Multi-theory Approach to Creating a Transfer-Receptive Culture
This section serves to demonstrate Kezar’s (2018) multi-theory approach to understand and strategize the change process by considering the type and context of change, and the agency of the change agent. The intent of engaging in this exercise is to demonstrate a multi-faceted approach to creating deep change while using grassroots strategies. Kezar (2018) presents a more thorough discussion on change theories and considerations involved in such a multi-theory approach to understanding, leading and enacting change.
Type of Change
The first step in considering the type of change is to determine the content of change. There is a cognitive dissonance or a lack of understanding among administrators, advisors, and faculty about the transfer student population. This would require various sensemaking activities such as presenting informational sessions on the demographics, research, considerations related to this population to change mindsets and address myths about this population. Organizational learning strategies such as utilizing transfer student enrollment and retention data from the institutional data management office to understand the impact of transfer shock on student GPAs and ways to support transfer students through this transition could be a useful strategy. Additionally, supporting students from diverse backgrounds aligns with the institution’s values and land-grant mission. The change agent could leverage this alignment to obtain support from key constituents from various levels within the institution.
A change that creates a transfer-receptive institutional culture would require challenges to the underlying assumptions of the institution, especially one built to serve traditional first year students from high school. The scope of such a change would be complex and require integration at multiple levels as it is a deep second-order change. A change agent can therefore expect increased resistance. A change in the institutional culture would require changes at the institutional level for the organization, and at the group level within colleges, departments, and various divisions. The change agent would need to consider the focus of the various processes, structures and attitudes across the institution that serve as supports and barriers to transfer students at the institution. Determining these would also provide the change agent with insight and the ability to address change. The source of change would be mostly internal but external pressures such as from peer transfer-friendly institutions could prompt isomorphism.
Context for Change
Due to the declining levels of federal funding, there is an increased focus on enrollment and retention. National transfer student mobility trends, conversations surrounding racial injustice, and a renewed focus on diversity and inclusion at most institutions align with creating a transfer-receptive culture. Disciplinary societies focusing on increasing diversity in STEM majors, predominant community colleges from where students transfer and its leaders, and alumni and other sources of funding serve as external stakeholders. Previous issues with administrative conflict, and failed change efforts may discourage support for any proposed change initiative. The change agent must build coalitions and address the reasons for the failure of similar initiatives in the past to reduce resistance and develop their change initiatives.
A change agent must also consider the institutional culture. The institutional climate at most four-year public research institutions is shifting towards being more transfer friendly. There are increased conversations at varying levels across the institution and key members in positions of authority and with power from the Offices of the Provost of Academic Affairs, Registrar, Undergraduate Admissions, and Institutional Diversity, and college deans have mobilized to identify ways to support transfer students. This indicates a strong capacity and readiness of the institution for change.
Agency and Leadership
Grassroots leaders do not have formal authority and would therefore rely on bottom-up grassroots leadership strategies. However, by working with other grassroots leaders from the various units on campus, change agents can build power to create change, and increase learning to change key constituents’ paradigms and attitudes surrounding the transfer student population.
Approaches to Change
Based on such a multi-theory approach, an analysis through the scientific management theories suggest that a change agent must use institutional data to examine various barriers to transfer student success. An analysis using evolutionary theories would recommend comparisons of our transfer policies and procedures to those at peer institutions. The change agent would benefit from obtaining broad input from external stakeholders such as those at the local community colleges that send the receiving institution the most transfer students. Intuitional and neo-institutional theories center external forces such as city and state interest, and community college interests. Such external pressures could serve to demonstrate the need and urgency to changing the institutional culture to be more transfer receptive.
A political framework highlights the importance of building coalitions and identifying allies using bottom-up leadership strategies. Such strategies would include raising consciousness about the needs of this population, mobilizing key constituents and resources, and negotiating and mapping various interests and power dynamics. Social-cognition theories emphasize the need for speaker series and presentations to increase sensemaking, sharing articles from resources such as the Chronicles of Higher Education, and inviting constituents from different levels of the institution to participate in various panel discussions, workshops, and retreats for policy discussions. An analysis through cultural frameworks of change supports an examination of the history and underlying assumptions about the transfer student population and policies. The change agent could identify stories from transfer students that align with these institutional values toward creating a transfer-receptive culture.
As demonstrated, a change agent can utilize such a multifaceted framework for understanding and strategizing the process of change at their institution. It is also valuable to note that the change process occurs in three phases: mobilization, implementation, and institutionalization (Kezar, 2018). Mobilization takes place at the structural level and involves “galvanizing members toward action” (Kezar, 2018, p. 202) and structural changes such as creating agenda, priorities, missions statements. Implementation occurs at the procedural level and includes creating the infrastructure to support initiative such as reward mechanisms. Finally, institutionalization occurs at the cultural level where the change initiative is embedded in the actual value system of the institution and has achieved a state of stability. The change has become a part of the institution’s core values or culture.
