Catalyzing Organizational Change for Equity in Graduate Education: A Case Study of Adopting Collective Impact in a College of Engineering
Graduate education in engineering is an extremely challenging, complex entity that is difficult to change. The purpose of this exploratory research paper was to investigate the applicability of the Collective Impact framework, which has been used within community organizing contexts, to organize the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/14/3/292 |
| _version_ | 1797241358505738240 |
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| author | Walter C. Lee Teirra K. Holloman David B. Knight Natali Huggins Holly M. Matusovich Julia Brisbane |
| author_facet | Walter C. Lee Teirra K. Holloman David B. Knight Natali Huggins Holly M. Matusovich Julia Brisbane |
| author_sort | Walter C. Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Graduate education in engineering is an extremely challenging, complex entity that is difficult to change. The purpose of this exploratory research paper was to investigate the applicability of the Collective Impact framework, which has been used within community organizing contexts, to organize the change efforts of a center focused on advancing equitable graduate education within engineering. We sought to understand how the conditions of Collective Impact (i.e., common agenda, backbone organization, mutually reinforcing activities, shared measurement system, and continuous communication) could facilitate the organization of equity-focused change efforts across a college of engineering at a single institution. To achieve this, we took an action research approach. We found the Collective Impact framework to be a useful tool for organizing cross-sectional partnerships to facilitate equity-focused change in graduate education; we also found the five conditions of Collective Impact to be applicable to the higher education context, with some intentional considerations and modifications. Through coordinated efforts, the Collective Impact framework can support the goal of reorienting existing decentralized structures, resource flows, and decision processes to foster bottom-up and top-down change processes to advance equitable support for graduate students. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:22:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1d178866b26c4b0898bed46457e9bc3f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:22:03Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-1d178866b26c4b0898bed46457e9bc3f2024-03-27T13:34:26ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022024-03-0114329210.3390/educsci14030292Catalyzing Organizational Change for Equity in Graduate Education: A Case Study of Adopting Collective Impact in a College of EngineeringWalter C. Lee0Teirra K. Holloman1David B. Knight2Natali Huggins3Holly M. Matusovich4Julia Brisbane5Department of Engineering Education, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USADepartment of Engineering Education, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USADepartment of Engineering Education, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USADepartment of Engineering Education, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USACollege of Engineering Dean’s Office, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USADepartment of Engineering Education, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USAGraduate education in engineering is an extremely challenging, complex entity that is difficult to change. The purpose of this exploratory research paper was to investigate the applicability of the Collective Impact framework, which has been used within community organizing contexts, to organize the change efforts of a center focused on advancing equitable graduate education within engineering. We sought to understand how the conditions of Collective Impact (i.e., common agenda, backbone organization, mutually reinforcing activities, shared measurement system, and continuous communication) could facilitate the organization of equity-focused change efforts across a college of engineering at a single institution. To achieve this, we took an action research approach. We found the Collective Impact framework to be a useful tool for organizing cross-sectional partnerships to facilitate equity-focused change in graduate education; we also found the five conditions of Collective Impact to be applicable to the higher education context, with some intentional considerations and modifications. Through coordinated efforts, the Collective Impact framework can support the goal of reorienting existing decentralized structures, resource flows, and decision processes to foster bottom-up and top-down change processes to advance equitable support for graduate students.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/14/3/292engineeringchange theorydecentralizationgraduate studentsequity in higher education |
| spellingShingle | Walter C. Lee Teirra K. Holloman David B. Knight Natali Huggins Holly M. Matusovich Julia Brisbane Catalyzing Organizational Change for Equity in Graduate Education: A Case Study of Adopting Collective Impact in a College of Engineering Education Sciences engineering change theory decentralization graduate students equity in higher education |
| title | Catalyzing Organizational Change for Equity in Graduate Education: A Case Study of Adopting Collective Impact in a College of Engineering |
| title_full | Catalyzing Organizational Change for Equity in Graduate Education: A Case Study of Adopting Collective Impact in a College of Engineering |
| title_fullStr | Catalyzing Organizational Change for Equity in Graduate Education: A Case Study of Adopting Collective Impact in a College of Engineering |
| title_full_unstemmed | Catalyzing Organizational Change for Equity in Graduate Education: A Case Study of Adopting Collective Impact in a College of Engineering |
| title_short | Catalyzing Organizational Change for Equity in Graduate Education: A Case Study of Adopting Collective Impact in a College of Engineering |
| title_sort | catalyzing organizational change for equity in graduate education a case study of adopting collective impact in a college of engineering |
| topic | engineering change theory decentralization graduate students equity in higher education |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/14/3/292 |
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