Research consistently supports the need to align leadership approaches with the unique needs of faculty, staff and students to achieve success. But,according to the National Student Clearinghouse, universities and colleges face challenges on a much larger scale.
Post-secondary enrollment is over a million students below pre-pandemic levels
The number of students dropping out before completing a degree rose to over 40 million
Only 3.6 million college and university students graduated last year, a four-year low
Leaders in higher education are now tasked with improving these poor outcomes while undergoing significant changes to keep pace in a transforming landscape—from incorporating remote learning opportunities to integrating new technologies.According to EDUCAUSE, a third of surveyed institutions increased their central IT operating expenditure by over 30% between 2022 and 2023.
In this context, it’s clear that the leaders in higher education need to expand their focus to embrace a systemicchange management approachthat allows for more.
What it Means to Be an Effective Leader in the Changing Higher Education Landscape
Leaders in higher education are as diverse and multifaceted as the institutions they represent. The context of their work is equally dynamic—institutional leaders navigate a landscape of entrenched traditions, cultural change, and the relentless tide of technological innovation.
Key academic leaders, such as university presidents, provosts, deans and department chairs, are the primary sponsors of change in higher education—not to mention key C-suite stakeholders across finance, human resources, IT and academic departments. These leaders authorize major transformations and also play a major role in helping their institution realize the desired benefits of a digital transformation or policy overhaul.
Specifically, these academic leaders help coordinate the change effort from a high level, engaging constantly with project and people leaders across academic and administrative departments.
It’s crucial to remember that key stakeholders—including students, faculty, administrative staff and well-funded academics—also play an important role during times of change. While these individuals may not be the initiators of change, some are critical influencers during change, and all of them need to adopt the change for it to be successful.
Unfortunately, there are many challenges facing both the primary sponsors and key change agents in academia as these institutions try to keep up with the changing education landscape.
The Challenges of Leading Change in Academia
The unique culture of higher education makes the change process arduous. Unlike organizations in the business world, university and college leaders must contend with a range of unique attributes while trying to implement new policies, initiatives or infrastructure changes.
Those leading or sponsoring change initiatives in higher education often come up against many of the following issues:
Decentralized decision-making – Complex and layered governance can slow decision-making and dilute accountability. Faculty governance means deans and department chairs can have high power and autonomy.
Entrenched culture – Many leading academic institutions have been around for centuries, creating deeply rooted traditions and highly esteemed values. Furthermore, tenured faculty can often be more resistant to change than non-tenured counterparts.
Varied interests and capacity – There can be large disparities between departments regarding priorities, budgets and values. For instance, business, engineering and medical schools often have more financial resources and sway than other schools and institutes.
Multiple bottom lines – Return on Investment (ROI) is defined differently in the higher education context, especially with public funding. These institutions have the typical financial goals of large organizations but also prioritize non-financial outcomes like retention, graduation rates, growth in sponsored research, faculty recruitment/retention, faculty recognition and national rankings. The multiple stakeholders beyond students and faculty vying to influence leadership goals and decision-making can be overwhelming—e.g., alums, donors, city/state lawmakers, federal regulators, federal grant agencies, and accreditors.
Reputational damage – Many universities and colleges prioritize maintaining a strong reputation in academia and the public eye. Key stakeholders may resist significant change if they believe that failure to achieve outcomes will negatively impact that reputation.
Increased risk of losing talent – With higher education’s unique factors of tenured faculty, entrenched culture and extreme decentralization, poorly managed change efforts are more likely to lead to loss of valuable talent in key areas throughout the university.
These issues all contribute to the dismal state of change in higher education, where over 70% of large-scale initiatives fail to achieve desired outcomes. So, how can universities and colleges enact successful change in an environment where governance structures and cultures are so resistant to change?
Empowering Higher Education Leaders to Enact Change
The sheer variation in governance structures, leadership roles, and levels of autonomy interacting in academia precludes using a one-size-fits-all change management approach. It requires a structured, flexible approach to managing the change and a nuanced understanding of the institution's culture, the specific change and those impacted.
With 25 years of applied research in organizational change, Prosci has developed a framework that adapts and scales to the needs of these complex organizations and their leaders. In that time, our team has collected over two decades of longitudinal research on the dynamics of change within large institutions.
Here are three of the biggest findings observed over this time:
1. Active and visible sponsorship is the number one contributor to successful change management
Since 1998, one factor has led the way in Prosci benchmarking reports in terms of the biggest contributor to change management success—primary sponsorship.
These individuals ultimately sign off on investment in change and, while they may not lead the initiative directly, play an indispensable role in determining its outcome through active and visible promotion. Our research shows that primary sponsors who follow the ABCs of sponsorship—active and visible participation, building a coalition of sponsorship, and communicating support—strongly correlate with achieved outcomes.
2. The use of a structured change management approach is the second strongest predictor of successful change
Outside of effective primary sponsorship, there’s no more important contributor to successful organizational change than a structured change management approach.
Researchers, industry experts and consultants have developed methodologies, often based on change theory, that can be flexibly applied across different organizational contexts—even those as complex as higher education. Prominent examples include Kurt Lewin’s change model, Kotter’s 8-Step Change Process, and the Prosci ADKAR® Model.
Prosci research shows that organizations that apply effective change management are seven times more likely to meet or exceed objectives.
3. Middle management is the leading employee cohort in terms of resistance to change
Prosci research consistently points to middle managers as the most resistant to change within the organization. This resistance can culminate in technical system changes, an emotional reaction to a changing power structure, and other technical and human factors. Considering middle managers are the connective tissue between the upper level of a company and its front-line workers, overcoming this resistance is vital.
Over time, we’ve also discovered and tested a range of solutions for overcoming resistance to change within this central tier of the organization.
The Prosci Methodology
The Prosci Change Management Methodology stands at the forefront of enabling organizations, including higher education institutions, to navigate the complexities of change with a structured and practical approach. At the core of the Prosci Methodology and models is the understanding that successful change isn’t just about the technical solution being implemented but also about the people involved and being impacted.
Here are the structured, scalable and adaptable approaches Prosci takes to driving organizational change:
PCT Model – The Prosci Project Change Triangle (PCT) Model is a framework that highlights these four critical aspects of successful change efforts:
Leadership/sponsorship
Project management
Change management
A shared definition of success
This model underscores the importance of a shared definition of success across these areas. In higher education, leaders need to actively sponsor and support change initiatives, aligning them with the institution's strategic goals and managing the people side of change.
ADKAR Model – The Prosci ADKAR Model is a goal-oriented tool that guides individual and organizational change through five key outcomes:
Awareness of the need for change
Desire to participate and support the change
Knowledge of how to change
Ability to implement required skills and behaviors
Reinforcement to sustain the change
This model is handy for leaders in higher education, as it helps them understand and address the individual change journey their faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders experience.
Prosci 3-Phase Process – The Prosci 3-Phase Process is a structured yet adaptable framework designed to guide organizations through successful change management. It divides the change process into three key phases:
Phase 1 – Prepare Approach – This phase involves defining the change strategy, preparing the change management team and developing the sponsorship model.
Phase 2 – Manage Change – During this phase, the team develops and implements plans for communication, sponsor activities, training, coaching and resistance management.
Phase 3 – Sustain Outcomes – The final phase focuses on collecting and analyzing feedback, diagnosing gaps, managing resistance, and implementing corrective actions and recognition.
The PCT Model, ADKAR Model, and 3-Phase Process complement each other to create change. It's particularly relevant in higher education, where institutional challenges and governance structures greatly influence the success of change initiatives.
Prosci Drives Change at Leading Institutions
The Prosci Methodology has guided prestigious institutions like Texas A&M and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) through significant change initiatives, demonstrating the power of adaptive leadership and strategic change management.
Texas A&M University (TAMU)
The Texas A&M University System needed to overhaul its 35-year-old legacy payroll system to a cloud-based version—a process that would impact 200,000 students, faculty and retirees across numerous organizations. In addition to the technical challenges this represented, the project leader faced long review cycles, a lack of alignment on the ideal solution and a decentralized process for determining finances. What appeared to be a technical process was a change that affected every level of the university ecosystem's operations.
The Prosci team stepped in to facilitate this transition, recognizing the need for a leadership approach that was directive, inclusive and repeatable. Using the Prosci 3-Phase Process and ADKAR Model to guide the process, Prosci helped TAMU’s Executive Director of Project Management with the following:
Identification of the over 10,000 stakeholders most impacted by the project and an assessment of their leadership styles and training needs.
Proactive management of likely areas of resistance, including repeated communication of upcoming changes and access to technical coaching.
Strengthening ties between the A&M System sponsors and the Chief HR and Financial Officers from each university and agency through an Executive Advisory Committee (EAC).
Application of the ADKAR Model to create training curriculum and eLearning modules for full-time employees, HR liaisons and managers.
Facilitate collaboration between the EAC and key change agents in middle management to develop a communications plan that resonates with all impacted parties.
Read the full case study for a closer look at how TAMU’s $4.5-billion higher education network successfully navigated change in a complex, decentralized environment.
University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
UCSD, a top-15 research university worldwide, needed to change numerous processes and systems to create a more collaborative cross-discipline environment. This plan would impact all aspects of the campus. University leadership knew that a comprehensive change management plan was required to ensure that the tens of thousands affected by the transition would receive support throughout. This required a balance of leadership styles, blending democratic and transformational approaches to engage a diverse academic community.
UC San Diego partnered with Prosci to speed up the transition process and leverage our decades of experience enacting complex change. Working closely with the Staff Education and Development team, Prosci helped drive change in the following ways:
Facilitating award-winning development days that empowered 90% of the 500 attendees with new knowledge and tools
Building off the success of development days by promoting and regularly hosting change management training and services on campus
Augmenting change management training with smaller-scale webinars based on pressing issues like resistance to change and sponsor engagement
UCSD's initiative led to a more change-capable organization, where the principles of change management became embedded in the university's culture, paving the way for ongoing and future transformations.
Read the full case study to see how Prosci helped UC San Diego empower key leaders to embed change management materials throughout their campus and foster a pro-change environment.
Training and Supporting Key Change Agents in Higher Education
Prosci empowers leaders in various organizational contexts, including higher education, to drive and manage change effectively. Prosci has been applying research on best practices in change management for over 25 years, and we base our structured methodology and analytic tools on that research.
With decades of experience, Prosci offers comprehensive enterprise training and supportive advisory services tailored to meet the unique challenges and dynamics of leading institutions like Texas A&M and UCSD. These resources are invaluable for institutions seeking to foster transformational leadership and successfully navigate the complexities of change.
To explore how Prosci can assist your institution in harnessing effective leadership for change management, visit the Enterprise Training and Advisory Services pages for more information and guidance.
Prosci
As the global leader in change management, Prosci helps organizations turn complex change into something people understand—so they can act with confidence and deliver results. Built on more than 30 years of research, Prosci partners with enterprises to scale change, enable adoption, and realize outcomes across complex transformations, including ERP and AI. Our work brings clarity and structure to change, helping leaders move from strategy to action and ensure results endure. That’s what change done right looks like.
Organizations must embrace change consistently to stay competitive and achieve long-term success. While incremental or small-scale change is inevitable, transformational change completely reshapes the totality of the organization. To transform your organization effectively, you need a structured approach that engages employees, minimizes resistance, and facilitates the transition. Flexible yet comprehensive frameworks, like the Prosci Methodology, simplify the journey and make transformational change attainable. In this article, we’ll explain transformational change and its benefits, provide transformational change examples, and cover implementing large-scale changes so your organization can unlock greater adaptability and help employees navigate change effectively. What is Transformational Change? When a company’s operations undergo a significant shift involving a change in strategy, structure or organizational processes, it’s experiencing transformational change. This type of change requires a fundamental rethinking at every level, which then extends to interrelated areas like culture, technology and leadership. Transformational change often occurs in response to market shifts, technological advancements, or changes in consumer behavior. We also see transformational change triggered globally in response to emergencies. For example, the pandemic forced companies to abruptly shutter their offices and switch workforce operations to remote work to ensure business continuity. According to research, 58% of digital leaders said the pandemic accelerated their digital transformation and cloud efforts. Undergoing transformational change is challenging but worthwhile. And companies that embrace and implement it benefit in several ways. It helps them compete more effectively in changing markets, adapt to disruptive technologies, and meet customers’ needs. Transformational Change vs Incremental Change American inventor Charles F. Kettering once said: “The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.” However, not all progress is equal, and distinguishing between transformational and incremental change is essential to a successful implementation. Here are a few markers that differentiate the two: Transformational change entails large-scale and disruptive changes, like overhauling company culture or finding ways to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into the business. In contrast, incremental change comprises smaller adjustments to refine and improve existing practices, like process optimization. Due to the scope of its impact, transformational change requires more planning and organizational resources. For example, a company might completely overhaul its product line in response to market pressures. Incremental change tackles smaller issues and doesn’t require as many organizational resources. For example, a company might improve its internal processes with targeted standard operating procedures (SOPs) over time and as issues arise. Despite these distinctions, both incremental and transformational change share a similarity: competitive pressures can trigger either (or both) kinds. So, whether change occurs through a complete overhaul or gradual improvements, it’s still the only way organizations can grow while remaining competitive—especially if they plan to make an impact with their product, service and vision. Benefits of Implementing Transformational Change Change entails moving to a future state. But the future is only as promising as present-day decisions and actions. Of course, drastic change affects people professionally and personally. Although some seem to adapt easily, others experience barriers due to uncertainty and other considerations. That’s why it’s important to factor in the people side of any change equation. In an organizational context, change management supports that “future state” transition by providing impacted employees with the tools and guidance they need to adopt change. Companies can achieve significant organizational benefits by implementing a transformational change management strategy and using frameworks like the Prosci Methodology. Key benefits of change management include: Strategic alignment – Transformational change helps organizations align their structure and processes to shifting market conditions. It also encourages innovation by fostering an environment where new ideas are welcomed and explored. Greater success potential – A structured approach to change management enables companies to drive faster adoption of changes leading to more success. Our research shows organizations that effectively manage change are 4.6 times more likely to stay on or ahead of schedule. Growth mindset – Transformational change drives a shift in organizational culture, promoting adaptability and a growth mindset among employees. Aligning personal goals with organizational objectives leads to more employee engagement. Increased agility – When you embrace transformational change, your organization becomes more adaptable, allowing you to respond quickly to evolving markets, customer needs and emerging technologies. Enhanced productivity – Organizations can eliminate inefficiencies and optimize operations by reevaluating and redesigning processes. These improvements can facilitate collaboration and foster a more productive and inclusive workplace. Foster skill development – Transformational change requires leaders to develop new skills and capabilities to guide the organization effectively. It also enables managers to adopt a coaching approach to interactions and assume a more supportive stance for a smoother transition. Transformational change offers plenty of benefits, but how an organization implements change matters just as much as the nature of change. Poorly managed change wastes valuable resources, disrupts operations, and affects employee productivity. To transform your company, you need a comprehensive change management strategy that engages and supports employees as they transition from their current to future state. Let’s look at how you can implement organization-wide transformational change. How to Implement Transformational Change With Organizational Change Management Research shows businesses that effectively apply change management strategies are seven times more likely to meet project objectives than those that don’t. Correlation of Change Management Effectiveness With Meeting Project Objectives Whether you want to implement a new technology or completely rehaul your product line, the success of a transformational change initiative starts with your people. Companies that understand this are more likely to achieve desired outcomes. Alan May, Chief Integration Officer, Talent and Culture at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, motions to this reality in his 2022 essay, "Driving Transformational Change, One Person at a Time," attesting that "[a] personal approach to implementing change is the key to transformational success.” The principles of organizational change management Lasting change in an organization starts with the right tools. The Prosci ADKAR® Model supports the people side of change by addressing individual needs—Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. The model is expertly designed to equip change managers who aim to help their professionals confidently navigate and adapt to changes. Here’s a look at each component of our ADKAR Model: Awareness of the need for change Desire to participate and support the change Knowledge on how to change Ability to implement required skills Reinforcement to sustain the change The power of our ADKAR Model rests in the fact that organizations don't change—people do. When change management strategies begin by focusing on supporting the people who must adopt and use a change in their work, they're empowered to drive success. This can help your company realize several organizational benefits, including: Improved organizational performance – Restructuring operations and helping people adapt to new changes leads organizations to improve overall performance significantly. Enhanced market position – Professionals equipped to handle change with proven frameworks and tools can better respond to market demands, develop new ways to create new product lines, or improve pre-existing offers. Stronger company culture – Supporting employees throughout change initiatives creates an environment where everyone can learn and develop their skills—without fear of judgment or ridicule. Higher employee engagement – Our research shows that employee engagement is among the top three contributors to change success. Involving your network throughout the process and communicating the need for change reduces employee resistance and improves employee well-being. Improved customer satisfaction – Through transformational change, organizations can create and implement customer-centric processes to respond faster to changing customer needs and improve satisfaction. Now, let’s look at the activities that form the foundation of organizational transformation. Key activities in an organizational change process Implementing organizational changes involves the following: Assess the need for change – Identify the reasons for change and articulate the vision and objectives. Conduct assessments like change readiness and impact analyses to understand the organization’s current state and capacity for change. Engage stakeholders – Identify key stakeholders, including sponsors, organizational managers, people managers and impacted employees. Involve them early to gain commitment and gather input for the change initiative. Develop needed plans – Develop needed change management plans, such as the Sponsor Plan, People Manager Plan, Communications Plan, Training Plan and others. The type and depth of plans required depend on the project initiatives and organizational goals. Implement change – Integrate change management and project management approaches for a smoother adoption journey. Monitor progress and adjust actions as needed to address resistance and ensure engagement. Reinforce and sustain change – Use reinforcement strategies to embed the change into the organizational culture. Evaluate the change initiative's success and make necessary adjustments to maintain outcomes. Transfer ownership – Ensure that the responsibility for maintaining the change is handed over to the appropriate organizational units or transformational leaders. Companies often fail to enable change because leaders focus their management approaches on the technical aspects of change instead of the people who will adopt and use it. But what good is a technical solution that people don't use? Because individuals remain the driving force behind successful transformational change, the Prosci Methodology offers a structured, people-centric approach comprised of three main components: Prosci Change Triangle (PCT) Model – A framework that helps change managers understand the four aspects of success change—Success, Leadership/Sponsorship, Project Management and Change Management. Prosci ADKAR Model – A simple yet powerful model that helps individuals successfully move through and adopt change. Prosci 3-Phase Process – A structured process that facilitates change at the organizational level. These areas connect and combine to help organizations successfully implement organization-wide transformational change and sustain its momentum by supporting professionals through their individual change journeys. Achieve Success With Transformational Change Transformational change is a necessity for organizations to stay ahead of the competition and position themselves for sustained success. However, success with many organizational changes depends on preparing and equipping the people who must use them in their work. The Prosci Methodology offers a structured, adaptable approach to change management, helping organizations support people, encourage adoption and usage, and grow stronger from change.
Change theory, a field in education that has evolved significantly over the past century, offers invaluable insights into the intricate process of implementing change at an individual and organizational level. Effectively applying these theories is a critical task for university executives—especially considering the digital advancements, innovative instructional practices, and changing market landscape these institutions face. Change theory is applied to improve all areas concerning teaching, such as: Developing personalized lesson plans that better address individual barriers and resistance to change Building change capacity so departments can efficiently adopt new teaching modalities Overhauling curricula so learning better prepares students for real-world application Adopting hybrid learning models to make up for the declining in-person enrollment However, despite the academic focus and strategic imperatives, leaders still need to work on applying change theory in alignment with their organizational goals. Worse, only 13% of higher education institutions invest in critical change initiatives like digital transformation. Today, we’ll look at change theory, how it’s applied across higher education, and how Prosci applies decades of change management expertise to enact change at these institutions. What Is Change Theory in Education? Change theory is a framework that leaders across higher education use to drive efficient change on an organizational level. It attempts to explain the factors that help and hinder people from adopting new processes and systems while outlining why change can sometimes fail. In higher education, change theory is particularly helpful as institutions work through pressing challenges: Meeting the learning needs of students in a digital era Updating critical components of digital infrastructure Match the shifting paradigms of academia and students Addressing resistance to change in the name of upholding tradition or protecting reputations Change theories applied in educational institutions emerged from work in several fields—such as psychology, sociology, organizational behavior and management science—and have evolved to focus on specific organizational issues. Researchers and funding agencies have recognized the need to understand how change occurs in unique environments like universities, colleges and teaching hospitals. A systematic review of evidence-based teaching practice can provide a solid foundation for understanding the change process. Now, let’s examine why having a change theory in education is so important. Addressing common objections and challenges Higher education is quickly changing. Universities and colleges deal with operational issues impacting the financial bottom line and student long-term outcomes. As fewer students enroll in or complete degree programs, the old ways are increasingly being questioned. Curriculum overhaul and remote learning options are viable solutions. However, these institutions still struggle to implement these changes due to resistance and other impediments to growth, like: Reluctance to alter established practices Fear of the unknown Concerns about the effectiveness of new initiatives Long implementation cycles Investment to train staff and faculty Measurement of change ROI EdTech company D2L states that 70% of higher education change initiatives fail to meet goals because of employee resistance and inadequate management support. Change theory is a proactive solution to resistance because it predicts all participant reactions to a new approach, including negative ones. To ensure the effective application of change theory, faculty heads, and organizational leaders must: Communicate "why and how" – Convey the purpose behind the change and the steps towards implementation. Equip teams – Provide training and resources to make staff receptive to change and help them navigate the process confidently. Foster collaboration – Create a participative environment where feedback is valued, encouraged and acted upon. Role-model the changes – Ensure that leaders provide a key example of institutional support for the change by adopting and applying new processes. This strategy helps everyone understand and prepare for change and encourages everyone to work together toward a common goal. Change Theory in Action—Examples in Education Now that you better understand change theory, let’s look at some prominent examples of change theory in action. Here are a few major university initiatives that applied change theory to improve student learning outcomes and other organizational challenges. The FIRST Project One notable example is the Faculty Institutes for Reforming Science Teaching (FIRST) Project. The FIRST Project aimed to improve undergraduate science education by engaging faculty members in a series of workshops designed to enhance their teaching methods and better address the needs of students. The project was grounded in the assumption that change must begin with the faculty at the forefront of education for change to be effective. By focusing on developing faculty teaching practices, the FIRST Project facilitated a shift towards more student-centered learning approaches, which improve student engagement and learning outcomes. This initiative is a prime example of change theory in action, where the change process starts by empowering key change agents—in this case, the faculty—and leads to a broader impact on the educational system. Departmental Action Teams Departmental Action Teams (DATs) are cross-functional teams composed of faculty, students and staff that work collaboratively to address specific issues within a department. DATs aim to create sustainable changes by building the change management capacity of key change agents within the organization. For instance, the University of Colorado at Boulder uses DATs to help improve student educational outcomes across various departments. By involving faculty and department heads, these DATs develop and implement changes that are more likely to be accepted and supported within the context of humanities, engineering or science departments, leading to lasting improvements in educational practices across the board. DATs are a great example of change theory applied in higher education. It’s a generalized approach that empowers specific departments within the larger institution in a contextual manner. Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE) The Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education (PULSE) initiative is a collaborative effort between higher education institutions responding to calls for significant improvements in undergraduate life science education. The PULSE initiative represents a concerted effort to transform life science education at colleges and universities across the United States. PULSE refers to its overall initiative as a “theory of change,” a strategic model applied at the program level in higher education settings. Theory of change differs in that it outlines the how and why behind a change while change theory focuses on its implementation. In the case of PULSE, the theory of change consists of the following components, which are implemented using change theory: Core capacities developed in each department Transformation strategies that new capacities would help implement Departmental changes that each transformation strategy would facilitate The collaboration of institutions under PULSE is focused on aligning life science education with the rapidly evolving field itself, ensuring that the curriculum is relevant and comprehensive. It prepares students for future challenges in research and various scientific fields. PULSE Theory of Change Moreover, PULSE's focus on implementing the recommendations of a national report highlights its strategic approach to change. This approach ensures that the changes made are: Evidence-based Targeted to specific outcomes Aligned with broader goals in life science education The initiative's success in driving change across numerous institutions demonstrates the power of collaborative efforts and strategic planning in enacting meaningful and sustainable improvements in education. A Template for Change in Higher Ed—The Prosci ADKAR Model The Prosci ADKAR® Model is an example of a change theory in action. It provides a structured framework for implementing change, focusing on the people involved, how they experience the change process, and the preconditions necessary for successful long-term change. Prosci ADKAR Model focuses on five key stages: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement. Prosci ADKAR Model ADKAR offers a flexible, adaptable approach change leaders can use to support people through unique changes within their unique institutions. For example, a college might apply the Prosci ADKAR Model to navigate resistance to change surrounding the rollout of a new eLearning program. This would include: Raising awareness among faculty about the need for eLearning to enable students and themselves to succeed in a digital future Fostering a desire for change by engaging with resistance and establishing a dialogue around solutions Providing the necessary training and resources to help faculty understand how to use the new program Enabling faculty and staff to demonstrate their ability to use the eLearning program in their courses Ensuring that there are mechanisms within the department to reinforce and sustain the new practices Considering D2L’s assertion that nearly three-quarters of universities and colleges struggle with resistance during major transitions, the Prosci ADKAR Model is an excellent application of change theory for higher education, especially as part of an organizational approach to managing change like the Prosci Methodology. Now, let’s look at how Prosci has helped some of the largest institutions in the country drive change. How Prosci Enacts Change in Higher Education As a recognized leader in change management solutions, Prosci has a track record of facilitating impactful change in higher education. Its research-based methodology, models and tools are built on decades of experience mastering the people side of change. The Prosci Methodology and training programs help organizations successfully adopt change and reap the intended benefits. The case studies below showcase the application of Prosci change theory across education: University of Virginia (UVA) As an institution with over 200 years of tradition and process, the University of Virginia (UVA) struggled with change fatigue and projects needing to meet outcomes. As a result, UVA embarked on an Organizational Excellence program and partnered with Prosci to enhance its capacity for change. Prosci training programs were utilized to train over 50 UVA staff members, equipping them with the skills to manage change effectively. Key outcomes from the partnership with Prosci included: A centralized project portfolio framework to ensure alignment across initiatives A significant increase in project ROI due to enhanced change capabilities The establishment of a common language for change, fostering better communication and collaboration Organizational Excellence Program Five years after the change training program was initiated, UVA had implemented hundreds of improvements while realizing annual savings of over $20 million. University of California, San Diego (UCSD) UCSD, aiming to embed change management practices throughout the organization, initiated a strategic plan to bring about campus-wide changes. The Prosci Methodology was chosen for its adaptability and effectiveness in large organizations. UCSD’s collaboration with Prosci led to: Large-group training sessions for awareness and role-specific change management The creation of various learning opportunities tailored to the needs of the institution Over 90% of the 500+ staff attendees found the tools and knowledge applicable to their roles A shared language for change among executives, managers and teams, leading to more people-centric planning and execution The change initiatives facilitated by Prosci at UCSD were so successful that the University of California administration explored applying the process across the entire network. Prosci Change Theory in Action for Higher Education Use Prosci-proven strategies to drive change efficiently in a university, college or other academic environment. Our empirically tested 3-Phase Process and the Prosci ADKAR Model help executives and change managers turn theory into action, with attention to the specifics of your educational context. Whether you need to improve student outcomes or implement a new ERP, Prosci helps meet your institutional goals. To see change theory in education come to life, visit our change management in higher education page, where you will learn how the Prosci Methodology and change theory help leading institutions nationwide.
