This book hopes to change the nature of the conversation about higher education from critiques to focusing on efforts of systematic improvement in undergraduate education. Changing the Conversation about Higher Education establishes a culture of experimentation and evidence for undergraduate education through undertaking teaching and learning experiments at 13 universities. This book discusses the contributions and findings from these experiments and is intended for academic administrators, faculty, and graduate students who are interested in improving undergraduate teaching and learning. The experiments are directed at two core aims of a liberal education: critical thinking and writing. The book is structured to address the issues of vision, structure, and cultural transformation that are of specific interest to academic administrators and the promising practices and issues of identity and support that are concerns of faculty and graduate students.

Transformative leadership emerges as the beacon guiding P-12 schools and higher education institutions through the intricacies of necessary change. Leaders must confront the perennial challenges faced by educational institutions head-on, equipped with an array of innovative strategies and a commitment to fostering equitable practices, from addressing inclusion, diversity, and belonging to navigating the complex terrain of school change. In Transformative Leadership and Change Initiative Implementation for P-12 and Higher Education, the echoes of Heraclitus's wisdom reverberate, reminding educational leaders that the only constant is change. This book delves into the core of transformative strategies employed by thought leaders across the educational spectrum, from P-12 schools to university corridors. Guided by transformative leadership principles, this book traverses the intricate tapestry of topics such as technology integration, educational entrepreneurship, and global citizenship, providing a roadmap for leaders to navigate the complexities of the modern educational landscape. The emphasis on social-emotional leadership and learning underscores the importance of nurturing the holistic development of students, ensuring they thrive both academically and emotionally.

It's time to design the next iteration of higher education. There is no question that higher education faces significant challenges. Most of today's universities aren't prepared to tackle issues like demographic change, the continued defunding of public education, cost pressures, and the opportunities and challenges of educational technologies. Then, of course, there is the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, which will reverberate for years and may very well usher higher education into an era of significant structural change. Some critics argue that a premium should be placed on change functions—that is to say, on creativity, innovation, organizational learning, and change management. Yet few institutions of higher education have functions focused on thoughtful, iterative problem-solving and opportunity identification. The authors of Design for Change in Higher Education argue that we must imagine and actively make our way to new institutional forms. They assert that design—a practical art that is conceptually rich and visible in its concreteness—must become a core internal competency of the university. They propose one grounded in the practical experiences of a specific educational design organization: Michigan State University's Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology, which all three authors have helped to run. The Hub was created to address issues of participation, impact, and scale in moving learning innovations from the individual to the collective and from the classroom to the institution. Framing each chapter around a case study of design practice in higher education, the book uses that case study as the foundation on which to build design theory for higher education. It is complemented by an online playbook featuring tactics that can be used and adapted by others interested in facilitating their own design work. Touching on learning experience design (LXD) as an increasingly critical practice, the authors also develop a constructivist view of designing conversations. A playbook that grounds theory in practice, Design for Change in Higher Education is aimed at faculty, staff, and students engaged in the important work of imagining new forms of education.

This is a different kind of book: a call for courageous conversations focusing on nine taboo subjects that bedevil higher education. For nearly a decade, distinguished scholars Lori Carrell and Robert Zemsky have been having frank conversations with each other—and with colleagues and friends—about the state of higher education. In Communicate for a Change, they bring together nine of their most insightful conversations to explore difficult questions that today's administrators, trustees, and faculty members too frequently avoid. Why, Carrell and Zemsky ask, is it so hard to talk about the mess that higher education is in? And how can we refocus the conversation on what really matters, grappling with taboo subjects in a way that helps to revitalize higher education from the inside out? Grounded in the real, as opposed to the rhetorical, importance of community in making change, these revealing conversations also explore • why the public no longer sees faculty as heroes and experts • how to overcome the academy's fondness for slogans • how money talks • why curricular change doesn't (usually) happen • the students we hardly know and how we might come to know them better • how to constructively approach differences of race and gender • and much more A golden thread weaves its way through the book, revealing the premise that rich, honest talk can generate trust, connection, and fresh ideas for revolutionary change. Carrell, the chancellor of the University of Minnesota Rochester, is by both training and instinct a testifier. Learning for her is tangible, a product of truly getting dirty, sorting through the muck of conflict as well as connection. Zemsky, on the other hand, is a provocateur who pushes an argument as a means to explore differences and conflicts. Both are natural storytellers. Their conversations are enriched by the contributions of a host of higher education experts and leaders. Breaking new ground in terms of both its subject matter and its format, Communicate for a Change is an accessible and engaging catalyst that will kick-start subsequent deliberations.

This book highlights the importance of academic staff having focused conversations about teaching. The emphasis is on using this approach to build individual and team capacity and to bring about institutional change. It emphasises the distributed nature of expertise in teaching which exists at all levels in universities and how conversation can be harnessed to develop and share this. Drawing on research related to dialogue, coaching, communities of practice and building learning organisations, the text identifies simple yet effective ways to engage in learning conversations, develop educational practice, and achieve institutional goals. Critical Practice in Higher Education provides a scholarly and practical entry point for academics into key areas of higher education practice. Each book in the series explores an individual topic in depth, providing an overview in relation to current thinking and practice, informed by recent research. The series will be of interest to those engaged in the study of higher education, those involved in leading learning and teaching or working in academic development, and individuals seeking to explore particular topics of professional interest. Through critical engagement, this series aims to promote an expanded notion of being an academic – connecting research, teaching, scholarship, community engagement and leadership – while developing confidence and authority.

Drawing on the current research base on the management of change, this book analyzes the key features in planning, delivery and monitoring the impact of planned change initiatives in higher education. Comparing and contrasting the findings of twenty-five action research high level corporate change management projects, the initiatives discussed include: the introduction of Kaplan and Norton’s ‘Balanced Scorecard’ approach, resulting in strategic mapping at all levels a major cultural shift programme to bring about globalisation of all aspects of the university, taking account the perspectives as to how this should be achieved the introduction of a mentoring scheme to promote diversity and equality and greater understanding and support of black and ethnic minority staff. Filled with practical lessons for leadership and change in higher education, this book raises awareness as to how to tackle topical issues and effectively lead universities through major change. With expert commentary and feedback from the stakeholders involved at each institution, Strategic Leadership of Change in Higher Education is essential reading for all those taking on leadership and management positions in higher education.

This edited book provides international insights and recommendations around topics of gender and diversity in higher education linking to larger societal goals of improving equality. Within each of the four sections – Student recruitment and retention, Student experience, Faculty and staff experiences and culture, and Higher education cultures of teaching and research – topics unpack and speak to gender and diversity, equity, inclusion and access, social justice, and leadership and sustainability in higher education institutions (HEIs). Incorporating innovative processes and methods, the researchers address how the experiences of groups who have been subordinated and marginalized can be heard, proposing a re-imagination of empowerment and leadership within higher education and best practices for the benefit of ongoing higher education development. This book is ideal reading for higher education leaders, students on higher education courses, leadership courses, gender in education, as well as researchers, practitioners, for topics of gender and diversity, equity, inclusion and access, social justice, leadership and sustainability in HEIs.

America is being held back by the quality and quantity of learning in college. Many graduates cannot think critically, write effectively, solve problems, understand complex issues, or meet employers' expectations. The only solution - making learning the highest priority in college - demands fundamental change throughout higher education.

Drawing on international case studies, this book explores the theory and practice of the everyday reality of change to promote learning and teaching in universities.

Based on a series of public lecturers sponsored by the Smithsonian Associates and the National Communication Association, this book provides insight into concerns that conversation is changing in negative ways in the United States, both on an interpersonal level and on a national level.