University Business Publishes Piece On Curricular Innovation By Villanova School Of Business Professor Jim Danko, 12/01/08
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http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1187
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10 Tips for Implementing Curricular Innovation
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By James M. Danko
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December 2008
Major curricular change—and the internal cultural shift required for such change to occur within higher education—is not easy. Over the past two years, the Villanova School of Business (VSB) has worked to reinvent its undergraduate program. The school has successfully achieved this objective, and now, in the fall of 2008, a bold new curriculum has been introduced to first-year students. The VSB community has learned a great deal from this experience, and still has much to learn as the new curriculum evolves. The highlights of VSB’s two-year curricular innovation process are captured below, in the form of 10 tips for institutions that may be considering a curricular redesign at this time.
TIP #1: TIMING IS EVERYTHING. Dramatic curricular change is easier if timed to occur at a point of exceptionally positive momentum in your school’s history on the non-curricular side. Examples of such a point include: -a new building or other major facilities improvement;
Topics in Higher Ed Technology Finance Facilities Management & Admin. Enrollment & Financial Aid Campus Security Education Jobs View Jobs Post a Job
-a major gift to the school or a marked increase in financial giving; -new leadership at the school; or -a sharp increase in public recognition, e.g., through rankings or media coverage. Such momentum leads to positive cultural energy and excitement. Such an environment can foster a collective attitude that deeper, larger-scale changes are both possible and desirable.
TIP #2: MAKE CURRICULAR CHANGE PART OF YOUR SCHOOL’S OVERALL STRATEGIC VISION. Identifying your school’s strategic priorities in a vision statement—and communicating this vision statement clearly and repeatedly so that everyone in the community truly owns it—underscores the importance of investing in these priorities. It also provides a larger strategic context for curricular change. There is almost no incentive for implementing curricular change simply for change’s sake. However, when such change is part of a larger strategic objective—and leads directly to the long-term well-being of the school and its students—then there is a very real impetus to get it done. VSB established a vision to “be a globally-recognized, premier business school, and to leverage its strong undergraduate program and multi-dimensional faculty to achieve as such.” This vision provided focus to the community’s curricular innovation efforts. It highlighted the importance of investing resources and energy into a flagship program and established the importance of faculty within those efforts.
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TIP #3: RESPECT THE SCHOOL’S TRADITION AND CULTURE. Even in the midst of dramatic curricular innovation, your school is defined and anchored by its fundamental tradition and culture. These differentiating attributes are likely to be, in large part, the very reason that your students, alumni, faculty, and staff were attracted to the school in the first place. If the nature and content of curricular changes—and the process by which they occur—reflect the distinguishing characteristics of your school, then they are much more likely to succeed.
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For example, the Augustinian culture at VSB has always been one in which personalized education and holistic development of students—intellectually, personally, and professionally—is the highest priority. Respect for this cultural tenet was critical in making the case for dramatic curricular changes. Once VSB faculty members were convinced that such changes would lead to higher educational quality for their students, their support was easier to obtain.
Running Out of Room
TIP #4: KEEP A TRULY DIVERSE GROUP OF FACULTY AT THE HEART OF THE INNOVATION PROCESS. Curricular innovation should provide new opportunities to faculty members with genuinely diverse strengths, interests, research areas, backgrounds, and priorities, and such faculty should be
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Higher Education : Articles, News, Blogs
2 of 2
http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1187
HR Directors Speak Out empowered to make curricular changes and to vet these changes with the faculty at large. Through faculty empowerment and self-regulation, turf battles tend to be resolved, mostly through trade-offs. Innovation can thereby create a scholarly work environment that is more energizing for faculty, which in turn can create an academic experience that is more energizing for students. Since faculty is the primary source of imagination and planning behind your school’s educational offerings, they should be the primary owners of the innovation process. 1 2 3
Next>>
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Media Kit About Us Copyright © 2008 Professional Media Group All Rights Reserved
12/18/2008 11:41 AM
1 of 2
http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1187
Higher Ed News RSS Sign In | Subscribe to UB | Subscribe to UB Daily
Did you know you can earn Sony products for your institution? Get the details here. Guides & Directories Consultants Guide Finance Guide High-definition video and audio technologies for higher education from
Save the date! EduComm 2009 June 16-18th, Orlando, Florida
Making Radical Change a Reality
Printer-Friendly Page
10 Tips for Implementing Curricular Innovation
Email This Article
By James M. Danko
Comments
December 2008
Major curricular change—and the internal cultural shift required for such change to occur within higher education—is not easy. Over the past two years, the Villanova School of Business (VSB) has worked to reinvent its undergraduate program. The school has successfully achieved this objective, and now, in the fall of 2008, a bold new curriculum has been introduced to first-year students. The VSB community has learned a great deal from this experience, and still has much to learn as the new curriculum evolves. The highlights of VSB’s two-year curricular innovation process are captured below, in the form of 10 tips for institutions that may be considering a curricular redesign at this time.
TIP #1: TIMING IS EVERYTHING. Dramatic curricular change is easier if timed to occur at a point of exceptionally positive momentum in your school’s history on the non-curricular side. Examples of such a point include: -a new building or other major facilities improvement;
Topics in Higher Ed Technology Finance Facilities Management & Admin. Enrollment & Financial Aid Campus Security Education Jobs View Jobs Post a Job
-a major gift to the school or a marked increase in financial giving; -new leadership at the school; or -a sharp increase in public recognition, e.g., through rankings or media coverage. Such momentum leads to positive cultural energy and excitement. Such an environment can foster a collective attitude that deeper, larger-scale changes are both possible and desirable.
TIP #2: MAKE CURRICULAR CHANGE PART OF YOUR SCHOOL’S OVERALL STRATEGIC VISION. Identifying your school’s strategic priorities in a vision statement—and communicating this vision statement clearly and repeatedly so that everyone in the community truly owns it—underscores the importance of investing in these priorities. It also provides a larger strategic context for curricular change. There is almost no incentive for implementing curricular change simply for change’s sake. However, when such change is part of a larger strategic objective—and leads directly to the long-term well-being of the school and its students—then there is a very real impetus to get it done. VSB established a vision to “be a globally-recognized, premier business school, and to leverage its strong undergraduate program and multi-dimensional faculty to achieve as such.” This vision provided focus to the community’s curricular innovation efforts. It highlighted the importance of investing resources and energy into a flagship program and established the importance of faculty within those efforts.
Related News
USF Trustees Agree to Contract With Faculty and Ponder Tuition Hike Faculty Opposes Plan to End Tenure for New Hires Studies Link Part-Time College Faculty to Worse Education
TIP #3: RESPECT THE SCHOOL’S TRADITION AND CULTURE. Even in the midst of dramatic curricular innovation, your school is defined and anchored by its fundamental tradition and culture. These differentiating attributes are likely to be, in large part, the very reason that your students, alumni, faculty, and staff were attracted to the school in the first place. If the nature and content of curricular changes—and the process by which they occur—reflect the distinguishing characteristics of your school, then they are much more likely to succeed.
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For example, the Augustinian culture at VSB has always been one in which personalized education and holistic development of students—intellectually, personally, and professionally—is the highest priority. Respect for this cultural tenet was critical in making the case for dramatic curricular changes. Once VSB faculty members were convinced that such changes would lead to higher educational quality for their students, their support was easier to obtain.
Running Out of Room
TIP #4: KEEP A TRULY DIVERSE GROUP OF FACULTY AT THE HEART OF THE INNOVATION PROCESS. Curricular innovation should provide new opportunities to faculty members with genuinely diverse strengths, interests, research areas, backgrounds, and priorities, and such faculty should be
Small Steps to Safety
Cal State Students, Faculty Protest Proposed Cuts in Admission, Budget
Related Articles Who Cares About the Mission? Ready, Set, Respond
Lecture Capture: A Fresh Look
12/18/2008 11:41 AM
Higher Education : Articles, News, Blogs
2 of 2
http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1187
HR Directors Speak Out empowered to make curricular changes and to vet these changes with the faculty at large. Through faculty empowerment and self-regulation, turf battles tend to be resolved, mostly through trade-offs. Innovation can thereby create a scholarly work environment that is more energizing for faculty, which in turn can create an academic experience that is more energizing for students. Since faculty is the primary source of imagination and planning behind your school’s educational offerings, they should be the primary owners of the innovation process. 1 2 3
Next>>
Related Information
More by James M. Danko
Breaking the Deadlock: Unifying Our Federal Student Loan Programs
Making Radical Change a Reality Dec 2008
Making Radical Change a Reality Best Branding Practices--Avoiding Assumptions that Miss the Media Mark Why Infected PCs Still Walk the Halls of Higher Education Higher Education Moves to Online Classrooms Education Quality in Hostile Financial Times
Media Kit About Us Copyright © 2008 Professional Media Group All Rights Reserved
12/18/2008 11:41 AM
