Leading Existential Change in Higher Ed: mergers, closures and other major institutional restructuring.

This is the 6th in a series of 7 podcasts reviweing this book.  In this podcast, Dr. Ricardo Azziz discusses the topic of:

Achieving BSC leadership:
• Facing resistance and opposition
• Athletics

Here are the questions he answers.

1. Northeastern and Mills College are the merger case study colleges.  There was much emotion from the Mills students, faculty and trustees.  You write: that the emotional investment of stakeholders in a college or university’s identity can often impede necessary strategic restructuring. I have often teased that when a college changes the font on its business card, someone will protest.  A merger is always going to generate both objective and subjective push-back.  What are the ways a BSC leader can prepare for those in advance?

2. Outcomes:  Of the merger between Northeastern University and Mills was that those students who needed 8 credits or fewer to graduate, were offered a special six week term to complete their degrees.   Are there other examples you can share that merging colleges used to get that merger to the finish line?

3. Change or resistance to change is firmly embedded in higher education culture.  The old adage that “culture eats change for breakfast” applies – particularly to college faculty.  You have a summary box on page 206 titled ‘Challenges to Advancing BSC in higher education.  Let’s talk about a few.
a. Incrementalism as the usual approach to change.
b. The sunk cost and established brand of existing programs
c. The impact of shared governance (and tenure) on decision making

4. ON page 214, you write about ‘who is the opposition?” to mergers, closures, and major restructuring.  So, who is the opposition?

Athletics
5. Arguably, many colleges are better known for their athletic programs than for their academics.  The team nickname, mascot, and college colors are an integral part of the college’s identity.  Talk about mergers where athletic teams are mostly retained and then like the two Georgia colleges in this sections case study – when the athletics departments are merged into one.

6. Youth sports are embedded into American culture.  Parents, sometimes with delusion, envision their children becoming skilled enough to earn a college athletic scholarship.  So, the elimination of a single college sports program (through merger or closure) impacts student-athletes academic and athletic pursuits.  With BSC, what guidance would you provide college leaders in recognizing the athletic culture in our country – and its importance?