This document summarizes a study on general education revision at Catholic colleges and universities (CCUs). It finds that sustainable change emerges from core institutional values and culture. There is consistency between Catholic and academic values when change is grounded in shared values. Leaders can effectively lead values-aligned change by cultivating shared values, using sponsor values explicitly, structuring inclusive processes, and learning from history. The study's lessons on using core values as a compass during change may apply to other contexts, such as informing Dominican decision-making processes and content based on applicable Dominican values.

1. A COMPASS, NOT A HINDRANCE: THE DOMINICAN CHARISM AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE Scott Flanagan Edgewood College

3. Why are you here?

4. Outline Purpose Methods Background Key findings Lessons for leaders Questions Discussion about applicability in the Dominican context

5. Purpose of the study What is the role of values in general education revision at CCUs? What values are central to general education revision at CCUs? What are the sources of those values? What role do sponsoring organizations play in curricular change processes? What points of conflict and synergy exist between academic and Catholic cultures in such a change endeavor?

6. Purpose of the study 2. How do leaders achieve general education revision in the context of these values? How do differences in values within a campus shape change processes and the roles of leaders at different CCUs? By what process do leaders create a constellation of values that reflect academic and Catholic values? Through what process do leaders lead general education curricular revision at CCUs?

7. Methods Three site case study Different sponsoring organizations Similar selectivity, size of undergraduate population Document review, campus tours, interviews (individual and group) Reviewed documents to generate themes Themes informed findings Findings led to recommendations

8. Background

9. Why do institutions need to change?

10. “Institutional culture shapes thereason change emerges, the way the process occurs, and the change outcomes.” Adrianna J. Kezar, Understanding and Facilitating Organizational Change in the 21st Century: Recent Research and Conceptualizations (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001), p. 115

11. What is culture? “A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to these problems.” Edgar H. Schein, Organizational Culture and Leadership (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992), p. 12.

12. Elements of culture (Schein)

13. 4 Models of Academic Culture Collegial: Emphasis on consensus , shared power, and equality Bureaucratic: Emphasis on structure, setting and conforming to systems and processes Political: Emphasis on power (getting and using) as a way to get things done Anarchical:Appears chaotic but instead has an order that is implicit and shared Robert Birnbaum, How Academic Leadership Works: Understanding Success and Failure in the College Presidency (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992)

14. Taxonomy of Catholic colleges & universities Basis: Proportion of students who are Catholic Proportion of faculty & administrators who are Catholic Extent to which there are courses in Catholic theology Presence/lack of Catholic culture in co-curriculum Melanie M. Morey and John J. Piderit, Catholic Higher Education: A Culture in Crisis (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006)

15. Taxonomy of Catholic colleges & universities Proposed Categories Immersion Persuasion Diaspora Cohort Melanie M. Morey and John J. Piderit, Catholic Higher Education: A Culture in Crisis (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006)

16. What are values? “Socially oriented, unique constructs that describe characteristics of organizations, guide action and behavior, and serve to differentiate organizations.” Sandra L. Williams, "Strategic Planning and Organizational Values: Links to Alignment," Human Resource Development International 5, no. 2 (2002), p. 220.

17. What are some sources of values in Catholic higher education?

18. What are the possible relationships between different value sources? What do you think the predominant relationship was between different value sets in this study? Where would you expect the greatest level of conflict?

19. Why study general education? All undergraduates experience it Accounts for 25-50% of credits Cultural intersection A visible and significant expression of institutional values Often changed in response to external factors A difficult change process for leaders because of the interplay of so many variables

20. The Cases Assisi Bishop Ignatius

21. Interesting findings

22. Taxonomy—good idea, not practical to apply

23. What are the possible relationships between different value sources? What do you think the predominant relationship was between different value sets in this study? Where would you expect the greatest level of conflict?

24. What role did sponsors’ values play?

25. Ensure fidelity to mission Essential to carrying on the charism as fewer vowed religious are able to participate Essential to upholding responsibility as a Catholic institution

26. “Figure out your value system. Decide what you stand for.”

27. Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies (New York: Harper & Row, 1982).

28. Facilitate change Point of departure Point of reference External change often serves as a catalyst, but must be driven by shared values in order to be sustained

29. Zemsky and Massy: “market smart and mission centered” Not either/or, but both/and “It can be distinctive for (Assisi University) to have a general education package of courses and opportunities for students…in our Franciscan-Catholic tradition.” Differentiate in the crowded marketplace

30. What did leaders do? What can we learn?

31. What can leaders do? Cultivate shared values in advance of significant change Hiring Orientation Presence Ongoing exposure

32. What can leaders do? Use the values of the sponsoring institution explicitly to provide a shared sense of purpose Begin with core values as a point of departure Conduct exercises during change which refer back to those values Map resulting proposals back to those values Include values in outcomes (of curriculum, for example)

33. What can leaders do? Structure an inclusive process “The vice president for academics does not own the curriculum, the faculty owns the curriculum.” “(Faculty) were reluctant…to pass something that would have such a profound effect, not feeling like they had invested in it.” “Faculty bought in to having an initial voice and being heard…It was a brilliant way to (get) faculty to buy-in to a process, to look for change.”

34. What can leaders do? Structure an inclusive process “Faculty bought in to having an initial voice and being heard…It was a brilliant way to (get) faculty to buy-in to a process, to look for change.” “The process seemed very Jesuit to me…It was designed to be deliberative.”

35. What can leaders do? Learn from institutional history Reflect on previous successes and failures Use existing processes, structure, etc. as artifacts and therefore sources to learn about culture and values

36. What’s the point? External forces make change necessary, but sustainable and effective change emerges from core values and culture. There is more consistency than conflict among Catholic and academic values. Core values both reflect and shape action.

37. What’s the point? Core values can be a necessary point of differentiation—mission centered IS market smart Shared values can serve as a compass—a point of departure and a point of reference—during times of change

38. What’s the point? Leaders can most effectively lead change that meets the emerging changes of the external environment in a manner consistent with core values by: Cultivating shared values Using sponsors’ values explicitly Structuring a process that models community Learning from institutional history (reflection)

39. Questions

40. Discussion During what other types of changes or processes might these lessons be applicable? What are the most applicable values from the Dominican tradition? How might they be utilized to inform our decision-making processes? How might they be relevant in the content of our essential decisions?