Institutional Change as a Framework for GE Reform

1. Institutional Change as a Framework for GE Reform Mary E. Boyce AAC&U General Education and Assessment Conference March 2007

2. Propositions • Engaging stakeholders in an inclusive and open process makes constructive institutional change possible and enables organizational learning to occur. • These processes do not occur because one is well intentioned. Constructive change and collective learning occur if a change process is carefully framed and implemented with skill and humanity.

3. We work today with experienced colleagues. Moving between theory and practice, the product can be shared learning.

4. Workshop Outcomes • Participants will: • Describe their institutional context • Review theories of organizational change and organizational learning and identify implications for GE reform • Consider institutional change as a process framework for GE reform • Share examples and experiences of GE reform • Select strategies and action steps for curricular reform in their setting

5. Current Context • Institutional culture • Orientation to past, present, or future • Value set: excellence, competitiveness, uniqueness, innovation, collaboration, learning • Wired for mission, effectiveness, urgency, challenge or opportunity? • Learners • Describe the learners at your institution. • Which assumptions are evidence-based? Which assumptions are not evidence-based?

6. Current Context continued • Current state of GE in your institution: EX:Take 10 minutes and discuss with people at your table. • What is working and how do you know? • What is not working and how do you know? • What has catalyzed the timing of GE reform? • What are your current challenges?

7. Theoretical Overview • Organizational change • Organizational learning

8. EX: Reflecting on Institutional Change • Identify a positive institutional change that you have experienced. • Describe all of the aspects of the situation that you can. • What did you learn from that experience?

9. Organizational Change Theories • Kuh’s seamless change (1996), rooted in cultural change theories • Lewin’s change model (1947), rooted in human relations change theories • Planned change (1975), rooted in rational change theories • Restructuring (1993), rooted in structural change theories

10. Organizational Learning Theories • Single- and double-loop learning (Argyris and Schon, 1978) • Action learning (Mohrman, Cohen, & Mohrman, Jr, 1989) • Learning organizations (Senge and associates, 1990, 1994)

11. Beyond Intention: Skills Enhance Organizational Learning • Data collection & analysis • Error detection & outcome assessment • Unpacking assumptions • Advocacy balanced with inquiry • Dialogue & skillful discussion • Perspective-taking • Program design & evaluation • Learning cooperatively and collectively

12. EX: Implications for Practice • What ideas from the research on organizational change and organizational learning can you carry away as you approach GE reform at your institution?

13. EX: Reflecting on Skills and Stakeholder Membership • What are your most developed skills? Which additional skills are needed in the group to enhance constructive change and organizational learning? • What stakeholder groups are you part of? • Propose the members of a working group for GE reform that (a) possess the needed skills and (b) represent additional stakeholder groups.

14. Institutional Change as a Process Framework • SWOT analysis • Internal environment • Strengths • Weaknesses, gaps and/or constraints • External environment • Opportunities • Threats • Benchmarking • Aspirational group • Peer and/or competitor group

15. Change Process continued • Recognizing and engaging stakeholders • Which groups are stakeholders of GE? • How can you engage each group? • Crafting shared outcomes • What must be changed? • Brainstorming desired outcomes • What is essential? • What is our common ground? • Vetting proposed outcomes with stakeholders and aligning stakeholder support

16. Change Process continued • Designing GE reform that fits; the “middle work” of institutional change: • Cultural and political analysis • Fiscal analysis: modeling cost • Alignment with work underway? • Shared governance • Staff and administrative support • Design and development--Inviting collaboration and leadership

17. Final Steps: A Feedback Loop • Evaluation • What is working and how do we know? • What is not working and how do we know? • How are things different than we expected? • What have we learned? • Revision and improvement • Do we still hold to the outcomes as we framed them or should they be revised? • What changes/alterations can we make to achieve our outcomes? • Design and implement the needed changes.

18. EX: Sharing Examples of GE Reform What can we distill from each example?

19. First Principles of Change A successful change fits its context. There is always more than one path to an outcome. Broad participation increases support. Coordination and timelines enhance implementation. Report progress. Transparency matters and it enhances success.

20. EX: Identifying Strategies and Action Steps in Three Areas • Individual/professional development • Evaluating the campus context for your GE work • Approaching GE reform as an organizational change process

21. Individual/Professional Development • What do you need to learn and to practice?

22. Evaluating the Campus Context for Your GE Work • What stands out as you reflect on institutional culture, learners in your setting, the current state of GE?

23. Approaching GE Reform as an Organizational Change Process • Where will you begin? Identify the initial steps.

24. Returning to Our Opening Propositions • Engaging stakeholders in an inclusive and open process makes constructive institutional change possible and enables organizational learning to occur. • These processes do not occur because one is well intentioned. Constructive change and collective learning occur if a change process is carefully framed and implemented with skill and humanity.