Description
Book SynopsisCommunity colleges are under intense pressure to change in response to shifts in an increasingly complex environment. Stakeholders are placing simultaneously contradictory demands on colleges for more and better service, increased accountability, and more efficient use of resources in order to get the most from colleges in tough economic times. These demands have contributed to cultural fragmentation in community colleges as staff are pulled in competing directions by events beyond their control. The upshot is a circumstance in which leaders are finding that culture is perhaps the most powerful element affecting organizational performance and change. The old saw culture eats strategy for breakfast' epitomizes the importance of culture as a means for enhancing the long-term viability of an organization. This book provides fresh analysis of organizational culture in the community college context with a critical examination of the relationship between organizational culture and change.
Trade ReviewIt's said that 'culture eats strategy for breakfast.' In that case colleges should devour this book over breakfast for clear, practical advice on how to create an organizational culture capable of improving learning and student success in the face of the many challenges confronting higher education today. -- Davis Jenkins, Senior Research Scholar, Community College Research Center, Teachers College Columbia University
VanWagoner’s monograph is a far-reaching analysis on how culture shapes colleges, and its critical role in institutional transformation. In an era where campus CEOs are buffeted by innovation and disruptions daily, VanWagoner offers an elegant how-to on growing this secret ingredient. -- Pam Eddinger, President, Bunker Hill Community College
Culture is everything! Community colleges cannot hope to find their futures while ladened with intransigent cultures and subcultures that are antithetical to the exploration, innovation, and change, necessary to advance student success in meaningful ways. VanWagoner does a masterful job of outlining the primacy of culture in the organization, its implications for change, and provides valuable insights, in part through actual cases, to help institutions determine how best to undertake cultural transformation. -- Daniel J. Phelan, President, Jackson College
All college leaders are challenged with the cultural shifts often necessary for meaningful change and progress. VanWagoner brilliantly provides a practical and accessible approach to make culture a competitive advantage for colleges that want to position themselves for success in an increasingly complex future. -- Johanna Duncan-Poitier, Senior Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges and the Educational Pipeline, State University of New York
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Understanding Culture Chapter 2: Transformation: Where Does Culture Fit? Chapter 3: Driving Cultural Transformation through Leadership Chapter 4: Building Colleges into Communities Chapter 5: Today’s Cultural Imperative: A Culture of Inquiry Chapter 6: Tomorrow: A Culture of Anticipation Appendix A: Cultural Leadership Orientation & 100-Day Action Plan Mohawk Valley Community College Appendix B: Strategies, Programs, and Events to Build Connections, Community, and a More Cohesive Culture Appendix C: Start Right—Success Program for New Employees Mohawk Valley Community College Index About the Author
