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Higher education leadership these days is change leadership. How often have we heard the statement, “Higher education needs to change.”There are books, articles, conferences, entire organizations dedicated to change in higher education, and consulting firms offering change-related services. And the buzz about change is just getting louder, especially after the pandemic and the social justice movements that resulted from events during that time. Current challenges facing higher education involve all aspects of a university as well as everyone involved, from students and staff to faculty, administrators, alumni, and board members. These challenges include shifting demographics and enrollment uncertainties, revenue shortfalls and budget realignments, evaluating academic program portfolios and delivery modes, focusing on student mental health and other needs, creating inclusive and equitable campuses, navigating state laws and federal policies, countering questions regarding our value proposition, being globally responsible organizations, adapting to new technologies and climate change, and re-evaluating our missions. This undercurrent of change is flowing through the institution while everyone tries to focus on their day-to-day responsibilities, from teaching and learning to enrollment, advising, community engagement, facilities management, budgeting, and fundraising.

What are we really talking about when we use the word “change” in higher education? Are we talking about creating new academic programs or coming up with new ways of delivering academic programs? Are we talking about doubling down on our stated missions or creating a new mission that expands the audiences we serve? Are we talking about updating the faculty handbook or rewriting it to include new ways of evaluating teaching effectiveness? The differences in these examples are the differences in routine or well-defined change versus transformational or systemic change. Change leaders need to see the entire system (for example, the forest) and understand how the visible components (trees, birds, animals) and invisible components (microorganisms, wind, nutrients, soil) interact to create a dynamic ecosystem that thrives. 

 This post is informed by the Change Leadership Toolkit (CLT), published in 2023 (Elrod et al.). The Change Leadership Toolkit was developed for leaders who are embarking on systemic change initiatives. It was designed to leaders learn more about their campus change ecosystem then apply that knowledge to build a comprehensive change leadership plan for achieving systemic change goals and outcomes. In order to successfully use the resources of the CLT, leaders must first define a systemic change goal and assemble a change leadership team to truly address the issuesfacing their campus as they work towards achieving the change that will be required to thrive in the coming years and decades. The Toolkit and its associated resources (worksheets, case studies, and resource library) were developed with the input and wisdom of more than 100 people representing nearly 40 campuses, as well as additional leaders representing national organizations, associations, and national projects. It was generously supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

 What is Systemic Change?

We define systemic change as change that affects multiple courses, departments, programs, divisions, colleges (or beyond) and result in changes that affect policies, procedures, norms, cultures, and/or structures (organizational, curricular, fiscal). In other words, this type of change affects the “system” as a whole, rather than just a part of the system. The CLT was designed for leaders tackling this kind of change. So, how can leaders operationalize this definition for use in understanding the nature of systemic change on their campus? The first step in defining a systemic change goal is critical and often is the most difficult. Leaders can define their systemic change by focusing on the “what” and “why” of change.

 The What of Change: Defining the Systemic Nature of Change

The first step is defining the “what” of change. The first step of defining your “what” involves settingchange goals andestablishing intended outcomes and measures of success.Ask yourself these questions: What are you trying to accomplish with this project?What will be different and better as a result?Who needs to be involved and who will benefit?How will you measure the outcomes and know if you have been successful?

 Once you have set some goals, it is important to continue defining your change project by understanding the magnitude, complexity, and type of change you are undertaking. There are different ways to explore these parameters. Change leaders can analyze the level at which change will occur (individual, group, organization), determine whether the change is first-order (just tinkering around the edges) or second-order (disruptive, challenges the status quo), and identify the focal areas or phenomena within the organization that will be impacted.

 Change can happenwithin different groups and unit levels—individual, group, and organizational.

• Individual-level change might involve changes to faculty teaching practices or training advisors to use new proactive advising approaches, for example.
• Group-level change could involve changes to faculty meeting norms, search committee practices, or an academic program.
• Organizational-level change could include changes to the teaching evaluation process, admissions standards, or advising structures. Generally, organizational changes involve multiple departments, schools, colleges or units across the organization. This could also involve multiple organizations, including those external to the institution, such as those involving K-12 schools or non-profit partners.

 Individual-level change on its own is typically not systemic in nature. It is important to keep in mind, however, that changes at the group and organization levels also involve individual-level change, as groups and organizations cannot change without individuals also changing their behaviors, beliefs, or approaches. For example, one faculty member changing their teaching practices is not systemic change, but an entire department working to change teaching practices is systemic change. Yet within that group-level change is a set of individual faculty members who must all make changes to the way they teach. Considering the different levels that your change project touches can help ensure you use the most effective strategies to accomplish your goals.

 It may also be helpful to use the framing of first-order or second-order change. First-order change focuses on minor improvements or adjustments. Think of it as tinkering within the existing system, but not resulting in any significant changes to the system.For example, are you thinking about creating a new course or hiring a new leader? These are important types of changes but as they are more routine and well-defined, they may not require an intensive change process. Or, would you use words such as disruptive, transformational, revolutionary to describe your project? If so, your change is likely a second-order change that challenges the status quo, raises questions about existing assumptions, creates wholly new processes, or represents shifts in culture, values, or norms. Typically, systemic change is second-order change.

 Change also happens within different focal areas, or phenomena that are affected. There are three types of foci: structures, processes, or attitudes/values.

• Structures-focused changes refers to those that change how aspects of the campus are organized, including elements such as leadership organizational charts or policies. These changes can be localized to departments or spread across the entire institution.
• Process-focused changes are those that deal with how things happen on campus, such as how students register for classes, the interview process for faculty, or other operations-related changes. Process-oriented changes may focus on formal policies or informal procedures. These can involve routine or transactional changes or can involve processes that cut across multiple departments, programs, or units.
• Attitudes/values-focused changes relate to how people feel about their work in relation to structures and processes—in other words, the organizational culture.

 Reflection: These questions will help you determine whether your change is systemic in nature.

1. What groups are involved – individual, group or organizational?
   1. If individual change only, then you are probably not dealing with systemic change.
   2. If groupchange, you may be dealing with systemic change, depending on if it is localized to one group or involves multiple groups across campus. If it involves multiple groups, you are dealing with a systemic change.
   3. If organizational, it likely involves multiple departments, schools, colleges or units across the organization, or includes organizations outside the university, so you are dealing with systemic change.

2. Is the change a first- or second-order change?
   1. If first-order (tinkering), the change is probably not a systemic change.
   2. If second-order (disruptive), the change is most likely systemic in nature.

3. What focal areas are being impacted by the change – structures, processes, or attitudes/values?
   1. If structural, the change may be focused on structures in one unit or it may impact structures that are cross-cutting or extend beyond one unit. If it involves structures across different units, you are dealing with a systemic change.
   2. If processes are being impacted, they may be focused on processes in one unit or they may impact processes impacting many departments or units across campus. If processes are cross-cutting or extend beyond one unit, you are dealing with a systemic change.
   3. If attitudes and values, the change is most likely systemic in nature.

The Why of Change: Clarifying Motivation and Evidence

Once you clarify your “what” of change and confirm that it is, in fact, systemic, you should also understand the “why” behind the effort you are about to embark upon. Systemic change involves multiple people, strategy, resources, leadership, and most of all, time, so making sure you have the right motivations and evidence to support your goals is important. Your “why” of change is related to the motivation behind undertaking this particular change project at this particular point in time. Is it a mandated change, or one that stems from your own personal passions or convictions? Is it something you have observed at peer institutions or read about in higher education trade publications or research journals? What evidence exists to support the potential efficacy of this change? Defining the “why” of change is also important for ensuring that the project’s goals are aligned with your broader institutional goals or mission. This alignment helps generate buy-in, garner resources, recruit participants and other leaders, and create a greater chance for lasting change. Defining the “why” can also help you communicate about the project to others. Being able to clearly share the need for the change with others and provide evidence in support of this change will help build trust and dampen resistance (Kezar, 2018).

 Reflection: These questions will help you define the “why” of your change initiative.

1. Why is this change important at your institution? How does it align with our mission, values, and larger institutional goals?

2. Why is now the right time to pursue this change project? (e.g., is there a mandate? Is this a personal passion? Is there a problem that needs solving? Is there an opportunity that can be leveraged?)

3. What evidence exists in support of this change? (e.g., what campus data supports the change? Are there examples from other institutions that have been successful?)

Conclusion

When you combine the “what” and “why” of change by reflecting on the guidance and questions provided in this practice brief, you will have a better handle on the nature of the change initiative you are envisioning. The “what” will help you determine whether or not you are envisioning a project that is systemic in nature. If so, the Change Leadership Toolkit will provide you with a roadmap for developing a comprehensive leadership plan to reach your goals. The “why” will help you deepen your understanding of the reasons behind what you are planning and contribute to your success in the long term.

References

Elrod, S.L. Kezar, A., González, A., (2023) Change Leadership Toolkit: A Guide for Advancing Systemic Change in Higher Education. Available on the University of Southern California Pullias Center for Education website at: https://pullias.usc.edu/project/the-change-leadership-toolkit-for-advancing-systemic-change/

Kezar, A. 2018. How Colleges Change: Understanding, Leading and Enacting Change. Routledge.