Innovation in Higher Education

Many university administrators throughout the
country are apprehensive about the attrition rates
on their campuses. These attrition rates range from
10% to 80%; furthermore, a high percentage of the
students who leave do so during their first year of
college. Two-year community colleges experience more
student attrition than four-year colleges because of
the students who are served by these institutions.
As administrators deal with attrition, they must
also deal with simultaneous multiple improvements
and an overly full improvement agenda. Consequently,
they soon realize that facilitating organizational
change can be an arduous task.
This study explored organizational change and the
processes involved when initiating, implementing,
and institutionalizing change in retention programs
and policies at three Alabama Two-Year Community
Colleges. Further, the study looked at the new
initiatives that these colleges had implemented.
This work sheds some light on how to create
innovation and organizational change in higher
education institutions and how to better retain
students.

Autorentext
Brencleveton Donta Truss, Ed.D: Studied Educational Leadership, Policy and Law at Alabama State University. Director of TRIO Programs, Academic Support, and Student Retention at Andrew College, Cuthbert, Georgia

Klappentext
Many university administrators throughout the country are apprehensive about the attrition rates on their campuses. These attrition rates range from 10% to 80%; furthermore, a high percentage of the students who leave do so during their first year of college. Two-year community colleges experience more student attrition than four-year colleges because of the students who are served by these institutions. As administrators deal with attrition, they must also deal with simultaneous multiple improvements and an overly full improvement agenda. Consequently, they soon realize that facilitating organizational change can be an arduous task. This study explored organizational change and the processes involved when initiating, implementing, and institutionalizing change in retention programs and policies at three Alabama Two-Year Community Colleges. Further, the study looked at the new initiatives that these colleges had implemented. This work sheds some light on how to create innovation and organizational change in higher education institutions and how to better retain students.