Developing Change Leaders to Advance Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A CIRTL Change Leadership Development Program

Developing Change Leaders in Advanced Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A Change Leadership Development Program is an exciting new initiative launched by the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL). Funded by NSF-IUSE, the Change Leadership Development Program (CLDP) will empower graduate students and postdocs (GS/PS) to contribute to departmental and institutional systemic change to strengthen and transform STEM undergraduate education.

While CIRTL graduates enter careers well prepared to support the learning of diverse students, they typically do not have opportunities to learn about change leadership. This gap in understanding of change leadership is especially concerning to early-career faculty trained in evidence-based teaching (EBT) who may be eager to share inclusive approaches. However, if they begin careers in institutions where EBT is not customary, they may feel isolated or unsupported and may also wrestle with how to navigate their own career trajectory.

The CLDP is informed by principles from three theoretical perspectives. First, systems theory asserts that change in complex organizations must consider multiple levels of the organization, including the policies, practices, structures, and norms. Systems theory guides our strategy to emphasize leadership preparation for GS/PS as a lever for institutional change. Second, socialization theory posits that learning is enhanced by a supportive learning community. Third, identity development, a process across a lifespan involving education, training, and experiences. In this presentation, we will describe how the CLDP will prepare GS/PS to become change leaders in their next positions, by building on theoretical perspectives in three learning domains: 1) Change Leader Identity 2) Organizational Features in Higher Education and 3) Theories of Leadership and Change. We will report preliminary findings from a needs assessment conducted to refine the CLDP; focus group's perceptions of leadership competencies in terms of their relevance at different career stages.