SCUP
Planning for Higher Education Journal

Adopting a Human-Centered Approach to Change

Prioritize the Perspectives and Experiences of Those Individuals Who Will Be Affected
Journal Cover
From Volume 53 Number 4 | July–September 2025
By Nicole H. Gahagan, EdD
Planning Types: Strategic Planning

When change in higher education isn’t managed in a human-centered manner, institutional leaders are unlikely to see the outcomes they intended to achieve. That’s because they didn’t invest enough in involving and supporting the individuals expected to operationalize a new strategy. Nobody wins in these situations: Executives, employees, and students all lose out on the benefits a change initiative could have produced. In this book excerpt, the author shares why strong change leadership must be at the helm of cultivating an environment where innovation is embraced and managed with compassion for the humans who are being asked to think and work differently.

MEMBERS ONLY
Attention Members: to access this item.Not a member? Join now to access this article and all journal articles for free.