Discussion: Staying True to the Mission

Higher education institutions today are under pressure to meet the demands of a wide variety of stakeholders, including state governments, employers, the local community, and students themselves. Consider how an institution can reaffirm its mission and use it as a guide when approaching change.

Assignment

Post your thoughts on how multiple stakeholders can share a common or divergent vision when it comes to institutional change. What are the benefits and challenges of listening to and considering the demands of all stakeholders? How can institutional leaders use an understanding of their institution’s mission to prioritize and respond to these demands?

Learning Resources

Note:  To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the  Course Materials  section of your Syllabus.

Focus On

As you explore this week’s Learning Resources, focus on the role of institutional mission in guiding decisions about programs and strategies for change, the need to reaffirm an institution’s mission or renew an institution’s emphasis on key strengths and priorities, and the value of considering an institution’s responsibility for learning as part of the strategic change process.

Required Readings

McClellan, G. S., & Stringer, J. (Eds.). (2016). The handbook of student affairs administration (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

· Chapter 2, “The Importance of Institutional Mission”

Dickeson, R. C. (2010). Prioritizing academic programs and services: Reallocating resources to achieve strategic balance. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services: Reallocating Resources to Achieve Strategic Balance by Dickeson, R. Copyright 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Reprinted by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., via the Copyright Clearance Center.

· Chapter 3, “Reaffirming Institutional Mission”

Guarasci, R. (2001). Recentering learning: An interdisciplinary approach to academic and student affairs. New Directions for Higher Education, 2001(116), 101–109.

 

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Academic Search Complete database.

Recentering Learning: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Academic and Student Affairs. New Directions for Higher Education, (116) by Guarasci, R. Copyright 2001 by JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC. – JOURNALS Reprinted by permission of JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC. – JOURNALS via the Copyright Clearance Center.