Week 6 Discussion: Leading Change in Difficult Times
Prepare a 1-page paper
Regardless of how limited an institutions fiscal resources may be, it is often said that it is the people of an institution that keep the campus heart beating even in the most difficult of times. Students, staff, faculty, alumni, and others work tirelessly to see their institutions persevere, and even grow, in uncertain times.
This weeks readings explore the importance of human relationships in times of adversity such as conflict and crisis. Consider a situation you have experienced as a student or professional in which change was desperately needed, but the institution lacked the resources (financial, human, or otherwise) to implement much needed change.
By Day 3
Post a description of the situation. Explain the positive or negative role human relationships and financial limitations played in the situation.
Week 7 Discussion Decisions, Decisions…
Prepare a 1-page paper
In your position as a higher education professional, you will encounter numerous difficult decisions that require ethical consideration. Consider what you have learned about ethics this week as you review the following scenario:
As the director of student services, you supervise a number of departments, three of which currently run special student support initiatives started within the last five years: an early-alert system to identify students in danger of dropping out, special advising for high school students to take advantage of dual-enrollment programs at your college, and an initiative that provides small start-up grants to faculty members wanting to try new approaches to teaching developmental education courses. Due to budget cuts, you have been asked to eliminate one of these special initiatives.
Each special initiative is run by one full-time staff member but employs no other full-time staff. The manager of the early-alert system is a below-average employee, but you suspect with the proper leadership this initiative would be extremely successful. The manager of the high school advising program is an exemplary employee but was recently found to have committed a policy infraction; the program does bring in enrollments that the college might not otherwise obtain. The manager of the developmental education mini-grant program is a single mother and is well liked on campus; she works well with the faculty and has been able to support a few faculty in significantly improving their teaching.
As the director, how will you determine which program to eliminate, and who stays and who leaves?
By Day 3
Post a response that includes the following:
· Take a position on which program should be eliminated and, as a result, which individual should be let go. Assume there are no other positions within your department to which they could be moved.
· Support your position and explain how you arrived at the decision.
· Describe the role ethics played in your decision-making process.
Week 7 Assignment Course Project: Prepare the Proposal
The Proposal
Prepare a complete proposal that you could present to the vice president or provost of your institution about the new program you would like to implement to promote student success. You may choose how to present the proposal, but it must include the following:
A description of the new program
A list of the financial and human resources required
A plan for implementation
The Executive Memo
Compose a two-page executive memo for your proposal that summarizes your plan, highlights the strengths and opportunities of your planned program, and provides a rationale for each decision you made about the program.
Assignment length total: 13 pages (memo = 2 pages, proposal = 11 pages)
