources become scarce. Managing multiple campuses adds complexity, uncertainty, multidimensional, and often contentiousness in pursuit of scarce resources.

10. Multi-campus operation - positive Can serve distinct populations Can help to filter information and positively direct information flow Can help to increase efficiencies

11. Multi-campus operation - negative Can give the institution a “black-eye”. Make basic tenets of a multi-cultural institution difficult. Cause faculty/staff isolation and angst Cause inefficiencies across individual campuses.

12. Best Case Scenario • Ideally we want to manage the collective ecosystem (all campuses as one interdependent organism.) • We should recognize that institutional decisions impact interdependency resulting in multiple effects (permutations or ripples) throughout the collective ecosystem. These effects can be; • Indirect or cascading • Synergistic • Cumulative

13. Can goals of the organization be achieved independent of other sister campuses? Campus 3 Campus 1 Campus 2 Campus 2 Campus 3 Campus 1 Can goals of the independent sister campuses be achieved independent of the primary campus?

14. Campus congruence to institutional mission and goals Campus 2 Campus 3 Primary Campus Campuscongruence Campus 2 Campus 3 Primary Campus Campus congruence Are there negatives or positives in being closely aligned to organizational mission and goals? Are there negatives or positives in being closely aligned to service area differences?

15. Abrupt change or disruption of the ecosystem Accelerated evolution of components within the ecosystem Slow evolution of components within the ecosystem Status quo ecosystem management

16. Abrupt change or disruption of the ecosystem Tipping Point (Critical Mass)

17. Command and Control Command means to have authority over or to direct resources. Control means to manipulate, govern, manage, or regulate, in the sense of observing a given situation. Assessing the difference from the desired state (stated institutional strategic goals and objectives) from the specific needs of the satellite campus and having the authority to act on campus differences.

19. Stereotypical Organizational Types and Behaviors

20. Ecosystem Management An adaptive organization is one that actively engages its environment, seeking information (positive or negative), rewarding those that bring it, and learning from it.

21. Ecosystem or Species • In times of turbulent change in which survival is threatened, questions may arise as to the most viable approach to mediate threats. • Should the focus be on the entire ecosystem? • Should the focus be tailored to the survival of the species

22. Coarse Filter Approach • Prescribing remedies that protect the entire ecosystem (organization). • Exp. Standard operating procedures, public relations, human resource processes. • Pros – can save money by centralizing functions, offer legal protection from having unclear/ambiguous processes between organisms. • Cons – can restrict operations or individual campus development in targeting specific populations in meeting organizational goals.

23. Fine Filter Approach • The fine filter approach focuses on protecting individual species or guilds (species that exploit a similar resource a similar way). • Exp. Wolves or whooping cranes • Pros- appeals to stakeholders that have an affinity for maintaining status quo or historical references • Cons – does not examine the larger impact on the entire ecosystem.

24. Ecosystem Behaviors Routine Culture Incentives / Rewards Systems Conflict vs. Conforming Control vs. Flexibility

25. Questions/Comments???