Change Management In Higher Education
Introduction
The purpose and heart of the assignment is to compile adequate research and show understanding in context of how to manage change in a diverse difficult yet competitive changing higher education environment in South Africa and how skilled leadership and management is essential and required. Change is generally a movement from current state, through transition state, to a future state. The causes of change might differ from technology, communication, general instability, mergers, reengineering, and institution’s growth or by institutional and market volatility. Change is sometimes tiresome, boring and costly to the institution but is also a necessity in the changing environment. An institution does not operate in a vacuum therefore this brings the need for change in the institutions of higher education.
Hence this essay tackles the way in which change can be managed in terms of the changing nature of the academic workforce, the changing value of higher education programs, the changing models of delivery in higher education, the changing size and shape of higher education and the changing meaning of autonomy and accountability. Change management will be analyzed in reference the five chosen aspect to how change can be managed in my institution of higher education, also be evaluated and as a postgraduate student use my own theory to argue, agree or disagree in my knowledge.
Chaffee (2013:5) a strategist and a woman in leadership and Governance an amazing quote or statement rather how “to improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often” therefore every change starts with an idea or a vision of what could happen to create a visible benefit for an institution, but ideas are not enough.
Change enables the transformation of that vision into reality that delivers the goals of an institution. It can be inferred that change occurs as a reaction to an ever-changing environment, a response to current situation, or is triggered by a leader. Last, Change is imperative therefore successful change is not merely a process of adjustment, but also requires sufficient managing capabilities also known as change management which is the focus of this essay.”
The present focus in the educational arena at higher institutional levels is change. Change involves risk and requires the creation of new systems. For an example, facing a broad set of challenges, university leaders are bringing change management to the forefront in higher education, mere example is technological change, this has brought massive change, in my institution, prior to my years of studying, submission was done manually but now change has occurred as technological applications such as e-learning (e.g. turn it-in) have emerged and brought change, to some students it brought challenges while for others it is just a walk in the park. Massive change is impacting higher institutions, creating new dimensions and great uncertainty and, the issues facing us today is how to manage such change. For example the high increase in the costs of universities is incredibly expensive. To justify this, Worley (2010:8) emphasizes how more and more students are taking courses online, bypassing the expensive non-academic expenses that most universities impose on their students.
The changing size and shape of higher education
“In the past 22 years our South African higher education landscape has gone through major changes in form, shape and size, and these all constitute and include the transformation and restructuring program of our higher education system(The Clute Institute, 2013:287). “Enrolments for example in scarce skills programs such as Science, Engineering and Technology, Business and Commerce have improved to begin to reflect the demographics. Although this was a challenge in my university, changes are that “an overall student enrolment within my institution of learning reflects massive growth and results, for example, Siphiwe Mazibuko, Risk Manager at Nedbank, is a proud Vaal University of Technology (VUT) alumnus. He started his first year in 2002 studying Internal Auditing Sciences and graduated with a Diploma in 2005. Previously this was not done as education in South Africa was always segregated along racial lines, and the apartheid system of social engineering ensured that the majority of non-whites were denied access to white institutions and education of quality. The higher education system in South Africa is in a stage of transformation, and will be, for the foreseeable future, under pressure to provide access and quality education for all the people of this country.
Furthermore, to manage change in a difficult and changing higher education environment, the good news is that change is noticeable and visible as there are a high number of graduates (African) within my institution this is a sign growing rapid change. With that being mentioned I highly agree that managing change requires solid leadership and skills in order” to facilitate student learning transfer knowledge, innovate and develop new ideas to manage change.”
Lastly, in this regard, the higher education system in South Africa is faced with many multi-dimensional challenges with size and shape such as, first-year students having difficulty in adapting to the university environment as they find themselves devoid of indispensable bases for the pursuit of their studies and the weakness of the level of education given at school level in a large number of instances.
Transitioning to higher learning can be great change and challenge, therefore in managing the changing value of university, I would introduce Schoology. Schoology is a learning management system higher education institution, and a corporation that allows users to create manage, and share content and resources for students as it is much more like electronic-learning.
The changing nature of higher education providers (private higher education)
Froneman (2012:35) higher education in South Africa is experience an unrelenting pressure to expand access opportunities to learners, but at the same time improving present educational quality without prospects of funding possibilities. This fundamental imbalance between funding, standards and enrolment for students is caused by multiple of reasons, for example overcrowded lecture rooms, unsatisfied and outdated curricula, poorly learning facilities.
This section of the essay focuses on how higher education specifically in the private HE takes a view of the changing nature of higher education providers, with that being mentioned just to give clarity and insight what private institutions entail of. According to Badat (2002:11) private higher education institutions are being those that fall under the control of private initiative and do not receive subsidies. The rise in private higher education in South Africa is a recent phenomenon. It has been emphasized that one of the key and enduring changing nature of higher education institutions throughout the centuries of their existence has been the ability to adapt to changing demands and contexts. This capacity has enabled higher education institutions to retain much of their distinguishing central features as institutions of knowledge and learning.
Higher education institutions subscribe to the highest principles of academic excellence great example would be how they hold academic standards and values in high esteem, including academic freedom, the pursuit of knowledge and scholarship which I highly agree with, for example the private higher education delivers a broad range of education. Many other private higher institutions generate knowledge and train people. Private institutions have lost their monopoly in respect of both teaching and research. Competition is increasing, and private higher education must therefore proceed to the most radical change and renewal for which it has ever been required to undertake. Private educational institutions in South Africa are not expanding and accommodating enough for the increasing number of students. Alternative ways of providing South African students access to Higher Education, e.g. by distance education, need to be fully exploited. That will ask for creating a culture of distance learning in South Africa in most private institutions and improving technology availability for and use by students. The application and use of information technology in education in South Africa has been severely under-utiliszed for years, but there has been tremendous increase in the use of information technology during the past few years.
I would manage the change by implementing an innovative thought such as distance education, this provides supplementary opportunities for learners to continue their education or a means of helping students learn new skills for changing work. The purposes of distance learning systems are particularly appropriate for those who cannot attend university classes physically, this will enable students to be proactive and carry on with school work regardless of them being physically active in class.
The changing character of student distribution and characteristics in higher education
Higher education is about students, about educating and socializing students, preparing them for the world of work, and about training students to become critical citizens as well as responsive professionals. This section on the essay maintains my agreement with the statement how students distribution shows that in South Africa’s public higher education system, overall greater race and gender equity was achieved as back in 1994 blacks/African students were segregated but now great changes are testified as more and more African students graduates.
Even though important inequities continue to exist, the improved race and gender balance is a major achievement post democracy. The dramatic change in the composition of the student body had far-reaching effects on student life and student culture on the campuses throughout the country.
In reviewing changes and trends, managing them I would implement sponsorship, locally and internationally for free education at my institution for the previously disadvantaged students. Create feeding schemes, for students who come from poor backgrounds this will also benefit all students as they will have the opportunity to further their education, go home with a full stomach and maintain a healthy lifestyles.
The changing models of delivery in higher education
New models of delivery are emerging in higher education, of which I totally agree with and excited about as a student whose wiling to further their future in the nearby would incredibly appreciate changing models of delivery in higher education especially e-learning applications that will enable me as a student to facilitate learning deviating the thought of physically attending school. For example, learning technology should be driven by learning outcomes and that learning technologies are a key mechanism for achieving transparency in the learning process.
With regard to technology and the pedagogical changes, I highly agree because it can enable, the policy formation versus educational practice innovation cycle is particularly critical. As technology-enabled education practice evolves, learning technologies are an evolving thing now therefore educational approaches enabled are among the tools that can be delivery models and spark innovative and educational strategies in higher education institutions.
How I would manage change in my institution, I would implement and propose the use of Massive open online courses, to create such an environment, the university will need a gigantic amount of money, re-strategize the institutions learning process so that students will adapt to the learning application (moocs).Learning technology requires capital investment. Developing courses, curricula, and degree programs mediated by learning technology takes time and money.
Higher education institutions to adopt technology and pedagogical innovations such as MOOCs as much as I would implement the e-learning application there is much to consider before implementation of change takes place because massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have recently made low or no-cost, the reality is that we are still some distance from ways to ensure quality in instructional delivery of assignments/test and exams, not forgetting credentialing using this resource.
The changing value of higher education programs (the rise of the economic science and the decline of the humanities
According to Jansen (2001:17) the declining numbers of graduates from the school system; this would impact on humanities faculties directly because the weaker students (with many exceptions, of course) tend to end in the 'soft disciplines'; with fewer students coming through to apply or register within the humanities faculty. While growing up attending high school I have always been interested in management and humanities field, I found it interesting to learn and pursue a career within the field one day but could not help feeling less smart because I was not doing “Science”. Also, even when during my varsity days humanities students are made a mock of because they regarded less smart for opting for humanities rather than economic science. In order to manage this change in my institution, I would conduct a workshop and invite all science students, so I can possible educate them about humanities, also another implementation would be to break this change or stigma rather on humanities and possibly involve all higher institutions of learning in south Africa to encourage these humanities workshop at their campuses, this initiative will educate and bring change in the decline of humanities.
Tertiary education produces better-educated citizens who are equipped to deal with a wide range of challenges and advancements. Great news is despite the decline within humanities, educated citizens within humanities faculty are more able to compete on a level playing field with countries outside of South Africa, and more likely to be able to share knowledge in their communities. As such much there is a decline, the humanities faculty is a powerful for upliftment and change.
Conclusion
Leadership plays a gigantic role in the imminent changes coming to higher education. Higher education institutions have changed rapidly, change is not a conclusive process but is on-going, especially change that necessitates a in how colleges and universities operate. As higher education continues to evolve it is evident throughout the essay how we as South African Higher Education have made impeccable change, Post 1994 apartheid we come far, and the change has been embraced and amazing however the essay highlight important five aspects with examples of this change can be managed in a yet complex and forever changing higher education environment. The essay also reflected how imperative institutions need to have solid and skilled leadership and management tactics to embrace this change.
