Transformational Organizational Change – A Mini Playbook

As part of my dissertation, I did a case study about an institution that transformed organizationally over the course of many years.  The research was fascinating, and exhausting, and allowed me to learn about the journeys associated with other institutions that transformed. 

Each institution’s transformation involved some common themes between them I will share here for leaders interested in their own sustainability given the current higher education headwinds.  Note that each of the transformations occurred incrementally over a period of time.  They were not one big thing – one trick ponies – that I heard advocated for at one institution – where the decisions were made from on high with little input from those who knew the industry and performed the work.  While, at the time, this decision-making approach felt off, it was later confirmed after I read “The Problem with Change – and the Essential Nature of Human Performance” by Ashley Goodall, one of our featured speakers at the Academy of Emerging Enrollment Leaders at the University of Miami, on January 14-15, 2026.

The first example of an institution that transformed was a private faith-based R2 national university, where the president leveraged the mission via the strategic planning process, and engaged the community in the change process.  Faculty and staff from throughout the community submitted recommendations on enhancements or improvements that could be made.  The president publicly recognized the contributions from the community by forming working groups on how to implement changes, increasing the level of buy-in and commitment to the transformation process.  Largely, the changes involved enhancing the academic and student experience that drove student success outcomes. 

Similarly, at a regional urban public university, while the president saw a need for change, via the strategic planning process, he engaged the community in efforts focused on student success and mission driven student access.  Tying access efforts to student success led to increases in the institution’s graduation rate.   Engaging the community in a “collaboration of colleagues” worked to secure buy-in and support for the transformation efforts.

Also, at another regional urban public university, the institution committed to student success efforts that galvanized the community around one common objective.  The new initiatives involved an enhanced data-driven advising approach, increased experiential learning opportunities, as well as a focus on community engagement.  The student-centered approach and focus on immersive student experiences helped capture support and buy-in from the community that influenced the institution’s transformation. 

Last, at a national private professional and doctoral institution, a visionary president engaged in deliberate strategic planning efforts that involved both faculty and staff.  Community input resulted in specific measurable objectives tied to enhancing both the classroom and outside of classroom experience.  Some of the changes involved growing experiential learning opportunities while developing more collaborative workspaces for students.  The transformation process also involved focusing on student outcomes resulting in increased institutional ROI. 

For my own professional experience, I’ve experienced failed institutional change efforts while being blessed with amazing enrollment teams that allowed us to transform our area.  At two institutions, our efforts resulted in higher first year persistence rates and lower student indebtedness at graduation.  We also achieved increases in student diversity and academic profile all while growing enrollment.  These accomplishments were the result of deliberate planning efforts that engaged our teams, allowing them to run with projects entrepreneurially – always looking to build a better mousetrap.  Our efforts worked to grow our teams professionally while focusing on student success that galvanized our team, as everyone played an important part in this work – seeing a student achieve his/her hopes and dreams.

On the institutional side, I mentioned one experience where institutional top-down decision-making stifled creativity while fostering a siloed culture.  At another institution, a lack of leadership resulted in finger-pointing and senior administrative in-fighting that moved the institution sideways at best. 

In the end, the common themes of intentional strategic planning that engages and involves the team focused on a common objective is a sound transformational change formula – easier said than done – but not insurmountable.