ManagingStrategicChange

Thefollowingplanoutlinesamethodsforcreatinganenvironmentofstrategicchange
atChemeketaCommunityCollege.It
isbaseduponthenineguidelinesforchangeasoutlined
byLindaMacRaeCampbell,M.A.,inherchapter,FacilitatingChangeinOurSchools.

DescriptionoftheOrganization
ChemeketaCommunityCollege,isatwoyear,publiccollegethatoffersAssociate
DegreesandCertificates.ThecollegesmaincampusislocatedinSalem,Oregonandservesa
tricountyareaofMarion,PolkandYamhillCounties.Chemeketaisthesecondlargest
communitycollegeinthestateofOregonandoffersthemostcomprehensiveonlineprogram
amongthe17communitycollegesinthestate.
Chemeketaoffersamixofgeneraleducationcoursesthataretransferabletoa
fouryearuniversity,andalsoprovidesabroadrangeofCareerandTechnicalEducationin
healthsciences,emergencyservices,agriculture,andindustrialtechnology.
ManyofthestudentsatChemeketaarefirstgenerationcollegestudents,andthesecond
largestpopulationarehispanicstudents;currentlyat23%ofthestudentbody.Oneofthe
collegescorethemesis:

StudentSuccess

Studentsprogressandcompletetheireducational
goals

GuidelinesforChange
Guideline1:Identifyanewmissionoraneedforreformwithintheschool
ChangeNeeded:
Encouragestudent,selfreflectiononlearning,presentationoflearning
achievementsandopportunitiesforfeedbackfrompeersandinstructors.
ProfessionalDevelopment:
ImplementstudentePortfoliosattheclassroomlevel.

Guideline2:Seeksupportforeducationalchange
Initialsupportforthischangewillcomebyworkingwithindividualinstructorswithinthe
college.Apresentationabout
ePortfolios
willbedeliveredatafacultyretreat,toelicitinterest
andcrossdisciplinediscussionamonginstructors.TheimplementationofePortfolioswilloccur
throughagrassrootseffortwithaninstructionaldesignfacultyworkingalongsideanteaching
facultytodeveloplearningoutcomesandintegrationintocurriculumwithinaspecificcourse.
Example
:FourChemeketafaculty,invariousdisciplines,havebeenidentifiedas
potentialparticipantsinanePortfolioprogram.Eachinstructorwillpromotestudent
selfreflectionoflearning,andinadditionhaveidentifiedareasofusewithintheirdiscipline.
ThecourseanddisciplinealongwithadditionalmethodforePortfoliouseinclude:
1. StudySkills(SSP112)increasingtechnologyskillsandpromotinglifelonglearning
amongstudents.
2. Communications(COM219)documentingservicelearningprojectsandpresenting
groupwork.
3. EarlyChildhoodEducation(ECE262)presentingstudentworkinanelectronicformatto
meetstatelicensurerequirements.

4. Education(ED235)developingtechnologyskillsforfutureeducatorsinaneducational
technologycourse,andpresentingstudentworkinanelectronicformattomeetstate
licensurerequirements.
DevelopingpartnershipswithotherOregoncommunitycolleges,willbeanmeansof
fosteringadditionaladvocatesforanePortfolioprogram.IdentifyinghowePortfoliosareused
atsimilarinstitutions,andbuildinganetworkofpeerstodrawexpertisefrom,willbean
additionalsupportmechanismforChemeketafaculty.

Guideline3:Createandcommunicateamodelofthechangeeffort
Instructorswillbegintheprocessofchangewithintheircoursesbydeterminingshort
range(term)andlongrangegoals(academicyearandbeyond)aroundimplementationof
ePortfolios.Instructorswillbeencouragedtoconsidersimple,yetwelldefinedgoalsthatcan
buildonsuccessandbringaboutsmallwinsforthemandtheirstudents.
ContinualevaluationaroundtheuseofePortfolioswithineachcoursewillbeconsidered
andplannedfor.Acycleforevaluationwillinclude:1)Preevaluationofstudentknowledgeof
ePortfolios,atthestartofacourse.2)Formativeevaluationduringthecoursetogaugestudent
understandingofselfreflectionoflearning,andcreationofartifacts.3)Summativeevaluation
thatdetermineseffectivestudentdevelopmentofePortfolios,levelofstudentsatisfactionin
creationofePortfolios,andlevelofstudentengagementintheprocess.Selectedstudentswill
beinvitedtosharetestimonialsandpersonalexperiencesaroundthedevelopingePortfolios
andtheirimpactonlearning.

Guideline4:Secureneededresources

Multipleresourceshavebeenidentifiedtosupportthischange.Instructionaldesign
facultymemberswithinChemeketaOnline,theeLearningandAcademicTechnology
Department,willbeavailabletoworkwithteachingfacultyinthedevelopmentofshortand
longrangegoals,identifyingcurriculumchanges,presentationstostudentsaboutePortfolios,
andtrainingonuseofsoftwareandtoolsforcreatingePortfolios.
Financialsupportwillbeavailabletoinstructorsthroughaseriesofminigrantsoffered
bytheTechHub,thefacultydevelopmentportionofChemeketaOnline.
InnovationGrants
will
beavailableintwoforms:1)Explorationand2)Implementation,andwillprovidemonetary
supportforprofessionaldevelopment,facultydevelopmenttime,softwareacquisition,and
additionalresearch.Thecycleforgrantapplicationisongoingandwillallowteachingfacultythe
optiontoapplyatanytimeduringanacademicyear.

Guideline5:Acknowledgetheemotionalreactiontochange
OnewaytoavoidanegativeaspecttochangeisthroughimplementationofePortfolios
onanindividualbasis.Byprovidingaconceptualframeworkforuse,andthenallowing
instructorstheopportunitytoscaffoldimplementationandevaluatebenefitstolearning,can
createasupportiveandsafeenvironmentuponwhichfacultytoembracechange.
ForePortfolioimplementationataprogramlevel,priorplanningamongallfacultyand
programchairshouldbeconductedtosecurebuyinfromallstakeholdersandidentify
resources,areasofresistancetochange,solutions,anddesignaterolesandresponsibilitiesin
theprocess.
Byprovidinginstructionaldesignsupportandtraining,instructorswillhaveafoundation
tobuilduponastheydevelopaplanforimplementation.Identifyingandacknowledgingthe

cycleofemotionalreactiontochange,asoutlinedbyConnorandKelly,willnormalize
associatedfeelingsthatinstructorsmighthaveduringtheprocess.
(Table1)

Guideline6:Anticipaterestructuringproblemsandidentifyproblemsolving
skills
Thedevelopmentofactiveandeffectiveproblemsolvingmethodswillbecriticaltoa
successfulchange.OnceinstructorhaveselfidentifiedtheuseofePortfolios,aplanshouldbe
developedbytheinstructionaldesignsupportfacultyforregular,andfrequentcheckinperiods
withteachingfacultytoinquireaboutsuccessestodate,identifiedchallenges,andareasof
supportneededtoprogress.Theinstructionaldesignfacultyshouldplantoworkwithteaching
facultytoidentifysolutionstoproblems,andoutlineadditionalresourcesthefacultycanutilize.

Guideline7:Sharetheleadership
AccordingtoCampbell,Forwidespreadchangetotakehold,itisnecessarytoshare
controloftheprojectandtoworkcollaborativelywithothers.
OngoingprofessionaldevelopmentandtrainingaroundtheuseofePortfolioswillbe
providedtoencourageChemeketafacultytofindwaystoimplementthemintheirown
courses.Additionalpresentationswillbeprovidedtodisciplinedeans,directors,andprogram
chairsabouttheadoptionofePortfoliosataprogramlevel.
PaneldiscussionsandbrownbagsessionswillbeprovidedthroughtheTeachingand
LearningdepartmenttoallowfacultywhohaveadoptedePortfoliostosharetheirexperiences,
lessonslearnedandfostercrossdisciplinediscussion.

Guideline8:Anchortheinnovationasquicklyaspossibletoclassroompractice

BestpracticeencouragesinstructorstobuildePortfoliosintocurriculumasweekly
assignments.Uponadoptionofeportfoliosinstructorswillbeencouraged,torevisetheir
curriculumandredefinelearningoutcomestoreflecttheiruse,andinstructionaldesignhelp
willbeprovidedtoassistfacultythroughthisprocess.

Guideline9:Embedtherenewaleffortandprocessintoorganizationalpractice
AsadoptionofePortfoliosoccurswithincourses,aprocessofselfreflectionand
evaluation,shouldbeongoingbythefacultymember.Facultyareencouragedtoidentify
lessonslearned,noteanychallengesandsubsequentsolutions,alongwithreviewingand
revisinglearningobjectivesandalignmentwithprogramoutcomes.
Facultyarealsoencouragedtosharetheirexperiences,andrelatebenefitsoflearning,
withcolleaguesandadministratorsthroughoutthecollege,andserveasmentorsforthose
wishingtoimplementePortfoliosintheirowncourses.
IfePortfoliosarethoughtofasalearningframeworkandnotatechnologysolution,
facultywhoarenormallyresistanttochangeswithtechnology,aremorelikelytoengageina
cultureofchangeandultimatelycanpromotestudentsuccess.

AdditionalMaterials
Table1EmotionalCycleofChange(KellyandConnor)

1. Uninformedoptimism
isthehoneymoonphaseoftheprojectandprovidesthe
energyandenthusiasmtobegintherestructuringeffort.
2. Informedpessimism
ensueswhenunexpectedproblemsareencountered,the
resistanceofothersrearsup,andmoraledrops.Thisisadangerousstageofthe
emotionalcycle,andmanychangeeffortsareabandonedduringthisphase.For

thoseprojectsthatcontinue,thethreeremainingthreestagesinclude:
3. Hopefulrealism
whenitisevidentthatsomeeffortswillsucceedinspiteofthe
obstacles;
4. Informedoptimism
whichemergeswhenconfidenceisrestoredasthingsmove
ahead,and
5. Asenseofrewardingcompletion
whichisexperiencedbythoseinvolvedinthe
changeeffortastheyseeconcreteresultsoftheirwork.

Reference
Dickinson,D.(1991).
Creatingthefuture:Perspectivesoneducationalchange
.Accelerated
LearningSystems,Limited.
Kelley,D.,&Connor,D.R.(1979).Theemotionalcycleofchange.
The1979AnnualHandbook
forGroupFacilitators
.