Helen Burn [e-mail]

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Helen Burnhburn_at_highline.edu
How/Why do Departments Organize Around
Innovation
Janet Ray, Professor Emeritus, Seattle Central
Conmunity College Helen Burn, Highline Community
College

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Think-Share

• How do innovative ideas move from idea to
  reality in your department?
• For example, think of a past experience where
  a department member(s) wanted to try something
  new. Describe how things progressed.

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Helpful Theory

• Things that are institutionalized provide
  frameworks or constraints for organizational
  activity
• Examples in our context
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Tenure Organizing the curriculum by disciplines Prestige hierarchy of the disciplines Faculty control over curriculum Concern for diversity Use of textbooks in math courses The algebra curriculum General education Departmental culture
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Reframing Organizations Artistry, Choice, and
Leadership, 3rd Ed., Bolman Deal, 2003

• Use multiple lenses (frames) to get a sense
  of your departmental or college culture and what
  youre up against and what you might do.
• Structural Rational, bureaucratic. Emphasizes
  goals, formal roles rules, and relationships.
• Human Resource Department as extended family.
  Emphasizes collegiality, individual needs,
  feelings.
• Political Coalitions form around interests.
  Conflict is normal and typical. Department
  members negotiate, compete for power or
  resources.
• Symbolic- Propelled by image, rituals,
  ceremonies, stories, heroes, and inspiration,
  less by rules, policies, and managerial
  authority.

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Effects of Different Departmental Culture of
Faculty Reasoning about Course Transfer of Reform
College Algebra

• Three cases
• Real World College Structural/Human Resource
• City Center Campus of Urban Community
  College-Political/Symbolic
• Metropolitan Community College
  Structural/Political
• 27 semi-structured interviews with
  mathematics faculty in three different community
  college mathematics department

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Reframing for Change
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Janet RayHelen Burnhburn_at_highline.edu