Leading Change in Student Support Programs
To practice this skill, consider the following scenario and discuss your potential response with your colleagues.
As the executive director of student support services for your small, rural two-year college, you are responsible for regularly assessing student perceptions of the campus climate and their satisfaction with programs and services.
You are concerned about some recent survey results that appear to be contradictory. Results on the satisfaction survey are relatively high, but results on the last climate survey are low. Few students report being engaged in many of the support programs and services provided, and they don’t find the campus climate engaging or welcoming.
Post your analysis of the issues underlying the scenario. What are some possible reasons for these contradictory results? How would you go about further investigating them? Why would you choose that course of action? Explain how you might address the issue of high satisfaction rates but low climate ratings.
Higher education institutions today are under pressure to meet the demands of a wide variety of stakeholders, including state governments, employers, the local community, and students themselves. Consider how an institution can reaffirm its mission and use it as a guide when approaching change.
Post your thoughts on how multiple stakeholders can share a common or divergent vision when it comes to institutional change. What are the benefits and challenges of listening to and considering the demands of all stakeholders? How can institutional leaders use an understanding of their institution’s mission to prioritize and respond to these demands?
