Prof. Dr. Jay R. Dee
Organizational Change and Academic Leadership
Addressing new and long-standing challenges in higher education
The global pandemic and a shifting policy context in the U.S. have generated increasing pressure on higher education actors to advance strategic priorities for change. This presentation offers a synthesis of theories and recent research on strategic change in higher education. Viewing higher education institutions as organizational actors, the presentation seeks to inform decisions regarding the selection, development, and implementation of strategic change initiatives.
We focus on three concepts that are appropriate for guiding strategic change within the unique organizational context of higher education institutions. First, we consider how higher education leaders can identify the core competencies of an institution. Specifically, the presentation refers to cases of U.S. universities to illustrate how leaders can align strategic change initiatives with the core competencies of the institution. Second, we focus on the concept of flexible reforms. Higher education institutions are pluralistic organizations comprised of highly professionalized stakeholder groups whose members expect not only a high degree of autonomy, but also organizational support for the grassroots innovations that they develop. Top-down change initiatives, therefore, are likely to generate high levels of resistance. In response, leaders can design flexible reform initiatives that accommodate a variety of interests and goals throughout the organization. Finally, the presentation explores theories and research on organizational learning and knowledge management in relation to fostering strategic change in colleges and universities. Cases from U.S. universities illustrate how structural barriers to knowledge sharing can be overcome.
Jay R. Dee is Professor of Higher Education at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Jay's research frequently focuses on how organizational theories can inform leadership and management practices in higher education institutions. He has published on topics related to organizational learning, strategic change, and power dynamics and conflict in the academic workplace. A second area of Jay's research focuses on the academic profession. He has conducted studies of faculty turnover and strategies to improve faculty retention. Jay has also served as principal investigator on several grants that focus on promoting inclusive teaching and learning, as well as improving the quality of academic work life. He received his PhD from the University of Iowa.
Wednesday, 26 May 2021, 4.00–5.30 p.m. | Online
Center for Higher Education (zhb)
Professorship of Higher Education
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Location & approach
The campus of TU Dortmund University is located close to interstate junction Dortmund West, where the Sauerlandlinie A 45 (Frankfurt-Dortmund) crosses the Ruhrschnellweg B 1 / A 40. The best interstate exit to take from A 45 is "Dortmund-Eichlinghofen" (closer to Campus Süd), and from B 1 / A 40 "Dortmund-Dorstfeld" (closer to Campus Nord). Signs for the university are located at both exits. Also, there is a new exit before you pass over the B 1-bridge leading into Dortmund.
To get from Campus Nord to Campus Süd by car, there is the connection via Vogelpothsweg/Baroper Straße. We recommend you leave your car on one of the parking lots at Campus Nord and use the H-Bahn (suspended monorail system), which conveniently connects the two campuses.
TU Dortmund University has its own train station ("Dortmund Universität"). From there, suburban trains (S-Bahn) leave for Dortmund main station ("Dortmund Hauptbahnhof") and Düsseldorf main station via the "Düsseldorf Airport Train Station" (take S-Bahn number 1, which leaves every 15 or 30 minutes). The university is easily reached from Bochum, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Duisburg.
You can also take the bus or subway train from Dortmund city to the university: From Dortmund main station, you can take any train bound for the Station "Stadtgarten", usually lines U41, U45, U 47 and U49. At "Stadtgarten" you switch trains and get on line U42 towards "Hombruch". Look out for the Station "An der Palmweide". From the bus stop just across the road, busses bound for TU Dortmund University leave every ten minutes (445, 447 and 462). Another option is to take the subway routes U41, U45, U47 and U49 from Dortmund main station to the stop "Dortmund Kampstraße". From there, take U43 or U44 to the stop "Dortmund Wittener Straße". Switch to bus line 447 and get off at "Dortmund Universität S".
The H-Bahn is one of the hallmarks of TU Dortmund University. There are two stations on Campus Nord. One ("Dortmund Universität S") is directly located at the suburban train stop, which connects the university directly with the city of Dortmund and the rest of the Ruhr Area. Also from this station, there are connections to the "Technologiepark" and (via Campus Süd) Eichlinghofen. The other station is located at the dining hall at Campus Nord and offers a direct connection to Campus Süd every five minutes.
The AirportExpress is a fast and convenient means of transport from Dortmund Airport (DTM) to Dortmund Central Station, taking you there in little more than 20 minutes. From Dortmund Central Station, you can continue to the university campus by interurban railway (S-Bahn). A larger range of international flight connections is offered at Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), which is about 60 kilometres away and can be directly reached by S-Bahn from the university station.
Interactive map
The facilities of TU Dortmund University are spread over two campuses, the larger Campus North and the smaller Campus South. Additionally, some areas of the university are located in the adjacent "Technologiepark".
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