Essential Conditions
- Strong change leadership throughout the institution
Materials
Leading Internal Transformational Change (posted 4/5/2018)
This learning module provides a leadership framework that supports transformational change aligned to student success goals. It addresses communicating a vision for change, articulating a college-wide agenda, aligning resources and systems to support change, and establishing the routine of using data. (Aspen Institute College Excellence Program)
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution
Defining Qualities of Transformational Leadership (posted 4/5/2018)
In this learning module, participants explore the role of leadership in improving student success and learning. (Aspen Institute College Excellence Program)
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution
Seven Practices of Enlightened Leadership in Higher Education: A Case Study of Austin Peay State University (posted 4/5/2018)
This case study looks at the impact of various innovations in policy and practice at Austin Peay. (Public Agenda)
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution
Leadership for Transformative Change: Lessons from Technology-Mediated Reform in Broad-Access Colleges (posted 4/5/2018)
This study of approaches to leadership finds that transformative change requires multitiered leadership and a unified commitment to a shared vision. (Community College Research Center)
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution
PRACTITIONER, PRESIDENT, AND PARTNER PERSPECTIVES
Guy Generals, President, Community College of Philadelphia, Pathways College (posted 4/5/2018)
My challenge to the leadership, meaning the vice presidents and the deans, were to have these conversations, have educational conversations, about how we could shift our philosophy, our tone, our approach, in such a way that we create an environment that’s completely centered on the success of students. We wanted to align what the student experience was both in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom, what the expectations were, what the service, service areas could do to support student success, curriculum alignment, what we could do to support student success in terms of the curriculum.
And so we did nothing for a year but have conversations. We had book reading sessions with the leadership along with the faculty and some students. And we really tried to create an environment that embraced this idea of an uncompromising approach towards student success in such a way that we needed to transform ourselves.
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution
Dan Phelan, President, Jackson College, Pathways College (posted 4/5/2018)
We have adopted an intentional culture at our college called TCS Squared, or Total Commitment to Student Success. It informs the work we do, and it directs us that everything that we do, it is driven on that goal of student success, whether that is completion of a credential of market value, transfer to a baccalaureate-granting institution, or it is entering the workforce or the military, whatever the case might be. So the work around pathways is part and parcel of our total commitment to student success. It has governed the way that we allocate resources, that we ask for tuition increases from our board of trustees, and how we allocate staff. It has given the focus of our instructional office, our business office, the way we choose software. All of that is given to this pathways effort. And the pathways is a vast continuum that we’ve got to understand the nuances all along the way, from the preparation of the student, or lack of it, as it may be, with developmental education, what are the potential barriers along the way, helping students to understand themselves and their hopes for the future, perhaps seeing beyond the messages that they have been told as young people or returning adults. But also employment and transferring to baccalaureate-granting institutions. So really seeing the whole chessboard, I guess, if you will, of what student success is. And that has really been a significant cultural shift for our institution that we not only see the whole chessboard, but we have responsibility for working on the confines of that board and using every resource possible to be able to help students succeed.
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution
Lori Suddick, Vice President for Learning, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Pathways College (posted 4/5/2018)
I think it starts with the top leadership. There are many things we have to do as a college and meet external requirements and regulations and compliance. But our true core, our true north of what we do every day is really set, I think, at the direction of the president and then carried out through the executive leadership and senior leadership teams. So it’s really ensuring that you have top-notch leaders and top talent in the organization and investing in your employees so that they can produce the good outcomes that you want for students.
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution
Sam Hirsch, Vice President, Academic & Student Success, Community College of Philadelphia, Pathways College (posted 4/5/2018)
And this pathways work, in my opinion, is a seismic change. It’s a cultural change. It’s a change of attitude. It’s a change of how we ultimately do business to really in the end do better for our students. So it takes a lot of concentration, a lot of strategic thinking, planning what directions do we do. What do we tackle first? And what we decided to do is really use a phase-in approach to this work. If we waited to build on all the pieces and go about it in a linear way, I don’t know when that would take place. And so in the end, it’s about what I’ve coined the phrase on campus, it’s about being comfortable with being uncomfortable.
It’s all part of the change process. And it’s going about it in a methodical, thoughtful way, but an inclusive way. And that’s a key thing for us. Bringing in faculty, bringing in staff, administrators, and students.
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution
Josh Wyner, Executive Director, Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, Pathways Partner (posted 4/5/2018)
In order to do change leadership, you have to have a pretty clear idea of what goals are and a vision for what you want the student experience to be. But then you have to bring people along and engage them in that vision. I think that is a pretty hard thing to do at scale. So change leadership does require having measures in place that you’re working towards, really thinking about all the individuals at the institution who have to work towards those measures, and engaging them in the co-creation of a plan to achieve those measures. It’s complicated work.
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution
Vicki Karolewics, President, Wallace State Community College, Pathways College (posted 4/5/2018)
Culture has to be attended to every single day with every single person, and I think that the most important job that I have as president is to hire the right people. And as Jim Collins suggested, we have to get the right people on the bus and in the right seats for them. And then we support them in their work. Transparency, authenticity, urgency, resources are all very critical to a culture that’s healthy. And I’ve always viewed my role as president, and it’s something that I communicate consistently and often, that my role is to find ways to say yes to great ideas. And I do that very consistently.
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution
Karen Stout, President & CEO, Achieving the Dream, Pathways Partner (posted 4/5/2018)
Continuity in top leadership is really important. And when I say top leadership, I’ll start with saying the president, the board of trustees, and the academic leadership, the president’s leadership team. Continuity in that team is really, really essential. But I would also say that strength in leadership permeates throughout the institution. So faculty being at the center of the leadership model is really going to be important for these colleges to continue to move forward with the pathways work. I mean, at the heart of all of this, really, is teaching and learning, program structure and development, and faculty have a significant role in that work.
Found on page:
Strong change leadership throughout the institution