Learning Resources

Abstract: Middle managers are often blamed for change failure and portrayed as change resisters or saboteurs. However, what looks like obstructionist behavior could actually be the observable effects of role ambiguity. Absent clear expectations, middle managers might assume their own unsanctioned change leadership path or take on no role at all because they lack understanding about their responsibilities. This article explores the complexity of middle managers’ experience, examines how middle managers at a two-year college navigated the uncertainty of their role within the context of institutional change, and provides readers with suggestions for equipping middle managers to become effective change agents.

Abstract: Over the past year, there have been institutional shifts in practices, policies, and innovative approaches to change. This phase of a revolution of postsecondary education demonstrates that our 'lived experience' is not intended to last or remain unchanged permanently. This realization has been growing in awareness but is accelerated by a national pandemic. College planning has taken on a new meaning as variables of change. It encompasses and requires a recognition that there is a systemic confluence of forces that encompass infrastructure, technology, people, and social justice. Without continuous adaptation and thinking smarter, quicker, and more innovatively, an effective college will fail to integrate the dynamics of accelerated change, as they affect each institution's policies, people, finances and student success outcomes. Join us to discuss the paradigm shift and its potential impact on our educational infrastructure, ecosystem, and role.

Abstract: How can colleges and universities become more adaptive in the wake of COVID-19? This interactive panel discussion will bring together different institutions’ perspectives from facilities, technology, student services, and finance to understand the impact of COVID-19 on institutions and their student experience.