Institutional Transformation Reflected: Engagement in Sense-Making and Organizational Learning in Florida's Developmental Education Reform

• In Event: Navigating Change Across Institutional Contexts From Different Perspectives

Abstract

We explore institutional transformation in higher education in the context of a large-scale reform of developmental education in Florida. We use statewide survey data to examine lead administrators’ perceptions of the types of challenges encountered by colleges during the planning process, ways in which colleges engaged in sensemaking and organizational learning, and perceptions of the institutional transformation processes and outcomes following the developmental education reform. We find that institutions engaged in numerous different types of sensemaking and organizational learning practices to promote change. We also find that despite different approaches taken to the institutional transformation process, almost all respondents reported that the change process was highly collaborative and involved a broad range of stakeholders at their institutions.

Authors

• Christine Mokher, Florida State University

• Hayley Spencer, Florida State University

• Toby Park-Gaghan, Florida State University

• Xinye Hu, Florida State University

• Shouping Hu, Florida State University