Strategic Change for the Center for Distributed Learning

Kevin Jones

Indiana Wesleyan University

DOL 750 Change, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship

Dr. Bill Millard

August 24, 2007

Revised February 14, 2009

Strategic Change for the Center for Distributed Learning

What the Author Wishes to See Changed

The change this author would like to see made in the Center for Distribute Learning (CDL) is for it to become a separate college at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU). Under the current model CDL is a department within the College of Adult and Graduate Studies (CGS). The rapid growth of the online programs has made the current system unwieldy and difficult to navigate. In addition, technology is rapidly changing and CDL needs to be able to keep up with this change which currently is not possible due to the reporting structure currently in existence.

Type of Change

This change is intrapreneurial in nature. It is innovation for the sake of growth by moving in a direction as of yet unexplored. It has the potential for expanding the IWU customer base through innovation and new thinking.

Why this Change is Needed

Hersey, Blanchard, and Johnson (2001) point out that change begins with identifying the problem. They define a problem in a situation as “when there is a discrepancy between what is actually happening (the real) and what you or someone who hired you (point of view) would like to be happening (the ideal)” (p. 378).

This is necessary change in part because CDL is currently in drift mode without any vision. When the majority of those who are currently working in CDL were hired the vision of the center was that it would become another college within the body of IWU. Now there is no expressed vision for the center. In fact, the discussion seems to be to break up the parts of CDL into the various academic parts of AGS. The thinking is that the unique synergy that is a part of CDL will than move throughout the whole of AGS.

Over the past year or so most of those who head up online programs have lost a great deal of their autonomy. Textbooks are now selected by the “academic” directors without regard as to whether or not they are the best fit for students in differing modalities or what possible online study aids might be available. This author places the word “academic” in quotation marks for a couple of reasons. First, what makes these directors academic? For the most part it is not due to more advanced degrees or experience. It is based on a position that was originally considered to be equal with the assistant directors within CDL due to its organizational structure. Due to a top down drive this has dramatically changed. Second, the directors are being driven by a service industry within the university: Textbook and Resource Distribution also know as Resources. Resources complains that it is confusing to maintain different sets of books for the differing modalities. The end result becomes a classic scenario of the tail wagging the dog in that decisions are made for convenience of a department that is unwilling or unable to operate in a more efficient manner as opposed to what is best for our students. Frankly, this author finds this to be infuriating.

All of these issues stem in part from what is a matrixed form of structure. While this author reports directly to the Director of CDL, he also reports dotted line to the academic director over the bachelors business and management programs. 

The Author’s Vision

This author’s vision for CDL is that it becomes a separate college with its own vice-president. Those currently holding the title of assistant directors would become directors with responsibility for curriculum and facilitator oversight. CDL would also have oversight of the online student recruiters and marketing of CDL programs. This would help to insure that the marketing dollars that are spent are targeted toward potential online students as opposed to after thought marketing added on to onsite marketing strategies.

The formation of the College of Distance Learning (CDL) would help to reignite the vision which attracted those in the department in the first place. It is frustrating and disheartening to watch a team of people with great personal vision and energy begin to become dispirited and listless. For most, the job has become exactly that, a job, rather than a calling. While all do their job well they now lack passion and ownership. For most of the assistant directors there is a consensus that they have become little more than glorified administrative assistants and this fact need to change or there will be a loss of key people.

  This author’s vision is that CDL once again begins to tap into all of the passion and creative energy of the people in the department and become the best at what they do. CDL has the people in place to make IWU move far to the front in online education. These people understand online education and are poised to take the online programs of IWU to the very front of Christian and non Christian schools.

A College of Distance Learning will be innovative in nature and will empower people with the freedom to fail. Along with times of failure will come opportunities for learning and growth both personally and professionally. Professional growth will occur as members of CDL reflect on why failures happened and learn from them. This will increase the ability of the members to think for themselves and to be critical thinkers and problem solvers.

A College of Distance Learning will be empowered to continue to look for innovative ways of making increasing the quality of the online programs through research and practical implementation. CDL of IWU will be recognized as a leader in high quality, values based adult accelerated education programs. CDL will model both practical and academic excellence in its programs. This will be measured by graduation rates as well as pre and post testing in each program.

The Author’s Personal Role

Frankly, this is the difficult part. The university is becoming increasingly hierarchical in structure and it is becoming more and more difficult to push new ideas from the middle of the pack to the top. There seems to be an increasing unwillingness to push for things that just might be of great benefit to the university. It appears that people are becoming fearful of standing up for what they believe to be right. This author is not clear as to why that is entirely but there seems to almost be a fear of retaliation or that the path to promotion may be closed.

The author has been fairly outspoken in his thoughts regarding the formation of the College of Distance Learning. In the past it felt as though one could at least be heard by those above but now there is not even an apparent audience. One is limited to the person directly above one in the chain of command and to pursue it higher leaves one feeling very vulnerable.

The Role of this Author’s Theoretical Study

In some ways this author can see where some knowledge is perhaps dangerous. The author’s study of leadership has caused him to reflect on the leadership in all areas of this organization. There is much discussion about servant leadership but rarely does there appear to be  practice of the same.

As this author reflects back on my willingness, or lack thereof, one can see how the Perils of Change as presented by Millard (2007, PowerPoint presentation) have affected that willingness. When one looks beyond the facts level at the emotions one can see how they dramatically impacted one’s willingness to change. In much the same way, the unwillingness to create to College for Distance Learning is tied into tradition which is also tied to the emotions.

Schein (1999) appears to address some of this emotional impact of change in his discussion of psychological safety. This structured approach to alleviating fears, anxiety, and even guilt allows for change even when it was initially resisted.

Without finding a way to counteract tradition there will not be any change in the mindset of our current leaders. There is the mentality among some that there is only on way to provide quality higher education and no amount of research will convince them otherwise. Perhaps the time has come to look at bringing in leaders who are more open to these types of change.

The Author’s Strategy for this Change

This author’s strategy for bringing about this change is to continue to attempt to build a consensus of people from within AGS that will promote this change at all levels within the organization. One needs to encourage traditional minded people to do some reading on online learning and perhaps take or facilitate an online course to get a true picture of its effects.

This author also plans to attempt to continue to move upward in the organization and attempt to influence this change as he move along that path. This author is not obsessed with positional power but it seems to be the only way to influence major change within this organization.

This author will also look to influence the outcomes of what seem to be small details. Maybe this author can influence the director of the bachelors programs to allow him to use textbooks that offer higher quality learning opportunities to online students as opposed to being forced to use identical resources. This author will work to persuade the director through research to not allow a service department to mandate what resources will be selected for students.

The Influence of Thomas Peters

Over the past several months this author has been reading after Thomas Peters which has only added to the sense of frustration about matrixed organizations. Peters and Waterman (1982) note that the matrix system has run into continuous trouble primarily due to complexity. The matrix as a form of organizational structure leaves most scratching their heads trying to figure out their reporting structure. 

Peters and Waterman (1982) also list eight attributes that seem to make up most successful organizations. These include finding what is needed and getting on with it, staying close to the customer, encouraging innovation, understanding that productivity comes through people, values driven, stick to what you know best, simple organizational form, and remaining committed to core values but allowing autonomy within those values. These attributes seem to be missing in one degree or another throughout our organization.

IWU as an organization is adding layers of staff. This flies in the face of the writing of Peters and Austin (1885) who note that the way to improved organizations is to reduce layers. As the layers accumulate, the distance between the top and the bottom of an organization also increases, contributing to the level of frustration and a feeling of not being heard.

Peters (1987) notes that truly effective change leaders always lead from the front. At this point the leaders of IWU are rarely seen and even more rarely heard from except thorough word of mouth. There is very little dialogue with those below in the organization in order to seek feedback or perhaps even innovative ideas. Instead, a culture of fear has begun to permeate the organization which is becoming paralyzing.

References

(Hersey P Blanchard K H Johnson D E 2001 Management of organizational change: Leading human resources)Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H., & Johnson, D. E. (2001). Management of organizational change: Leading human resources (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc.

(Peters T 1987 Thriving on chaos: Handbook for a management revolution)Peters, T. (1987). Thriving on chaos: Handbook for a management revolution. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

(Peters T Austin N 1885 passion for excellence: the leadership difference)Peters, T., & Austin, N. (1985). A passion for excellence: The leadership difference. New York: Random House.

(Peters T J Waterman R H 1982 In search of excellence)Peters, T. J., & Waterman, R. H. (1982). In search of excellence. New York: Harper & Row.

(Schein E H 1999 corporate culture survival guide)Schein, E. H. (1999). The corporate culture survival guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc.