Discussion
The specific focus of this article is looking at how likely liberal arts institutions will adapt to their peer groups [similar liberal arts institutions in a consortium] by offering and awarding degrees in professional areas of study (e.g. business, communications, public affairs, etc.). The article also considers the influence of other institutional variables that may be more or less likely to predict the adoption of these professional programs. These additional variables seem to relate back to two previous discussion points, resource dependency, and field-level dynamics. Kraatz (1998) does discuss both of these phenomena in his findings (p. 637) of how “resource dependence, and a prior history of change” affected institutional
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Interesting, because academic institutions are not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of innovation and market-driven responses. To me, this bucks the concept that higher education should not be treated as a commodity or respond to consumer-driven needs. However, the history of higher education in the United States would tell us otherwise, in that universities have always responded to market-forces and consumer demands. The article refers to universities as having “consumer markets” (p. 180) and various other markets that an institution exists within, causing a complex web of systems that has made self-control increasingly difficult. The question posed in this reading, is how quickly an institution might be able to respond in changing environments may depend on specific characteristics of an institution and the buy-in or collaboration of many individuals in the …show more content…
Similar to the previous two articles, this evolution of an institution’s paradigm will certainly take time. However, in order for institutional survival, the slow turning ship analogy often used to describe universities will not serve institutions for very much longer.
OVERALL SYNTHESIS
Each of the readings from week 9 play into each other, and themes emerge that can help build new theories and expand the opportunity for future research in institutional change. As referenced in Clark (2004), institutions are extremely complex, and arguably increasing their complexity with every passing year. The notion that one theory or framework can explain the best way for an institution to change is delusional. The influences of so many factors at play make approaches and explanations themselves just as complex as the organizations they are intending to change.
Ludwig Wittgenstein, a philosopher of the mind and epistemologist who studied language makes a point in one of his lectures at
According to Michael Fullan (2016) in his book, The New Meaning of Educational Change, successful organizations that demonstrate change followed principled concepts of change. The reason for their success if that there is tangible proof of alignment in keeping components of actions. Fullan (2016) stated that successful change incorporates five factors. In this essay, three of the five factors will be discussed and an example of an organization using components of the change be revealed. Often when organization shave to go through the process of change it means either they have gone through change to repair broken areas or they are going through change as a reflective exercise before embarking on a larger scope of practice perhaps to expand into new growth within their organization. In either course, the larger concern is that organizations must embrace change and engage in meaningful constructed ways to promote the best growth with the fewest steps to reach accomplishment. A key decision factor to change is whether an organize will change because they adopt a model and see a better way or whether they want to save their resources. Fullan (2016) suggested that the reason for the change is largely to work is because, the organizations, “Define closing the gap as the overarching goal,” “Assume that lack of capacity is the initial problem and then work on it continuously,” and “Stay the course through continuity of good direction by leveraging leadership,” (Fullan, 2016,
College: What is Was, Is and Should Be, by Andrew Delbanco takes both a historical and analytical approach to the evolution of higher education institutions in the United States. While thought provoking, some of his views balance on the verge of extremity. Many colleges provide students with the skills necessary for what is happening in society at that moment. This is exemplified in how the application process has changed from the earliest colleges to today. Also, when colleges were first introduced into society, students were recommended by members of society to attend a school, which is much different than the process today. Another aspect of what Delbanco discusses in his book is the disparity between a small liberal arts college and
At the beginning of this article he states “colleges and universities are primarily vehicles for the preservation, development and transmission of our intellectual culture (scientific, humanistic and artistic).” He then goes on to explain that we expect colleges and universities to provide
The state of California has long been reliant on the University of California system to provide its resident companies with skilled and educated business, technology, and science leaders. Highly regarded as one of the top educational systems in the world, the University of California boasts a high number of distinguished and respected faculty members in almost every field of study. However, while most private colleges and universities have learned how to streamline their processes in order to better respond to stakeholder needs, public educational institutions, such as the University of California, have not been willing to control their bureaucratic growth resulting in a rise of tuition rates and a decline in the level of student satisfaction. In her article for the TIME magazine, Kate Pickert writes that as recently as November of this year the University of California has approved a plan that could raise tuition rates by up to 28% (Pickert). Pickert also points out that the tuition rates at the University of California have more than tripled since 2001. The University of California has blamed the increased tuition on the state of California budget cuts caused by the economic downturn of recent years. However, a closer examination of the University of California faculty and administration data makes it obvious that the higher rates of tuition are cause by the inability and
The faculty is entrenched in their ways, and change causes ambiguity and uncertainty. Moreover, the faculty in the organization feel uncertain about the new concepts presented by Dr. Ball to the deans altering their salaries and evaluations (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 31). The proposed changes create competition and unrest among the faculty and will shatter the business-as-usual campus conduct and job security. The dean's and faculty are grasping at the symbolic frame, defending their beloved academic lifestyle (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 248). The secondary problem in this case is support from the deans of the incentive program that will restore Weston University prestigious reputation as set by the board and developed by the president.
With headlines of the nation’s press predicting the new academic year to be one of greater turmoil than 1967-1968, with the intelligence activities of college administrations indicating that the press is not crying “wolf,” I think that all of us concerned with the educational enterprise must pause for a sobering view of the academic year…
Before one can move forward with their education one must understand where it all started. When researching the history of higher education there is a common theme in every aspect of my research. I would find the word “college” and the word “university”. Throughout the 19th century there would be some confusion between the two words. In colleges the primary role is teaching where as in the university research and scholarships are the primary role (Lucas,2006). Also, current universities offer post- baccalaureate or graduate instruction whereas colleges do not. However, this was not always the case before the 19th century.
Unfortunately, notwithstanding poet Louisa Fletcher's desire to start over, colleges and universities in the United States will not at any time soon access the Land of Beginning Again. Those institutions must enact meaningful change transitions from where they exist today, and there is much change that is needed. To wit, innovator and strategic management consultant Fred Buining asserts that higher education is in the "eye of the hurricane," which means that leaders, scholars, and educators are not doing enough to meet the challenges they face. Buining suggests that there is "no critical mass" in terms of the changes that are needed in higher education. Moreover, he believes that while today's student in colleges and universities are getting younger the professors and instructors are getting older, issues like cultural diversity and commercialization threaten institutions of higher learning. This paper reviews and critiques scholarly sources that address issues of diversity and commercialization on college and university campuses. Thesis: colleges and universities are in many respects becoming very much like corporations, and this is truly the wrong direction for higher education
What informs the decisions trustees make? What public purposes guide the president, faculty and staff in their daily activities? How would the trustees and the public know that the institution’s resources are strategically arrayed to achieve the goals? Colleges and faculty can too easily be accused of being knee-jerk protectors of the status quo. A robust, shared, operating vision for the college helps to make clear how the public interest, not personal interests, determine the steps that the college
In Simon Young’s essay “Universities, Governments and Industry: Can the Essential Nature of Universities Survive the Drive to Commercialize?” Young implies many universities increase their focus on commercializing rather than focusing to increase a higher branch of learning for university students. Throughout the essay Young voices his concern for this issue through the use of statistics, concrete facts, research and by acknowledging the issue Young is able to inform his readers about the increase rate of commercialization from universities which he believes is a universities purpose. Young notes 40 years of his life were spent at Universities and this allows the gain of credibility. Young’s audience are members of psychiatry and
Given higher education’s current process of reinvention and the history of mergers as part of American higher education in particular, it is unsurprising that mergers continue to be seen as a way to solve many of the cost issues facing colleges and universities today. It is also unsurprising that mergers are growing more complex given the modern university environment’s assorted real and intellectual property, related enterprises, and physical assets. Indeed, many colleges, while not averse to the idea, are cautious. A final contrasting point which makes the Skodvin, (1999) research more suspect and less creditable is that laws have changed in recent years which has expanded the reasons why educational institutions are looking harder at mergers and consolidations. The rational may have been relevant for a particular segment of educational institutions at a particular time but certainly not
But through reading Ritzer’s The McDonaldization of Society, I realized how McDonaldization and its ideals of efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control have revolutionized the university system.
U.S. schools and colleges vary from numerous points of view. Some are open, others are independently employed individual; some are huge urban colleges, some are two-yr. group universities, others little rustic grounds. Some offer alumna and expert political stage, others point of convergence basically on undergrad instruction. Each of our more than 3, 000 schools and colleges has its particular and dissimilar mission. This aggregate differing qualities around organizations is one of the extraordinary strength of America's higher instruction framework, and has helped make it the best in the people. Protecting that assorted qualities is key on the off chance that we plan to serve the needs of our just social order.
All types of education, whether technical or liberal, possess their own inherent merit. The distinction between the two lies in the spectrum of a particular study’s application. A higher education in any study should be encouraged because more knowledgeable individuals benefit both society and themselves through the continuation of their education. The value of one type of education does not negate the value of another. In today’s society technical studies, that is studies with a direct application in the workforce, are more widely encouraged due to the practical merit of the study. It is true that technical studies are valuable, but their value does not negate the immense value of liberal studies because of it lack of a single application. Therefore, the conjunction of both liberal and technical classes in college provides the greatest amount of benefit. Specifically, higher education in the liberal arts is the most valuable for it allowance of a broader application in every field of study and also the larger social realm because of the critical skills it helps students to develop.
“Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.” – Benjamin Lee Whorf