Becominga Changemaker
Institution
A guidebook for how your campus canincrease its relevance and resilience andlead in a rapidly changing world

ANGIE K FUESSELLead Author
Angie K Fuessel
Editors
Angie K Fuessel and Beeta Ansari
Contributing Authors
Sarah-Marie Hopf, Hattie Duplechain, Ali Fraenkel, Dustin Liu, Jess Lax, and Nimesh Ghimire
AdvisorMarina Kim
Sponsored by

Ashoka U, 2020.
© by Ashoka U 2020. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ or
send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Ordering Information: To download a PDF version of this publication please visit: https://ashoka-u.myshopify.com/ or
email ashokau@ashoka.org.
First Edition. 2020.

ABOUT ASHOKA U

Ashoka U catalyzes social innovation in higher
education through a global network of entrepreneurial
students, faculty, staff, and community leaders.
Ashoka U is an initiative of Ashoka, the world’s
largest network of social entrepreneurs. Buildingon Ashoka’s vision for a world where Everyone is aChangemaker, Ashoka U takes an institutional change
approach to impact the education of millions ofstudents. We collaborate with colleges and universities
to break down barriers to institutional change andfoster a campus-wide culture of social innovation andchangemaking.

4

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
FOREWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01
P R E F A C E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05
I.

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 06

II.

GETTING ORIENTED: KEY CONCEPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11III.

HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS RESOURCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

IV.

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Foundations of Visionary Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

V.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Strategy 1.

Develop Change Management Approach

Strategy 2.

Embed in Vision, Mission, and Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Strategy 3.

Model Senior Leadership and Provide Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Strategy 4.

Identify Change Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Strategy 5.

Build Change Leadership Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Strategy 6.

Build and Sustain the Change Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Strategy 7.

Coordinate and Institutionalize Changemaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Strategy 8.

Manage Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

CHANGEMAKER EDUCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Foundations of Changemaker Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

VI.

Strategy 9.

Cultivate Changemaker Educator Mindsets, Knowledge, and Skills . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Strategy 10.

Develop Changemaker Learning Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Strategy 11.

Utilize Pedagogies for Changemaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Strategy 12.

Build Social Innovation Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Strategy 13.

Build Social Innovation Course Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

Strategy 14.

Create Co-Curricular Changemaking Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Strategy 15.

Foster Student Learning Journeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

VII. APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Appendix A.

Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Appendix B.

Practicing and Developing Senior Leadership Qualities for Changemaking . . . . . . 238

Appendix C.

Changemaking Leadership Dilemmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Appendix D.

Roles Descriptions and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Appendix E.

Practicing and Developing Change Leadership Qualities for Changemaking . . . . . 249

Appendix F.

Practicing and Developing Changemaker Educator Qualities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.

Roadmap: Visionary Leadership Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Figure 2.

Roadmap: Changemaker Education Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Figure 3.

Relationship of Social Change Methods and Type of Change Impact . . . . . . . . 136

Figure 4.

Strategic Questions for Developing Learning Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Figure 5.

Taking Stock of Formal and Informal Learning Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1.

Levers for Moving from Traditional to Changemaker Institutions . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Table 2.

Changemaker Qualities Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Table 3.

Typical Guidebook Readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Table 4.

Overview of Leadership Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Table 5.

Leadership Implications for Changemaker Institutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Table 6.

Roles for Leading Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Table 7.

Drivers for Becoming a Changemaker Institution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Table 8.

Starting Points and Change Management Considerations for
Becoming a Changemaker Institution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Table 9.

Ways to Embed Changemaking into Vision and Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Table 10.

Changemaking Roles and Responsibilities for Senior Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Table 11.

Changemaker Attributes for Senior Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Table 12.

Senior Leadership Archetypes for Changemaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Table 13.

Key Responsibilities of Change Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Table 14.

Change Leader Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Table 15.

Change Leader Challenges and Support Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Table 16.

Considerations for Selecting a Change Leadership Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Table 17.

Types of Leadership Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Table 18.

Key Responsibilities of Change Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Table 19.

Distinctions between Change Leader and Change Team Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Table 20.

Approaches for Forming a Change Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Table 21.

Types of Coordinating Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Table 22.

Potential Assets and Strategies for Centralized and Decentralized Contexts . . 118

Table 23.

Factors for Successful Leadership and Team Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Table 24.

Overview of Changemaker Education Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Table 25.

Most-Commonly Cited Changemaker Qualities and Sample Language . . . . . . . 139

Table 26.

Changemaker Educator Roles for Leading Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Table 27.

Changemaker Educator Qualities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Table 28.

Types of Learning Outcomes and Unique Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

Table 29.

Using Learning Outcomes to Create Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Table 30.

Examples of Pedagogical Practices for Changemaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Table 31.

Typical Social Innovation Concepts/Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Table 32.

Types of Social Innovation Courses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Table 33.

Social Innovation Course Sequence Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Table 34.

Considerations for Social Innovation Course Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

Table 35.

Sample Student Learning Milestones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Table 36.

Sample Co-curricular Changemaking Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Table 37.

Sample Learning Journey Mapping Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

FOREWORD
Universities make the world a better place in so many gloriously diverse ways.
They do it through their research—inventions and discoveries that improve lives, push the boundaries ofhuman understanding, and tackle the world’s grand challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, foodinsecurity, and the climate crisis.
They do it through their social and community engagement—innovations and interventions that power theknowledge economy and advice and evidence that supports good policy making and governance, holding
our leaders to account.
But perhaps most importantly, they do it through their teaching—the education of many tens of millions ofpeople globally, imparting skills, knowledge, creativity, and resilience to a massive community of engaged
citizens, future leaders, and—we hope—changemakers.
But despite universities’ extraordinary positive impact on the world, these great institutions are underincreasing scrutiny, whether for their cost, value, or relevance. The power of universities as positive forcesin the world is both underestimated and often undermined.
At Times Higher Education (THE), we are supporting positive change through our content, data, andanalytics. Our pioneering new THE Impact Rankings celebrates universities’ excellence, not based on
traditional metrics such as research prestige and wealth, but on the basis of their positive impact on theworld, framed through all 17 of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
At THE we have seen firsthand the potential and impact of higher education as a critical enabler for abetter society. The myriad challenges we are facing as individuals and as a sector makes this is a crucial
time for universities to step-up and re-double their efforts to make a positive contribution to the world,
while also ensuring that they are seen by their communities, and by wider society, as they do it.
The most powerful way to do this is through the legions of graduates they produce—vast numbers ofchangemakers and ambassadors for social innovation. Yet, to equip students as changemakers requires
colleges and universities and their educators to be changemakers themselves.
We have been inspired by—and pleased to share insights and ideas with—Ashoka U, and we applaud its
mission to foster institutional change and to make the world a better place. Becoming a Changemaker
Institution is a key resource to do just that.
Phil Baty
Chief Knowledge Officer
Times Higher Education
1

FOREWORD

PREFACE
Ashoka believes that “the world is defined by change and requires a new mindset” for humanity to thrive.
At its core, Ashoka envisions “a world in which everyone is a changemaker: a world where all citizens are
powerful and contribute to change in positive ways” (Ashoka, n.d.).
As the higher education initiative within Ashoka, Ashoka U is not short on vision. We believe in the powerof higher education as an engine for changemaking and for colleges and universities to be a force for good.
We envision a world in which changemaking is a new norm in higher education.

Imagine if students at every higher education institution were equipped with purpose, agency,
and skills to innovate for a better world, regardless of their chosen discipline, role, or sector.
Imagine if every higher education institution worked fluidly and collaboratively with its
community to co-create knowledge and solve problems.
This audacious vision is the driving force behind this book.
To accomplish this requires change itself—change in the student, educator, and administrator mindsets,
as well as a change in institutional strategies, educational models, and practices. While it may sound lofty,
this change is already underway. And this book is an invitation to be part of it.
AN URGENT CALL TO ACTION
The speed and pace of change and the complexity of societal challenges only seem to be acceleratingeach year. Higher education institutions are not immune to the pressures facing all sectors to addresscritical societal challenges. These pressures include addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals,
combatting climate change, responding to the global pandemic, and actively embodying anti-racist
policies and cultures in their institutions.
Each one of these crises has revealed failures in systems and leadership. They have also underscored thevital role that higher education institutions play in not only producing research and teaching for “impact”
but also in redesigning education and systems that work for the good of all.
While their relevance has been questioned for over a decade, higher education institutions are needed
now, more than ever before, to help solve societal challenges while also equipping student leaders for an
uncertain future. A key enabler to achieving this call to action is to become a Changemaker Institution.

PREFACE2

A COM MUNITY A ND LEARNING LAB FOR CHANGEMAKER EDUCATIONFounded as a start-up within Ashoka in 2008, Ashoka U has worked with over 600 higher education
institutions and 4,000 higher education stakeholders worldwide. While our ultimate goal is to have alasting impact on the higher education sector as a whole, we know that scaling ideas and creating systems
change starts with identifying early adopters, building a community, and co-creating and codifying key
practices. This Guidebook represents a synthesis of learnings from that journey.
Together, we have built a diverse community of individuals and institutions that identify as changemakers
and practice innovation in their classrooms and across their institutions. This community includes public(state-funded and private (independent as well as secular and faith-based institutions. It includes
some historically black, indigenous, and minority-serving institutions, albeit not extensively enoughfor the breadth of diversity and inclusion we aspire to foster. It covers all continents except Antarctica.
It comprises individuals and institutions with deep roots in social entrepreneurship as well as social
justice, community engagement, and civic engagement. Not only has this brought a rich and diverse
tapestry of experience and insights as we learn and innovate together, but it has also demonstrated thatchangemaking education is taking root.
We have also worked in close collaboration with over 50 institutions across 10 countries designatedas Ashoka U Changemaker Campuses. Designed to exemplify institutions that are leaders in social
innovation and changemaker education, Changemaker Campuses seek to: demonstrate that changemaking is possible in their institutional type and context;
 influence their peers to advance changemaking; and collaborate to spread the adoption of changemaking across higher education.
In many ways, the Changemaker Campus network has been a learning and innovation lab for higher
education practitioners to share lessons and insights and create and replicate new models.
Over the past 12 years, the Changemaker Campus network and the broader Ashoka U community
have taught us what it means to be a Changemaker Institution. Together, we have been co-creating thestrategies and practices for rewiring institutions to support changemaking. Yet, these practices and stories
have not been broadly accessible, nor are they mainstream. That is why we created this book.

3

PREFACEAN INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDEBOOKThe purpose of the Guidebook is to codify what we have learned thus far about how to become a
Changemaker Institution that graduates millions of changemakers. It represents a distillation of insights
and examples from over a decade of working with higher education innovators sparking institution-wide
strategy, curriculum, and culture change worldwide and draws upon and incorporates some elementsfrom the Ashoka U Changemaker Campus Criteria. It is designed to be both deeply reflective as well aspractical to guide, energize, and elevate the work of changemaker education on any campus.
The Guidebook is not meant to be prescriptive. Instead, it offers frameworks and principles gleaned
from multiple institutional contexts as a foundation for your own tailoring. It is also not intended to becomprehensive or complete. We have intentionally and explicitly focused on Leadership and Education
as two integral drivers for becoming a Changemaker Institution and have integrated some elements ofculture change throughout both sections.
There are many advantages of documenting these practices into a guidebook, including: curating practices and streamlining stories that were previously disparate and unconsolidated; making ideas more accessible and not reliant upon attending events or knowing people; and providing a foundation for any campus to draw on and adapt.
Guidebooks also have limitations. Things can be lost in translation, and ideas may seem straight-forward
on paper but difficult to implement in reality. Meanwhile, innovation does not stop the minute we hit
print.
That is why this Guidebook is as much a platform for reflection and action across your institution as it isan opportunity to join a global community urgently advancing changemaking for the good of all.
At Ashoka U, we value and learn from practitioners of change. And just as we encourage students to learn
by doing, the best way to be a Changemaker Educator or institutional innovator is to learn by doing. The
principles shared in this Guidebook were derived from a rich community of practice. We encourage you tocheck out the Introduction to learn more about how we recommend engaging with the content in this bookand invite you to join a growing global community of Changemaker Educators.
Together, we have a unique and urgent window to graduate millions of changemakers equipped to make apositive contribution to society. As these changemakers graduate, they will bring empathy, collaboration,and innovation to their future workplaces and be a generation of leaders equipped to form—andtransform—workplaces, organizations, disciplines, and sectors to foster social impact for the good of all.

PREFACE

4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ashoka U would like to thank the Martini Education & Opportunity Trust for sponsoring the Guidebook. Both
Brent Martini and Carey Weiss have been incredible advisors and thought partners supporting our pursuit ofadvancing changemaker education and enabling more senior leaders to innovate their campus strategies.
We would also like to extend our appreciation to our strategic partners: The Moxie Foundation and Einhorn
Family Charitable Trust (now the Einhorn Collaborative). They have supported us through the years increating communities and experiences that have fostered learning and innovation in changemaker educationand institutions.
We are deeply grateful to our global community of innovative educators, leaders, and higher education
institutions, including Ashoka U Changemaker Campuses and ecosystem partners. Together over the last
decade, we have defined what changemaker education is and what it means to become a Changemaker
Institution. The Guidebook distill insights from our methodology of working with campuses in pursuit ofbecoming Changemaker Institutions and draws upon and incorporates some elements from the Ashoka U
Changemaker Campus Criteria.
Our thanks to all who provided input into or feedback on the Guidebook. We specifically want to acknowledge
below both reviewers and institutional contributors.
REVIEWERS Victoria Abboud - Faculty, University of Windsor
 Tobias Andreasson - Associate Director Academic, Social Innovation,
CQUniversity, Australia
 Debbi Brock - Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship & Marketing,Wingate University and Co-Creator, Social Change Innovators
 Gabriela Carrasco - Director 2811 / Consultant Ashoka
 Melissa Carrier - Director, Office of Social Innovation, University of North
Carolina
 Jean-Michel Champagne - Sustainability Officer/Lecturer, HEC Montréal Natalie Chinsam - Professor, Centennial College
 Lauren Dunning - Sr. Program Manager, J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship +Innovation Institute, Arizona State University
 Maille Faughnan - Instructor & Research Fellow, Tulane University
 Jacen Greene - Assistant Director, Homelessness Research & Action
Collaborative, Portland State University
 Lisa Gring-Pemble - Co-Executive Director Business for a Better World
Center, George Mason University
 Jessica Hodge - Associate Professor, Faculty Director with the Center for the
Common Good, Change Leader, University of St. Thomas Kevin Holmes - Managing Director, Social Innovation Lab, Algonquin College
 Dustin Liu - EdM Student, Harvard Graduate School of Education
 Charmaine Lyn - Director, Changemaker Education, Ashoka Canada
 Brent Martini - Founder, Martini Education & Opportunity Trust Kimberly Sluis - Vice President for Student Affairs and Strategic Initiatives,
North Central College
 Carey L. Weiss - Chief Strategic Officer, Martini Education & Opportunity
Trust
5

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CO N T R I B U TO RS

 Brigham Young University
 Brown University
 College of the Atlantic
 CQUniversity
 Florida International University
 George Mason University
 Glasgow Caledonian University
 Hanyang University
 Marquette University
 Miami Dade College
 Mount Royal University
 North Central College
 Northeastern University Portland State University
 Rollins College
 Simon Fraser University
 Tecnológico de Monterrey
 Tulane University
 Universidad de Monterrey
 Universidad del Desarrollo
 Universidad Popular Autónoma
del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP) University of Evansville University of Northampton
 University of San Diego University of St. Thomas
 Western Washington University
 Wilfrid Laurier University

I. INTRODUCTION“An important ‘leadership development’ challenge for higher education is to empower
students, by helping them develop those special talents and attitudes that will enable them
to become effective social change agents.” (Astin & Astin, 2000, p. 2)

ENVISIONING A NEW TYPE OF STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Clément Moliner-Roy had the quintessential changemaker education at one of Ashoka U’s ChangemakerCampuses. He graduated in 2018 with not just an interdisciplinary bachelor’s degree from the College of
the Atlantic (COA) in Bar Harbor, Maine, U.S.—but also a deep sense of his purpose. Clément’s professors
acted as his mentors and guides, encouraging him to develop deeply personal questions that would guidehis learning journey: “How do you spark one’s will to contribute to the world?” and “How do you empowerchangemakers with the tools, the skills, and the mindset needed to develop social impact projects?”1
For his capstone senior project—which is a final unit or project designed to integrate learning experiences
across one’s studies—Clément went around the world and conducted over 100 interviews with
Changemaker Educators, system Change Leaders, and students in search of educational innovation.
During this period, the COA Diana Davis Spencer Hatchery acted as a diving board to help him launch
Changemaker Residency, the pilot project of a new experiential approach to higher education. Due to thesuccess of his program, his hometown university, Université de Sherbrooke in southern Quebec, Canada,
hired him to bring what he learned to hundreds of students across campus.
As the higher education initiative of Ashoka, Ashoka U believes that all students deserve an education like
Clément’s. Furthermore, if we hope to address complex global problems and prepare students to thrive inour rapidly changing world, we need millions of students to have this type of education.
T H E C A S E F O R C H A N G E M A K E R E D U C AT I O N
Unfortunately, Clément’s experience is not yet the norm. Too many students still spend their timein a lecture hall (or more recently, in online platforms) with hundreds of peers listening to hours ofPowerPoint presentations. Many students have no more than a few conversations with their professors.
Rather than being asked to develop a question to guide their learning experience, they are expected
to memorize information. And while interdisciplinary learning is growing, many students do not havesufficient opportunities to collaborate with other students across disciplinary silos. These students are
1 Refer to www.changemaker-educator.com.

INTRODUCTION

6practicing a very different skillset—one that in a rapidly changing world is quickly becoming irrelevant
and further perpetuating the global problems we face.
Educational institutions must face the task of preparing young people for a workforce and world that
we cannot yet predict. We believe that changemakers are better prepared to adapt and contribute to a
dynamically changing world, workforce, and societal challenges.
Just as the game for thriving in society has shifted from hierarchy, standardization, and repetition to
fluid team of teams, innovation, and iteration (Ashoka, 2015), so too has the game changed for higher
education. Over the last decade, together with over 600 colleges and universities worldwide, Ashoka U
has been learning the dynamics and strategies for this new game, one in which the campus is a training
ground for changemaking.
A new game means we need a new Guidebook—or set of strategies—for Changemaking Leadership and
Education on campus.
A GUIDEBOOK FOR CHANGEM AKER EDUCAT ION
If you are reading this, we assume that you are familiar with what it means to be a changemaker and share
our belief that higher education institutions need to foster changemaking. We anticipate that you seek
to create educational programs and institutions that foster the student experience shared above. This
Guidebook is designed to equip you with the strategies and practices for doing just that.
In 2018, Ashoka U published Changemaker Institutions (Kim et al.) to make a case for social innovationand changemaking not only as an educational pathway, but also as an integral approach to rewiring
the institution to be adaptive, innovative, and impact-oriented. Table 1 contrasts the characteristics of
traditional higher education institutions with those of Changemaker Institutions across four key levers forchange.

7

INTRODUCTION

TABLE 1.

LEVERS FOR MOVING FROM TRADITIONAL TO CHANGEMAKER
INSTITUTIONSL EV ERT R A D IT IO N AL I N ST I TUT I ON

C H AN GEM AKER I N STI T UTI ON

VALUE S Institution primarily values
excellence in teaching andresearch.
 Social and environmental
values are sprinkled acrossthe institution but notpervasive.

 Excellence in teaching andresearch includes a focus on
creating positive social impact.
 Social and environmental values
are also embedded in thestrategy, operations, and metrics
of success.

CULT UR E

 Change is slow.
 New ideas are often
rejected.
 Titles and seniority
define status.
 Tenure and expertiseequate to greater insight.

 Change is iterative and ongoing.
 Experimentation is encouraged.
 Everyone contributes to change.

HI E RA RC H IESAND
D I S CI P LI N ES

 Hierarchies among
administrators and faculty
create tensions in decision
making.
 Tenure, promotion, andbudgeting practices
reinforce disciplinary silos.

 Hierarchies exist but are fluid.
 Participatory approaches inform
decision-making.
 Collaboration between faculty
and staff is frequent and organic.
 Disciplines advance domain
knowledge, while multidisciplinary
structures support collaborative
research, teaching, and service.

CURRI CU LU M
AND
CO- CURR IC U LU M

 Disciplines control
curriculum.
 Change is incremental.
 Resistance to innovation ishigh.

 The curriculum supports thedevelopment of disciplinary
knowledge and the ability toadapt to change and innovate
for positive social impact.
 Educators and program leaders
regularly evaluate program
effectiveness and evolve
curriculum.
 Faculty and staff are open to
more experiential, engaged
approaches.

Note: Levers to accelerate the shift from traditional to Changemaking Institutions. Adapted from Changemaker Institutions: How higher education can use social
innovation to better prepare students, transform campus culture, and lead society toward a better future (pp. 31-33), by M. Kim, E. Krampetz, & B. Ansari, 2018,
Ashoka U. Copyright 2018 by Ashoka U. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. Summarized from original.

INTRODUCTION

8This need for transformation raises the questions: How can institutions of higher education, arguably
among the most enduring institutions across society: Align vision and values (not only of the institution, but also of the students, educators,
and administrators) to support the good of all?

 Become nimbler and more adaptive, empowering all as changemakers (not just those in a position of
power)?

 Leverage the power of “vertical” disciplines alongside “horizontal” educational experiences by fosteringcollaborative opportunities to solve problems, recognizing both the expertise of other schools ofthought as well as those with lived experience?

 Experiment and iterate educational opportunities and create integrated pathways that prepare students
for lives of purpose and impact?
This goes beyond simple statements in a mission statement or committing a small percentage of funds
towards collaborative or social innovation projects. It is about fundamentally wiring the institution
for changemaking, which in most cases, requires a significant transformation of long-embedded
programming and structures.
Indeed, colleges and universities are some of the most complex—and arguably rigid—social systems. Yet,
as institutions of knowledge creation and learning, they are also some of the best equipped to co-createsocial impact in and with their communities and support students in becoming changemakers.
This Guidebook serves to unlock the knowledge and expertise Ashoka U has gained from over 12 years ofpartnering with colleges and universities to learn how to “work within the system to change the system.”

9

INT RODUCTION

DEF I N I T I ONS AND INFORM ATIONREL AT ED TO CHANGE M AKING E DUCATIONKEY DEFINITIONSCHANGEMAKER
A changemaker is “anyone who takes action to address a problem, activates others, and works towards
solutions for the good of all” (Duplechain & Lax, 2019, p. 9).
CHANGEMAKER EDUCATION
Changemaker education is an education that helps students build their identities and capacities as
collaborative agents for change. This education aims to help students:

 Develop personal awareness, community understanding, and ability to collaborate (Duplechain & Lax,2019).

 Develop their abilities for catalyzing social change including methodologies such as civic engagement,social innovation, social justice, and philanthropy (Kim & Krampetz, 2016).

 Practice changemaking as they take action and activate others around a societal challenge (Duplechain& Lax, 2019).
KEY RESOUR CES
T HE RE ALI TY O F T ERM IN O L O G Y: B EYON D D EFI N I TI ON S , an Ashoka U blog that provides an

overview of changemaking in relation to social innovation and social entrepreneurship (Fairbanks, 2016).
RE T HI NKI N G T H E IM P A C T SP EC T RU M, an Ashoka U blog that differentiates between four levels of

impact: direct service, scaled direct service, systems change, and framework change (Kim, 2015).
THE RI S E O F T H E SO P H IST IC AT ED CH AN GEM AKER , an article in Democracy and Diversity by

Ashoka U co-founders that discusses key aspects of social innovation, together with its vulnerabilities(Kim & Krampetz, 2016), and also introduces multiple approaches to foster social change andrecommended approaches for changemaker educators.
LE AD E RS HI P, R ESIL IEN C E, A N D H IG HER ED UC ATI ON ’S PR OM I S E, an article that synthesizes thetrends Ashoka U has observed across the sector and four key principles for leading institutions to producechangemaking outcomes, which are expounded upon throughout this Guidebook (Kim & Fuessel, 2020).

INTRODUCTION

10

II. GETTING ORIENTED: KEY CONCEPTS
A couple of key concepts set the foundation for changemaker education and frame the highly complex
context in which your change strategies will play out. In the following section, we briefly zoom in to
introduce the changemaker qualities, which are foundational for students, educators, and leaders alike.
We then zoom out to consider the field within which your efforts to transform your college or university
into a Changemaker Institution will occur.
ZOOMING IN: CHANGEMAKER QUALITIESBefore designing educational programming to foster changemakers, it is essential to define changemakerqualities. These qualities inform the learning outcomes for students and professional development for
educators, institutional innovators, and leaders.
Table 2 introduces the mindsets, knowledge, and skills that we believe are core for any changemaker.
Ashoka U originally published this Changemaker Qualities Framework in 2018 in Preparing Students fora Rapidly Changing World: Learning Outcomes for Social Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship, andChangemaker Education. It draws from both a decade of Ashoka U experience in changemaker education
and research insights from more than 200 partners, including Ashoka Fellows and our network of
Changemaker Educators and innovators. Thirty people, including social entrepreneurs, Changemaker
Educators, students, and Ashoka team members, reviewed the framework and contributed feedback.

11

GETTING ORIENTED: KEY CONCEPTS

TABLE 2.

CHANGEMAKER QUALITIES FRAMEWORKM IN D SETS
IDENTIFY A S A CHA NGEMAK ER

Changemakers believe deeplythat positive change is possible
and that every individual is a
critical contributor toward thatchange. They model changemaking
themselves and seek to create
space for others to take action andlead change.
SELF-AWAR ENES S

Changemakers recognize that selfawareness is critical to creating
intentional, effective, and sustainablechange efforts. Changemakers
cultivate a deep understandingof their own experiences andintentions, strengths and limitations,insights, and biases. They act
on this personal awareness,investing in continued growth andwellness practices critical to theirsustainability.
EMPATHY

Changemakers seek to cultivate
a deep understanding of others’
feelings and experiences. They draw
on this understanding to build
relationships of trust, collaborate,
engage others in action, and createchange.
INCLUSIV I T Y

Changemakers actively seek
to involve all stakeholders inchangemaking, value diverse
perspectives, and pursue equitable
impact.
PERSEV ERANCE

Changemakers recognize that they
will face challenges and, at times, feel
uncertain of their next step. Driven
by the commitment to achieve their
mission, changemakers work to
become comfortable with ambiguity
and persevere through challenges.

KN OW L ED GE
ETH I C S O F S O C I A L
CHA N G E

Changemakers understandthe potential negative
consequences thatchangemaking can have. They
work hard to consider andunderstand the potential
implications of any action.
They take seriously the
responsibility to do no harm.
Understanding of responsible
community engagement andenvironmental responsibility
shape their decision making.
MULT I PL E A PPROAC H E S
FO R S O C I A L C H A N G E

Changemakers understanda variety of approaches
for affecting social change.
Different methodologies
include, but are not limited to:
advocacy, civic engagement,
design thinking, social
entrepreneurship, social
innovation, social justice, andphilanthropy. Changemakers
understand the strengths andweaknesses of each approachand can determine which topursue according to issue andcontext.
WO R K I N G K N OW L E DG E
O F SYST E M , CO N T E XT,
AND C H A L L E N G E

Changemakers gain
understanding throughreal-world experience. They
value and pursue knowledge
through immersion in thesystem(s) they focus on.
Kinds of knowledge include
but are not limited to a
deep understanding of theissue(s), cultural context, andcommunity experience andinsights.

S KI L L S
B U I L DI N G R E L AT I O N S H I PS
O F T RU ST

Changemakers practice deep
listening and engage people with
the intention of moving beyond
transactional relationships to create
deep connections. They approach each
person and partnership with respect
and interest. They aim to cultivate
shared understanding.
SYST E M S T H I N K I N G

Changemakers apply systems thinking
to understand challenges and work
toward long-term, systemic solutions.
They map the elements at play in asystem to consider potential actions.
Changemakers understand that any
action they take affects other partsof the system and seek to apply thisinsight to intentionally pursue positivechange.
C R E AT I V E PRO B L E M S O LV I N G

Changemakers are not constrained by
the status quo. They use critical thinking
to identify challenges, understand theroot cause of a problem, and draw on
different perspectives to generate andtest novel solutions.
A DA PT I V E CO M M U N I C AT I O N

Changemakers communicate effectively
with a variety of stakeholders byarticulating why an issue matters. They
articulate their idea for social change,
the need and urgency to act, and use
communication to connect with andmobilize people around their vision.
E M POW E R I N G L E A DE RS H I P

Changemakers recognize that true
leadership is about unlocking theleadership potential of others. In
the design and implementation of
initiatives, they intentionally invite
people to contribute toward solutions
and to step into new positions ofinfluence.

Note: Ashoka U Changemaker Learning Outcomes. Reprinted from Preparing students for a rapidly changing world: Learning outcomes for social innovation,social entrepreneurship, and changemaker education (pp. 12-13), by H. Duplechain & J. Lax, 2019, Ashoka U. Copyright 2019 by Ashoka U. Licensed under CC
BY-NC-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.

GETTING ORIENTED: KEY CONCEPTS

12

This Changemaker Qualities Framework (Table 2) will be a key reference as you navigate the Guidebook.
Strategies 3 and 4 build on these foundational qualities with additional ones tailored for Senior Leadersand Change Leaders, while Strategy 9 includes additional qualities for educators.
ZOOMING OUT: THE FIELD OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Next, we zoom out to understand the context in which efforts to transform the college and university
are situated. Considering the complex higher education landscape and its implications is important as
we build teams, choose strategies, and implement them in tailored ways. Below we briefly identify three
insights based on the nature of higher education systems, organizations, and change.
NATURE OF SYSTEMS
Colleges and universities, perhaps even more than organizations in other sectors, are bothcomplex and situated in complex contexts—they are nested in and interdependent with othersystems. For example, they are:






members of a larger system of education;
an integral part of systems for lifelong learning;
influenced (if not governed by) governmental systems, regulations, and/or funding;comprised of various disciplinary systems, each with their own “schools of thought”, 		
members, and methods which influence teaching and research; and

situated within place-based systems of communities, regions, states/provinces, and		
nations.

These factors all imply that the boundaries of a higher education are porous, and thus may beespecially susceptible to external forces.
K E Y I N S I G H TS : Higher education institutions need to be adaptive and resilient, and systems

change approaches will be required.
NATURE OF ORGANIZATIONSHigher education institutions can, on the one hand, be very independent organizations withlargely autonomous administrators, faculty, and staff (Burke, 2011). On the other hand, someschools or units work in highly interdependent and coordinated ways. Further, each higher
education institution has its own organizational culture and power dynamics—with somehaving more centralized and coordination mechanisms, while most being more diffuse.

13

GETTING ORIENTED: KEY CONCEPTS

K E Y I N S I G H TS : There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to change leadership ormanagement, even within a single institution. Further, the situation and context matters(Kerber & Buono, 2005).
NATURE OF CHANGE
Parts of higher education can be dynamic and ever-changing. Yet on the other hand, as socialand organizational structures are created (e.g., values, language, resources, policies, andpractices), they become self-reinforcing and can be difficult to change (Giddens, 1984).
K E Y I N S I G H TS : The nature of change in higher education institutions can be both continuousand episodic even within the same institution (Weick & Quinn, 1999; Burke, 2011).
These key concepts may be useful references as you engage with the Guidebook and consider your own
strategies for institutional change. Strategy 1 in the Leadership Section introduces key principles forleading change and Strategies 3 through 7 introduce key roles and teams for leading change. While thesestrategies are intended to support institutions seeking to design intentional change initiatives, some key
principles and practices may be adapted for more organic change efforts.
AN INVITATION
Despite the complexities of higher education and the seemingly idealistic nature of changemaker qualities,
colleges and universities around the globe are:

 Reinventing themselves, many even ironically anchoring innovations in their founding stories, historicroots, and pervasive cultures of serving the common good or advancing social justice.

 Leading both planned processes of change to align institutional strategies operations with social andenvironmental values and responding opportunistically to emergent circumstances.

 Learning to lead in ways that both manage the typical administrative and operational functions while
also fostering cultures and practices that equip all to contribute to change, foster collaboration, andenable innovation.

 Pursuing evaluation and impact measurement for evidence-based strategies, while encouraging
experimentation and iteration.
As Changemaker Institutions are embedding changemaking into their strategies, education, and culture,they are also continuously learning and innovating. As you engage with this book, we invite you to join a
growing global community of innovators in higher education.

GETTING ORIENTED: KEY CONCEPTS

14

III. HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS RESOURCEPURPOSE OF THE GUIDEBOOKThe purpose of this Guidebook is to address how higher education institutions become Changemaker
Institutions.
HOW TO NAVIGATE THE GUIDEBOOKThe Guidebook is structured into two primary sections: the first on Visionary Leadership and the second
on Changemaker Education. Each section presents a set of Strategies (each structured as a standalone
chapter) for equipping colleges and universities for changemaking.
Each Strategy (or chapter) is organized into six sections and includes a range of considerations orpractices we have observed across different types of institutions and in different contexts. The following
chart will help you recognize and navigate the content presented within each Strategy.

DESCRIPTION

Short summary about what this strategy is.
STRATEGIC BENEFITS

Brief bullets summarizing the strategic importance of thisstrategy and what benefits it will bring your institution.
KEY CONCEPTS AND CONSIDERATIONS

Discussion of any concepts and considerations that inform
how you might go about doing this in your context.
ACTION STEPS

List of action steps you might take to get started.

✓
✓
✓

TIPS

Things to keep in mind to make this easier.

CAMPUS EXAMPLES

Short stories or case studies with real-world examples.

15

HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS RESOURCEAUDIENCE
For ease of navigating the book, we have identified four categories of readers as introduced in Table 3.

TABLE 3.

TYPICAL GUIDEBOOK READERS

RE AD E R

AC T I ON S I N S ERVI C E OFC H AN GEM AKI N G ED UC ATI ON

T YP IC A L ROL ESS E NI OR
LE AD E RS

Presidents, provosts, vice presidents,
and deans in official positions ofleadership.

 Model a new type of leadership.
 Embed social innovation andchangemaking into institutional strategy,
academic plan, and operations.
 Equip innovative teams to advancechangemaking across the institution.

CHANGELE AD E RS

Mid-level faculty, staff, administrators,
and/or students who seek to innovateand spread changemaking acrossthe institution (e.g., a director ofa center for social innovation andchangemaking, director of strategic
initiatives, senior faculty of social
innovation, or student leader).

 Partner with senior leaders to secure
institutional support and resources forchangemaking.
 Partner with and equip stakeholders
across the institution and in thecommunity to embed change into
programing and operations andinnovate new models and practices.

ST UD E NT
LE AD E RS

Students (undergraduate to graduate)
who self-identify as changemakers
and lead efforts to advancechangemaking across their institution(e.g., student trustee, presidentof student union, manager ofchangemaker hub, teaching assistantin social innovation course, resident
assistant).

 Collaborate with faculty, staff, andsenior leaders to re-envision education
experiences and institutional structures.
 Mentor peers and lead student
changemaker activities.

I NNOVAT IV E
E D UCATO RS

Faculty and staff of any discipline orlevel of experience who self-identify
as changemakers.

 Actively grow their changemakereducation knowledge and practices.
 Include changemaking in their course
design and pedagogies, programs, andco-curricular experiences.

ROADMAPS
To help navigate this resource, Ashoka U has created Roadmaps to serve as an executive summary of all
the strategies. You can use the Roadmaps in Figures 1 and 2 to identify and navigate the strategies.

HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS RESOURCE

16FIGURE 1. R O A D M A P

LEADERS HI P

DESCRIPTION

What is thisstrategy about?

STRATEGICBENEFITS

Why is it important?

READERSWho might use it
and how?

O F V I S I O N A RY L E A D E R S H I P S T R AT E G I E S

1

2

3

4

D E V ELO P C H A N G E
M A N AG EM EN T
A P P ROAC H

EM B ED I N VI S I ON ,MI S S I ON , AN D
ST RAT EGI C P L AN

M OD EL S EN I OR
L EAD ERS H I P AN D
P ROVI D E S UP P ORTI DENTIFYC H ANG E LEADERS

Developing a case

Aligning the vision,

Modeling changemaking

Identifying Change

for change, assessing

mission, and strategic plan

behaviors and focusing

Leaders with the mandate,institutional context, andwith social innovation andstrategic priorities,

influence, and grit toco-creating a vision forchangemaking values andcommitting resources,

advance changemaking

becoming a Changemakerpriorities.

and creating supporting

across the institution.

Institution.

structures.

 Creates clarity for why andhow the institution will
focus on changemaking.
 Aligns change plans with
the institution’s context.
 Builds the foundation forleading institution-widechange.

 Signals institutional
commitment to impact.
 Guides priorities, budget,and decision-making.
 Demonstrates institution’s
relevance.
 Serves as a market
differentiator.

 Provides an example ofchangemaking in action.
 Makes changemaking
credible.
 Sets the standard forinstitutional innovation.
 Creates conditions forchangemaking to flourish.

 Assigns responsibility foradvancing changemaking.
 Ensures student, faculty,
and staff engagement andinnovation.
 Supports continuity inwake of senior leadershiptransitions.

SENIOR LEADERSSENIOR LEADERSSENIOR LEADERSSENIOR LEADERS Identify drivers and assets
for change.
 Assess institutional context.
 Harness early interest inchangemaking.

 Identify ways to embedchangemaking into visionand strategy.
 Use to engage board.
 Identify ways to engage
stakeholders.

CHANGE LEADERS

Same as Senior Leaders, plus:
 Coach senior leaders andChange Team in change
management.
STUDENT LEADERS

 Inform how you call forchange and influence seniorleaders.
 Co-create vision and change
strategies with leaders.
CHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R S

 Consider the institutional
context for changemaking
and its impact on yourprogramming.

CHANGE LEADERS Identify how/when to
support leaders.
 Share with senior leadersand strategic planningteam to demonstrate what
is possible.
STUDENT LEADERS Reflect on what yourinstitution has/not done.
 Share your changemaking
story with leaders andmake the case for making
changemaking a priority.
 Advocate to the board.
CHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R S

 Reflect on and link yourchangemaker education
programming to existingvision, values, andstrategies.

 Reflect on qualities andpeer examples.
 Build a development plan.
 Use to coach senior team.
CHANGE LEADERS Coach senior leaders
using frameworks andexamples.
 Give leaders feedback.
 Use to request support
from senior leaders.
STUDENT LEADERS

 Validate senior leaderswhen you see thesevalues in action.
CHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R S

 Similar to those forStudent Leaders.

 Recruit Change Leaders.
 Build responsibilities into
job descriptions andevaluations.
 Support, coach, andcelebrate Change
Leaders.
CHANGE LEADERS

 Build a development plan.
 Advocate for resources
and senior support.
 Ask others to hold you
accountable.
 Use to recruit, coach, andmentor other Change
Leaders.
STUDENT LEADERS

Similar to Change Leaders,and: Consider if this is a role
you would like to stepinto.
 Identify how you might
support Change Leaders.
CHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R S

 Similar to those forStudent Leaders.

FIGURE 1. R O A D M A P

O F V I S I O N A RY L E A D E R S H I P S T R AT E G I E S

5

6

7

8

BU IL D CHA NGE
L EADE RS HI P GROU P

B U IL D
A N D SU STA IN
T H E C H A N G E T EA M

COOR D I N AT E AN DI N STI T UTI ON AL I Z E
C H AN GEM AKI N G

M AN AGE
TR AN S I T I ON S

Building a group of two to

Building a committed

Coordinating changemaking

Managing transitions

three Change Leaders withand interdisciplinary

across the institution andthrough succession

complementary skills andChange Team, protocols,

embedding in its systems

planning and institutional

influence to lead a Change

and incentives to growand practices.

levers such as recruitment,

Team and institution-wide

and strengthen the

resourcing, and knowledgechangemaking strategies.

campus-wide ecosystemmanagement.

for social innovation and

LEADERSHIPDESCRIPTION

What is thisstrategy about?

changemaking.

 Distributes the workload.
• Leverages diverse
positions, network ties,
and institutional assets.
• Brings uniquebackgrounds andperspectives for more
holistic solutions.

 Expands the capacity andassets for changemaking.
 Enables changemaking tocross disciplines and silos.
 Ensures a strong base of
support for advancingchangemaking.

 Aligns changemaking
efforts.
 Identifies gaps,
duplications, and synergies.
 Fosters accountability.
 Ensures sustainability.

SENIOR LEADERSSENIOR LEADERSSENIOR LEADERS Identify additional
leadership that may beneeded.
 Hold the groupaccountable.

 Identify ways you can
support Change Team.
 Hold the teamaccountable.

CHANGE LEADERS

 Define roles, recruit, andorient team.
 Build Change Team charter.
 Determine team norms
and processes.

 Influence leaders toincrease coordination andcoherence.
 Co-design a structurethat plays to yourinstitution’s strengths.

STUDENT LEADERSSTUDENT LEADERS

CHANGE LEADERS
CHANGE LEADERS Identify number andtype of Change Leadersneeded.
 Codesign these positions
as part of strategy andgovernance.
STUDENT LEADERS

Not applicable.

CHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R S

 Provide input to Change
Leaders as they map key
resources and influenceand seek to build allies
and influence.

 Evolve structures
to further embedchangemaking.

 Advise on Change
Team operations toensure optimal student
engagement.
 Identify unrepresented
student voices or concerns
in the Change Team andadvocate for their inclusion.
CHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R S

 Consider if this is a role
you would like to step into.
 Support Change Team in
recruiting other faculty or
students.

 Report to Change
Team where there
is/not coordinationor coherence inchangemaking.
CHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R S

 Similar to those forStudent Leader.

 Minimizes setbacks.
 Attracts and grows
changemaking leadership.
 Infuses new perspectives,
assets, and resources.
 Creates structures thatreinforce changemaking
leadership.

STRATEGICBENEFITS

Why is it important?

SENIOR LEADERS

 Build “bench strength”.
 Use as foundation to
engage HR, marketing, anddevelopment offices.
 Advocate for includingchangemaking in selection
processes.
CHANGE LEADERS Identify and employ levers
for sustainability.
 Advocate for seniorleader support andinstitutional commitment.
 Work with team tocultivate successors.
STUDENT LEADERS

 Actively cultivate peers as
successors.
CHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R S

 Share your changemakerstory as a testimonial
to support faculty
recruitment.

READERSWho might use it
and how?

FIGURE 2. R O A D M A P

EDU CAT I ON

O F C H A N G E M A K E R E D U C AT I O N S T R AT E G I E S

9

10

11

CULT IVAT E C H A N G EM A K ER
ED U C ATO R M IN D SETS,KN OW L ED G E, A N D SK IL L S

D EVELOPC H AN GEM AKER L EAR N I N GOUTCOM ES

UT I LIZEP EDAGOG IES F O R
C H AN GEMAKING

Cultivating the mindsets,

Developing learning outcomes to

Utilizing pedagogies thatknowledge, and skills to modelbuild educational experiences that

help students grow in in theirchangemaking as an educator andcultivate students as changemakers.

changemaker mindsets, knowledge,

develop innovative and inclusive
DESCRIPTION

and skills.

changemaker education.

What is thisstrategy about?

STRATEGICBENEFITS

Why is it important?

READERSWho might use it
and how?

 Solidifies purpose and builds
confidence.
 Encourages educators in theirdevelopment.
 Provides an example for colleagues
and for students.
 Fosters educational innovation.

 Creates clarity on educational
priorities.
 Focuses changemaker education
design.
 Creates a standard for measuring
student progress.
 Enables students to plan and reflect
on their growth.

C H A N G E M A K E R E D U C AT O R S

C H A N G E M A K E R E D U C AT O R S

 Build a development plan.
 Identify and advocate for institutional
resources.
 Ask others to hold you accountable.
 Invite others to be Changemaker
Educators.
STUDENT LEADERS

 Validate educators when you see
these values in action.
 Use to develop your own educatorskills (as relevant).
CHANGE LEADERS Identify, coach, and celebrate
Changemaker Educators.
 Support Changemaker Educators tobuild a community of practice.

 Compare changemaking learning
outcomes with those of yourinstitution; adapt for your purposes.
 Share with students and allies
to inform co-design of courses,
programs, and experience.
 Share with colleagues to inform
evaluation for changemaking impact.

 Recognize and reward Changemaker
Educators.
 Allocate institutional resources tosupport growth and development.
 Incorporate in HR processes.

C H A N G E M A K E R E D U C AT O R S

 Identify types of pedagogies andactivities best suited to fosterchangemaking.
 Share with colleagues; exchange
practices with each other.
 Share with students and invite
feedback on what is/not working incurrent classes.
 Use to iterate educational design.

STUDENT LEADERS Reflect on your course’s learning
outcomes and consider extent towhich changemaking is fostered.
 Co-design new educational
experiences with faculty and staff.
 Mentor peers in cultivatingchangemaker qualities.
CHANGE LEADERSSENIOR LEADERS Makes learning relevant and relatable.
 Puts students at center and in chargeof their learning experiences.
 Works to overcome structuralinequalities.
 Employs new, innovative teaching
methods.

 Encourage program directors or
educators to use.
 Connect allies and inspire co-creativeeducational design processes.

STUDENT LEADERS

 Review current practices; identify
what resonates and what is
missing.
 Brainstorm with faculty and staff toimprove educational experiences.
 Use as a foundation when
designing peer mentoring and coteaching experiences.
CHANGE LEADERS Share with educators interested
in getting more involved inchangemaking.

SENIOR LEADERS Guide the development ofinstitution-wide learning outcomesor graduate attributes.
 Ensure academic model and plan
support changemaker learning
outcomes.

SENIOR LEADERS

 Engage Center for Teaching and
Learning to review pedagogies
across campus, spotlight bestpractices for changemaking,and identify new resources andsupport needed.

FIGURE 2. R O A D M A P

O F C H A N G E M A K E R E D U C AT I O N S T R AT E G I E S

12

13

14

15

BUI LD S OCI A L
I NNOVAT I ON COURS ES

B U IL D SO C IA L
IN N OVAT IO N CO U RS E
SEQ U EN C ESC R EATE
CO-C UR R I C UL AR
C H AN GEM AKI N G
P ROGR AM S

FOST ERST UD EN T L EAR N I N G
J OUR N EYS

Building social innovation

Building social innovation

Creating co-curricular

Fostering student learning

courses to cultivate systems

course sequences to offerchangemaking programs

journeys by mapping

thinking, creativity, andacademic pathways forto provide activities

and communicating

collaboration skills as

student involvement andand experiences that

educational opportunities

critical enablers for multiple

development over time.

help students develop

and supporting studentschangemaker qualities

in charting and navigating

outside the classroom.

their own development aschangemaking paths.

changemakers.

 Equips students with key
processes and skills that crossdisciplines.
 Prepares students for avariety of sectors, roles, orchallenges.
 Provides unique
opportunities forcollaboration.
 Complements otherchangemaking pathways.

 Provides pathways andrecognition that complement
other disciplinary studies.
 Signals the importance ofdeveloping deeper social
innovation skills.
 Prepares students more
rigorously for social impact
careers.
 Demonstrates institutional
commitment to the disciplineof social innovation.

 Engages diverse campus andcommunity stakeholders.
 Offers shorter, lessintimidating developmental
opportunities.
 Enables low-risk
experimentation.
 Complements and enriches
academic courses.
 Provides opportunities totailor one’s changemaking
journey.

 Provides coherence tochangemaking offerings.
 Communicates the value ofchangemaking experiences.
 Increases awareness andparticipation.
 Inspires students
to advance in theirchangemaking.
 Equips students to connect
and apply changemaking
to other academic andpersonal pursuits.

CHANGEMAKER EDUCATORSCHANGEMAKER EDUCATORSCHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R S

CHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R S

 Identify content and types ofsocial innovation courses.
 Take stock of the offerings,
gaps, and opportunities atyour institution.
 Envision how social innovation
courses can be used to foster
interdisciplinary learning andformalized changemakereducational experiences.

 Identify course sequencetypes and design
considerations.
 Consider the student learning
milestones and how they
relate to course sequence
design.
 Test and iterate course
sequences.

 Identify various types of
co-curricular experiencesand design considerations.
 Take stock of the offerings,
gaps, and opportunities atyour institution.
 Create or innovate newofferings or connections
across existing ones.

STUDENT LEADERSSTUDENT LEADERS Use as a foundation for
identifying social innovation
development opportunities
for self and peers.
 Reflect on existing social
innovation courses andrecommend opportunities
for further innovation.
CHANGE LEADERS Share with Change Team
members to foster strong
team understanding of social
innovation.
 Engage Change Team in asocial innovation orientation,
certificate, or course as partof their own development.
SENIOR LEADERS

 Commit resources to social
innovation as a discipline.

 Identify how social innovation
sequences fit into yourinstitution’s changemaker
offerings and supportchangemaking pathways.

STUDENT LEADERS

 Initiate design of and/or
lead various changemaking
offerings with
Changemaker Educators
and Change Team.

CHANGE LEADERS

 Consider how course
sequence(s) relate to theinstitution’s changemaking
ecosystem and strategy.
 Identify new opportunities
based on student, community,
and/or employer needs.

CHANGE LEADERSSENIOR LEADERSSENIOR LEADERS

 Commit resources to social
innovation as a discipline.

 Encourage Change Teamto conduct an audit
of offerings across theinstitution and use result
to inform future strategy
and activities.
 Commit resources to cocurricular changemaking
experiences.

EDU CATIO N

DESCRIPTION

What is thisstrategy about?

STRATEGICBENEFITS

Why is it important?

 Identify the different
types of changemaker
experiences students may
have.
STUDENT LEADERS

 Engage peers in providing
feedback on theirchangemaker journeys
and experiences, what isworking/missing.
CHANGE LEADERS

 Advocate with seniorleadership to secureresources and/or otheroffices’ collaboration indiversifying and connecting
educational pathways.
SENIOR LEADERS

 Provide mandates for andremove obstacles to crossdepartmental alignmentand coordination.
 Dedicate resources tosupport mapping andmarketing changemaker
experiences.

READERSWho might use it
and how?

READING THIS GUIDEBOOK.
There are two ways to read the Guidebook:
COVER-TO-COVER
You may choose to read it cover to cover to get a more comprehensive overview of the key
strategies and practices for embedding changemaking at your institution.
SPECIFIC FOCUS
Alternatively, you may go to a specific strategy when it is most timely and relevant.
N OT E FO R R EA D ER Given the relationship between strategies, we sometimes reintroduce

key ideas or provide references to other related strategies and appendices. This provides
useful context for the readers who go directly to specific strategies while also reinforcing
key ideas for readers that peruse the Guidebook from beginning to end.
While the strategies are presented in a relatively logical sequence, institutional transformation does not
happen linearly. Trust that each step of building your changemaking ecosystem matters, and do not be
afraid to start in the best place for you and your campus. Your transformation journey will be unique.
ENGAGING WITH THE CONTENTThis book is not a checklist, nor a guarantee for how to “get change right.” Rather, it is a guide you
can adapt to your own institutional context. Not all the considerations, potential action steps, or
campus examples will feel relevant for your institution. You must create your own path tailored to yourinstitutional and community context. Below, we’ve outlined how you can adapt and utilize the strategies
in the Guidebook based on the stage of your institution’s journey in changemaking:
JUST GETTING STARTED
Use the Guidebook as an introductory primer. Review the entire book, share the campus
examples with others to catalyze interest, review the frameworks, and consider which action
steps might be an appropriate starting point for your context.
MAKING INITIAL PROGRESS
Use this to advance in specific areas. Turn to the strategies that are most timely and relevant.
Dig into the principles, frameworks, and action steps to consider where you have alreadymade advances and what additional steps you might take.

21

HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS RESOURCEEXPERIENCING SETBACKS
Use this to help you identify potential interventions. Check out the Roadmaps to determine
where you might focus your energies. Turn to the specific strategies and consider how you
might rebuild. Review Leadership Strategy 1: Develop Change Management Approach and theInstitutional Assessment Framework Call-Out Box, as relevant.
ADVANCING AS A THOUGHT LEADER
Use this as a reference when presenting about changemaker education, coaching peer
institutions, and/or influencing sector-level ecosystem builders.
We also encourage you to get support, build a team, and use the frameworks and examples as a starting
point for team reflection and action. In so doing, you will inspire change and create your own approaches
and models. This Guidebook can be leveraged in the following ways to engage stakeholders across yourinstitution:

 Share a campus example with peers or leadership as inspiration for what is possible.
 Use the frameworks as a starting point for considering your specific institutional context.
 Share a chapter with peers, team, or leadership and use it as a foundation in retreats ordesign sessions to provoke brainstorming, design, and development.

HOW TO NAVIGATE THIS RESOURCE

22

IV. VISIONARY LEADERSHIP“If the next generation of citizen leaders is to be engaged and committed to leading forthe common good, then the institutions which nurture them must be engaged in the workof the society and the community, modeling effective leadership and problem solving skills,
demonstrating how to accomplish change for the common good.” (Astin & Astin, 2000, p. 2)

INTRODUCTION
Changemaker Institutions create more than educational offerings and pathways. They promote andsustain change leadership by example—walking the talk through innovating their own ecosystems.
Strong visionary and collaborative leadership across the institution is required to create the institutional
strategies, structures, educational programs, cultures, and teams that foster adaptability, innovation, andchangemaking.
Given the complexity of higher education institutions and the context in which they operate, this requiresa strong understanding of systems. And, it involves galvanizing and empowering collective leadership ofmany across the institution.
The strategies outlined in this section address the types of visionary leadership and key building blocks
necessary for becoming a Changemaker Institution.
STRATEGIC BENEFITS
Leadership is critical because it ensures that social innovation and changemaking are an institutional
priority. As senior leaders embed changemaking into strategies, plans, budgets, and universities events,
they focus institutional attention and resources to create the conditions for innovation and changemaking
to flourish. As innovative faculty, staff, and students collaborate, they create programs and partnershipsthat equip all to develop changemaking skills and co-create positive social impact. It also builds theinstitution’s brand reputation amongst: students seeking changemaker education; employers seeking
graduates able to address complex challenges; funders that are passionate about and expect institutional
outcomes for the good of all; and accreditors and ranking bodies who are increasingly looking for evidenceof social innovation and impact. Conversely, without visionary leadership—and the focus, permission, andresources it lends—it is challenging, if not impossible, to rally the organization around changemaking in
the face of competing priorities.

23

VISIONARY LEADERSHIPMA RKET VA L I DATION OF CHANGE M AKING
As accreditors and ranking bodies are increasingly emphasizing the importance of social innovationand impact, there is also a corresponding increase in the “return on investment” (ROI of institutional
commitments to changemaking.
For example, AACSB, the international accreditor of business schools emphasizes engagement,
innovation, and impact as key themes in its criteria. Meanwhile after the Times Higher Education(THE) launched its Impact Rankings in 2019 to recognize higher education institutions’ commitment to
the UN Sustainable Development Goals, participation rose from 476 institutions in 2019 to 860 in 2020
(Ross, 2020.
“We have long known that in society we tend to value and prioritize the things we measure,” commented
Vice Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University, Pamela Gillies. “In the face of the accelerating paceof global challenges such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now more important thanever for universities around the world to make a significant contribution to achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs. I applaud accrediting bodies and the THE for implementing robust new
tools for measuring social innovation and impact in higher education. These new ways of assessing theimpact of universities and colleges will forever transform the way we think of excellence in our sector
and provide a compelling stimulus to SDG-related action.”
For more information, review the AACSB standards and the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

SECTION STRUCTURE
As Table 4 indicates, this section starts with a discussion of key concepts and considerations for visionary
leadership. The rest of the section is structured into four leadership categories collectively comprisingeight strategies for cultivating visionary leadership as part of becoming a Changemaker Institution. It
is important to note that leadership is not a one-time event, rather, it is ongoing and iterative. Those
institutions just getting started can use these strategies to assess and build leadership mindsets, teams,
and structures. Meanwhile, those with more advanced ecosystems can use these strategies to onboard andcultivate new teams and leaders and evolve their leadership and team structures over time.

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

24

TABLE 4.

OVERVIEW OF LEADERSHIP STRATEGIESF OUNDATIO N S
OF V I S I ON A RY
LE AD E RS H IP

This section briefly discusses some foundational
concepts of leadership for necessary for
Changemaker Institutions.

Key Concepts andConsiderations

I NST I T UT IO N A L
CHANGEMANAGE M EN T

Visionary leadership requires an understandingof the organizational context and how tolead change across the institution. This section
introduces key concepts and action steps
for getting started on the path to visionary
leadership for organizational change.

Strategy 1.
Develop Change Management
ApproachS E NI OR
E XE CUT I V E/
AD M I NI STR AT IV E
LE AD E RS H IP

To embed social innovation as a core institutional
value and strategy, senior executive andadministrative leaders need to signal that social
innovation and changemaking are an institutional
priority by creating strategies, structures, andcultures that promote institutional innovation
and resilience. They mut also personallymodel innovation and changemaking by
fostering collaboration, mobilizing support, andempowering others.

Strategy 2.
Embed in Vision, Mission, andStrategic Plan

A core group of Change Leaders at the mid-level,such as faculty, staff, and administrators are criticalin driving the social innovation strategy, cultivating
allies across the institution, and promoting
institutional innovation.

Strategy 4.
Identify Change Leaders

Change Teams, comprised of active allies acrossthe institution and community, use their positions
to implement the values of social innovation into
their respective work and collaborate on projects
and initiatives to further embed social innovationand changemaking across the university itself. Asinterest in changemaking grows it will be criticalto align and institutionalize efforts and effectively
manage transitions in order to ensure thelong-term adoption of changemaking across theinstitution.

Strategy 6.
Build and Sustain the Change
Team

CHANGELE AD E RS H IP

CHANGE T EA M
AND
COORD I N AT IN G
ST RUCT U R ES

25

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

Strategy 3.
Model Senior Leadership andProvide Support

Strategy 5. Build Change
Leadership Group

Strategy 7.
Coordinate and Institutionalize
Changemaking
Strategy 8.
Manage Transitions

FOUNDATIONS OF VISIONARY LEADERSHIPKEY CONCEPTS AND CONSIDERATIONSBefore detailing each of the strategies, it is important to address some foundational concepts of leadership
required for Changemaker Institutions.
LEADERSHIP IMPLICATIONS FOR CHANGEMAKER INSTITUTIONSAs mentioned in Table 1, there are four design principles for becoming a Changemaker Institution. Table 5summarizes these and includes implications on institutional leadership.
TA B L E 5 .

L E A D E R S H I P I M P L I C AT I O N S F O R C H A N G E M A K E R I N S T I T U T I O N S
TRADITIONALINSTITUTIONCHANGEMAKER
INSTITUTION

LEADERSHIPN E E D S TO

VA L U E SInstitution
predominantly
values excellencein teaching andresearch.

Institutional valuesof social andenvironmental impact
are embedded acrossteaching and researchand strategy andoperations.

 Believe the role of the institution
is to support the good of all.
 Reflect these values in strategies,
operations, research, andacademics.
 Model these values.

C U LT U R E

Change is slow
and expertise isdefined by title
or tenure.

Change is iterative,and everyone
contributes.

 Believe in everyone’s ability tocontribute.
 Create change processes anddecision-making structuresthat engage stakeholders andpromote experimentation.

HIERARCHIESANDDISCIPLINES

Hierarchies
and disciplinary
silos limit
collaboration.

Decision-making
is participatory
and collaboration
flourishes acrosshierarchies and silos.

 Believe in, model, and reward
collaboration.
 Create incentives and structuresthat foster trans-disciplinary andcross-functional collaboration.

CURRICULUM
AND
COCURRICULUM

Curricularchange isincremental.

Curriculum
development
is adaptive,
experimental, andinnovative.

 Co-create academic models andlearning outcomes that foster
innovative changemaker education.
 Ensure faculty development
structures foster and support
innovation in changemakereducation.

Note: Levers to accelerate the shift from traditional to Changemaking Institutions. Adapted from Changemaker Institutions: How higher education can use social
innovation to better prepare students, transform campus culture, and lead society toward a better future (pp. 31-33), by M. Kim, E. Krampetz, & B. Ansari, 2018, Ashoka U.
Copyright 2018 by Ashoka U. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. Summarized and applied to leadership.

FOUNDATIONS OF VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

26

Many higher educational cultures do not foster the type of leadership needed for Changemaker
Institutions. In “traditional” institutions, faculty are typically incentivized and rewarded for individual“scholarly” publications and positioned as the “expert.” Meanwhile teaching is often seen as “impartingknowledge” versus co-creating learning experiences with students. Senior executive leaders usually riseto administrative positions from senior faculty roles, often without sufficient organizational management
or leadership development support. Budgeting and accounting systems can limit co-teaching and crossdepartmental collaboration, thereby reinforcing disciplinary stovepipes and stifling innovation. And while
scholars are encouraged to challenge academic paradigms, it is rare for anyone to challenge the purpose,
impact, or structures of the institution itself.
That said, there has been movement across many institutions to increase collaboration, dedicate resources
to address social issues in the community, and create structures that foster cross-disciplinary researchand teaching. And while these are incredible steps forward, full embodiment of the leadership qualities
necessary for a Changemaker Institution will require:
LEADERSHIP OF SELF AND SYSTEMS
Higher education institutions are situated within dynamic ecosystems of actors, changing
workforce needs, and societal challenges. Thus, leadership in a higher educational institution
requires more than the traditional management functions of strategic planning, budgeting,operations, reporting, etc. It also requires an ability to lead and change complex systems
while recognizing how one contributes to systemic problems and solutions (Stroh, 2015).2
LEADERSHIP BY MANY
Leadership does not reside exclusively in a single position like the president and provost;rather, it emerges as multiple people interact and work to solve complex problems (Uhl-Bienet al., 2007). Responsibilities are often shared or distributed and require engaging the rightresources fluidly at the right time in collaborative teams. This means that people need to be
empowered, engaged, and recognized as changemakers and leaders (Kim & Fuessel, 2020).
LEADERSHIP THROUGH INNOVATION
Solving complex problems—whether institutional or societal—requires collaboration,
experimentation, and iteration. Leadership efforts must foster a culture that encourages
vulnerability, courage, and taking risks.3

2 Refer to Uhl-Bien et al. (2007) for more on leadership in complex adaptive systems and Stroh (2015) for more on systems thinking.
3 Refer to Presencing Institute andTheory U for one framework on individual and system-wide innovation.

27

FOUNDATIONS OF VISIONARY LEADERSHIPLEADERSHIP FOR ALL
Any leadership efforts—whether engaging stakeholders, developing strategies or structures,or leading change—must work to support the good of all.
LEADERSHIP FOR ONGOING AND PLANNED CHANGE
While leadership is needed to continually fuel changemaking and innovation as anorganizational way of being, it is also needed to manage the change process of becoming a
Changemaker Institution.
There is no doubt that higher education needs a new kind of leadership—one characterized by systems
change leadership, innovation, and the transformation of self and the system for the good of all—if ourvision for an everyone a changemaker world is going to be realized (Kim & Fuessel, 2020).
LEADERSHIP ROLES
While leadership itself can be exhibited by anyone at any time, there are specific roles that require
intentional cultivation as part of leading a higher education institution to become a Changemaker
Institution.
Table 6 summarizes four levels of change leadership. While institutional change can be initiated at any
one of these levels (as will be discussed in more detail later in Strategy 1), we have found that institutionaltransformation is multi-directional (Kim & Fuessel, 2020). Within the context of higher education, it is:a) top-down, as senior executives endorse and actively lead;b) bottom-up, as Change Team members including intrapreneurial students, faculty, administrators,
and staff members initiate change; andc) cross-cutting, with Change Leaders ensuring institution-wide engagement and alignment fromthe middle.

FOUNDATIONS OF VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

28

TABLE 6.

ROLES FOR LEADING CHANGE

CHA NG E
LE A D E RS H IP
ROLE S

L EV ELIN ST I TUT I ON AL
ROL ESC H AN GE
R ES P ON S I B I L I TI ES

S E NI ORS P ONS ORS

Seniorexecutive
leaders

President/vice
chancellor, provost, vicepresident/deputy vicechancellor, etc.

 Embed social innovation and changemaking
into strategy, academic plan, and operations.
 Make resources available.
 Advocate in/out of the university.

CHANGECHAM P I O N S

Senioradministrative
leaders

Deans and associate
vice presidents/
associate vicechancellors

 Partner with and engage senior executives
in the changemaking agenda.
 Translate and enact social innovationand changemaking across schools anddepartments.
 Mobilize and/or support Change Leaders indeveloping strategies and programs.

CHANGELE AD E RS

Mid-level

Faculty, staff,
administrators, andstudent leaders Have mandate to drive social innovationand changemaking strategies and initiatives
across the university.
 Partner with Change Team to develop
programs and embed across university’s
culture, programming, and operations.

CHANGETEAM

Cross-Level

Committed,
interdisciplinary faculty,
staff, administrators,
students, andcommunity members

 Embody changemaking in their work.
 Promote changemaking and social
innovation across the university.
 Develop programs and pathways to growand strengthen the university’s social
innovation and changemaking ecosystem.

29

FOUNDATIONS OF VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

1

LEAD E RS HI P ST R ATE GY 1

DEVELOPCHANGEMANAGEMENTAPPROACH
The initial process of becoming a Changemaker Institution—embedding changemaking in the institutional strategy, culture,and educational experiences—requires an intentional change
approach that includes: developing a case for change, assessing
the institutional context, and co-creating a vision for becoming a
Changemaker Institution.
31

L E A D E R S H I P : S T R AT E G Y 1

ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Creates clarity for why and how the institution
will focus on changemaking.
 Aligns change plans with the institution’scontext.
 Builds the foundation for leading institutionwide change.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

• At the beginning of change or when change
stalls.
• If the changemaking vision is no longer clear.

R EA DERS
Who might use it and how?

S EN I O R L EA DERS Identify drivers and assets for change.
 Assess institutional context.
 Harness early interest in changemaking.

C HA N GE L EA DERS

Same as Senior Leaders, plus:
 Coach senior leaders and Change Team inchange management.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS

 Inform how you call for change and influencesenior leaders.
 Co-create vision and change strategies withleaders.

C HA N GEMA K ER
EDUC ATO RS

 Consider the institutional context forchangemaking and its impact on yourprogramming.

L E A D E R S H I P : S T R AT E G Y 1

32

K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
Just as no institution’s history, goals, or culture are alike, neither are their journeys to becominga Changemaker Institution. Before beginning your change approach you should be clear on whychangemaking is important to your institution and how the institution’s history and current structuresand programs can be used to fuel the change.
This section provides an overview of common drivers for changemaking, key questions to consider fortaking stock of the institution’s current state, and general principles for managing change.
DRIVERS FOR CHANGE
There are several common drivers for higher education institutions to pursue changemaking strategies. If
you are seeking to convince others in your institution to prioritize changemaking, the following table canbe useful to help you create and communicate a case for change. If your institution is already interested
in prioritizing changemaking, being clear on what is driving that will help you as you increase awarenessand engagement for institution-wide change. Table 7 identifies some of the drivers that we have observed
across Ashoka U’s network. As you review, it is important to note that there are usually multiple drivers
relevant in any given context.

TABLE 7. DRIVERS FOR BECOMING A CHANGEMAKER INSTITUTIOND RI V ERS

D ESC R IP T I ON

OP P ORTUN I TI ES

ST UD E NT
D E MAND

Students increasingly demandthat their educational
institutions are sociallyconscious and seek an
education that equips themto adapt to change, engage inmeaningful work, and make adifference.

 Attract and develop student changemakers
through interdisciplinary, entrepreneurial, andsolutions-oriented programming.
 Increase student engagement and graduation
outcomes.

E MP LOY E R
D E MAND

Workforce increasingly requires
21st century skills including
competencies such as problem
solving, creativity, communication,and collaboration, and character
qualities such as adaptability
and grit, which are core tochangemaking (World Economic
Forum, 2015, p. 3).

 Support employability and placement throughpartnerships with employers.

33

L E A D E R S H I P : S T R AT E G Y 1

D RI V ERS

D ESC R IPT I ON

OP P ORT UN I T I ESS OCI E TA L
D E MAND

Expectations for environmental,social, and governance (ESG)
factors are rising across all
sectors, and social innovationand changemaking are a uniquevalue proposition.

 Differentiate the institution by positioning it
as an agent of social change at a time when
the purpose and impact of higher education
is being challenged.

M ARKE T
COMP E T I T IO N

Accreditation and rankings
are increasingly focusing on
innovation and impact (e.g.,
AACSB and Times Higher
Education’s Impact Rankings)
and the next generation of faculty
is looking to be associated withinstitutions that foster impact.

 Leverage and promote changemaking work
to recruit innovative faculty and to streamline
ranking and accreditation processes, which
differentiate the institution from others.

F I NA NCI A L
S USTA I NA B IL IT Y

Strategies that attract students,
alumni investments, andcorporate partnerships forchangemaking can augment
funding losses.

 Attract funding for impact and problembased research and learning, and createstronger ties with community and employers.
 Attract potential students throughinstitutional commitment to and admissions
processes and educational experiences forchangemaking.
 Attract donors interested in investing in andgrowing the field of social innovation andchangemaking in higher education.

S E NI OR
E XE CUT I V E
LE A D E RS H IP
T RA NS I T IO N

A transition in board chairman,
president, or provost can
prompt a new strategic focus
on changemaking.

 Select a senior executive leader whose
vision is aligned with social innovation andchangemaking.

ST R AT E G IC /ACA D E M IC
P LANNI NG C YC L E

A new phase of strategic or
academic planning createsan opportunity to embedchangemaking into strategies.

 Signal social innovation and changemaking
as a key institutional priority through new
educational model or academic plan.
 Create a coherent framing and intentional
institutional approach to further build andsustain capacity and showcase impact.

I NT E RNA L
P RE S S UR E

Faculty and staff within theinstitution can be a driving
force challenging the status quo,advocating for a different typeof education, and supportingorganizational structures andprocesses.

 Identify key influencers of this movement andprovide opportunities to listen and showcase
their concerns and ideas.
 Leverage relevant employee engagement,
survey, and recommendation data ascompelling evidence.

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34

INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT
It is also important to take stock of how the institution’s history and current state relate to changemaking.
Assessing the institutional context will enable you to better align your change approach and identify what
assets may be leveraged. The Institutional Assessment Framework Call Out Box provides a sample.

I N ST I T UT I O N AL ASSE SSME NT FRAME WORK

Use this framework to create a “snapshot” of your institution and inform opportunities forcreating and aligning innovation and change strategies. Base your responses on facts and datarather than relying on quick assumptions or inferences.

1. HISTORY AND VISION What is your institution’s current mission? vision? values?
 On what principles was your institution founded?
 What is the university’s story, and how has it developed over time?
à How do these align with social innovation and changemaking across the institution?
à How does/might the past inform the present or future for changemaking?

2. STRATEGY AND STAKEHOLDERS What are the current strategic priorities?
 What gets funded and why?
 Who are the major stakeholder groups? What is the demographic composition of each?
 How well are the strategies serving these stakeholders? How well are they fosteringchangemaking and positive social impact?
 What is the vision for your institution’s typical graduate?
 How is student success measured at your institution?
à How aligned are the strategies and budget decisions with student andstakeholder needs?
à To what extent do these already foster changemaking?
à Where is there room for growth and innovation?

35

L E A D E R S H I P : S T R AT E G Y 1

3. STRUCTURE AND LEADERSHIP What is the governance, organizational, and leadership structure of the university?
 How centralized or decentralized is it? How much independence or interdependence is there?
 To what extent is social innovation and changemaking endorsed and/or advocated by the board?
senior leadership?
 To what extent is everyone empowered to innovate and foster change?
 To what extent is there collaboration across schools, departments, centers, institutes, and offices?
à How are leadership and organizational structures fostering changemaking, collaboration,and fluid teams-of-teams?
à In what ways does leadership and structure inhibit them?
4. INITIAT IVES AND PROGRAMMI NG

 What are the current/planned changemaking curricular offerings? co-curricular offerings?
 Who are the individuals/teams leading these programs?
 How do these individuals/teams relate to and/or collaborate with each other?
 Approximately how many students, staff, and faculty are engaged in some form of changemaking
or social innovation? What percentage of the total does this represent?
à How can these existing initiatives be bolstered or modified to serve your social innovationand changemaking goals?
à Who is underserved or under engaged?
à How might you broaden and deepen changemaking on campus?
5. INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE

 How are student milestones (e.g., orientation, convocation, commencement) conducted?
 What other traditions does the institution have?
 What are some legends or stories that are told?
 What are key themes of the institution’s communications? How are things communicated?
 How do “things get done” at the institution?
à To what extent do these reflect social innovation and changemaking values?
à How might social innovation and changemaking values be further embedded
into the culture of the institution?
à What new or modified traditions, communications, or student milestones andceremonies would foster more changemaking?

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36

STARTING THE CHANGEMAKING JOURNEY
Interest in and visionary leadership for becoming a Changemaker Institution may be initiated at a
grassroots, mid-level, or senior executive level before further permeating other leadership levels (Kim
& Fuessel, 2020). This will be unique to each institution, and there is no right or wrong starting point
or developmental journey. Table 8 outlines some things to keep in mind to build buy in and harness
ideas across the institution as you seek to embed changemaking into the institution’s strategy, culture,
programming, and operations.

TABLE 8. STARTING POINTS AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONSFOR BECOMING A CHANGEMAKER INSTITUTION
LE V E L AT W HICHC HAN GE I S INITIATED

GR AS S RO OTS -L ED

D ESC RI P T I ON

CON S I D ER AT I ON S

Change is initiated by avariety of stakeholders suchas students, staff, and faculty
members who see thepotential of social innovationand changemaking at their
institution.

 Find diverse allies and be opportunistic.
 Combine resources and leverage existing
opportunities to build awareness for andengagement in changemaking.
 Promote successes and grow the coalition ofallies and influencers.
 Engage senior leadership (or relevant
governance structure) as momentum gains
to secure support and funds to legitimize andaccelerate efforts.
 Identify Change Leaders to align efforts andcommunications as the effort grows to avoid
duplication or confusion.
 Identify ways for innovators and early
adopters to engage with each other and withunlikely allies to cross-pollinate ideas.

May be more likely in institutions
with cultures of community
building, social justice, or
innovation; those with lesscentralized strategies andstructures; and/or those withshared governance and decisionmaking structures.
CAM P US EX A M P L E

At Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada, a grassroots effort spanned 18 members of a Changemaker
Steering Committee including faculty, staff, administrators, senior leaders, and students, who engaged in a
strategy process over the course of an academic year to map changemaking efforts and ambitions across theinstitution. Over time, the effort led to the increased engagement and commitment of stakeholders across theinstitution and senior and executive leadership. Central to the current iteration of the Changemaker Roadmap isfostering a “campus-wide culture of changemaking” that “inspires and empowers us to create meaningful change
in partnership with communities” (Mount Royal University, n.d.). The institution embedded the Changemaker
Roadmap into its Strategic Plan, Academic Plan, Health Community and Education Strategic Plan, and theIndigenous Strategic Plan.

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LE V E L AT W HICHC HAN GE I S INITIATEDM I D - LE V EL -L ED

D ESC RI P T I ON

CON S I D ER AT I ON S

Change is initiated by faculty or
staff members who self-identify
as institutional innovators andhave a strong commitment
to social innovation andchangemaking.

 Identify allies who self-identify as Change
Leaders.
 Leverage influence and resources to run highpotential pilots.
 Celebrate successes and give credit to others.
 Engage a broad base of stakeholders to
expand changemaking in an inclusive way andelevate the ideas of many.
 Engage faculty and staff to show how theirwork is already aligned to social innovation
changemaking and showcase it to students,
staff, faculty, and administration.
 Raise funds to support the growing work andraise its profile.
 Secure a senior sponsor or champion(s) who
will further endorse and institutionalize.

May be more likely in institutions
with low to moderately
centralized strategies andstructures and yet cultures of
empowerment or devolved
decision-making.

CAMPUS EXAMPLEThe University of Evansville, located in Indiana, U.S., began its journey to become a Changemaker Institution when
key mid-level administration officials first attended the Ashoka U Exchange. Inspired by the potential, it progressedby connecting delegations of key faculty, deans, and administrators to resources that would help them grow theirknowledge and capacity for advancing changemaking. With growing interest, and the Director of the Center for
Innovation and Change serving as point, a volunteer team was formed to focus on surfacing and showcasingchangemaking projects across campus. This team included all stakeholders on campus, including the President’s
office, faculty and students, and led to a presidentially-appointed Change Council that continues to work on
implementation of project ideas.

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LE V E L AT W HICHC HAN GE I S INITIATEDS E NI OR- L ED

D ESC RI P T I ON

CON S I D ER AT I ON S

Change is initiated by senior
and/or senior executive
leadership who view social
innovation and changemaking asa key strategic priority for the
institution.

 Set vision and broad strategy forchangemaking, inclusively engaging others tofurther define, own, and champion.
 Model innovation and changemaking
behaviors so others will trust and follow.
 Identify potential Change Leaders and otherinstitutional innovators who will question
the status quo and help inspire and leadchange.
 Secure support of other senior leaders.
 Empower Change Leaders to build astrong Change Team with representationfrom across the institution and allow forexperimentation, learning, and failure as partof innovation from the ground up.
 Provide financial and human resources.

May be more likely in institutions
with strong centralized power,
strategies, and structures (often
found in newer and/or private
institutions).

CAMPUS EXAMPLE

At the University of St Thomas, the president was a firm believer in the role of today’s universities being
Changemaker Institutions. Having previously championed another university to become a ChangemakerCampus in her role as Provost, the president catalyzed the University of St. Thomas’ commitment to innovationand changemaking by embedding it into the vision and strategic planning process. And as a result, they createda team to lead the effort.

PRINCIPLES OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Below are a few principles for managing the change process for becoming a Changemaker Institution.
These are generally applicable to efforts that are planned across the institution but will also become
increasingly relevant as organic change begins to take place within a school, department, or unit.
SPONSORSHIP
A senior leader or team of leaders must “sponsor” the change by advocating, committing
resources, removing barriers, and creating cultures that allow for experimentation andinnovation. In addition to sponsors, “champions” are useful to support communications andencourage those within their sphere of influence to adopt specific changemaking behaviors or
institutional changes.

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STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Recognizing the power and agency of others and bringing all voices, especially those often
marginalized or underrepresented, is core to changemaking. Engaging stakeholders is
critical to: foster equity, diversity, and inclusion; learn from diverse perspectives; foster
collaboration; catalyze innovative solutions; and identify concerns that improve design
and mitigate challenges. Within the higher education context, this means that student andcommunity voices are critical and staff insights need to be valued as much as those of faculty.
(Refer to the Fostering Representative Engagement Call-Out Box to learn more.) This does
not mean that everyone needs to weigh into every decision. Careful change analysis (what isthe change, who will it impact, and how) and stakeholder analysis (who may be impacted,
interested, or able to influence) will inform who needs to be engaged, how, and when.

F O ST ERI N G REP RE SE NTATIVE E NGAGE ME NT

How can you ensure that voices from across your diverse community are represented andcaptured so that change plans and institutional strategies, policies, and programs meet the needs ofthose they serve? While having representatives of various constituencies on committees is crucial,
we challenge leaders to question which voices are “not in the room” and to consider how to best
support them in feeling safe, engaged, heard, and valued. Consider the following questions as you
seek to engage a plurality of lived experiences and perspectives:
 Which constituent groups are not currently involved in your change process?
 How do you collect and consider feedback from constituents? Who is not providing input? Who
cannot access those feedback mechanisms and why?
 Other than surveys and in-person meetings, how else might you engage a plurality of voices?
 How might you involve local community members and alumni to leverage the breadth of
wisdom across your community?
 Rather than relying exclusively on one or two students on your Change Team, how can you
engage the broader student community, most of which may not have the time to serve as arepresentative?

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CO-CREATION AND ITERATION
Changemaker Institutions are adaptive and innovative, and they empower stakeholders toread feedback signals, experiment, and innovate—all principles that are equally applicablein the process to become a Changemaker Institution. Envisioning, designing, and managing
change requires iterative co-creation, which can be messy but leads to innovation andadoption of institutional change. Design thinking principles can be especially useful for
visionary leadership and management of change. Refer to Call-Out Box, Design Thinking
Principles Applied to Leading Equitable Changemaking, to learn more.

DES I GN T HI NKING PRINCIP LE S AP PLIE D
TO L EA DI N G E QUITABLE CHANGE MAKING

As with many systems in our society, and despite radical and revolutionary changes within higher
education, structures that were designed to exclude and oppress marginalized voices still exist on
our campuses. When leading institutional innovation and change, it is imperative to design withan equity-focused mindset. Programs should aim to be accessible and fit the needs of all students
which should be inclusive of students of color, students with learning differences, low-income
students, and other student populations that are historically underrepresented in your programs.
Design Thinking is an iterative process in which one seeks to understand the user of a process,product, or service; commits to challenging assumptions; and attempts to surface less obvious
solutions to the problem at hand. While originally used for product design, the approach has gained
greater traction as an interdisciplinary tool to create human-centered solutions. Some of the key
mindsets required for design thinking can also be relevant for visionary leaders for systems-level
innovation and changemaking. To achieve equitable design, we must aim to:
HUMAN-CENTERED: Understand that the program or solution must be user-centered.

 Develop a deep understanding of and empathy for the needs of campus stakeholders—students,
alumni, faculty, staff, community members, or others.
 Create space for these voices to ensure alignment with the community’s needs.
 Take time to listen to those closest to the problem and/or impacted by it, to understand their experiences
and needs, perceptions of any root causes, and recommendations before jumping to solutions.
 Actively include the voices of all stakeholders in the planning, development, and implementationof strategies.

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EMBRACE THE MESSINESS: Understand that the process will be filled with ambiguity andevolve over time.
 Embrace ambiguity and enjoy the “messiness” of innovation and change management, which canfuel rapid learning cycles and iterations.
 Hold a user experience workshop to test ideas.
 Conduct a pilot, test solutions, and capture learnings to iterate toward better interventions.
CHALLENGE HABITS: Aim to challenge the status quo.

 Question institutional traditions, rituals, and habits of mind.
 Consider if these habits are serving the needs of the current community and/or how they may
need to be redesigned.
 Engage in continuous personal self-reflection and group discovery to surface and understandhistorical and present inequitable structures and exclusionary practices and work to address them.
For a resource exploring why design thinking works, check out:
https://hbr.org/2018/09/why-design-thinking-works.
To learn how design thinking has been utilized in the higher education space to redesign existing
structures to serve current contexts and problems, refer to:https://ssir.org/articles/entry/design_thinking_for_higher_education.

TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATIONSCommunicating often and consistently is critical to help stakeholders understand therationale for changemaking, the institution’s vision and values related to it, and how it
affects them. It is also important to set and manage expectations related to what changes
to anticipate and why, when to expect them, and how decisions will be made. This includes
signaling that change processes are messy, which helps manage expectations and invites
stakeholders to test and experiment as they implement plans and programs.
INCENTIVES AND REWARDS
As a vision for a change strategy and projects are cultivated, it will be key to consider
what actions and behaviors are needed from whom. The vision, together with the change
and stakeholder analyses, can inform what types of incentives may be useful to motivate,
recognize, and reward participation in institution-wide initiatives and/or adoption of desiredchangemaker values and behaviors. In practice, embedding incentives and rewards deeply
in systems will require long-term planning, especially in unionized environments. Seniorleaders will have to plan for this and prepare to integrate this into negotiation of collective
agreements with staff/faculty.
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SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES
A key approach to changing behaviors is changing the systems and structures that influencethem—which can in turn provide more consistent and universal mechanisms for focusing
attention, encouraging specific behaviors and outcomes, and ensuring measurement andaccountability. For example, while training and communications can initially prompt a
short-term spike of participation, they may not result in universal or sustained adoptionof changemaking behaviors. However, also embedding changemaking as a responsibility
in job descriptions and as a competency in performance and promotion processes canencourage more systematic adaption. As with other steps in leading change, it is criticalto engage diverse perspectives in the (re)design of systems and structures to ensure they
foster equity, diversity, and inclusion and do not exclude or marginalize anyone, norperpetuate unequitable outcomes. (To learn more, refer to the Call-Out Boxes on Fostering
Representative Engagement and Design Thinking Principles Applied to Leading Equitable
Changemaking.)
QUICK WINS AND CELEBRATION
Transforming institutions is a long process and will include many phases and activities. Earlyon, it is especially critical to identify, communicate, and celebrate quick wins. This can be
powerful to reward and motivate those involved in early efforts while also building institutionwide inspiration and momentum for change. Similarly, celebrating successes throughout theprocess can help recognize and renew those involved between phases and activities.

AC T I O N ST EPS
The following are some ways that senior leaders, Change Leaders, educators, and/or student leaders canassess their context and determine their change approach.
IDENTIFY THE CHANGE DRIVERS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Reflect on where the energy for becoming a Changemaker Institution is coming from. Identify
what factors are driving the institution to pursue a changemaking strategy. Consider the
strategic opportunities and benefits as well as risks if the institution does not commit tochangemaking.
CONDUCT INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT
Take the Institutional Assessment in the Call-Out Box and/or map your institution’s social
innovation and changemaking ecosystem. Take stock of informal (e.g., networks, social
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capital, influencers, personal motivation) and formal assets (e.g., financial resources,
strategic planning and budgeting, polices, and processes), while also considering existing
programs to leverage and potential barriers to change.
CREATE A CASE FOR CHANGE
Codify the strategic rationale for change, including both logical and business reasons(e.g., anticipated increases to funding, admissions, research, or rankings) as well as moretransformative reasons (e.g., stakeholder engagement, social impact, etc.). Craft a key
message platform with tailored messages by audience. Employ these and compelling stories
in core communications, products, presentations, and videos to build awareness and buyin. Leverage quantitative evidence as a foundation for measuring and tracking progress andimpact over time.
DEFINE A CHANGE VISION AND PROJECTS FOR BECOMINGA CHANGEMAKER INSTITUTION
Identify early ideas that stakeholders have shared around what it means for your college oruniversity to become a Changemaker Institution. Engage other stakeholders to build a sharedvision, confirm shared intent, and identify change plan and projects. Encourage further
feedback, innovation, iteration, and testing.
IDENTIFY LEADERSHIP AND TEAM ROLES AND RESOURCES
Identify one or more senior executive leaders to sponsor the change, a set of complementarychampions, Change Leaders, and Change Team. (Refer to subsequent strategies to learn more
about these roles and how to develop their visionary leadership capacity.)✓✓✓

T I PSLEARN FROM OTHERS, TAILOR TO YOUR CONTEXT
Change management is not a one-size-fits all approach. Play to your institution’s strengths.
DEVELOP YOUR OWN PLANS BUT BE WILLING TO LEARN AND ADAPT
Planned change does not mean prescriptive. While leading change institution-wide
may require a degree of coordination and alignment, it should also allow for the kind of
stakeholder engagement, co-creation, and emergence which characterizes a Changemaker
Institution.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

S I M O N FRA S ER UN I V ERS I T Y
SFU: WHER E ENGAGEMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN KEY TO CHANGEMAKING

Simon Fraser University (SFU) is Canada’s leading engaged research university and a place where“innovative education, cutting-edge research and community outreach intersect” (SFU, n.d.). With
campuses in Vancouver, Surrey, and Burnaby, it serves over 35,000 students.
SFU was established in 1965, and changemaking has been part of its ethos from the beginning.
In more recent years, senior executive leadership used the strategic planning process tomore intentionally articulate and celebrate this work. With a focus on being Canada’s leading
engaged university, the strategy highlights SFU’s distinctive character—the dynamic interaction ofengagement between students, research, and the community to unlock student potential, unleash
research creativity, and contribute to the community (Simon Fraser University, 2012). In parallel,other university leaders began engaging with social innovation and changemaking education
networks such as Ashoka and the McConnell Foundation, incorporating social innovation as a pillar
into the institution’s innovation strategy, SFU Innovates, and finding other ways to more explicitly
expand social innovation and changemaking curricular and co-curricular offerings. Its pursuit of the
Ashoka U Changemaker Campus designation was thus not about aspiring to become something
new, but rather to be recognized for something it already was, while also fostering even more
institution-wide connectivity of its ongoing changemaking efforts.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

T UL AN E UN I V ERS I T Y
GENERATING COMMITMENT AND FUNDING FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION

Based in New Orleans, Louisiana in the United States, Tulane is a private research university. In thewake of Hurricane Katrina and subsequent flooding from levee breeches in 2005, the university
faced a defining moment as it intentionally deepened its commitment to social and environmental
responsibility and impact in and with the city of New Orleans. While community engagement had
been core to the university since its founding in 1834, this was a significant pivot point marked byincreased focus on social innovation and changemaking, and it was fueled in large part by seniorleadership commitment and initial funding to support a new student requirement to complete twosemesters of service learning (Schwartz, 2020).4
As Tulane embarked on this journey of continuous institution-wide innovation, alumni and board
interest and institutional commitment to fundraising have been critical enablers. In December 2017,
the university announced, “the most ambitious fundraising endeavor in Tulane’s 184 years with agoal of raising $1.3 billion” (Strecker, 2017, para. 1). The silent phase of the campaign included a$15m USD gift to create the Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking(Strecker, 2017). At the time, the gift from the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation was considered “one of
the largest single donations in the school’s 180-year history” (Taylor Center, 2014, para. 1).
The Taylor Center was launched in 2014. Its namesake, Phyllis Taylor, is an alumna of the Tulane Law
School and a member of the Board, who has remained actively engaged in the strategic direction
and growth of the Center. Through others’ generous contributions, there is also a Michael Sacks
Endowed Distinguished Chair in Civic Engagement and Social Entrepreneurship and 10 individuallyendowed professorships in Social Entrepreneurship. The Taylor Center has its own development
officer and works in close partnership with the university Advancement Office.
Tulane University’s experience illustrates how a combination of factors can both drive and fuelinstitutional commitment to social innovation and changemaking, including institutional history,
disaster and crisis, leadership commitment, and board and alumni support.
4 To learn more about this pivot point and its innovations, enablers, and incentives, refer to Kenneth Schwartz’s (2020) article, “Crisis and Adaptation for the
Public Good”, in the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

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2

LEAD E RS HI P ST R ATE GY 2

EMBED
IN VISION,MISSION, AND
S T R AT E G I C
PLAN
A key lever for institutional change is connecting social innovationand changemaking to the institution’s vision and mission andembedding it into the strategic plan (Kim and Fuessel, 2020) toensure long-term prioritization and commitment of resourcesand energy.

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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Signals institutional commitment to impact.
 Guides priorities, budget, and decision-making.
 Demonstrates institution’s relevance.
 Serves as a market differentiator.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 At start of strategic planning.
 Upon senior leader transition.
 To focus in times of crisis.

REA DERS
Who might use it and how?
S EN I O R L EA DERS Identify ways to embed changemaking into
vision and strategy.
 Use to engage board.
 Identify ways to engage stakeholders.

C HA N GE L EA DERS Identify how/when to support leaders.
 Share with senior leaders and strategicplanning team to demonstrate what is possible.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS Reflect on what your institution has/not done.
 Share your changemaking story with leadersand make the case for making changemaking apriority.
 Advocate to the board.

C HA N GEMA KER
EDUC ATO RS

 Reflect on and link your changemakereducation programming to existing vision,values, and strategies.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
Embedding social innovation and changemaking into the strategic plan serves as a key guide for
institutional prioritization and decision making and can help diffuse changemaking across various
disciplines and offices of the institution. Revisiting vision and mission statements to reflect on theinstitution’s past, present, and future provides an opportunity to either amplify the institution’schangemaking roots or help the institution reposition itself for changemaking.
Table 9 identifies several ways that Changemaker Institutions can “embed” social innovation andchangemaking values (e.g., collaboration; community engagement; solutions-focused; social impact;
equity, diversity, and inclusion) into their visions and strategic plans, signaling it as a priority to theinstitution.

TABLE 9. WAYS TO EMBED CHANGEMAKING INTO VISION AND STRATEGYTYPE

D ESC R IP TI ON

I N V I S I ON
OR M I S S I O NSTAT E M EN T

Social innovation,changemaking, or
related concept is
directly reflected in theinstitution’s vision or
mission.

 The mission of the University of Northampton,
based in Northampton in the United Kingdom, is“Transforming Lives + Inspiring Change”.
 As articulated in the 2017 update of the
2015-2020 Strategic Plan, Transforming Lives +Inspiring Change, the University of Northampton
has an ambition to “to empower our students,
staff and graduates to create positive Social
Impact locally and globally” (p. 2).

I NST I T UTIO N A L
I M P E RAT IV ES

Institution’s imperatives
or aims are reflected
on its website and/orin its strategic plan andinclude concepts related
to social innovation andchangemaking.

 U.S.-based Arizona State University’s (ASU)
university-wide “Design Aspirations” directly relate tosocial innovation and changemaking. This is perhaps
best summarized in its “transform society” aspiration,
which is described as “ASU catalyzes social change
by being connected to social needs” (Arizona State
University, n.d.b).
 Other complementary aspirations include leveraging
its location and working in “mutually beneficial
partnerships” with communities, promoting
entrepreneurship and creating impactful research(Arizona State University, n.d.b).

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T YP ED ESC R IP TI ON

EXAM P L E

ST R AT E G IC G OA LOR
P RI OR I T Y

The strategic plan
includes a specific goalstatement or priority areathat focuses on social
innovation/impact orchangemaking.

 A faith-based university in the United States, theUniversity of San Diego (n.d.c), articulates its
2024 Vision as setting “the standard for an
engaged, contemporary Catholic university
where innovative changemakers confront
humanity’s urgent challenges” (para. 2).
 One of the six strategic “pathways” to achieve its
vision is “Practicing Changemaking”, articulated as“Infuse the entire university with a spirit andpractice of changemaking, where innovation andentrepreneurship lead to positivechange” (University of San Diego, n.d.b, para. 1).

F OCUS E D
CHA LLE N G E
ORS OCI AL I M PAC T
I NI T I AT I V E

University-wide initiativethat includes a focus ona specific social issue orarea of community social
impact.

 As articulated in the 2017 update of the
2015-2020 Strategic Plan, Transforming Lives +Inspiring Change, the University of Northampton
has identified four “Changemaker Challenges” thatleverage the university’s “core competencesin teaching and learning, research and social
enterprise for the betterment” of the town ofNorthampton, the county of Northamptonshire,
and the world (p. 3).
 The challenges are “multi-disciplinary, long-term,
real world projects with targets that take us to2020 and beyond” (University of Northampton,
2017, p. 3). Furthermore, they commit theinstitution to “determined and effective internaland external partnership working and deliveringhigh-impact positive change” (p. 3).

LE NS F OR
ST R AT E G IC
P RI OR I T I ES

The strategic plan
identifies relevant corevalues (e.g., community
engagement; service;diversity, equity, andinclusion) and/or they
serve as a “lens” for all
strategic priority areas.

 In its 2016-2020 Strategic Plan, Portland State
University, a public research university in the
United States, applied an equity lens to eachstrategic goal to guide implementation.
 As Zapata et al. (2018) report, it included acommitment “to equity as a foundation of PSU’s
excellence” (p. 38) and “each of the five goals of
the plan include an ‘Equity Lens’ section which
identifies some key equity issues potentiallyassociated with implementation of the goal” (p.
38).
 In addition to the overall plan, a comprehensive
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan provides
additional detail and guidance on these items.

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50

TYPE
ME T RI CS
OR
OUTCOM ES

D ESC R IP TI ON

EXAM P L E

The metrics for strategic
initiatives include
social innovation andchangemaking.

 CQUniversity has campuses across Australia. Its
Strategic Plan 2019-2023, includes social innovationand changemaking themes throughout the plan.
 One of the key pillars is “Students”, which explicitly
identifies social innovation as a goal andmeasurement in support of “Our students andgraduates will be known for their understanding of
the issues impacting their communities and industry,
their personal and professional growth and theircommitment to making a valuable contribution to
the world around them” (CQUniversity, n.d., p. 6).
 Goal: “Create career ready, lifelong learners who
have a social innovation mindset and a genuine
commitment to cultural awareness” (CQUniversity,
n.d., p. 7).
 Measurement: “Embedding social innovation into
the curriculum” (CQUniversity, n.d., p. 7).

As important as proactively embedding changemaking into the mission, vision, and strategy is ensuring
alignment across budgeting priorities and measurement and evaluation. Strategic goals will be empty
and ineffective if resources are not allocated to support them or the wrong activities are measured asindicators of success. Similarly, there must be congruence across institution policy and communications,which should reflect a priority on socially and environmentally conscious operations (e.g., social finance,social procurement, anti-discrimination and anti-racism, sustainability, etc.).

AC T I O N ST EPS
The following are some ways that senior leaders, strategic planning teams, and Change Leaders canadvance social innovation and changemaking across their institution by embedding it into the vision,
mission, and strategic plan.
LEVERAGE STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIESTake advantage of key milestones such as board and leadership transitions, new strategicplanning cycles, and institutional crises, which are often strategic moments to further
advance social innovation and changemaking. Such institutional events provide an
opportunity to make social innovation and changemaking a more explicit focus to guidehiring, decision-making, and resource allocation, which create the necessary structures topromote and sustain changemaking as an institutional priority.

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SECURE BOARD ALLIES
Meet individually with board members to generate interest in changemaking. Secure
initial perspectives on topics such as the role of the university/college in the face of societal
challenges; how changemaking and social innovation support key strategic priorities (e.g.,
student and faculty recruitment and retention, research, fundraising, social impact rankings,
and institutional reputation); and how changemaking relates to the history and mission of
the institution.5
ENGAGE AND ACTIVATE BOARD
Focus board attention on exploring strategic implications and opportunities for theuniversity. Mobilize the board (and key donors) around fundraising and developing afinancial sustainability plan for social innovation and changemaking. Invite a board member
to serve as an institutional “champion of changemaking” to advance strategic planning,
represent the institution in key community partnerships, and advocate for changemaking at
key institutional events—all of which provide a powerful signal to other leaders, faculty, staff,
and most importantly students.
ENGAGE AND EMPOWER STAKEHOLDERSEngage a broad range of institutional stakeholders in the strategic planning process,including administrators, faculty, staff, and students. Articulate a strategic vision or
trajectory that provides necessary inspiration and direction, while inviting others into theprocess of co-creating the strategies and plans. Leverage existing task forces or steeringcommittees, strategic planning challenges or hackathons, standing feedback sessions at
town halls or meetings, and/or grassroots design workshops in targeted departments. (Tolearn more about structures for engaging stakeholders, refer to Methods for Stakeholder
Engagement Call-Out Box.)EMBED IN STRATEGIC PLAN
Coach the existing strategic planning committee to align plans with changemaking or
create a task force around social innovation and changemaking. Consider embedding social
innovation and changemaking: as a strategic goal/priority, as a lens through which allpriorities are implemented, as key metrics across goals, and/or as a focal area for community
engagement and social impact. (Refer to Table 9 and the campus examples at the end of thischapter for more information.) Engage stakeholders in the strategic planning process not
only to ensure representation of key constituencies and build awareness and buy-in, but also
to model social innovation and create spaces for others to co-create the future.
5 For more information on the strategic benefits of changemaking, refer to the introductory chapter, Table 7. Drivers for Becoming a Changemaker Institutionin Strategy 1, or Ashoka U’s Changemaker Institutions: How Higher Education can Use Social Innovation to Better Prepare Students,Transform Campus Culture, andLead Society toward a Better Future.

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MET HO DS F O R STAKE HOLDE R E NGAGE ME NT

The following is list of methodologies that you can use to gather, engage, and empower
community stakeholders in providing feedback and/or co-creating plans. While not all werecreated to serve higher education institutions, all can be adapted for a higher education context.
METHODDESCRIPTIONAPPRECIATIVE

Appreciative Inquiry is a four-step process—including discovery, dream, design,

INQUIRY

and destiny—used for organizational development that engages stakeholders
in storytelling and meaning-making in pursuit of identifying and harnessing
strengths for positive change (David Cooperrider & Associates, n.d.).

DATA WISE“The Data Wise Project supports educators in using collaborative data inquiry
to drive continuous improvement of teaching and learning for all
students” (Harvard Graduate School of Education, n.d., para. 1). The process canbe adapted for organizational development at higher education institutions.

DYNAMIC“Dynamic facilitation, created by consultant Jim Rough, is a facilitation style that
follows the energy of a group without constraining that energy to agendas or
exercises. Using this style, someone can facilitate a highly co-creative process Jim
calls ‘choice-creating’” (Co-Intelligence Institute, n.d., para 1).

FACILITATION

LIBERATINGSTRUCTURES
OPEN SPACETECHNOLOGYWORLD CAFÉ

53

Liberating Structures include 33 facilitation approaches that are designed toengage everyone in contributing to the future (Liberating Structures, 2015).
“In Open Space meetings, events and organizations, participants create andmanage their own agenda of parallel working sessions around a central themeof strategic importance, such as: What is the strategy, group, organization orcommunity that all stakeholders can support and work together tocreate?” (Herman, n.d., para. 2).
“Drawing on seven integrated design principles, the World Café methodology isa simple, effective, and flexible format for hosting large group dialogue”(The World Café, n.d., para. 1).

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✓
✓
✓

TI PS
COMMUNICATE EARLY AND OFTEN
Develop a communications strategy at the outset to ensure broad stakeholder engagement,
buy-in, and ownership of the priorities and process. Communicate frequently and widely
about the intentions, purpose, and process of embedding social innovation and changemaking
across the institution’s culture, programming, and operations.
ENSURE STRONG SENIOR LEADERSHIP AND COLLECTIVE OWNERSHIP
Clear signals and strategic guidance from senior leaders are critical as is creating spaces forothers to co-create strategies and plans to embody changemaking and foster innovation.
SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS ABOUT HOW STRATEGIC DECISIONS WILL
BE MADE AND FEEDBACK CONSIDERED
Be explicit about what decisions have been taken at a board or regulatory level versus thatwhich is an open space for co-creation. More harm than good is created when stakeholders
are invited to give feedback, yet they perceive it was not heard or accounted for or the decisionpreviously decided.
TIE SOCIAL INNOVATION AND CHANGEMAKING TO OTHERINSTITUTIONAL DRIVERS
Linking to the mission, history, regulatory or market changes, and student or employer
needs can highlight the strategic imperative and timeliness of changemaking while fosteringcoherent messaging.
ANIMATE CHANGEMAKING THROUGH LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS AND
CULTURAL STRUCTURES
Do not let them be “empty concepts” on posters or in plans, or even worse, values thatare never modeled and feel incongruent with what is observed on campus. Invest heavily
in co-creating solutions and conducting training to support capacity for and adoption ofchangemaking practices.

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M AKING IT STICK

Below, Ashoka U has identified additional tips for ensuring changemaking is embedded in thecampus culture.
 Identify and showcase how changemaking is part of the organization’s identity and spotlight thework underway.
 Find ways to further embed changemaking in the culture and structures of the institution. For
example, designate physical spaces for social innovation and changemaking.
 Create visible artifacts such as banners, wearable gear, and stickers. Use ceremonial opening
remarks, rituals, traditions, and other events such as convocation or graduation as opportunities
to signal the importance of social innovation and changemaking to the institution’s identity andfuture.
 Ensure changemaking skills are part of position descriptions and performance management
processes.
 Ensure the institution is living the values of social innovation by investing in socially andenvironmentally conscious operations.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

P O RT L AN D STAT E UN I V ERSITYDEVELOPI NG AND APPLYING AN EQUITY LENS TO UNIVERSITY ST RATEGICP LANNING

Portland State University (PSU) is the most diverse public university in Oregon and an anchor
institution for the City of Portland. Nearly half of PSU’s 28,000 students are drawn from a rangeof historically marginalized and underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, in addition tosignificant numbers of LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities, working parents, first-generation
students, and veterans.
PSU’s 2016-2020 Strategic Plan was developed with an equity lens that was applied to eachstrategic goal to guide implementation. In addition to the overall strategic plan, a comprehensive
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan was drafted to provide additional detail and guidance on these
items. As part of that process, PSU created a stand-alone guide, with specific examples for otherinstitutions seeking to develop an equity plan.
A number of related initiatives support implementation of the plan. PSU’s Office of Global
Diversity and Inclusion provides faculty/staff trainings in topics such as inclusive curriculum
and pedagogy design and manages a set of cultural resource centers for students. Diversity
recruitment and retention specialists deliver additional advising for students from underrepresented
backgrounds. The Division of Student Affairs manages resource centers for women, veterans, andLGBTQ+ students and provides tailored support for students who have lived experience of foster
care or who have been negatively impacted by the justice system.

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3

LEAD E RS HI P ST R ATE GY 3

MODEL
SENIORLEADERSHIPAND PROVIDES U P P O RT
Senior leaders are both stewards and enablers of social innovationand changemaking who should model changemaking behaviors
and focus strategic priorities, commit resources, and create
supporting structures for social innovation and changemakereducation.

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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Provides an example of changemaking inaction.
 Makes changemaking credible.
 Sets the standard for institutional innovation.
 Creates conditions for changemaking toflourish.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 When recruiting or onboarding new leaders.
 When facing leadership challenges.
 In senior leader retreats.

REA DERS
Who might use it and how?

S EN I O R L EA DERS Reflect on qualities and peer examples.
 Build a development plan.
 Use to coach senior team.

C HA N GE L EA DERS Coach senior leaders using frameworks
and examples.
 Give leaders feedback.
 Use to request support from senior leaders.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS

 Validate senior leaders when you see thesevalues in action.

C HA N GEMA KER
EDUC ATO RS

 Similar to those for Student Leaders.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
Senior leader support can signal the importance of social innovation and changemaking to all institutional
stakeholders by going beyond just embedding it into the vision and strategic plan. Senior leaders should
also model changemaking behaviors and actively support broad institutional adoption by committing
resources, equipping Change Teams, and creating supportive structures and culture. This section
introduces changemaking responsibilities and qualities for senior leaders as well as how they can work
together to advance changemaking.
SENIOR LEADER CHANGEMAKING RESPONSIBILITIESWhat changemaking will look like in practice at the senior leader level depends in part on the leader’s role.
No single leader alone can embed changemaking across academics and in the institutional structures andcultures. It takes both collaborative and distributed leadership, all aligned around the common goal of theinstitution being a force for social good. Table 10 identifies a variety of changemaking responsibilities atthe senior leader level, whether president, provost, vice president, or dean.
TABLE 10. CHANGEMAKING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SENIOR LEADERS

P OS I T I ON

C H AN GEM AKI N G R ES P ON S I B I L I T I ES

P RE S I D E NT

 Secure board as allies for changemaking.
 Engage development team in fundraising for social innovation/changemaking.
 Engage the Chief Communications Officer in developing communications strategies andsupporting provost and deans.
 Communicate clearly and frequently about changemaking.
 Translate “changemaking” in a way that can be understood by different stakeholders.
 Use changemaking to provide coherence to the institution’s social impact work.

P ROVO ST

 Embed changemaking into institutional learning outcomes, educational model, and academic plan.
 Work with Curriculum Committee and Faculty Senate to incorporate changemaking into corecurriculum or general education requirements.
 Engage the Teaching and Learning Office to provide resources and training on changemaking
learning outcomes and pedagogies conducive to changemaking (refer to Strategies 10 and 11).

V I CEP RE S I D E NT

 Embed changemaking in respective functions, policies, and practices (e.g., student recruitment/
admissions; student affairs; fundraising; equity, diversity, and inclusion; people development; asset
management; social procurement strategies; etc.).
 Iterate policies and procedures to further promote access, inclusion, collaboration, innovation,and social impact.

D E AN Help faculty and staff see how their work relates to social innovation and changemaking.
 Create partnerships with community organizations and local employers to leverage and align theschool’s resources, teaching, and research efforts to co-create positive social impact.
 Celebrate and reward social impact work of faculty, staff, students, and community partners.
 Showcase impact with donors and secure funding for financial sustainability.
 Collaborate with other deans and university functions to create incentives and structuresthat support trans-disciplinary collaborative research, teaching, and service.

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SENIOR LEADER CHANGEMAKER ATTRIBUTES
There are some common qualities of changemaker senior leaders regardless of specific position. Firstand foremost, senior leaders advancing changemaking across the institution must embody the attributesof changemakers themselves. (Refer to Table 2 in the Getting Oriented: Key Concepts chapter, which
includes mindsets such as empathy and inclusivity, knowledge of systems and approaches to change,and skills such as systems thinking and adaptive communication.) As a complement to this, theirroles as senior leaders also require the specific mindsets, knowledge, and skills in Table 11. Ashoka U
developed these based on our experience with senior leaders over the last decade and validated them withrepresentative stakeholders.
SKILLSTABLE 11. CHANGEMAKER ATTRIBUTES FOR SENIOR LEADERSQUAL I TI ES

COMMI T M EN T

Changemaking senior leaders embody changemaking values, model changemaking leadership, and commit theorganization to changemaking through strategic plans, public statements, and financial resources. Their commitment
does not wane at the first sight of challenge. They effectively toggle between taking action in the present whilebuilding towards long-term, systems-level change. They view changemaking as their legacy.
COUR AGE

Changemaking senior leaders join conversations, bring unique perspectives, and challenge others to think
differently. They make bold, difficult decisions and navigate tensions to set the institution up for long-term
success. They admit missteps—theirs and those of the institution.They support risk-taking and learning, while nottolerating behavior that is incongruent with the values of changemaking.
COLLAB O R AT IO N

They recognize their own limitations and the power of others. They not only model collaboration in their leadershipwith municipalities, businesses, and community partners, but also foster it on campus. They establish cross-functional
teams and engage in consultative decision-making processes. They give credit where it is due.
COHE R E N C ECore across such collaborative commitment and decision making is ensuring coherence across the institution andits stakeholders. This includes ensuring there are structures and processes to foster coordination and alignment.
Changemaking senior leaders serve as sense-givers, integrating new and changing information and filtering it throughthe institution’s strategy and plans to help others make sense.

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M IN D SETSI D E NT I FY A S A
CHA NGE M A K IN GS E NI OR L EA D ER

Changemaking senior leadersrecognize higher education’s
potential as a force for positivechange. They believe they
have a responsibility to createan educational ecosystem inwhich all are empowered to
be changemakers for the goodof the institution, community,
and society. They have strong
agency and confidently andunapologetically initiate
leadership for changemaking.
I NNOVAT IO N M IN D SET

Changemaking senior leaders
see adaptability and innovation
as critical for institutionalchangemaking (not just survival).
They see opportunities whereothers see challenges or scarcity.
They learn from “mistakes”,
seeing this as exciting fodder for
improvement and innovation, not
as “failure”. They are committed
to embedding this ethos into theinstitution’s culture and design sothat innovation for social impact
is ongoing and sustainable.

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KN OWL ED GE

H ISTORY AN D FUTUR E
O F HI GH ER ED UC ATI ON

Changemaking senior leaders
understand the historical roots of
the higher education system, how
this context has influenced thedevelopment of their institution,
what the current and future trends
may imply, and how together
they shape social innovation andchangemaking efforts today.
IN STI T UTI ON AL /SYSTEM SU N D ERSTAN D I N GWith a strong understandingof social systems and systems
thinking, changemaking seniorleaders cultivate deep insight into
their own institution, working tounderstand formal and informal
systems and power structures. Thisknowledge allows them to identify
opportunities to garner buy-infor changemaking, spot levers forchange, and use or relinquish theirinfluence strategically to foster
system-wide changemaking.

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S KI L L S

L EAD I N G SYSTEM S
C H AN GE

Through fluid and iterative
approaches, changemaking seniorleaders co-create changemaking
visions and strategies throughinclusive approaches, build
enthusiasm across the institution,and empower others to leadthis work. They do so bybringing visibility (internally andexternally) to the importanceof changemaking, modelingchangemaking for others, andcreating permission for others toexperiment, take calculated risks,
and innovate as changemakers.
C R EAT I N G AN D AL I GN ING
C H AN GEM AKI N GST RUC TUR ES

Changemaking senior leaders
foster creation and alignmentof changemaking structures.
They champion the practices,
policies, structures, and systems
that enable, incentivize, reward,
fund, and sustain changemaking
and innovation. This may involve
identifying opportunities
themselves or supporting othercreative leaders. It may also
include working around durable,
restrictive structures by creating
parallel or alternative processes,
incentives, and rewards.

MODELLING CHANGEMAKING QUALITIESThe phrases “walk the talk” and “practice what you preach” are often used to refer to the importance ofleaders modeling the behaviors for which they advocate. This is perhaps most critical at the senior level
because all university stakeholders look to these positions as representative of the institutional values andwhat others should follow. There can be no doubt that senior leaders personally embody and will supportchangemaking at their institution, when they: Demonstrate comfort with ambiguity.
 See opportunities instead of constraints.
 Collaborate with others to identify innovative solutions.
 Experiment and give themselves and others permission to learn and iterate.
 Invest in people and efforts that foster positive social impact.
 Act when they see an opportunity to improve the world around them.
Conversely, when university stakeholders do not see these values and behaviors modeled, no numberof fancy slogans, mottos, or strategic plans will convince them to be institutional innovators andchangemakers themselves. Refer to Appendix B for examples of how senior leaders can both develop andput these qualities into action.
LEANING INTO AND COMPLEMENTING STRENGTHS
It is unrealistic for any one individual to manifest these qualities equally. Social innovation draws uponasset-based (versus deficit-based) principles and approaches; and changemaking recognizes that there aremany ways to foster change and that individuals have unique abilities to contribute. Accordingly, seniorleaders seeking to advance changemaking across their institutions and wire them for innovation andsocial impact need to both:a) Exercise “unapologetic agency” by leaning into their strengths with confidence. They
should not wait for an invitation to contribute or voice concerns over systemic injustices oropportunities for improvement.6b) Exercise “unapologetic humility” by drawing upon others’ strengths through collective
leadership, recognizing one’s own lack of knowledge or expertise (without shame) and valuingthe expertise and lived experience of others, together with diverse perspectives.
As we have worked with senior leaders in higher education, we have observed at least three archetypes forleading changemaking. These are summarized in Table 12. The key is to consider what unique qualities
one brings to an institution and how to complement others.

6 We would like to acknowledge Micki Meyer, Lord Family Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Community at Rollins College in Florida,for inspiring us with the idea of “unapologetic agency” as critical for leading changemaking. In an interview she spoke of the importance of being an“unapologetic agent of change” and recognizing one’s “unapologetic agency” and brought it to life in the university context with examples which resonatedwith our own observations. Our thanks go out to Vice President Meyer for always inspiring us.

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TABLE 12. SENIOR LEADERSHIP ARCHETYPES FOR CHANGEMAKING

A RCHE T Y P E

L I KELY
CON T EXTS OR
C I RC UM STAN C ES

D ESC R IP T IO NP OT EN T I AL
C H AL L EN GESI M P ORTANT
COM P L EM ENTS

D I S RUP T I V E
I NNOVATO R

 Strongly embodies the  Small institutions.
“innovation mindset”.  New or young Strong intuition andinstitutions founded
sensing of the future.
to disrupt or Constantly looking
redefine higher
for and seeing new
education.
opportunities.
 Institutions with
 Boldly leads new
governance that
initiatives, often
allows for flexibility
through disruptive orand empowered
big bang approaches.
administrators.
 May either redesign
institutional processes
altogether orcompletely workaround them.

 May move
 Partner with afaster than theTransformer tosystem and its
invite diverse
stakeholders areperspectives toready.
apply changemaking
 May notvalues and foster
anticipate or
greater likelihood
mitigate forof acceptance andunintended
adoption of change.
consequences.
 Partner with
Structurer totranslate the “bigideas” into policies,
processes, and otherstructures that will
be self-reinforcing.

SAV VYST RUCT UR ER

 Have a strong More traditional or“institutional
rigid institutions.
understanding” of the  Has had more
history and systems ofextensive time inthe college/university.
the institution and/
 Have deepor held multiple
administrative
administrative
experience withpositionsinstitutional structures
throughout career.
and processes ofstrategy, budgeting, andscheduling as well as
unspoken intuitive sense
for “how to get things
done around here”.

 May moveslower than theinnovator, taking
the “long game”
approach.
 May not sensepressing needs/
opportunities.
 May resultin moreincremental
change.

COLLABORATI V E
TRANSFORM ER

 Have strength in“leading systems
change”.
 Engages others
inclusively in cocreating futures.
 Paints bold vision
for change andputs pressure on
the intuition, while
ensuring the change
does not outpace thesystem.

63

 Partner withan Innovator toconsider creative
approaches formore rapid andcomprehensivechanges.
 Partner with aTransformer tochampion theideas and secure
stakeholder buy-in.

 Found in many
 May result in Partner with an
institutional contexts. different type
Innovator to better
 More likely whenof change“sense the future”
administrator has
than originallyand set bold andhad to partner
envisioned given
ambitious visions
across disciplines,
the degree of
within which
schools, andstakeholder
stakeholders canfunctions throughout
engagement andco-create.
career.
co-creation.
 Partner with a
Structurer tounderstand what
systems needmodification and how.

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NAVIGATING TENSIONS IN CHANGEMAKING LEADERSHIP
Being a leader that embodies changemaking at senior levels of the institution is not without its challenges.
As with any type of decision-making and leadership, there will always be tensions to manage. Appendix
C identifies some of the dilemmas leaders may encounter as they seek to apply a changemaking principle,
yet come up against a seemingly competing value or structure.

AC T I O N ST EPS
The following are some action steps that senior leaders can take to embody and model social innovationand changemaking and empower others across their institution.
REFLECT ON YOUR PURPOSE
Spend some time connecting with your own purpose and vision for the legacy you want toleave in higher education. Connect to why you are passionate about social innovation andchangemaking and believe it is critical for equipping students. Use this as a wellspring of
inspiration and encouragement to power through the challenges that come with innovating
and rewiring institutions of higher education.
CREATE A DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND PRACTICE
Consider how your leadership position can advance changemaking (Table 10) and reflect
on the Changemaking Attributes for Senior Leaders (Table 11). Review Appendix B toconsider ways that you are already leading changemaking and identify opportunities forfurther development and practice. Identify a few tangible next steps. Coordinate with youradministrative team to block off the time needed for these next steps.
IDENTIFY AND BUILD ALLIES
Find other like-minded leaders in your institution. Build collaborative strategies and plans
together, modeling changemaking at the leadership level and supporting one another’s
growth. Take the time to build relationships and connect with unlikely allies. Learn what
aspirations they have and help connect them to changemaking. Find mentors from othersectors and organizations to provide a “safe space” to test your ideas and fresh perspectives toinspire and infuse your leadership.

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PROMOTE
Actively advocate for social innovation and changemaking. Incorporate key messages incommunications, whether in small leadership meetings and informal communications withstudents and staff, or formal engagements such as media interviews, townhalls, graduation
addresses, or keynotes.
SET BEHAVIORAL AND PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
Set and share key values and behavioral expectations for leadership team using the qualities
and actions outlined in this strategy. Encourage Deans and the Teaching and Learning Office
to engage with faculty and educators around what it means to be a Changemaker Educator(refer to Strategy 9). Incorporate key values and behaviors into performance expectations.
Hold leadership team accountable.
EQUIP CHAMPIONS
Cultivate champions among other senior and mid-level leaders. Equip them with
communications, training, and tools on how to mobilize departments around broadersocial innovation priorities at the institutional level. Ensure that core team similarly modelchangemaking and social innovation and equip others to do so.
LEVERAGE TEACHABLE MOMENTS
Leverage small, daily opportunities—whether in simple exchanges or leadership meetings—to
help leaders and teams think systemically and break down silos. Recognize and celebrateothers for putting changemaking into action. Consider, for example, creating a Presidential
Innovators Award, valorizing institutional innovators through monthly communications,
and/or holding annual changemaking celebration events.
PROVIDE RESOURCES AND SUPPORTTo the extent possible, mobilize resources to enable interdisciplinary collaboration andsocial innovation and changemaking programming. Remove barriers to experimentation,
innovation, and collaboration. Refer to Strategy 4 to learn more about the role of Change
Leaders and the support they need from Senior Leaders.

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✓
✓
✓

TI PS
OWN IT BEFORE YOU SELL IT
Embody changemaking as part of your identity before expecting others to do the same.
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE AND STAY THE COURSE
Rewiring institutions often feels like it requires more resources, skill, and time than we have.
Social innovation encourages us to leverage our assets individually and collectively and stepout in faith, through trial and error, iterating together as solutions emerge.
LET GOLet go of your specific notions for how things will get done as you invite others to co-create.
Meanwhile, hold firmly to changemaking values and principles.

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CA MPUS EXA MPL ES

PASCALE CHARLOT, JD
PRESIDENTMIAMI DADE COLLEGE, KENDALL CAMPUS

INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT

Miami Dade College Kendall Campus is a part of the Miami Dade College (MDC) system which
is one of the largest institutions of higher education in the United States. Miami Dade College is a
public college that serves over 90,000 students. The Kendall Campus is one of eight campuses inthe system that serves first time in college students primarily while also offering programs for nontraditional students leading to college credit certificates, associates, and baccalaureate degrees. Like
several other MDC campuses, Kendall is also home to the Honors College, School for Advanced
Studies, and various athletic teams.
SUMMARY BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Charlot chartered a non-traditional educational pathway earning her BA in sociology andeconomics with a certificate in women’s studies as a transfer student at Duke University. She also
holds a JD from the University of Michigan School of Law. Prior to serving as President of Miami
Dade College Kendall Campus, Charlot served as a higher education administrator at both New
York University School of Law and Rutgers Law School-Newark.
VISIONARY LEADERSHIPCharlot holds a deep commitment to charting equity-minded pathways for first-generation college
students and students from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Her strong belief in the
cross-functional collaboration of student affairs and academic affairs is a key element of all her
efforts to improve student success. She has led improvement and innovation efforts at the programlevel as well as across the broader institution. As a testament to her impact, she was selected by
the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program to join the 2019-2020 class of the Aspen
Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, a leadership program aimed at
preparing the next generation of transformative community college presidents.
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MODELING CHANGE LEADERSHIPIn 2013, Charlot led a collegewide team focused on designing a community college student
changemaker pathway. This two-year pathway was the first of its kind and a key contributor to
MDC’s changemaking ecosystem and being designated an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus. Byleveraging her existing relationships and starting to identify places of convergence, Charlot built
a team of teams model that defined the infrastructure in a multi-campus system to support
this pathway. As a Change Leader, she actively remained focused on the mission of Miami Dade
College to empower other stakeholders at the institution to contribute to this work. Ultimately, asustainable collegewide, student-centered changemaking approach emerged to meet the needs of
a diverse student population. Everyone—faculty, staff, administrators, and students—could find theirsense of personal agency in this changemaker pathway. Her experiences as a Change Leader, alongwith her personal narrative have allowed for integration between her values and the work that she
is leading at MDC.

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CA MPUS EXA MPL ES

KENNETH G. FURTONPROVOST, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, AND COO
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITYINSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT

Florida International University (FIU) is a Hispanic-serving, majority minority public research
university based in Miami, Florida with more than a dozen academic sites across the United States
and the globe. The institution serves over 58,000 students and is one of the largest universities in
the United States. FIU is uniquely positioned in an urban metropolis on the cusp of becoming a
Global City, with the social and infrastructural challenges that come with it. Its student populationreflects the next generation of Americans—nearly 50% low income and 80% minority.
SUMMARY BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Furton led teams that are driving across-the-board improvements in student success andresearch and community impact in an urban multicultural setting. Under his leadership, FIU achieved
Carnegie R1 designation and increased numerous national rankings including #18 in Washington
Monthly, #10 Top Performer in Social Mobility, #30 Most Innovative University in U.S. News andWorld Report, #15 in patent production, and top 3 in the U.S. in four Times Higher Education Impact
Rankings in 2020. He holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry and is a leading scholar and inventor inforensic chemistry specializing in scent detection. Prior to serving as the Provost and COO at FIU,
Furton began his career as a Professor of Chemistry and continues to be active mentoring research
students and publishing—with more than 200 peer reviewed publications, two books, and morethan 20 patents.
VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

Dr. Furton has led changemaking efforts within the FIU campus community and provided support
for social innovation which led to the incorporation of social innovation into FIU’s strategic
priorities. He has given a university-wide directive to actively promote social innovation into

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student learning, university research, and community-based initiatives. Since 2015, the spirit ofsocial innovation has spread across campus through initiatives such as the establishment of acomprehensive changemaker strategy that empowers students to build initiatives, campaigns,
organizations, and entrepreneurial ventures that address social issues. This strategy helped solidify
FIU as one of Miami’s anchor institutions focused on creating solutions that have local and global
impact.
MODELING CHANGE LEADERSHIP

To fully realize the potential for social innovation across the institution, Dr. Furton appointed
Change Leaders, formed coordinating structures, and led the creation of the FIU Social Innovationand Entrepreneurship strategic framework. This was an approach to change management thatafforded greater innovation and flexibility needed for the emerging ecosystem of changemaking.
Dr. Furton not only placed the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at
the center of the university’s changemaking strategy to help create a shared language aroundchangemaking for leadership, faculty, staff, and students, but has also launched an initiative to track
Times Higher Education’s SDGs metrics into FIU’s strategic rankings goals. Dr. Furton continues tolead efforts by convening stakeholders across the university annually and providing a leadershipvision that has allowed the institution to achieve greater integration of social innovation, social
entrepreneurship, and changemaking. Dr. Furton has led the development of two university
strategic plans that include social innovation and entrepreneurship as critical components, andhe has played active roles in the implementation committees of these plans to reinforce theimportance of these initiatives to all stakeholders across the university. Dr. Furton leads by example
in envisioning a world in which everyone at the university must be a changemaker from the
freshman student to the chief operating officer.

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PAMELA GILLIESPRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR
GLASGOW CALEDONIAN UNIVERSITYINSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland. The university
hosts more than 20,000 students and 1,600 staff and is committed to promoting the Common
Good. GCU was ranked in the top 50 universities in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings in2019 and 2020.
SUMMARY BIOGRAPHY

Professor Gillies has been President and Vice Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University since2006. She is a founding member of the Global Advisory Council for the African Leadership
University and of the Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing, Bangladesh. She was a founding
board member of RFK Human Rights UK and a trustee of the British Council. She is a professorof public health and former Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Nottingham and has written
widely on HIV/AIDS, health, and inequalities focusing on the potential of social action for health. In
2019, she was named Social Mobility Champion of the Year at the UK Social Mobility Awards.
VISIONARY LEADERSHIPThe core purpose of the University for the Common Good to widen access to higher education,
promote social mobility, and create social benefit and change through a strategic program ofeducation and research aligns closely with Gillies’ life experience and passion. She was first in
her family to attend university and prior to her administrative roles had a career in public healthepidemiology in countries as diverse as South Africa, Zambia, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic.
Driven by her belief in the role of universities as civic institutions delivering positive impact in theircommunities and drawing upon GCU’s long-standing motto of being “For the Common Good”,

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Gillies has translated and channeled that vision into growing the identity, strategy, and operations of
the university (Roy et al., 2020).
Through her leadership, Gillies seeks to support both student changemaking outcomes andinstitutional impact in the community, in one of the European cities with the worst track recordin health inequalities. The values-led approach, strong sense of purpose, and energy has attracted
many global academics, business leaders, and activists to work with GCU thereby growing theesteem and confidence of staff and students alike.
MODELI NG CHANGE LEADERSHIPAs Gillies has driven social innovation across the University, establishing the Common Good as
the core mission was essential. Through a values-led approach, she and her team have worked
to embed common good in the strategy and curriculum and bring it to life through programs,
research, and partnerships.
GCU’s Common Good Curriculum serves as the foundation for supporting students in developing
key attributes of: active and global citizenship, confidence, entrepreneurial mind-set, and responsible
leadership. Common Good Awards recognize outstanding student volunteering and activism andhave created a culture of engagement amongst students and staff as they live out the GCU values.
She and her team have also worked to improve institutional structures such as promotion policies
working to eradicate the gender pay gap, resulting in 40% of professors now being female.
Under her leadership, GCU invested in building social innovation research capacity through theestablishment in 2010 of the now highly esteemed Yunus Research Centre on Social Businessand Health. In 2017, GCU aligned its research strategy around delivering to the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (Roy et al., 2020).
Gillies has also modeled and encouraged innovation and risk-taking in educational partnerships thatput social innovation into action around the world. For example, GCU partnered with Muhammad
Yunus to establish the Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing in Dhaka and with the African
Leadership University to create the next generation of ethical leaders for Africa.

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MICKI MEYER
LORD FAMILY ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENTFOR STUDENT AFFAIRS AND COMMUNITYROLLINS COLLEGE

INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT

Rollins College is a private liberal arts college with approximately 3,000 students in Winter Park,
Florida in the United States, which became a Changemaker Campus in 2012.
SUMMARY BIOGRAPHY

Meyer joined Rollins in 2005 as the Lord Family Director of Community Engagement, which has
dramatically expanded experiential learning opportunities in the community surrounding Rollins
and around the globe. Since joining senior leadership, Meyer oversees many changemaking efforts
at Rollins, including Rollins Gateway, the Social Impact Hub, Center for Leadership and Community
Engagement, and Center for Inclusion and Campus Involvement.
VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

Meyer has been instrumental in championing social innovation and changemaking at Rollins, fromleading strategic planning processes that align institutional systems and policies with changemaking
to creating spaces for enhanced organizational realignment and creating much of the co-curricular
programming that makes Rollins a Changemaker Campus.
MODELING CHANGE LEADERSHIP

Meyer came to Rollins passionate about its mission to develop students for global citizenship andresponsible leadership. She championed the work of community engagement and social innovation
by building one-on-one relationships with virtually every faculty and staff member on campus,
allowing her to advocate for changemaking efforts on campus while connecting these efforts topeople’s existing strengths and interests.

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Meyer has led efforts to provide every student the opportunity to experientially learn in thecommunity and develop their own changemaking skills. For example, she pioneered the creationof SPARC Day, which engages every first-year student in a day of service and reflection with anorganization in the Rollins community. She also worked alongside faculty over a decade ago tospearhead the creation of a Community Engagement designation for courses across campus that
include an immersive service-learning component. Over 50 courses each year now earn thisdesignation.
As a senior administrator, Meyer has worked with multiple deans, provosts, and presidents toensure that changemaking remains at the center of Rollins’ mission. She has cultivated relationships
with key board members and donors to provide external financial support for a wide range ofprogramming.
More recently, Meyer has led a strategic planning process that ensures that Rollins’ systems andpolicies align with its changemaking mission. For example, she guided an organizational realignment
process that more closely connected offices such as social innovation, international programs,
community engagement, and career services. She oversaw the renovation of a building, theKathleen W. Rollins Hall, in the center of campus that co-locates these offices to facilitate an
integrated changemaking experience for students. Also, Meyer is leading a campus-wide effort tobetter coordinate Rollins’ work in the community and measure its impact.

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4

LEAD E RS HI P ST R ATE GY 4

IDENTIFY
CHANGELEADERSTo create deep and pervasive institutional change, it is essential
to have two or three Change Leaders7 with complementaryperspectives and skillsets to build a network of allies and advancechangemaking across the institutional strategy, culture, andeducation. This strategy focuses on identifying Change Leaderswith the perspectives, influence, and mandate to advancechangemaking across the institution.
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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Assigns responsibility for advancingchangemaking.
 Ensures student, faculty, and staff engagement
and innovation.
 Supports continuity in wake of senior leadershiptransitions.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 When securing leadership supportand resources.
 When selecting and onboarding
Change Leaders.
 At Change Leader transition.

REA DERS
Who might use it and how?

S EN I O R L EA DERS Recruit Change Leaders.
 Build responsibilities into job descriptions andevaluations.
 Support, coach, and celebrate Change Leaders.

C HA N GE L EA DERS Build a development plan.
 Advocate for resources and senior support.
 Ask others to hold you accountable.
 Use to recruit, coach, and mentor other
Change Leaders.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS

Similar to Change Leaders, and:
 Consider if this is a role you would like to stepinto.
 Identify how you might support Change Leaders.

C HA N GEMA KER
EDUC ATO RS

 Similar to those for Student Leaders.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
While we use the term “Change Leader” to connote a designated role with set responsibilities, we also
like to think of them as “institutional innovators” or “intrapreneurs” because ultimately they innovate
within the organization to make it more adaptive and resilient while advancing changemaking across theinstitution.

A RE YO U A N I NSTITUTIONAL INNOVATOR?

 Do you believe deeply in changemaking and the impact potential of your institution?
 Do you have a vision for how your institution could reach its full changemaking potential?
 Do you find that you are excited to move beyond the domain of your job description to increase
your impact across the institution?
 Are you excited by advancing the interests of your entire institution beyond your primaryarea of focus?
 Do you feel that you have leadership and interpersonal skills that you could step into more fully?
 Have you developed/are you developing understanding of and skills in systems thinking,social innovation, and social entrepreneurship?
 Have you developed/are you developing strong, trust-based relationships across the institution?
 Do you re-frame problems, see opportunities, and creatively leverage assets?

RESPONSI BILITIES
Change Leaders lead from the middle—reaching up, down, and across the institution. They actively work
to engage stakeholders across disciplines, schools, and programs to apply and embed social innovationand changemaking into the programming, culture, and operations of the institution. Table 13 provides asummary of key responsibilities and skills and Appendix D includes more detailed description.

7 While an institution may have a department or special projects office that manages ongoing leadership development or change management, the terms
Change Leader and Change Team in this Guidebook are used to denote resources specially dedicated to advance social innovation and changemaking. In
some cases, the institutional department or special projects office overseeing leadership development and change management may be key allies to engage,even while their mandates are broader than social innovation and changemaking.

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TABLE 13. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHANGE LEADERSF OCAL A R EA S

KEY R ES P ON S I B I L I T I ESI NST I T UT IO N A L
F OCUS

Advance social innovation and changemaking across the institution, e.g.:
 Coordinate social innovation and changemaking strategy.
 Ensure cohesive messaging and serve as spokesperson.
 Create, lead, and coach a Change Team, an interdisciplinary group that incorporates
changemaking into their work, develops changemaking programs and pathways, andcollaborates to grow changemaking across the institution.
 Assess social innovation and changemaker programming, identify gaps, ensurealignment, and promote pathways.
 Ensure financial sustainability.

F I E LD B UIL D IN G
F OCUS

Directly influence the conversation around social innovation and changemaking inhigher education, e.g.:
 Pilot original programs and offerings to continually innovate.
 Conduct research to legitimize and build the field of changemaker education.
 Host convenings and/or present at conferences.
 Collaborate with and/or mentor other institutions.

Note: Adapted from Change Leader, Team, and Champion Role Descriptions with permissions from Ashoka U.

ATTRIBUTES FOR CHANGE LEADERS
As institutional innovators, Change Leaders must exhibit persistence and believe in the power andpossibility of social innovation and changemaking despite the multiple obstacles and challenges they will
face along the way. Embedding social innovation and changemaking into their institution is aligned with
their sense of purpose, values, and vision. One of the biggest challenges is navigating the complexity of
the institution itself. To do so, Change Leaders need key institutional innovation attributes such as thosedescribed in Table 14. Importantly, these are in addition to the foundational Changemaker Qualities
Framework (Table 2) in the Getting Oriented: Key Concepts chapter (e.g., with mindsets such as empathy
and inclusivity, knowledge of systems and approaches to change, and skills such as systems thinking
and adaptive communication). Ashoka U developed these based on our experience with Change Leaders
over the last decade and validated them with representative stakeholders. Appendix E includes tangible
examples of how Change Leaders can put these qualities into action and develop them further.

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TABLE 14. CHANGE LEADER ATTRIBUTESQUAL I TI ES
PASSION

Change Leaders are connected with their “why”, or their purpose in life and in higher education. Being a Change Leader
requires strong personal convictions and motivations—this drives them in pursuit of the gritty work of institutionalinnovation and fuels them in continuous learning and growth.
PERCEPTIO N

Change Leaders need to be able to identify systems and possibilities. They draw from both analytical and intuitive
ways of knowing and have a sense of opportunities to help paint pictures for stakeholders of “what might be”. They
grow their understanding of how things work at their institution, and how to use the processes and rules to theiradvantage (or how to influence changes in them).
PERSUASIO N

Change Leaders invest in building bridges across the institution by getting to know people in authentic ways
and making “unlikely allies”. They learn about others’ work and help them see how they can contribute tochangemaking efforts. While they are persuasive, it is achieved through a spirit of humility which encourages,
uplifts, and celebrates others.
PERSEV ERA NCE

Change Leaders are selective and strategic about when it is worth advancing ideas and proposals. They aremindful about when and how they use social capital, so as not to abuse or wear out relationships or favor. They
recognize that change in complex systems is often more evolutionary than planned; and that ideas will emerge,
diverge, and converge. They set personal boundaries and prioritize their own wellbeing, knowing that personal
resilience will be key to the long game.
M IN D SETS

IDENTIFY A S A N
INSTITUTIO NA L I NNOVATO R

Change Leaders recognize higher
education’s potential as a force
for positive change. They believe
they have a responsibility tocreate an educational ecosystem
in which all are empowered to bechangemakers for the good of theinstitution, community, and society.
SOLUTIONS MI ND S ET

Change Leaders seek tounderstand the root cause ofchallenges in higher education inorder to work toward solutions.
They are persistent, willing to learn
and adapt in the face of obstacles inorder to achieve novel solutions.

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KN OWL ED GES O C I A L E N T R E PR E N E U RS H I P,S O C I A L I N N OVAT I O N A N D
CHA N G E M A K I N G

Change Leaders understand thetheory and practice of social
entrepreneurship, social innovation,and changemaking, as well as how
they can be applied in the field of
higher education.
I NST I T U T I O N A L / SYST E M S
UND E RSTA N DI N GWith a strong understanding ofsocial systems and systems thinking,
Change Leaders cultivate deep
insight into their own institution,
working to understand formal
and informal systems and power
structures. This knowledge allows
them to identify opportunities togarner buy-in for changemaking,spot levers for change, and use orrelinquish their influence strategicallyto foster system-wide changemaking.

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S KI L L S

L E A DI N G SYST E M C H A N GE

Change Leaders co-createchangemaking visions andstrategies, build enthusiasm
across the institution, and catalyze
and hold others accountableto lead this work. They do soby bringing people together,helping others recognize theirown changemaking work,
collaboratively developing astrategy, and creating space forothers to lead in implementation.

SUPPORTING CHANGE LEADERS IN NAVIGATING CHALLENGES
Leading change is difficult, and challenges are to be expected. Table 15 highlights ways senior leaders can
support Change Leaders as well as ways Change Leaders can empower themselves.

TABLE 15. CHANGE LEADER CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT SYSTEMSH OW C H AN GE
L EAD ERS C AN EM P OW E R
TH EM S ELVESCHANGE L EA D ER
CHA LL EN G ES

H OW S EN I OR L EAD ERS
C A N S UP P ORT

Lack of “positional”
power and/or authority
to commit extensive
resources or require
others to participate.

 “Institutionalize” changemaking into the
Office of the President, a Changemaker
Hub, or other official structure.
 Publicly endorse Change Leader(s)and give them opportunities throughplatforms (e.g., Dean’s Council Meeting,Board Meeting, blog, etc.) to share about
the institution’s changemaking work.
 Give clear direction to key stakeholders
that Change Leaders are acting on
behalf of institution at your direction.
 Create an open-door policy with
Change Leaders and be ready toremove the obstacles they face.
 Dedicate financial and other resources
for changemaking and enable Change
Leaders to tap or manage them.

 Identify and build allies across theinstitution who are influential andcan open doors.
 Invite senior leaders tochangemaking events as a signal of
their commitment.
 Leverage quotes and testimonials
from senior leaders and otherinfluencers to demonstrate thecredibility of changemaking work.
 Use the social entrepreneurial
tool of “bricolage” to creatively
combine resources from acrossthe university.

Multiple responsibilities,
competing agendas,
and limited time to
dedicate to advancingchangemaking across theinstitution.

 Create a full-time Change Leader role.
 Work with Change Leaders’ supervisor toembed change leadership responsibilities
into job description and performance
expectations so that time can becommitted and work recognized.

 Build a Change Leadership Group(refer to Strategy 5).
 Delegate to Change Team
members, trust them, and allow foryour ideas to evolve and manifest
in new ways (refer to Strategy 6).

Lack of working knowledge  Introduce Change Leader to severalof other institutional“gatekeepers” and/or institutional
departments, offices,
influencers as part of onboarding and toor structures (especiallyfacilitate their future collaborations.
if new faculty/staff).

 Volunteer to serve on committees
to gain insights into otherorganizational efforts.

Lack of knowledge
regarding institutional
processes such as
contracting, events
management, etc.

 Provide administrative liaison or supportrole to take on key tasks such as booking
travel, event management, etc.

 Identify a peer who has successfully
managed similar processes;
conduct a learning interview.
 Develop a relationship with key
point of contact in relevant offices.

Continuously overtapped based on
reputation of
excellence.

 Commit additional resources to grow
Change Leadership Group.
 Foster a culture of fluid “teams of teams”,
leveraging other leaders and contributors.

 Develop a leadership pipeline
across the Change Team andChange Leadership Group;
showcase their work, position
them for new tasks, and delegate.

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AC T I O N ST EPS
Regardless of how they come to be Change Leaders—whether emerging informally through their own
initiative, or through formal appointment—the following are some ways that Change Leaders can advancesocial innovation and changemaking across their institutions.
CREATE AN ASSET MAP
Map key institutional assets such as existing initiatives, programs, student organizations,networks, funding, or other infrastructure and operations that align with social innovationand changemaking. Identify and seek to close gaps.
IDENTIFY POTENTIAL COLLABORATORS AND BUILD A CHANGE TEA M
Look for co-Change Leaders (refer to Strategy 5), other partners, and opportunities tocollaborate to advance social innovation and changemaking. In time, seek to build a Change
Team of cross-disciplinary faculty, staff, administrators, students, and community partners(refer to Strategy 6). Welcome a broad variety of perspectives and expertise to contribute toand benefit from social innovation and changemaking. Work with them and their supervisors
to authorize use of their time.
CREATE AND USE INCENTIVES
Identify intrinsic and extrinsic incentives that are particularly motivating to the Change Teamand other partners. Formalize roles and titles to acknowledge the importance of others’ workand enhance their resumes. Recognize individuals who have participated in and supported
the initiative by designing awards, certificates, and other recognition programs. Write lettersof appreciation and recognize others’ contributions amongst their teams or superiors. Provide
access to resources and professional development opportunities.
MANAGE UP
Be proactive about engaging senior Change Champions so they can help make the case tosenior executive leadership and external partners. Partner with the Champion to develop arole description for them and identify a list of key actions you need them to take to support
the effort. Give them a calendar of events and indicate which you would like them to speak at
or attend. Provide them a list of target audiences and key messages and ask them to convey
key themes both intentionally and opportunistically. Schedule regular check-in meetings and/or provide reports on progress.

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CONTINUALLY MAKE THE CASE FOR CHANGEMAKING
Create a case that ties changemaking to the broader language, vision, and mission of theinstitution. Demonstrate how social innovation and changemaking can serve the goals of
the institution using both data and stories. Use these messages in formal and structured
communication opportunities. Refer to Strategy 1 for more on creating a case for change.
SHARE IMPACT STORIES
Identify specific value propositions that social innovation and changemaking bring to theinstitution and articulate the qualitative and quantitative impact of the work to senior
executive leadership.
LEVERAGE INFLECTION POINTS
Leverage inflection points—e.g., a decrease in student enrollment numbers, a new president
or provost’s desire to make a mark on the institution, a new piece of legislation affecting
institutional operations, or an emerging trend or crisis that calls for institutional response—to
make or strengthen the case for social innovation and changemaking across the institution.
LANGUAGE
Test and select language around social innovation and changemaking that resonates witha broad range of stakeholders across the institution. Consider the institution’s history,
identity, and current lexicon together with its vision for changemaking. For example, social
entrepreneurship may resonate with a business college, while social innovation may resonate
across universities with multiple schools. In some institutional or cultural contexts, broader
terms such as social impact, changemaking, and common good are more resonant.

✓
✓
✓

TI PS
DO NOT TRY TAKE ON THE WHOLE SYSTEM
Not only is it exhausting, but it is also impossible and discouraging. While keeping a system’s
thinking mindset and appreciation of the big picture, focus on what you can influence thatwill produce the biggest outcomes with reasonable effort.
PICK YOUR BATTLES AND YOUR TIMING
Sometimes it can do more harm than good to advance an idea or program if the system is notready yet. Learn to read the system, its energy, and stakeholders. Remember that waiting is
not always compromising or losing.
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RELEASE IDEAS AND CONTROL
It takes many champions, leaders, team members, and others to embed changemaking acrossan institution. Provide guidelines and guardrails for innovation, but ultimately release control
so changemaking can flourish. This will also help you maximize your own time.
PLANT THE SEEDS AND WAIT FOR THEM TO GROW
In systems change, a small idea can ultimately have a huge impact. Sometimes it happens
rapidly; other times not. In people’s own development, sometimes a simple coaching
conversation or word of encouragement can ultimately bear tremendous fruit in time.
BE PASSIONATE, BUT DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY
There are many factors that influence when and how change happens and when and how
people respond. Seek to understand why there might be ambivalence or resistance and whatmight be in your power to support or change. Yet ultimately, do not take things personally.

T I PS F O R RESILIE NCE AND W E LLBE ING

 Prioritize your own wellness needs first as you seek to serve the institution and others.
 Invest in your personal sustainability through self-care practices.
 Focus on what you can control and adapt as circumstances change.
 Build a supportive team. Be a steward of social innovation rather than the owner of the idea.
 Actively ask for help.
 Build in time to reflect and evaluate progress.
 Connect with other Change Leaders and mentors for support, connection, and inspiration.
 Engage in communities and gatherings with like-minded changemakers.

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CA MPUS EXA MPL ES

JILL ANDRESFOUNDER, CREATING VALUEPREVIOUSLY DIRECTOR OF THE TRICOCHANGEMAKERS STUDIO,MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY

WHAT IS MOST ESSENTIAL ABOUT BEING A CHANGE LEADER?

Coffee... lots of coffee.
A significant part of a Change Leader’s role is engagement with people from across campus. This
does not happen from behind a desk. It’s only through dialogue that we can understand how
people currently engage in changemaking (whether they call it this or not), concerns they may have(that, unaddressed, could turn into obstacles), and their interest in furthering this changemaking
movement (as potential champions and allies).
I remember hiring two summer students to work on the changemaking initiative at Mount Royal
University. The first thing we did when they started was provide them with a coffee budget sothat they could spend the summer meeting with students and faculty members on the topic ofchangemaking.
While the importance of this type of dialogue may be particularly evident at the outset, it
continues to play an important role even after the movement is gaining traction. Support forchangemaking can wane with evolving priorities, diminishing budgets, changes in leadership, or
simply with the passage of time. Reinvigorating enthusiasm for changemaking can be as simple as,well... coffee.
WHAT ARE TYPICAL OBSTACLES CHANGE LEADERS FACE AND DO YOU HAVE TIPSTO HELP OVERCOME THEM?

Changemaking is discipline-agnostic, yet a post-secondary’s impetus for becoming involved withchangemaking often originates with an individual or small group of individuals who are associated

L E A D E R S H I P : S T R AT E G Y 484with a particular faculty or department. Being closely aligned—or even being perceived to beclosely aligned—with one part of campus can act as a barrier to a truly campus-wide changemaking
movement. Mapping out the different parts of the campus ecosystem and identifying and engaging
potential allies in each area is essential right from the outset.
CAN YOU SHARE ANY TIPS ON HOW TO BECOME/GROW AS A CHANGE LEADER?

Build a team. Systems transformation relies on many people from all the different parts of thecampus ecosystem working at multiple levels to bring about change.

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CA MPUS EXA MPL ES

MANUELA HILL-MUNOZ
DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND CHANGEMAKING
UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS

WHAT IS MOST ESSENTIAL ABOUT BEING A CHANGE LEADER?

Building relationships is most essential to being a Change Leader. The role is highly collaborative,
strategic, and connective. A Change Leader helps institutions build pathways that amplifychangemaking efforts across the university changemaking ecosystem. To make this possible, and tohelp build a collective understanding of changemaking and educate students about how to advancethe common good, an effective Change Leader needs to build relationships with her fellow Change
Leaders within her own institution and with peers at other institutions.
WHAT ARE TYPICAL OBSTACLES CHANGE LEADERS FACE AND DO YOU HAVE TIPSTO HELP OVERCOME THEM?

Buy-in of changemaking language and initiatives:
Build a cross-institution Change Team that serves to enhance and promote changemaking efforts
across the university’s different units and programs. Be transparent so it is clear no one unit ordiscipline “owns” the changemaking language and programming efforts within the institution; infact, encourage conversations among different stakeholders within the institution with the goal ofdemonstrating changemaking through different lenses.
Program ownership:
While important that no one unit is viewed as the “owner” of changemaking efforts within theinstitution, it is important that there is a starting point for which changemaking becomes part of theinstitution’s vernacular. This starting point should be on neutral grounds so that no one academic
discipline is viewed as the only field that is involved in changemaking.

L E A D E R S H I P : S T R AT E G Y 486Strategy and prioritization of changemaking initiatives:
Build a cross-institution Change Team that works in domains (e.g., curricular, co-curricular, career,administration) to make the work manageable, tie it to areas of strength/interest, and enableestablishment of goals and measures to track progress.
CAN YOU SHARE ANY TIPS ON HOW TO BECOME/GROW AS A CHANGE LEADER?

Becoming a Change Leader requires calling people into partnership, dialogue, and action. One of
my biggest learnings is that people like being in community with others. It is important to build buyin by forming and cultivating relationships with others.

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CA MPUS EXA MPL ES

WRAY IRWIN
DIRECTOR OF ENTERPRISE AND EMPLOYABILITY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHAMPTON

WHAT IS MOST ESSENTIAL ABOUT BEING A CHANGE LEADER?

There are three key skills I believe a Change Leader needs to develop. First, is persistence. Change
in higher education challenges the status quo and is not always received as enthusiastically as you
would like. Second, is the ability to work across the organization in an unbounded way. Change
Leaders need support from across the institution and especially from departments where they
have little or no authority. So, being able to join up dots across the institution is essential. Finally, is
to know when to seek forgiveness rather than permission. The structures and decision making inhigher education turn slowly and at times bending the rules and acknowledging that has been done
can be justifiable. Always act legally, ethically, and morally and never put your job on the line; but attimes a small transgression is needed to change the world.
WHAT ARE TYPICAL OBSTACLES CHANGE LEADERS FACE AND DO YOU HAVE TIPSTO HELP OVERCOME THEM?

Loneliness is the greatest obstacle. This might sound grand, but when you are trying to lead suchsignificant transformation you may be the only one who understands what you are saying andtrying to achieve. Spreading the word and getting buy-in for changemaking can be received asanother language by some colleagues; and you can find yourself saying the same things over andover to help people understand. It can be all consuming as you push ahead and demoralizing when
you look behind and no one is there. Trust in yourself, your passion, and ability. Reach out to likeminded colleagues, coaches, and mentors to build a supportive community. You will find that others
leading change feel the same; we are all experiencing doubt, frustration, and having to deal withpeople and structures that make it challenging. A problem shared is a problem halved; working withother Change Leaders can be a powerful support.

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CAN YOU SHARE ANY TIPS ON HOW TO BECOME/GROW AS A CHANGE LEADER?

If you want to become a Change Leader, you are a special sort of person. It’s not a job or a role; it
is a way of being that isn’t for everyone. So, you need to be sure it’s for you. The highs are amazing,
and the frustrations can be crushing. But overall, it is an amazing experience. For me, it’s about
being open to learn; learn what you’re not good at, learn how to articulate your passion, and learn
the practice of leading change. Growing as a leader—and cultivating informal power—means
practicing empathy, humility, and being brilliant at collaborating and lifting up others. Acknowledge
that change happens on the horizon and usually as a result of those moments of happenstancethat bring you into contact with others rather than a committee paper that was debated into theground. Treat every encounter as a spark for change. But most of all remember its Ashoka U not
Ashoka Me, and Change Leaders are there to enable “everyone a changemaker”, not just to moveup the career ladder.

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CA MPUS EXA MPL ESRADOVAN PÉREZ RESTOVICDIRECTOR AT THE CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION
AND SOCIAL IMPACT
UNIVERSIDAD POPULAR AUTÓNOMA DEL ESTADO
DE PUEBLA (UPAEP)

WHAT IS MOST ESSENTIAL ABOUT BEING A CHANGE LEADER?

One very important thing is that as a Change Leader I must believe in and feel changemaking inwhat I do. For me, it is not so much about the position I have in the institution as it is how I drive
intentions and make them happen. I also believe that I, as a Change Leader, have to set an example,
not at as a figurehead, but more as a person who practices empathy, collaboration, innovation,
creativity, critical thinking, and engagement with students and other stakeholders. Finally, as a Change
Leader, I believe that I need to be authentic, honest, transparent, and vulnerable. I must be willing toshow myself as I am and be willing to share that with other Change Leaders.
WHAT ARE TYPICAL OBSTACLES CHANGE LEADERS FACE AND DO YOU HAVE TIPSTO HELP OVERCOME THEM?

One obstacle that I have faced as a Change Leader is that the day to day work in the institution
is very demanding, and I sometimes lose perspective of the important things versus the urgent. To
overcome this, I set a couple of clear goals that I want to achieve as a Change Leader and build
them in my semester work plan, so I have a consistent reminder. If those goals are shared with
Change Leaders from other universities, all the better.
C AN YOU SHA RE A NY TIP S ON HOW TO B E COME /GROW AS A CH ANGE L E AD E R ?

Even though being a Change Leader at the beginning was overwhelming, as I got to understandmore about it and know other Change Leaders from other universities, I began to be myself, listen
and learn, and share who I was. Once I assumed this role, I learned the importance of relating
and communicating with many people in different areas of the university. It has been a great
opportunity to strengthen my engagement with students; faculty and staff from other areas of theinstitution; and senior leadership. Also, it has been very important to share my work and results
within the university, and this has helped me to have better results and impact on the students. It
has been a wonderful journey of growth as a person and professionally.
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CA MPUS EXA MPL ES

HYUN SHIN
PROFESSORHANYANG UNIVERSITY

WHAT IS MOST ESSENTIAL ABOUT BEING A CHANGE LEADER?

I think the willingness to learn and grow might be the most essential for being a Change Leader.
I don’t think I am an ideal Change Leader at this time, but I want to learn and grow as one who
has the following qualities: creativity, empathy, collaboration, and communication skills. First, acreative Change Leader would be able to identify opportunities/challenges for her institution andgenerate new ideas for solving problems. Second, an empathetic Change Leader would be able tounderstand the needs and wants of her team members as well as stakeholders, which would help
her inspire and motivate people around her. Third, a Change Leader with collaboration skills would
be able to identify the capabilities and motivations of her team members and design an incentive
mechanism for developing a sustainable relationship. Fourth, a Change Leader with communication
skills would be able to build trust among the individual and institutional team members andgenerate collective impact.
WHAT ARE TYPICAL OBSTACLES CHANGE LEADERS FACE AND DO YOU HAVE TIPSTO HELP OVERCOME THEM?

Resource mobilization. Nowadays universities are generally suffering from the lack of funding,limiting the resources for social innovation-related programs and events. My tip is: In order topersuade internal decision makers, Change Leaders should have a good value proposition, coupledwith empirical evidence which shows that such programs and events are truly beneficial for the
students and the university in certain aspects. Thus, it is imperative to develop valid and reliablemeasures and track those which can show how much students were able to learn and grow byparticipating in such programs and events.

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CAN YOU SHARE ANY TIPS ON HOW TO BECOME/GROW AS A CHANGE LEADER?

Meeting frequently with practitioners from diverse fields such as for-profit companies, foundations,NGOs, and government agencies would help. The university is regarded as a kind of neutral place
where diverse actors can meet, discuss, and collaborate. If a Change Leader has a good networkwith practitioners, it would be very valuable to form a partnership in which students and faculty
can actively participate and collaborate to make substantial impacts in the local community aroundthe university.

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5

LEAD E RS HI P ST R ATE GY 5BUILD
CHANGELEADERSHIPGROUPDriving institutional change is a group effort. It helps to build
a group of two to three Change Leaders with complementaryskills and influence to lead a Change Team and contribute to
institution-wide changemaking strategies.

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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Distributes the workload.
 Leverages diverse positions, network ties, andinstitutional assets.
 Brings unique backgrounds and perspectives
for more holistic solutions.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 When securing leadership support andresources.
 When selecting and onboarding Change
Leaders.
 At Change Leader transition.
 When encountering challenges of influenceand buy-in.

REA DERS
Who might use it and how?

S EN I O R L EA DERS Identify additional leadership that may beneeded.
 Hold the group accountable.

C HA N GE L EA DERS Identify number and type of Change Leadersneeded.
 Codesign these positions as part of strategy
and governance.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS Not applicable.

C HA N GEMA KER
EDUC ATO RS

 Provide input to Change Leaders as they map
key resources and influence and seek to build
allies and influence.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
While not all Change Leaders need to have all the competencies outlined in Strategy 4, the Change Leadergroup should collectively embody them. Ashoka U typically recommends having two to three faculty, staff,
and/or administrators, who are complementary in skillset and aligned in values, serve as Change Leaders.
We generally recommend that together they dedicate at least the equivalent of one full-time position toleading change.
Change Champions, such as deans, assistant vice presidents, and other senior leaders are critical to enable
Change Leaders’ work. They view social innovation and changemaking as a key priority for the institution
and provide active assistance by dedicating financial resources, engaging internal stakeholders, and securing
support across the institution. Like the Change Leaders, they seek to model new ways of being and leading toempower others to realize their potential as changemakers. In some cases, depending on their capacity andinterests, Change Champions may take on a more involved role as part of the Change Leader Group.
INSTITUTIONAL VARIABLES TO CONSIDER
When forming a Change Leader Group, it may be useful to consider the university’s size and how powerand communications are distributed (refer to the Institutional Assessment in Strategy 1.) Table 16
provides a few institutional characteristics to consider.

TABLE 16. CONSIDERATIONS FOR SELECTING A CHANGE LEADERSHIP GROUPI NST I T U T IO N A L C H A R AC T ER ISTI C S

I M P L I C ATI ON S

V ERY SM A L L TO SM A L L(up to 2,999 students)

May need 1-2 Change Leaders; Change Champion may
not be necessary.

M ED IU M TO L A RG E

May need 2-3 Change Leaders and 1 Change Champion.

V ERY L A RG E

May need 3-4 Change Leaders and multiple ChangeChampions.

SIZE8(3,000-10,000+ students)(Very significantly over 10k students)

In addition to these, the strategic priorities of the institution can have a significant bearing on which
individuals will be in the best position to serve as Change Leaders. For example, if an institution has
identified Indigenization or access as key priorities, having at least one Change Leader from the Indigenous
Office or working on access can help ensure that changemaking efforts advance these priorities.
8 Size classifications based on the Carnegie Classifications of Institutes of Higher Education as accessed June 6, 2020.

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TYPES OF CHANGE LEADERSHIP GROUPS
Based on Ashoka U’s experience with campuses around the globe, we have observed several different
types of Change Leader Group combinations. These are described in Table 17.

TABLE 17. TYPES OF LEADERSHIP GROUPSTYPE

S I NGLE C H A N G E
LE AD E R

LE A D E RS H IP
PA I R WI TH I N
A CE NT E R O F
CHA NGE M A K IN G
OR S OCI A L
I NNOVATIO N

D ESC R IP T I ON

C AM P US EXAM P L ES 9

Single Change Leader:
Role and expertise may vary,
but having a well-connectedfaculty member can be
powerful to engage the faculty
while also influencing leadershipand bridging to functional
offices.

 The College of the Atlantic, located in thenortheast of the United States, has only 350
students and 35 faculty.
 Not only is it very small, but it also has acollaborative governance model in which
students, faculty, and staff work together togovern the school. (Read more about it in
Strategy 9, Campus Examples.)Center led by 1 Faculty
Member and 1 Staff
Member:Brings both faculty (research)and staff (practice) expertise to
the center.

 University of San Diego, a Roman Catholic
institution based in the United States, has a
Changemaker Hub.
 The Hub is managed by two Change Leaders:an Associate Director with deep practice base
who leads daily programming and apermanent Faculty Director with researchexperience.

Center led by Staff Director
and supported by a rotating
Faculty Member:
Allows for both faculty and staff
perspectives; rotating the faculty
position recognizes facultycommitments while building
a stronger base of faculty
champions over time.

 Based in Florida, Rollins College has a Social
Impact Hub with co-directors that serve as
Change Leaders.
 The Staff Director leads programs andfacilitates collaboration with campus,
community members, and organizations in
the field of social impact.
 The Faculty Director, who is appointed for a
two-year term, engages other faculty inprograms and generates new opportunities
for mutually beneficial endeavors.

Center co-directed byFaculty Member and AVP of
Student Affairs:
Enables further embeddingof social innovation andchangemaking in both academic
programming and student life.

 At North Central College in the Midwest of
the United States, the Center for Social
Impact is co-directed by a senior Faculty
Member and an Assistant Vice President withstudent affairs oversight including orientation,
student activities, career development, andspiritual life.
 Both serve as Change Leaders, and theirpositions enable access to cross-university
initiatives and decision making.

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TYPE

CO- LE AD E RSH IP
AC RO S S VA R IO U S
D E PART M EN TS
AND OF F IC ES

D ESC R IP T I ON

C AM P US EXAM P L ES 9

Multiple Change Leadersacross the campus:
Provides opportunity for
expanding influence andincreases likelihood of
embedding changemaking
across schools, departments, orfunctions.

 Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de
Puebla (UPAEP) in Puebla, Mexico has three
Change Leaders: Academic Director for the
Entrepreneurial Program and Business
Incubator; Director for Social Innovation andImpact Center; and Strategic Projects
Coordinator in the Academic Vice President’s
Office.
 This way, they are able to embedchangemaking into entrepreneurial academic
programming, a center for social innovationand impact, and across the educational modeland faculty development.
 Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada has
three Change Leaders.
 A faculty member designated as Academic
Director of Changemaking advanceschangemaking across the curriculum, teaching,and learning. There is also a faculty Change
Leader in the Business School and the
Director of the Iniskim Centre, dedicated toincreasing Indigenous student engagement
and success as well as awareness of
Indigenous peoples and their history, cultures,and protocols.

9 These examples represent the models in these institutions at the time of publishing. Change Leadership Groups and Teams naturally grown and evolve overtime. (Refer to Strategies 6-8.)

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AC T I O N ST EPS
The following are some ways to form a Change Leadership Group.
SELECT STRATEGICALLY
Select Change Leaders based on the university’s size and structure and the level of maturity
in social innovation and changemaking. Consider the expertise and skills, perspectives,
positional power, and social capital of potential Change Leaders. Ensure Change Leaders havestrong values-alignment and complementary perspectives, expertise, and influence acrossthe institution. Having someone with faculty influence will be critical, while having a staff
member can provide more dedicated time.

“It would be hard to catalyze change required on campus without someone from faculty.
Faculty, like it or not, tend to highly regard other faculty members and sometimes discredit
others… It’s also important to bridge the divide between business and the arts/humanities
and make changemaking relevant across different schools of thought, whether through social
entrepreneurship or a social justice lens.”— JILL GRIFFIN, UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE

BUILD STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Invest in building a strong, trust-based relationship among Change Leaders and distributeareas of responsibility based on the strengths and areas of interest. Model changemaking
through collective and collaborative leadership. Provide a “safe space” for processing
progress, setbacks, and potential next steps of institutional innovation.
ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS
Ensure clear and regular communication and check-in mechanisms. Determine the best
frequency and methods based upon the group’s communication style and work schedules.
Give each other permission and hold each other accountable to practice self-care and othersteps that protect and promote personal wellbeing, amidst the often challenging, albeit
rewarding, nature of changemaking work.

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MAP THE SYSTEMWork together to better sense and understand the institution as a system using systemsthinking mindsets, principles, and tools. Identify key players, processes, forces, interactions,
hard power (e.g., positions and resources), soft power (e.g., relationships, influence), andleverage points. Consider what you can influence and where senior leadership support isrequired.
FO R M O R E IN FO R M AT IO N ON SYST EM S T H I N KI N G, R EFER TO:

Ashoka’s Systems Change Crash Course

Water Center for Systems Thinking

Ecochallenge.org’s overview of the Iceberg Model

LEAD CHANGEMAKING STRATEGIES
Lead the implementation of the institution’s changemaking strategy if one is already inplace. Or build an adaptive strategy with senior leaders and the Change Team to identify andprioritize changemaking opportunities. Identify key strategic priorities and fields of action,
while allowing for emergence and adaptation and iteration as needed.
FEEDBACK
Ensure open feedback loops among the Change Leader Group, the Change Team, andsenior leadership. Reflect on Change Leader Group working relationship, key learnings, andchallenges. Celebrate the progress made along the way.

✓✓✓

T I PS
THINK IN TERMS OF NETWORKS AND NODES
Together, the Change Leader Group will need to be able to influence senior leaders, faculty,
staff, and students and span schools, disciplines, and university functions. Take time
to consider who has significant ties, social capital, and influence across key parts of theinstitution and how together, new ties can be made.
BE COMPLEMENTARY AND COMPLIMENTARY
In addition to having a range of perspectives and skills as a group, it is critical to encourage
each other.

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BE REALISTIC REGARDING COMMITMENTS
Most Change Leaders have other roles and responsibilities. Make sure that the combined time
for institutional change is significant enough, while supporting each other in maintaining
personal wellness and resilience.

“A key foundation for the Change Leader group is having respect for the perspectives thateach person brings to the table. And frankly, having complementary personalities and justenjoying one another is important. Advancing changemaking across the campus requires a
lot of time and effort, so the group needs to be able to work well together as a team andsupport each other. Perhaps combining all those ingredients is difficult, but when it happens,
it is magic.”— JILL GRIFFIN, UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE

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6

LEAD E RS HI P ST R ATE GY 6

BUILD
A N D S U S TA I N
THE CHANGETEAMThe Change Team10 may be part of, or the stepping-stone to, an
institution-wide coordinating structure for social innovation andchangemaking. In building a committed and interdisciplinary
Change Team to grow and strengthen the campus-wide ecosystem
for social innovation and changemaking, it will be critical todevelop protocols and incentives.
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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Expands the capacity and assets forchangemaking.
 Enables changemaking to cross disciplines
and silos.
 Ensures a strong base of support foradvancing changemaking.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 In recruiting a Change Team and building
Change Team protocols.
 When team norms and processes start tobreak down.

REA DERS
Who might use it and how?

S EN I O R L EA DERS Identify ways you can support Change Team.
 Hold the team accountable.

C HA N GE L EA DERS

 Define roles, recruit, and orient team.
 Build Change Team charter.
 Determine team norms and processes.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS

 Advise on Change Team operations to ensure
optimal student engagement.
 Identify unrepresented student voices orconcerns in the Change Team and advocate
for their inclusion.

C HA N GEMA KER
EDUC ATO RS

 Consider if this is a role you would like tostep into.
 Support Change Team in recruiting otherfaculty or students.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
The following sections introduce key principles for Change Team responsibilities and composition as wellas ways to build one.
RESPONSI BILITIESThe most fundamental responsibility of the Change Team is to champion changemaking and embed it
into the members’ respective areas of expertise and influence. The Change Team may also help map theexisting social innovation and changemaking ecosystem and develop an action plan to embed and growsocial innovation and changemaking across the institution. A summary of Change Team responsibilities is
included in Table 18, while Appendix D includes a full description.

TABLE 18. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHANGE TEAMSF OCAL A R EA S

KEY R ES P ON S I B I L I T I ES

P ROGR AM M AT ICORF UNCT I O N A L
F OCUS Translate changemaking ideas into their domains of expertise such as teaching,research, program leadership, student engagement, and community partnerships.
 Contribute their functional or disciplinary expertise as co-creators, mentors, orcoaches of changemaking efforts such as challenges, incubators, and fellowships.

F I E LD - B UIL D IN G
F OCUS Influence others in their domains of expertise to mainstream ideas of social
innovation through conferences, publications, and other mechanisms.

Adapted from Change Leader, Team, and Champion Role Descriptions with permissions from Ashoka U. See Appendix D for full details.

There are two key distinctions between the areas of focus for Change Team members and Change Leaders.
These are summarized in Table 19.

10 While an institution may have a department or special projects office that manages ongoing leadership development or change management, the terms
Change Leader and Change Team in this Guidebook are used to denote resources specially dedicated to advance social innovation and changemaking.
In some cases, the institutional department or special projects office overseeing leadership development and change management may be key allies toengage, even while their mandates are broader than social innovation and changemaking.

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TABLE 19. DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN CHANGE LEADER AND CHANGE TEAM ROLESS P E CI F I C
F OCUSR AT HE R T H A N
I NST I T UT IO N WIDE

While Change Leaders focus on advancing social innovation and changemaking acrossthe entire institution, Change Team members often focus their efforts on a particulardepartment, school, function, or program. For example, this may include:












F OCUS ON
E XE CUT I O N

Running a social innovation or social entrepreneurship degree program.
Teaching courses in social innovation and social entrepreneurship.
Managing a social innovation incubator program.
Embedding related learning outcomes into one’s classes (e.g., a writing, education,engineering, or arts course).
Embedding social innovation and changemaking in admissions.
Promoting social innovation and changemaking activities through student affairs.
Incorporating changemaking into branding, marketing, and communications.
Fundraising for social innovation and changemaking.
Engaging alumni and employers around changemaking efforts.
Supporting faculty and staff to develop changemaker values and changemaking
education learning outcomes.
Recruiting, onboarding, and assessing faculty and staff on changemaking values,
competencies, and impact.

Change Team members tend to be primarily focused on execution around social
innovation and changemaking. In contrast, Change Leaders must balance strategy withexecution, being involved in advancing the agenda around social innovation and the dayto-day execution of this work.

Adapted from Change Leader, Team, and Champion Role Descriptions with permissions from Ashoka U. See Appendix D for full details.

COMPOSITION
The Change Team composition and size may vary depending on the institution’s structure, size, needs,
and maturity of the social innovation and changemaking ecosystem. As described further in Appendix D,
at a minimum, members should include: Faculty from diverse schools, disciplines, or programs;
 Administrators/staff (such as service learning, civic engagement, admissions, alumni
engagement, development);

 Student affairs/student services representatives;
 Social entrepreneur or community partner; and At least two students, with different graduation dates.
While team members’ engagement with changemaking will vary based on their role and may be difficult toquantify, it should be at least 10%.

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It is also important to emphasize the role of students on Change Teams. They should be treated as equaland empowered members of the team and given significant freedom to design and lead. There are several
ways that students contribute: Provide insight and guidance related to student desires, needs, concerns and howchangemaking is going across campus.

 Provide specific input into proposed designs for changemaker education programs, events,
and institutional communications and change plans.

 Coach Change Team Members and Change Leaders on how to best engage and empower
students.

 Increase awareness of and growth in changemaking amongst students, faculty, and staff
through their own leadership (e.g., as student leaders of Changemaker Hubs, ambassadorsfor changemaking, student union presidents, or representatives to the board of trustees orcouncil).
Ultimately, involving and empowering students in creating programs increases the likelihood that they
will reflect the interests and needs of the student population. Activating them to lead the movement acrossthe student body provides critical peer-level examples and mentoring to foster student changemaking.
Similar to how senior leaders set the bar for staff and faculty, student leaders set an example and serveas an inspiration for other students. And as Dougherty and Clarke (2018) argue, “young people’s brainsare ‘wired for innovation’” and “organizations able to effectively engage young people will be moreinnovative” (p. 358). Involving them in university decision-making processes related to social innovation,changemaking strategy, and policy provides an important sounding board, reality-check, and feedback
loop—and ultimately makes the institution more innovative itself.
WAYS TO BUILD A CHANGE TEAM
There are a variety of ways to build a Change Team as discussed in Table 20.

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TABLE 20. APPROACHES FOR FORMING A CHANGE TEAMA P P ROAC H

D ESC R IP T IO NADVAN TAGES /D I SADVAN TAGESC AM P US
EXAM P L ES

GRA S S RO OTS

Passionate, self Advantages:
motivated individuals
Can harness a variety ofemerge to collaborate
passionate volunteers,organically; over timeless fear of failure, andthey coalesce tomore opportunities forbecome a Change
creativity and risk-taking.
Team.
 Disadvantages:
Likely to miss voices orperspectives and limited
ability to formally alignefforts.

 The University of Evansville, in the
Midwest of the United States,
began with a group of volunteers
meeting on an ad hoc basis acrossthe campus before more formallyrecognizing it as a Change Teamand meeting more regularly. This
group focused on positivity andpublicizing changemaking stories.
• This was later complemented witha presidentially-appointed Change
Council to more formally ensure
representation across functions
and colleges and intentionallyembed changemaking.

R E CRUI TM EN T

An established groupof Change Leaders
and/or Office ofSocial Innovation
recruit passionate,intrapreneurial
partners as Change
Team members.

 Advantages:
Ensures more strategic
inclusion of perspectives
and institutional
departments andfunctions.
 Disadvantages:
Likely to have missing
voices if recruitment
is not coupled withincentives or support
that make participation
accessible.

 Change Leaders at the U.S.-based
University of San Diego formed a
CORE committee, comprisingsenior administrators, faculty, andstaff, to help provide advice andguidance on social innovation
efforts at the university.
 The group meets about eighttimes a year.

NOMI NAT IO N
ORAP P LI CAT IO N

An establishedcoordinating officeor senior leader
opens nominations
and/or applications
for Change Team
Members.

 Advantages:
Increased level of prestige
associated with the role
and a potentially higher
likelihood of meeting
criteria for values andcompetencies.
 Disadvantages:
Application could be seen
as a barrier to entry andthe process takes moretime to vet and start up.

 The University of St. Thomas,
based in the Midwest of
the United States, created anominating committee to identify
faculty, staff, and students with
relevant expertise and interest.
 Now coordinated by theuniversity’s Center for the
Common Good, the Change
Team meets at least once asemester as a full team and more
often within “domain teams” (e.g.,administration, career,co-curricular, and curricular) toadvance changemaking.

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A P P ROAC H

D ESC R IP T IO N

AP P OI NT ED

President, vicepresident of strategicplanning, or othersenior leader appoints
Change Team.

ADVAN TAGES /D I SADVAN TAGESC AM P US
EXAM P L ES

 Advantages:
Prestige, institutional
support, and strong
accountability for thework.
 Disadvantages:
Likely to engage
individuals alreadyconnected to university
leadership and missing
opportunities to position
new perspectives.

 Through the Office of the Vice
President for Operations,Hanyang University in South
Korea, appointed 15 professors,
staff, students, and practitioners
to form its Change Team.
• This was later complemented
with a Social Innovation
Committee, reporting directly to
the President, as a more formal
coordinating structure.

AC T I O N ST EPSWhile there is no formula for Change Team governance and reporting structures. The following provides alist of actions to take as you design what works best for your context.
IDENTIFY CHANGE TEAM MEMBERS
Select Change Team members who represent a broad range of perspectives and expertise
across the institution and include faculty, staff, administrators, students, and community
members. Adapt team composition based on changing personal priorities, institutional needs,
and institutional dynamics. Consider if/how team structures need to evolve over time (refer
to Strategy 7).
ESTABLISH ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS
Set clear roles and expectations together for advancing social innovation and changemaking
across members’ respective areas of work and expertise. Create a team charter to outline
goals, membership terms, roles and responsibilities, values, meeting frequency and format,
and expectations for reporting and communications. Invest in team member professional
development by offering coaching or mentoring as well as trainings and presentation
opportunities.

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CREATE COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS AND MECHANISMS
Establish and evolve team protocols for team meetings, communications, and reporting. Set
up systems and mechanisms for coordination and collaboration. Create and communicate
clear expectations for team member engagement and project design, implementation, andreporting. Assess their effectiveness and utility as the team and social innovation ecosystemitself evolves and matures.
MAINTAIN OPEN FEEDBACK LOOPS
Ensure open feedback loops to voice and address concerns, reevaluate team structure andworking mechanisms, and iterate together. Methods could include: creating a 15-minute open
discussion time at the beginning or end of all meetings; regularly holding project “debriefs
and lessons learned” sessions; having ongoing team innovation challenges that continually
spur feedback and improvement; and creating an anonymous feedback channel for team
input or concerns.
FOSTER A SUPPORTIVE TEAM CULTURE
Be intentional in cultivating a team culture that lives its values, models changemaking,and prioritizes wellbeing. Empower Change Team members to be ambassadors forsocial innovation and changemaking across the institution. Provide training and corecommunications resources and tools. Promote personal sustainability and wellbeing byhonoring each other’s time and commitments, keeping expectations realistic, and embedding
practices of mindfulness, reflection, and celebration into team practices and milestones.
Offer team members the opportunity to transition off the team if they have new or pressing
obligations that make engagement unsustainable for them.
MAP RELATIONSHIPS AND ASSETS
Identify and map relationships and assets across the team. Consider how to leverage thesemost effectively to unlock new opportunities and the most strategic timing to do so. Identify
gaps and cultivate additional allies to expand influence and bring new energy to the team.
DOCUMENT PROGRESS AND CAPTURE STORIES
Codify team roles, processes, and progress. Ensure that new members are oriented
to their roles and can provide short-term coverage during a team member’s leave ortransition. Capture compelling anecdotes, stories, and testimonials. Use these to reinforce
a positive culture, recruit new Team Members, and help shape and share the institutionalchangemaking narrative.

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PROVIDE RESOURCES AND INCENTIVES
Identify what resources already exist across the group and how they might be leveraged
creatively. Compensate students and community members for their time. Provide incentives
to members including: granting titles; providing training; sending to conferences; andoffering fellowships or stipends. Provide additional recognition such as an annual thank you
letter from the President or Board; showcase their work on a website, at a workshop, or event;
provide small gifts of appreciation. Take time to celebrate progress and key milestones as a
team.
PROMOTE MEMBERS’ THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Position Change Team members as thought leaders and encourage them to share theirexpertise across the institution and beyond. Identify key outlets for outreach, training, andco-creation across the institution. Foster cross-university partnerships to innovate newprograms, conduct joint research, or co-author critical field-building efforts.
CHECK IN WITH SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Establish key strategic touchpoints with senior leadership throughout the year to share
progress, secure input on the strategic direction, and encourage financial and humanresources support.

✓
✓
✓

TI PS
BE CLEAR, BUT NIMBLE
While establishing clear expectations and protocols is important for a high-performing team,
it is equally be important to give freedom for adaptation and innovation, take stock of how
things are going, and evolve approaches over time as priorities and needs change.
CREATE SAFE SPACES AND HAVE FUN
Leading change can be demanding physically and emotionally. It is important to create safe
spaces to both share how things are going and to have fun.
LEVERAGE PEER RELATIONSHIPSIn addition to ensuring representative insights, a diverse Change Team is important is toenable peer-to-peer communications, influence, and coaching.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

TECNOLÓ GICO DE MONTERREY, CAMPUS GUADALAJARA

BUILDING THE CHANGE TEAM

Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec) is a private university founded in 1943 with 26 campuses across
Mexico. Change Leaders in its Guadalajara campus took a strategic approach to building its ChangeTeam.
As an Ashoka U designated Changemaker Campus going through a process of reflection andrenewal in 2016, the Change Leaders at Tec de Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara, identified
challenges and opportunities and outlined a changemaking strategic plan for its next phase. The
team analyzed the various stakeholder groups and entities across the campus, including the highschool and college, the business school, other faculties, human resources, recruitment, housing,and student life. They sought to identify people playing an important role within the social
entrepreneurship ecosystem on campus that could be potential Change Team members.
Afterwards, the Change Leadership Group engaged the prospective team members to confirm
them or nominate someone else best equipped to support the changemaking strategic plan.
The Change Leaders also extended invitations for prospective team members to attend an
informational meeting to learn about the campuses’ changemaking work and how they could get
involved as Change Team members. The Change Team has an annual planning meeting as well as atleast three working sessions each year.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITYENGAGING STUDENTS LEADERS AND CHANGE TEAM MEMBERS

If institutions want to truly embody the values of an “everyone a changemaker world”, student
engagement in leading institutional change must be more than token representation on a ChangeTeam. Instead, students should be empowered and activated co-learners and leaders.
To the extent possible, it is encouraged that institutions offer paid positions for student leaders
to advance social innovation and changemaking. This supports equity and inclusion by removing abarrier to participation for students who do not have the opportunity to volunteer given the needfor paid work.
For example, the Ballard Center for Social Impact at Brigham Young University in the UnitedStates—a private research university located in Utah with an undergraduate student populationof 30,000—employs 90 students to lead initiatives and be ambassadors of social innovation.
Responsibilities range from marketing and communications, events management, peer mentoring
and coaching, and advancing projects across the university in collaboration with faculty and staff.
The model of student engagement, employment, and leadership in social innovation is a powerfulmechanism to spread changemaking on campus while also investing in the long-term developmentof student leaders. And through systematic orientation, team meetings, and accountability
structures, they also gain significant coaching and professional work experience. It is an incredible
opportunity for students who are passionate about social innovation yet face many competing
demands for their time to be able to focus on changemaking as a key part of their job.

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7

LEAD E RS HI P ST R ATE GY 7

C O O R D I N AT EAND
INSTITUTIONALIZE

CHANGEMAKING
Over the past decade of working with colleges and universities
across the world, we have observed a common pattern of growthin changemaking regardless of institutional size or context.
An initial surge of commitment to changemaking often sparks
mobilization of interest, time, and resources to prioritizechangemaking. As efforts and opportunities proliferate acrossthe ecosystem, there is increased need for coordination andcommunication to ensure long term institutionalization.
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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Aligns changemaking efforts.
 Identifies gaps, duplications, and synergies.
 Fosters accountability.
 Ensures sustainability.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 When changemaking has grown and needs
intentional coordination.
 When existing Change Team structures waneor outgrow their original design.

REA DERS
Who might use it and how?

S EN I O R L EA DERS

 Evolve structures to further embedchangemaking.

C HA N GE L EA DERS

 Influence leaders to increase coordination andcoherence.
 Co-design a structure that plays to yourinstitution’s strengths.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS Report to Change Team where there is/notcoordination or coherence in changemaking.

C HA N GEMA KER
EDUC ATO RS

 Similar to those for Student Leader.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
Coordinating changemaking efforts and embedding them into the institution’s systems and practices
ensures that changemaking remains a long-term priority for the institution. In doing so, it is important
to consider how the institution’s ecosystem is evolving and to evolve coordinating structure accordingly.
Similarly, it is important to consider in what ways the institution’s structures and culture are centralized
or decentralized and to leverage these key assets for institutionalizing changemaking.
COORDINATING STRUCTURES
An effective, institution-wide coordinating structure can: provide coherence of changemaking strategy
and messaging; maintain an inventory of changemaker offerings across campus; support alignment of
those offerings and elimination of gaps or duplication; and coordinate timing and sequencing of events,
campaigns, and programming.
Just as there is no single right way to create or grow a Change Team over time, there is also not an easyanswer for determining if/what a coordinating structure will need to look like in one’s institution. In somecases, the Change Team itself may have diverse enough representation and strong enough accountability
to serve as a coordinating structure. However, in cases where it is less representative, empowered,supported, and/or accountable, it may be necessary to create a more formal and ongoing coordinating
structure.
Table 21 provides a few types of coordinating structures, which may occur independently of each other orin combination.

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TABLE 21. TYPES OF COORDINATING STRUCTURES

D ES C R I P TI ON

T Y P E OF CO O R D IN AT IN G
ST RU C T U R E
CHA NGE T EA M

Change Team is empowered, supported, and accountable to a senior levelrole or body for ongoing coordination.

STAND I N G L EA D ERSH IP
GROUPCouncil of Deans, President’s Cabinet, or other Executive Leadershipteam is responsible for monitoring coherence and coordinationof changemaking and holds their respective departments and staff
accountable for ongoing collaboration to execute.

I NST I T UT IO N A L O R
ST R AT E G IC P RO JEC TS
OF F I CE

University-wide office such as the Office of the President, Office ofAcademic Innovation, or Strategic Planning Office not only sets the vision
for the changemaking strategy, but also coordinates its alignment.

A P P OI NT ED ST EER IN G
COMMI T TEE O R CO U N C IL

President-appointed or other formal council or committee is establishedwith institution-wide representation and held accountable for ongoingcoordination.

S CHOOL- SP O N SO R ED

School or college (e.g., Business School) serves as central coordinating
unit to promote and coordinate social innovation and changemaking.

STAND - A LO N E,
P HYS I CAL C EN T ER

Stand-alone, physical office or center is established to definechangemaking vision, coordinate efforts across the institution, and run
programs.

V I RT UA L C EN T ER

Stand-alone, “virtual” center serves as an online “place and process” forcoordinating social innovation activities and may include a repository ofbest practices, events around campus, resources, etc.

INSTITUTIONALIZING CHANGEMAKING
In addition to establishing a coordinating structure, there are other steps to fully institutionalizechangemaking, including: Aligning institutional vision, values, and strategic plan with changemaking(refer to Strategy 2).

 Securing endowed or long-term funding for social innovation and changemaking,ensuring that resources will be available to make it a consistent focus.

 Embedding into the educational model, academic plan, graduate attributes/outcomes,
and general education requirements.

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116 Incorporating changemaking ethos into institutional policies and practices, e.g.:— Personnel: recruiting, hiring, performance management and promotion, learning andprofessional development.

— Student Recruitment: admissions and marketing.
— Student Affairs: campus life (residential affairs, student clubs, sports, and recreation),academic advising, career counseling, physical and mental wellbeing.

— Operations: budgeting, procurement, asset management, information and systems
management.

— Institutional Development: alumni engagement and fundraising.
CENTRALIZATION VERSUS DECENTRALIZATIONAs you are determining coordinating structures and mechanisms for institutionalizing changemaking, it
is useful to consider the overall organizational structure and culture. A classic organizational tension inany sector, let alone higher education, is the degree to which efforts can or should be centralized versus
decentralized. This requires a deep understanding of one’s organizational structure and culture (refer toStrategy 1) as well as the advantages and disadvantages of centralization versus decentralization.
Table 22 identifies potential assets and strategies as you consider how to coordinate and institutionalizechangemaking in centralized and decentralized contexts.

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TABLE 22. POTENTIAL ASSETS AND STRATEGIES FOR CENTRALIZED AND
DECENTRALIZED CONTEXTSFO R C EN T R AL I Z ED CON TEXTSLE V E R AG E P O IN T

STR ATEGI C OP P ORT UN I T I ES Centralized authority, such aspresident or vice chancellor (VC).

 Create a President’s/VC’s Challenge or Award to solicit, incentivize,
and support innovative ideas for further embedding social
innovation and changemaking into educational pathways andorganizational culture.

 Strong strategic planning function.

 Ensure broad representation in the planning process and allow
adequate time for stakeholder engagement.
 Leverage town halls, World Cafés, and hackathons to foster
innovative ideas from across the institution

 Strong Change Team or
Coordinating structure.

 Create clear sensemaking and feedback loops (e.g., set and monitor
metrics, create channels for suggestions, offer incentives to engage
stakeholders in improvement efforts).
 Create an optional “changemaking ambassadors” position to engage
interested individuals across the institution and equip them toadvocate about changemaking, mentor others, and/or initiate andlead a project.
 Create quarterly innovation labs open to any stakeholder to provide
input into changemaking strategy or to generate innovative ideas orprograms.
FO R D EC EN TR AL I Z ED CON T EXTS

LE V E R AG E P O IN T

STR ATEGI C OP P ORT UN I T I ES

 Regular meeting of leaders (e.g.,
 Have senior executive leaders take ownership to further
Deans Council, President’s Cabinet).
embed in their schools or departments.
 Multiple, dispersed centers or
institutes that are promoting social
impact from different disciplinary
perspectives (e.g., School of Social
Work, Center on Social Justice,Business School, Community
Engagement Office, etc.).

 Encourage centers to host open nights once a quarter on arotating basis to showcase their work.
 Create “staff learning and exchange” opportunities for center
staff to shadow a colleague in a sister center for a day.
 Build on the growing trust to pilot collaborative efforts.

 Faculty teaching and research
efforts that promote social impact(whether they use that languageor promote it explicitly or not).

 Showcase their work through various communications mechanisms,
e.g.: articles, poster sessions, “lunch and learn”, etc.
 Create a platform or other accessible channels and templates toenable individuals to submit profiles, cases, stories, or resources that
could inspire others.
 Build a network map to demonstrate how various teaching andresearch streams or faculty and staff relate to each other.

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AC T I O N ST EPSWhile coordinating and institutionalizing changemaking is ongoing work, below are a few potential steps
that can help, whether your institution’s changemaking portfolio is just beginning to grow or is evolving
and needing to deepen. (Admittedly, institutionalizing—or embedding changemaking into the very DNA
of the institution—is a hefty task and worthy of a book of its own. While space is limited here, we highlight
key steps towards it, including the need to partner with stakeholders across the institution to adapt
institutional structures and practices.)
ASSESS THE FIT OF YOUR CHANGE TEAM FOR COORDINATINGSTRUCTURE
Evaluate the function and fit of the Change Team to serve as a coordinating structure
as efforts grow. Consider, for example if it is sufficiently representative, empowered,accountable, and resourced to coordinate the growing portfolio of activities. If not, consider
what it would take to evolve the team or create a new structure.
ESTABLISH STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT RHYTHMS
Determine how and when the changemaking strategies and approaches will be evaluated,
updated, and improved over time. Establish regular rhythms for monitoring feedback,evaluating impact, and reflecting on progress and aspirations.
CREATE PLANNING AND INTEGRATION MECHANISMS
Identify key milestones and events that require coordination and collaboration for thesemester/term and academic year. Create visual diagrams, dashboards, and heat maps tokeep the team focused on the most important events, progress, and/or metrics. Consider
creating an integrated project plan, shared calendars, and/or physical “game room” withposters highlighting student changemaker pathways and program linkages.
MAINTAIN AND COMMUNICATE INVENTORY OF CHANGEMAKING
OFFERINGS
Conduct an analysis of the assets and offerings (e.g., academic offerings such as classes anddegrees as well as co-curricular offerings such as a lecture series, changemaker festivals,
internships, boot camps, etc.). Analyze what level of development they support (e.g., basic,
intermediate, advanced) and how they relate to each other. Look to eliminate duplication, fillgaps, and leverage synergies. Communicate these across the institution to support students
in learning how to: get engaged, reflect on their experiences, identify what a “best next step”
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might be, and how to navigate and chart their own changemaker learning journey (refer toStrategy 15 for more details on creating inventories and learning journeys).
PARTNER TO EMBED CHANGEMAKING INTO INSTITUTIONALSTRUCTURES
Build relationships with key functional partners (e.g., personnel, student affairs, operations)and senior leaders to embed in institutional structures, policies, processes, programs, andevents. Look for windows of opportunity such as the development of new departmental
strategies. Join committees to influence and shape cross-institutional policies and plans.

✓
✓
✓

TI PS
DON’T OVERTHINK IT
Deciding where and how a function or focal area will be embedded into the institution is a key
strategic question; but, do not allow that to hold you back from getting started. Find the mostaccessible and natural way to foster alignment and coordination and continue to evolve thestructure as needed over time.
ITERATE AS NEEDED
Build an institutional muscle of assessment and reflection. If a coordinating structure is notworking optimally, consider how else the objectives could be achieved and iterate.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ESFLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITYEVOLVING CHANGEMAKING COORDINATING STRUCTURES

Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university located in the Greater Miami
area serving more than 58,000 students, including 48,000 undergraduates. In 2013, the university
began formalizing its work around social innovation and changemaking. Since then, the Change
Team has continued to evolve to adapt to changing needs and contexts.
The initiative began in 2015 with two groups—a Steering Committee and a Change Team. The
Steering Committee comprised six individuals including community partners, staff, and a student
to focus on its pursuit of the Ashoka U Changemaker Campus designation. The Change Team
comprised 60 individuals focused on building a vision for social innovation at FIU. Among others,
the team included social innovation faculty, sustainability and impact researchers, community
members, and students. This group created relationships and documented the work that was
already happening around campus as a foundation to further amplify and innovate on the existing
work across the university.
In 2017, after assessing both the Changemaker Initiative and the university’s strategic goals, theChange Team and its leadership decided to move to a smaller, more decentralized network to
encourage changemaking in all FIU offices, departments, and schools. This way, FIU was better able
to connect existing innovators across the university, while creating a greater sense of ownershipand accountability across multiple stakeholders.
In 2019, FIU further institutionalized its changemaking structures. As a champion for changemaking,the Provost engaged leaders to promote awareness, increased fundraising and philanthropic
support, and secured greater involvement from both academic and student affairs units. He also
restructured the changemaking efforts to include strategic committees and project teams. Currently,
there are five strategic committees that collectively include 30 vice presidents, deans, directors,
and associate vice presidents. Each committee meets approximately three times a year andfocuses on a specific set of goals. A project team with representatives from each committee meets121

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monthly to share updates on the initiatives that are being implemented to increase awareness andcoordination across the committees. In parallel, the university strategic plan includes various social
innovation and changemaking goals, which these teams support in part. These structures weredeliberately designed to leverage broad senior leadership engagement, while allowing flexibility andself-direction and enhancing coordination. Additionally, the Provost also directed strategic funding
to recruit a Director of Social Innovation and Changemaking, creating a permanent position tocoordinate and support these campus-wide efforts.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ESCQUNIVERSITY

COORDINATING SOCIAL INNOVATION AT CQUNIVERSITY

CQUniversity (CQU) is the only Australian university with campuses in every mainland state,
resulting in the largest geographical reach of any university in the country. The university has
over 20 campuses and study centers and serves around 35,000 students. As an institution withsuch a broad geographic presence, changemaking needs to be supported through interconnectedstructures.
A formal channel for changemaking is through the Social Innovation Engagement Committee(SEIC) which brings together internal administrators and faculty alongside external members
including municipal, community, and business leaders with expertise and insight into social
innovation and changemaking. The SIEC, which includes the Vice Chancellor and President and
the Provost, provides advisory support to the Office of Social Innovation and the Deputy VicePresident Global Development, in whose portfolio this work resides. This structure helps to
support the alignment of social innovation and changemaking with university goals and stakeholder
needs.
The Office of Social Innovation leads social innovation strategy and implementation across theuniversity. Its Change Team is comprised of both faculty and student groups. The Social Innovation
Community of Practice meets every two to three months. Comprised of faculty and academic staff
from across all schools, the group shares information about curriculum and educational practices
and resources. In addition, the office hires students as Change Champions to engage students
in changemaking and social innovation and coordinate related student-focused activities in theirrespective locations.
Through these institutionalized structures, CQU ensures accountability and alignment of social
innovation with university strategic and academic goals while fostering buy-in and ownership by
students and faculty across disciplines and geographies.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

MIAMI DADE COLLEGE

CREATING A MULTI-CAMPUS CHANGE TEAM APPROACH

Miami Dade College (MDC) is a public college that encompasses eight campuses. Serving over
90,000 degree-seeking students a year, MDC is the largest college in the Florida College Systemand has the highest undergraduate population of any post-secondary institution in the UnitedStates. As such a large institution, university leadership needed to be both strategic and systemsminded to effectively institutionalize social innovation and changemaking. Its commitment tointentionally facilitating and resourcing Change Team structures, let alone in such a large institution,is unparalleled.
Changemaking is led by the Director of Changemaking Education and Social Innovation, adesignated role focused on coordinating social impact education and activating stakeholders.
Reporting to the Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, this role has been positioned to allow for deep
and meaningful engagement across academic units. In addition to this specified role, MDC has
made changemaker education a crucial component of the institutional strategy, taking a key place inits five-year strategic plan.
There are Change Teams on each of the eight campuses and a “district”, or collegewide team
to coordinate the efforts. Each campus team is called an IMPACT committee (Innovation
Meets Purpose and Change through Teams), and includes students, staff, faculty, directors, andadministrators. One staff and one faculty member co-chair each committee which aims tochampion changemaking across its campus community. An annual budget for district level work
covers administrative, event, marketing, and other related costs of changemaking, and campuses
support additional local changemaking efforts.
By institutionalizing these components and ensuring broad representation across campus
stakeholders, the Change Team structure can take localized approaches to changemaking while
maintaining a systems-level view of social innovation and changemaking across the institution.

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8

LEAD E RS HI P ST R ATE GY 8

MANAGE
TRANSITIONS
Across all levels of institutional innovation—Senior Leadership,
Change Leadership, and the Change Team—it is critical to plan
for and manage onboarding and transitions. Onboarding ensuresthat team members are aware of and able to effectively contributeto the social innovation and changemaking agenda; conversely,
active succession planning and cultivating the next crop of teammembers ensures there is no loss of “institutional memory” andchangemaking momentum.
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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Minimizes setbacks.
 Attracts and grows changemaking leadership.
 Infuses new perspectives, assets, and resources.
 Creates structures that reinforcechangemaking leadership.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 When conducting succession planning.
 As part of recruitment, hiring, and onboarding.

REA DERS
Who might use it and how?

S EN I O R L EA DERS Build “bench strength”.
 Use as foundation to engage HR, marketing,and development offices.
 Advocate for including changemaking inselection processes.

C HA N GE L EA DERS Identify and employ levers for sustainability.
 Advocate for senior leader support andinstitutional commitment.
 Work with team to cultivate successors.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS Actively cultivate peers as successors.

C HA N GEMA KER
EDUC ATO RS

 Share your changemaker story as a testimonial
to support faculty recruitment.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
For the long-term sustainability of social innovation and changemaking, it is important to ensure
continued leadership and support. Senior/executive leadership transitions are times of both opportunityand potential vulnerability. They can serve as a mechanism to bring new energy to the institution andinfluence the incoming senior leaders’ perceptions around social innovation and changemaking and its
importance to the institution. Yet, if there are not strong organizational structures and other champions
for changemaking, the loss of a strong executive leader can jeopardize the staying power of changemaking.
Similarly, Change Leader transitions can pose a strong vulnerability given they often serve as the driversof and glue for social innovation and changemaking efforts. Conversely, incoming Change Leadersand Team members can also bring new enthusiasm and expertise at different stages of institutional
development.
Table 23 describes several key factors that can support effective leadership and team transitions and help
mitigate potential risks.

TABLE 23. FACTORS FOR SUCCESSFUL LEADERSHIP AND TEAM TRANSITIONSFAC TO RSTAC T I C S

F I NANCI A L CO M M IT M EN TS

 Develop long-term funding and sustainability plans.
 Invest in long-term strategies, commit resources to support
coordination, and incentivize and reward engagement.
 Provide financial resources for leadership, staff, and consultant time tosupport continuity of operations and mitigate the risks of relying on“volunteer” time.
 Have a budget for event catering, team retreat facilitation, andprofessional development which can pay huge dividends in supporting
Change Leaders and Teams.

HUM AN R ESO U RC E
ST RUCT U R ES A N D
P ROCE S S E S

 Embed changemaking values and competencies into job descriptions,onboarding, and performance management processes to create areinforcing structure and ensure changemaking is not subject to thewhim of a single champion.

BR AND I N G A N D
MARKE T I N G Promote the institution as a Changemaker Institution, so that it will
naturally attract new changemaking leaders, faculty, and staff who
embody the values, with or without a formal changemaking title.

KNOW LE D G E

 Capture the institutional narrative, key milestones, learnings, strengths,
and opportunities for growth.
 Use this as foundation for marketing, onboarding, and training at all levels.

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AC T I O N ST EPS
The following are some steps that Senior Leaders and Change Leaders/Team members can take,respectively, to plan for and support transitions.
SEN IO R L EAD ERS

C H AN GE L EAD ERS /C H AN GE T E AM

S HARELE AD E RS H IPACROS S A
VARI E T Y O F
ROLE S .

Cultivate collaborative and sharedleadership. Ensure that changemaking isembraced and enacted broadly by theboard and senior leaders and measured
in key performance indicators so that it
outlives a single leader’s legacy.

Cultivate collaborative and shared leadershipamongst the Change Leader group andChange Team. Consider, for example, having:a lead and a support role for each initiative;
staff and faculty partners on core programs;
more than one person engaged from eachdepartment or school; etc.

D E V E LOP
ROBUSTS UCCE S S IO N
P LA NS .

Plan for board and presidential
succession and transition. Hold mid
to senior-level leaders accountable forcultivating their teams and grooming
them as adaptive, systems leaders andchampions of changemaking. Ensure
they create leadership succession plans.

For Change Leader or Team positions thatrotate, consider the length and schedule ofterms to ensure both experienced and newmembers at any one time. Create a culture ofongoing professional development.

E M BE D
CHANGE M A K IN G
I NTO
J OB
D E S CRI P T IO N S.

Work with human resources to embedchangemaking skills and mindsets into
job descriptions to both signal andrecruit changemakers and innovative
systems thinkers.

Build into role descriptions the need forbuilding “bench strength”, succession plans,and coaching of others to step into leadership
positions.

D E V E LOPEngage key champions of changemaking
S E ARCH A N D
and social innovation on search
S E LE CT I O N
committees, who both model and
COM MI T TEES
attract the values, competencies, andT HATbehaviors required. Ensure that selection
UND E RSTA N D
committees for senior executive
AND S UP P O RT
CHANGE M A K IN G . positions include key advocates of

Identify the next phase of strategic outcomes.
Determine what relationships, support andcoordination will be required and as wellas which parts of the institution need to be
more actively engaged. Specifically target
key stakeholders or functional areas of theinstitution to join the Change Team.

Create intentional onboarding plansthat not only orient new leaders to
the mission, strategy, and requirementsof the position but also help themenvision their role in creating a cultureof changemaking. For example, consider
embedding this as a key element in their“first 100-days action” plan as a newsenior leader.

Create intentional onboarding plans for
new Change Leaders and Change Team
members to help them understand thechangemaking vision and strategy, their roles
and responsibilities, and ways the teamfunctions. Provide overviews of key programs,
project plans, and coordinating mechanisms.
Invite their reflection and ideas for innovation
as they bring valued experience from othercross-functional teams.

ACT I ON ST EP

changemaking who will consider
changemaking ability as part of selection.

S E T NE W H IR ES
UP F ORS UCCE S S
T HROUGH
ROBUST
ONBOARD IN G
P ROCE S S E S.

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✓
✓
✓

TI PS
DRAW CHANGEMAKERS IN
Promote your institution as a Changemaker Institution, so that it will naturally attract newchangemaking leaders, faculty, and staff who embody the values with or without a formalchangemaking title.
EMBED CHANGEMAKING INTO CULTURE AND OPERATIONS
Ensure social innovation and changemaking are embedded into institutional culture andoperations so that it is not subject to the whim of a senior leader or champion and efforts do
not destabilize with leadership transitions. Doing so will create a self-reinforcing mechanism
for changemaking.
FUND IT
Develop long-term funding and sustainability plans, invest in long-term strategies, commit
resources to support coordination, and incentivize and reward engagement. Having financial
resources for leadership, staff, and consulting time will support continuity of operations andmitigate the risks of assuming “volunteer” time.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITYSTUDENT-CENTERED DESIGN TEAM

Brigham Young University (BYU) is a private research university located in Utah in the UnitedStates. It has an undergraduate student population of around 30,000 and seeks to help students
not only cultivate intellect, but also faith, character, and service. As part of the process of building
capacity for social innovation, BYU has created team structures that engage a diverse group ofadministrators, faculty, and staff while also engaging and employing student leaders.
The BYU Change Team is composed of two different groups—a Director’s Team and a Student
Staff Team. The Director’s Team meets weekly and is composed of faculty from the Marriott
School of Business and full-time and part-time non-student administrators and staff from theBallard Center for Social Impact. The 90-person Student Staff Team (the ‘Brain Trust’) meets twicea month with the Director’s Team and is student-directed and student-led. The students in thisgroup are part-time staff and lead all the programs for the Ballard Center, playing a critical role incatalyzing social innovation on BYU’s campus. Through the Staff Team, BYU has created a model ofstudent engagement that compensates student leadership, incentivizes long-term involvement, andempowers students to have ownership over the social innovation advancement across the campus.
Given natural student turnover, BYU has placed important emphasis on implementing tools to help
secure institutional knowledge. To support event planning and programming, students have accessto templates to help them build project management and accountability competencies. In addition,
the Staff Team has a systematic onboarding process to ensure that all student staff members areaware of the standards and brand principles for the organization. The Staff Team has proven to be a
critical driver for student leadership development, peer activation, and professional preparation.

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V. CHANGEMAKER EDUCATION“If we want our students to acquire the qualities of effective leaders, then we have to model
these same qualities, not only in our individual professional conduct, but also in our curriculum,
our pedagogy, our institutional policies, and our preferred modes of governance.” (Astin & Astin,
2000, p. 4)

INTRODUCTION
Right now, on campuses around the world, future leaders are sitting in classrooms. They are leading cocurricular programming, attending seminars on campus, and working in their communities. What they
are experiencing will profoundly shape how they perceive, move through, and interact with the world forthe duration of their lives. And more than that, what students are learning now will shape the future forall of us.
Educators play an important role in designing and facilitating educational experiences that equip students
to be changemakers and prepare them to lead in an increasingly complex and uncertain world.
A changemaker is “anyone who takes action to address a problem, activates others, and works towards
solutions for the good of all” (Duplechain & Lax, 2019, p. 9). A changemaker education is an educationthat helps students build their identities and capacities as collaborative agents for change. A changemakereducation helps students:

 Develop personal awareness, community understanding, and ability to collaborate(Duplechain & Lax, 2019).

 Develop their abilities for catalyzing social change including methodologies such as civic
engagement, social innovation, social justice, and philanthropy (Kim & Krampetz, 2016).

 Practice changemaking as they take action and activate others around a societal challenge(Duplechain & Lax, 2019).

A full overview of the changemaker mindsets, knowledge, and skills is available in the
Changemaker Qualities Framework (Table 2) in the Getting Oriented: Key Concepts chapter.

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CHANGEMAKER EDUCATIONAt its core, changemaker education sparks a sense of agency in students. It gives students real-life
opportunities to understand problems and practice co-creating positive social and environmental change.
It develops the mindsets, knowledge, and skills students need to: Understand themselves; Understand social and environmental problems; and Creatively identify solutions and collaboratively facilitate thoughtful and effective change forthe good of all.
While changemaker education can be a module within a single course, structured academic pathways
will provide meaningful scaffolds to further develop and hone skills. Ideally, a changemaker education
will empower students to create and navigate personalized learning journeys (including curricular, cocurricular, and life experiences). It is also best supported by institutional culture and operations thatmodel changemaking.
This section addresses the key building blocks of changemaker education, including: cultivating
Changemaker Educator mindsets, learning outcomes, and pedagogies as well as the development ofcurricular and co-curricular experiences, academic course sequences, and student learning journeys.
STRATEGIC BENEFITS
Changemaker education can help students, institutions of higher education, and their communities inmany ways. It prepares students to be adaptive and resilient in the face of unprecedented challenges andopportunities and equips them to be key contributors in a changing society. Changemaking education
increases students’ workforce readiness given the alignment of changemaker qualities with the 21st
century skills employers demand. It also equips students as lifelong learners who are reflective, growthoriented, and innovative and can pivot professionally throughout their lives in the face of changing
sectors, careers, and jobs. Designed to be experiential, integrative, solutions-focused, and communityengaged, changemaker education fosters mutually beneficial partnerships with the community. Throughcollaborative engagements, students, faculty researchers, and community members investigate relevant
problems and co-create knowledge and solutions that create meaningful insights and impact.
Institutions that develop and market changemaker education can attract students and faculty in acompetitive educational market. It also helps position the college or university as an “anchor institution”,
dedicated to co-creating positive impact in and with community. This provides strong evidence foraccreditation and ranking criteria that is increasingly focused on innovation and impact and can raise
the institution’s profile and reputation, which further fuels student applications, faculty recruitment, andfunding.

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CHAPTER STRUCTURE
As Table 24 indicates, this chapter starts with a discussion of key concepts and considerations forchangemaker education. The rest of the chapter is structured into three sections and seven specificstrategies for changemaker education.
Changemaker education, by definition, should be co-created, adaptive, and iterative. Thus, the following
strategies can be employed at different points in time by a variety of stakeholders. Educators may turnto these strategies as part of their own personal development, when (re)designing a single course,
designing a pathway, or coaching students in their learning journeys. Student leaders serve as important
co-designers and peer mentors of changemaker education. They may use these strategies to cultivate
their own Changemaker Educator mindsets, knowledge, and skills and as a guide as they collaborate withfaculty and leaders in designing educational experiences and pathways. Administrative leaders may use
them to better understand how to equip faculty, staff, and student leaders as Changemaker Educators andsupport the development of changemaker pathways.

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CHANGEMAKER EDUCATIONTABLE 24. OVERVIEW OF CHANGEMAKER EDUCATION STRATEGIESF OUNDATIO N SOFCHANGE M A K ER
E D UCAT I O NThis section addresses the foundational
concepts of changemaker education, briefly
introducing approaches for fostering socialchange and creating responsible changemakereducation, qualities for changemakers, androles for changemaking educators.

Key Concepts andConsiderations

E D UCAT I O N A L
D E S I GN
F OUNDATIO N S

To launch impactful changemaker programs
or courses for students, educators mustfirst understand their own experience aschangemakers, what has been critical for
their own success, and how they will modelchangemaking for their students. Equally
critical is the development of learning
outcomes to build educational experiencesthat cultivate students as changemakers.

Strategy 9:
Cultivate Changemaker Educator
Mindsets, Knowledge, and Skills

Educational experiences, including what istaught (content), how learning experiences
are designed and implemented (thepedagogy), and their context (academic, cocurricular, or beyond the institution) will shape
how students grow as changemakers.

Strategy 11.
Utilize Pedagogies for
Changemaking

E D UCAT IO N A L
E XP E RI E N C ES

Strategy 10:
Develop Changemaker
Learning Outcomes

Strategy 12:
Build Social Innovation Courses
Strategy 13.
Build Social Innovation Course
Sequences
Strategy 14:
Create Co-Curricular
Changemaking Programs

E D UCAT IO N A L
NAV I GAT IO N

As educators develop and the institution
offers changemaking courses, course
sequences, and co-curricular experiences,it becomes increasingly important tosupport students in navigating the variety
of offerings across the college or university.
By fostering compelling student learningjourneys, institutions can better support
students in charting and navigating their own
development as changemakers.

Strategy 15:
Foster Student Learning
Journeys

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FOUNDAT IONS OF
CHANGEMAKER EDUCATIONKEY CONCEPTS AND CONSIDERATI ONSBefore detailing each of the strategies, it is important to address some foundational concepts ofchangemaker education. This section briefly introduces approaches for developing social change andcreating responsible changemaker education, qualities for changemakers, and roles for changemaking
educators.
CHA NGEMAKER APPROACHES
Changemaker education includes a broad range of social change methodologies, educational approaches,
and learning experiences to support student growth toward changemaker qualities. As discussed in “TheRise of the Sophisticated Changemaker” (Kim & Krampetz, 2016), there are many ways changemakers canfoster change including civic engagement, community engagement, service learning, social innovation,social entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.
In equipping students as changemakers it is important to expose students to a variety of approaches andhelp them understand the type of impact each can make and the ways in which they work together. The
Iowa and Minnesota Campus Compact’s Social Change Wheel 2.0 Toolkit offers a range of social change
approaches and campus strategies all centered around “anti-racism, equity, and cocreation” (Iowa &Minnesota Campus Compact, 2020, para. 5).
While we believe it is important that Changemaker Institutions offer students the opportunities to affectchange at all levels of impact, Ashoka U believes that social innovation education is especially powerfulfor equipping changemakers to affect systems-level change. Figure 3 illustrates how a sampling of thesechange approaches relate to each other and can work in complementary fashion to achieve different
types of impact. It is important to note that some social change approaches could manifest in ways that
support multiple levels of impact and thus defy a single categorization. This is therefore not intended
to be exhaustive or definitive, but rather offered as a conceptual depiction and means of stimulating
analysis and discussion about the nature of a given change intervention and how it relates to others andopportunities for impact.

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FOUNDATIONS OF CHANGEMAKER EDUCATIONF I G U R E 3 . R E L AT I O N S H I P O F S O C I A L C H A N G E M E T H O D S A N D T Y P E O F
C H A N G E I M PA C T 11

GOAL: POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE FOR THE GOOD OF ALL

D I R E C T S E RV I C E

S C A L E D D I R E C T S E RV I C E

SYST E M S C H A N G E

Charitable Giving& Service
via donations oftime or money

Social Entrepreneurship
via socially reponsible
products, services, or practices

Social Innovation
via opportunity
identification and collaborative
problem-solving

Service Learning(as Student Participation)
via joint educational andvolunteering experience

Service Learning(as Institutional Commitments)
via institutional andcommunity partnerships foreducational and volunteeringexperience

Advocacy/Activism
via changes in policies
and power structures/
relationships

The following are catalyzing elements and may be coupled with other forms of social change
and employed at varioys levels of impact.
Civic Engagements (Engagement)
via multiple methods that contribution to the public goodEngaged Scholarship (Research)
via mutually-beneficial partnerships to co-create knowledge, insights, and/or action
Philanthropy (Resources)
via funding for various types of efforts to promote positive outcomes

11 For more on levels of impact, refer to Marina Kim’s (2015) blog “Rethinking the Impact Spectrum”.

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R ESPONSIBLE CHANGEMAKER EDUCATION
Regardless of which social change approach is employed, changemaker education needs to be designed
responsibly to avoid unintended harm or consequences to the community, students, and the institution.
While not a comprehensive review of the literature, Ashoka U’s Primer on Responsible Changemaker
Education (Lax, 2019), offers an introduction to responsible changemaker education and identifies
three approaches as summarized below:
1) START WITH SELF-AWARENESSAs Lax writes, “A deep understanding of one’s own experiences and intentions, strengths andlimitations, biases and impact are critical to be an effective changemaker” (p. 1). Changemaker
Educators draw on this to make conscious and informed decisions on
the language, resources, pedagogies, and engagement approaches they employ to avoid
perpetuating the very problems they hope to tackle. Educators must specifically consider theirown implicit biases and how they could negatively impact their interactions with students orthe community. This serves as an important foundation for communicating and designinginclusive experiences, for example by ensuring access, accommodating disabilities, andengaging diverse speakers. (Refer to the Primer for additional resources on self-awareness as
a learning outcome, implicit bias, and inclusive pedagogy.)
2) VALUE LIVED EXPERIENCE
Changemaker Educators must appreciate different ways of knowing and design educational
experiences that value, engage, and empower those with lived experience. This is a criticalstep in building mutually beneficial partnerships with community members and fosteringcollaborative problem-solving approaches led by those with lived experience. This overcomesthe pitfalls of students rushing to solve problems they do not understand and biasingchangemaking process and solutions. (This section and the Primer draw on Sandhu (2016),“Building Opportunities for Inclusive Leadership”. Refer to the Primer for resources on
equity-centered community work and design thinking for empowering those with lived
experience.)

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FOUNDATIONS OF CHANGEMAKER EDUCATION

3) EXPAND THE FOCUS TO SYSTEMS AND COLLABORATIONOther pitfalls to avoid include celebrating individual founders or social change leaders as
heroes, rushing to solutions, addressing symptoms instead of causes, and failing to build on
existing work (Papi-Thornton, 2016a, Papi-Thornton, 2016b). Responsible changemaking
educational experiences promote a systems thinking perspective, encouraging students to
explore how a problem relates to various systems, identify root causes, and engage a variety ofactors (especially those with lived experience) in collaborative problem solving while building
on existing work. Similarly, as educators design changemaking experiences, it is important toacknowledge, connect to, and complement other social change approaches and changemaking
opportunities across the institution. Applying systems thinking enables both educators andstudents alike to identify leverage points and consider potential unintended consequences.
(Refer to the Primer for this and other resources on systems thinking and change.)
CHA NGEMAKER QUALIT IES
Now that we have introduced a variety of ways to foster social change and identified a few approaches
to designing responsible changemaker education, we can focus on the key qualities that changemakereducation seeks to foster.
Based on our experience and research conducted in 2018, Ashoka U developed the Changemaker Qualities
Framework to indicate the mindsets, knowledge, and skills critical for any changemaker. (Refer to Table 2
in the Getting Oriented: Key Concepts Chapter.) As originally published in Preparing Students for a
Rapidly Changing World: Learning Outcomes for Social Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship, andChangemaker Education, this framework was the result of reflection on Ashoka U’s own experience inchangemaker education and insights drawn from more than 200 partners, including Ashoka Fellows,
Ashoka team members, and our Ashoka U network of Changemaker Educators and innovators. Thirty
people, including social entrepreneurs, Changemaker Educators, students, and Ashoka team members,
reviewed the framework and contributed feedback.
Our research showed that the language around changemaker qualities varies across institutions. We
sourced 29 learning outcomes frameworks at colleges and universities across 10 countries to understandhow institutions were interpreting changemaker education to meet the needs of their unique student
body. Table 25 indicates the most-commonly cited changemaker qualities and provides examples oflanguage that educators used to describe these outcomes.

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TABLE 25. MOST-COMMONLY CITED CHANGEMAKER QUALITIESAND SAMPLE LANGUAGEQUA L IT IES

EX A MP L ES OF L AN GUAGE B EI N G US ED BY ED UC ATORSR E LAT I ON SH IP BUI LD I NG SK IL L S

Effective social interaction andcommunity/network building

Meaningful dialogue

Collaboration andalliance building

P UR P OS E A L IG N ED
W I T H S O C IA L VA LU ES

Taking responsibility for creatinga healthier system

Clarity of purpose

Civic-mindedness

R E F LE CTIO N A N D
S E LF - AWA R EN ESS

Reflection and introspection

Learning from past
mistakes

Self-care

T E A M- B U IL D IN G
S KI LLS

Cultivating healthy teams

Collaboration andteamwork

Team-building

Note: Changemaker Qualities. Reprinted from Preparing Students for a Rapidly Changing World: Learning Outcomes for Social Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship,
and Changemaker Education (p. 42), by H. Duplechain & J. Lax, 2019,Ashoka U. Copyright 2019 by Ashoka U. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.

Thus, it is important to note that Ashoka U’s Changemaker Qualities Framework is not meant to beprescriptive. Ashoka U offers this framework to illustrate our perspective on the qualities we see as core
as a starting point for educators. Changemaker learning outcomes should be tailored to the institutional
context, mission, student body, community, strengths, and opportunities. Strategy 10 discusses theimportance of and principles for developing learning outcomes based on changemaker qualities.
CHANGEMAKER EDUCATOR ROLES
Finally, there are several roles for fostering changemaker education. These are introduced in Table 26.

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FOUNDATIONS OF CHANGEMAKER EDUCATIONTABLE 26. CHANGEMAKER EDUCATOR ROLES FOR LEADING CHANGE

P OS I T I O N

C H AN GEM AKER ED UC ATOR ROL ES

D E AN Collaborate with other university administrators to create cross-disciplinarysocial innovation strategy.
 Provide institutional support.
 Celebrate and reward work related to social impact.

P ROGRA M
CHA I R
I NST RUCT IO N A L
D E S I GNE R

 Create an accessible educational experience.
 Provide multiple means of engagement and assessment.
 Support student challenges related to course access.

I NST RUCTO R







Identify interconnections between disciplines and social innovation.
Bridge collaborations between course instructors.
Demonstrate the benefits of embedding social innovation into the curriculum.
Encourage stakeholders to engage in social innovation work streams.

Consider learning outcomes for students.
Scaffold learning to promote social innovation competencies.
Encourage positive transfer from previous experiences.
Offer content-expertise to encourage and foster student changemaking journeys.
Conduct formative assessments and share insights with relevant stakeholders toencourage continuous learning and improvement.
 Cultivate a culture and ethos of social innovation within the course.

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9

CH AN G E M A K E R E DUC ATI O N STR ATE GY 9

C U LT I VAT E
CHANGEMAKER
E D U C AT O R
MINDSETS,KNOWLEDGE,
AND SKILLSTo prepare all students as changemakers with 21st century skills,
higher education must be reimagined as changemaker education.
This will require educators to cultivate the knowledge, mindsets,
and skills of changemakers themselves to develop innovative andinclusive changemaker education.
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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Solidifies purpose and builds confidence.
 Encourages educators in their development.
 Provides an example for colleagues and forstudents.
 Fosters educational innovation.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 In creating job descriptions and new employee
orientations.
 To support Teaching and Learning workshops.
 For coaching and performance evaluation.

R EA DERS
Who might use it and how?

C HA N GEMA K ER
EDUC ATO RS

 Build a development plan.
 Identify and advocate for institutional
resources.
 Ask others to hold you accountable.
 Invite others to be Changemaker Educators.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS

 Validate educators when you see these valuesin action.
 Use to develop your own educator skills(as relevant).

C HA N GE L EA DERS Identify, coach, and celebrate Changemaker
Educators.
 Support Changemaker Educators to build acommunity of practice.

S EN I O R L EA DERS Recognize and reward Changemaker
Educators.
 Allocate institutional resources to support
growth and development.
 Incorporate in HR processes.
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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
Changemaker Educators must first and foremost embody and model the mindsets, knowledge, and skillsof changemakers, pursuing positive change in their own classrooms, institutions, and communities(refer to Table 2 in the Getting Oriented: Key Concepts chapter for more on changemaker mindsets andskills). Table 27 includes the additional qualities specific to Changemaker Educators based on Ashoka U’s
experiences over the last decade.

“A leader, in other words, can be anyone – regardless of formal position – who serves as aneffective social change agent. In this sense, every faculty and staff member, not to mention
every student, is a potential leader.” (Astin & Astin, 2000, p. 2)

TABLE 27. CHANGEMAKER EDUCATOR QUALITIESM IN D SETS
IDENTIFY A S A
CHANGEMAK EREDUCATOR

Changemaker Educators
believe deeply that positivechange is possible for andthrough education andthat every faculty andstaff member, student,
and community member
is a critical contributor
toward that change.
They are reflexive, modelchangemaking themselves,and seek to create space forothers to take action
and lead change.

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KN OWL ED GE
2 1 ST CEN T U RY C H A L L E N G E S
A ND T HE C H A N G E M A K I N G
LA ND S CA PE

Changemaker Educators understandthe local and global realities theirstudents will face, as well as theknowledge and skills that are relevant
to preparing students for these realities.
CHA NGEM A K I N G , S O C I A L
I NNOVAT I O N , A N D S O C I A L
ENT R EP R E N E U RS H I P

Changemaker Educators understandthe theory of social entrepreneurship,social innovation, and changemaking,and how theory manifests in practice.
D I S CI P LI N A RY K N OW L E DG E

Changemaker Educators have a deep
understanding of their discipline andhow to draw on disciplinary knowledge
to inform changemaker efforts.
They know how to analyze complex
problems and draw from different
disciplines to address them.

E D U C AT I O N : S T R AT E G Y 9

S KI L L S
E DU C AT I O N A L DE S I G N

Changemaker Educators are able
to reimagine pedagogy, curricula,programming, and pathways toprepare students for changemaking.
They design learning experiencesthat help students recognize theiragency, equip them to utilize thisagency, and allow space to ethicallypractice changemaking.
CHANGEMAKING
FAC I L I TAT I O N

Changemaker Educators integratetheory with practice and facilitate
the learning experience to cultivate
student agency, exploration,and leadership, challenging the
educational status quo.
PA RT N E RS H I P C U LT I VAT I O N

Changemaker Educators engage
across the institution and thecommunity, build relationships, andcollaboratively create partnershipsthat support student learning andinstitutional and community impact.

Living these qualities in practice will look different for different educators. While these are further
described in Appendix F, a few examples include: Developing graduate outcomes.
 Co-creating and co-facilitating classes with students.
 Addressing pressing campus or societal issues in courses.
 Creating an equitable and inclusive classroom through multi-cultural practices.
 Redistributing power in partnerships by engaging community representatives and those withlived experiences as professors and guest lecturers.
For aspiring Changemaker Educators, some of these qualities will come naturally. Others may need moretime and effort to be cultivated. Whether changemaking is new or has been a central part of one’s life fora long time, there will always be ways to grow as a Changemaker Educator. The Getting Started Today
Call-Out Box provides a few ideas for how to get started. Other ways to further hone your Changemaker
Educator mindsets, knowledge, and skills are included in Appendix F.

GETTING STARTED TODAY
1. Reflect on your own experiences, strengths, limitations, and biases.
2. Identify your personal “why”—why are you passionate about fostering changemaker education?
3. Access any relevant social innovation or changemaking resources offered by your institution.
4. Become familiar with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other issues of most relevanceto your community and institution.
5. Practice telling your Changemaker Educator story.

SUPPORTING STRUCTURES AND INCENTIVES
Institutional structures and incentives that encourage the development and embodiment of Changemaker
Educator mindsets, knowledge, and skills could include, e.g.:

 Embedding changemaking values and skills into job descriptions.
 Offering social innovation and/or changemaking orientations to all faculty, staff, and students(refer to the campus example on CQUniversity in Strategy 14, for example).

 Making more advanced social innovation and changemaking courses available to faculty andstaff.

 Creating Changemaker Faculty Fellowships.
 Creating storytelling campaigns and awards to honor Changemaker Educators.

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CREATING RESEARCH STRUCTURES FOR CHANGEMAKING
In 2019, Royal Roads University in British Columbia, Canada and Ashoka Canada partnered tocreate the Ashoka Research Chair in Research Effectiveness. “Recognizing that researchers often
struggle to meet impact requirements from funders and to translate their research’s effectivenessto broader society, the chair will reconceptualise how research can be more socially engaged,
deliberate and effective in contributing to social change” (Royal Roads University, 2019).

Changemaker Educators can encourage their institution to support this work, while also actively
creating opportunities for themselves and colleagues even without official institutional structures. This
could include creating opportunities for faculty and staff to share best practices, co-design and develop
curriculum and co-curriculum, and receive peer feedback.

AC T I O N ST EPS
Educators can cultivate their changemaker mindsets and skills in the following ways:
REFLECT ON YOUR CHANGEMAKER IDENTITY AND JOURNEY
Review the Changemaker Qualities Framework (Table 2) and reflect on your changemakeridentity. Consider what you have learned and how you can support students in their journeys.
Imagine how you want your changemaker journey to continue to evolve. Practice sharing yourchangemaker story.
TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Reflect on the specific mindsets, knowledge, and skills for Changemaking Educators in Table
27. Assess your strengths and opportunities to grow. Create a development plan leveraging
Appendix F. Practicing and Developing Changemaker Education Qualities.
PRACTICE
Identify something you are interested in, curious about, stuck on, and/or seek to change. Use
systems thinking to analyze it. Identify things that are in your sphere of influence and start totake action towards them. Look for small opportunities to begin. Ask that question. Schedulethat coffee. Send that email.

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LEVERAGE INSTITUTIONAL RESOURCES
Research and tap the resources available at your institution to grow your knowledge andskills and fuel your innovation. Consider how you might leverage: trainings or tools fromthe Teaching and Learning Resource Center, existing social innovation guest lectures
or workshops, grants for teaching innovations, fellowships for social innovation orchangemaking, faculty service requirements, service learning course designs, etc.
ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT
Invite fellow Changemaker Educators into a community of practice to connect, share, andsupport one another. Consider reaching across institutional siloes to build connections inother disciplines and departments. Create a system for offering support to one another,including: hosting informal networking events, best practice sharing sessions, book clubs, or asocial impact guest lecture series.

✓
✓
✓

TI PS
REMEMBER YOUR “WHY”
Changemaker Educators engage in this work because it matters—for students, communities,
and the world. Especially when the work gets tough, draw on reflection tools to come back to
the reasons for choosing to engage in this work.
PREPARE FOR RESISTANCE
People are wary of change that they do not understand, so conversations about changemakereducation are often initially met with push back. Even when it is difficult, stay open to
feedback embedded in that resistance to continue conversations with those who are skeptical.
REMEMBER THAT CHANGE DOES NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT
Working to grow as a Changemaker Educator takes time, reflection, and dedicated practice.
Building a Changemaker Educator culture across an institution is a long-term process ofrelationship building, cooperative learning, and collective growth. Things will not change
overnight, and that is okay. Review Strategies 1-8 from the Visionary Leadership section tolearn more about ways to influence institution-wide change.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

CO L L EGE O F T HE AT L A N T I C
ENCOURAGING FACULTY CHANGEMAKERS

At College of the Atlantic (COA), an institution in Bar Harbor, Maine in the United States that has
350 students, 35 faculty, and offers just one major, students design their own courses of study in
Human Ecology (an exploration of the relationships between humans and their natural, cultural,and built environments). A COA education is about transforming thought into action and working
across multiple disciplines to make a difference in the world.
COA faculty are natural changemakers, supported by an academic and operational environmentthat encourages problem-solving innovation. The College is fully interdisciplinary and nondepartmental; the sciences, arts, and humanities are equal partners in the curriculum, which also
provides balance between theory and practice, product and process, and reflection and activism.
Courses that teach social innovation and changemaking skills span across resource areas andinvolve over 40% of the faculty. Faculty regularly create new learning opportunities and team-teachcourses from multidisciplinary perspectives; on average about 20% of all courses are new and 10%of all courses are team-taught each year. In COA’s collaborative governance model, faculty work
alongside students and staff on everything from campus design to academic affairs. All courses
include an opportunity for feedback at the midterm and a formal course evaluation at term’s end.
Students and faculty sit on contract renewal and hiring committees, and the entire community
provides feedback on new hires to ensure a commitment to COA’s core principles. With notenure, faculty contract renewals are based on community feedback from students, staff, and fellow
faculty. Student feedback and teaching are the main criteria of evaluation and as a result, COA is
able to release faculty from disciplinary constraints and the “publish or perish” mindset, ensuringthat they are free to be levers of change.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

T EC N O LÓ GI CO DE MO N T ER RE Y
MOTIVATING AND TRAINING TEACHERS AS CHANGEMAKERS

Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec) is a private university with 26 campuses across Mexico. Founded
in 1943, Tec is known for pedagogical approaches that emphasize both innovation and a humanistic
outlook, which are equally core to its approach for faculty development.
The Tec21 Model, a challenge-based learning methodology, is a pedagogical approach that actively
involves students in defining challenges and implementing solutions to relevant, real-world
problems. Faculty play several key roles (including advisor, evaluator, mentor, challenge designer, andprofessor) in supporting students through the learning process and in developing competencies.
As its website states, faculty engage in teaching practices that set them apart as they “create active
learning environments and boosters out of challenges for the [development of] transversal anddisciplinary competencies required as an student” and guide students “to transfer that knowledge
to real contexts” (Tecnológico de Monterrey, n.d., para. 2). Furthermore, faculty are connected,
current in their fields, and committed to multidisciplinary practices.
Since the model requires a lot of faculty, Tec has developed innovative professional development
systems to motivate and support them. In the short term (semiannually), faculty grow and develop
across three dimensions: Teaching, Intellectual Vitality, and Service and Leadership. In the medium
term (multi-semesters), teachers participate in a Teacher Development Program which integrates
developmental experiences designed to strengthen the Tec21 characteristics of:
1. Inspiring:
Be a positive influence, admired and respected by students and colleagues, that
motivates students to give their best effort and fulfill their commitments.
2. Up to Date:
Have knowledge in the specialty and educational area, always at the forefront. Include
new content, current methods, and pedagogical techniques in teaching practices.

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3. Connected:
Engage with collaborative networks of organizations and companies to expose students
to the development of skills and knowledge in real-world challenges.
4. Innovative:
Generate pedagogical strategies and resources that facilitate learning and are flexible
with the profile of their students.
5. Information Technology:
Incorporate the use of technology as a tool to improve their teaching and learning
process in their teaching work.
In the long term (multi-year), Tec has a Teacher Classification System, which guides faculty
development across professors’ careers. The Classification System features different paths where
teachers can specialize and develop based on their background and interests as a teachingprofessor, research professor, consulting professor, entrepreneur professor, or clinical professor. In sodoing, faculty are not forced to fit a single mold, but rather developed and rewarded in accordancewith their unique backgrounds and talents.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

T UL AN E UN I V ERS I T Y
PROFESSORS IN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP:
FOSTERING INTERDISCIPLINARY AND UNIVERSITY-WIDE FACULTY SUPPORT

Tulane is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana that was founded in 1834 andcurrently enrolls approximately 14,000 students. Tulane University was the first major research
institution in the United States to require public service as a graduation requirement for all
undergraduate students and has continued to invest heavily in cultivating programming and faculty
support for social innovation and social entrepreneurship efforts across campus.
The establishment of 10 endowed Social Entrepreneurship Professorships provides a critical massof faculty support for university-wide, interdisciplinary endeavors in social innovation and social
entrepreneurship. Each Professorship is granted to a faculty member whose areas of research,teaching, creative pursuits, or community activities can be linked to social entrepreneurship,social innovation, and/or changemaking. These professors teach, develop a research or practiceagenda, and inform programming and initiatives in social innovation and social entrepreneurship.
They represent a range of academic disciplines spanning the natural sciences, humanities, andsocial sciences. Faculty members are selected for three years terms, with the option to extend
for an additional two-year term. The Social Entrepreneurship Professors constitute a dynamic,
interdisciplinary faculty team motivated to support and develop social innovation across the entire
university.
Each endowed Professorship is funded by individual donors. The faculty are selected througha competitive application process, open to all full-time faculty. The Professorships provide
supplementary funding to support research and community engagement focusing on positive socialchange. The combination of faculty from across the entire university creates a cross-disciplinary
core of colleagues who not only benefit from the honor and funding, but also constitute anoutreach arm of the Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking, connecting
across the multiple schools and disciplines at Tulane University.

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10
CH AN G E M A K E R E DUC ATI O N STR ATE GY 10

DEVELOPCHANGEMAKER
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
Changemaker learning outcomes are those that focus specificallyon the mindsets, knowledge, and skills critical for preparing
and equipping changemakers. This strategy explores how

Changemaker Educators can develop learning outcomes to build

educational experiences that cultivate students as changemakers.

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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Creates clarity on educational priorities.
 Focuses changemaker education design.
 Creates a standard for measuring student progress.
 Enables students to plan and reflect on their growth.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 When (re)designing or evaluating courses, programs,
and/or institutional learning outcomes.

R E A DERS
Who might use it and how?

CHA N GEMA K ER
E D UC ATO RS

 Compare changemaking learning outcomes withthose of your institution; adapt for your purposes.
 Share with students and allies to inform co-designof courses, programs, and experiences.
 Share with colleagues to inform evaluation forchangemaking impact.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS Reflect on your course’s learning outcomes andconsider extent to which changemaking is fostered.
 Co-design new educational experiences withfaculty and staff.
 Mentor peers in cultivating changemaker qualities.

CHA N GE L EA DERS

 Encourage program directors or educators to use.
 Connect allies and inspire co-creative educational
design processes.

S E N I O R L EA DERS Guide the development of institution-wide learning
outcomes or graduate attributes.
 Ensure academic model and plan supportchangemaker learning outcomes.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
Learning outcomes are statements about intents for student learning. They define and align people
around educational priorities, serve as guideposts for educational design, and focus educational delivery
and facilitation. Learning outcomes are the benchmark against which student progress over the learning
experience can be measured. Such evaluation supports deep insight into whether and how students arelearning, what is not working, and how to iterate to further strengthen offerings.
TYPES OF LEARNING OUTCOMES
There are different types of learning outcomes, including: graduate attributes and those for general
education, academic programs, or specific educational experiences. These are listed together with theirunique benefits in Table 28.

TABLE 28. TYPES OF LEARNING OUTCOMES AND UNIQUE BENEFITS
TYPE

UN I QUE B EN EFI TS

Graduate Attributes
or Institution-wide
Learning Outcomes Articulates institution’s educational mission and aligns educators around that mission.
 Supports instructional collaboration.

General Education

 Articulates institutional perspectives on foundational education.
 Establishes expectations for how all students will learn and grow over higher education
experience.
 Guides development of cohesive general education programming.

Academic Program(e.g., majors, minors,
concentrations,certificates) Articulates critical mindsets, knowledge, and skills within a field or discipline.
 Guides development of cohesive and scaffolded academic programming.
 Supports coordination across different coursework/learning experiences.

Course Articulates educational goals for students in course experience.
 Guides development of relevant learning experiences that support intended growth.
 Helps students understand and reflect on their own learning journeys.

Co-curricularExperience Articulates critical mindsets, knowledge, and skills for students to practice in co-curricularexperience.
 Guides development of relevant learning experiences and cohesive sequences.
 Help students to understand and reflect on their own learning journeys.

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USING LEARNING OUTCOMES TO CREATE IMPACTIn Ashoka U’s 2018 learning outcomes research, three practices emerged for strategically using learning
outcomes to create impact. These are summarized in Table 29.

TABLE 29. USING LEARNING OUTCOMES TO CREATE IMPACT
ST R AT EG IC U SES O F
LE ARNI N G O U TCO M ES

I M PAC TS

To Align Stakeholders

 Convenes stakeholders, strengthens their relationships, draws upon
their diverse perspectives, and fosters shared understanding andalignment that supports collaboration.

To Guide Educational Design,
Implementation, and Evaluation

 Establishes educational priorities, aligns experiences with outcomes,
and creates a foundation for assessing progress and iterating offerings.

To Engage Students in their
Learning Experience Communicates educator’s intentions and creates opportunities toengage students in identifying their personal goals, shaping theirexperiences, and reflecting on their progress.

Note: Summarized from Preparing Students for a Rapidly Changing World: Learning Outcomes for Social Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship, and Changemaker
Education, by H. Duplechain & J. Lax, 2019, Ashoka U. Copyright 2019 by Ashoka U. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-sa/4.0/.

CO-CREATING LEARNING OUTCOMES
Learning outcomes play an integral role in an educational feedback loop that allows for improvement.
Suskie (2018) describes this feedback loop consisting of: determining learning outcomes; designing andfacilitating learning experiences; evaluating student learning and growth; and using the results to inform
iteration and improvement (p 9).
Key inputs can include regulatory requirements or guidelines from a department or ministry of education,
institutional mandates, research, and consultation. And while theoretically this can be described as aloop, the process could start at any stage and move iteratively across stages. Regardless of starting point
or development process, it is important to foster alignment between outcomes, design, delivery, andevaluation.
Regardless of type of learning outcomes or when or how you develop them, the process must be deeply
engaged and co-creative to empower students to help shape their own education. Similarly, depending on
the type of learning outcomes, it may be integral to involve community members and/or employers.

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ADAPTING CHANGEMAKER LEARNING OUTCOMES
Changemaker learning outcomes focus specifically on the mindsets, knowledge, and skills critical for
preparing and equipping changemakers, and they can be used in the same way as outcomes for any
other purpose or discipline. The difference is that the content of the learning outcomes focuses onchangemaking qualities.
Ashoka U developed the Changemaker Qualities Framework to share our perspectives on the key
mindsets, knowledge, and skills for any changemaker. Each quality is accompanied by a learning goal.
(Refer to Table 2 in the Getting Oriented: Key Concepts chapter.) Rather than being prescriptive, theChangemaker Qualities Framework is meant to be a starting point for institutional consideration andadaptation. Your institutional mission, students’ interests and needs, and community realities are
critical factors that will shape your learning outcomes. As the world continues to change, the knowledge,
mindsets, and skills important to future changemakers will evolve. So, the development of learning
outcomes will be an iterative and ongoing process.
Figure 4 illustrates strategic questions to consider as you develop or adapt changemaker learning
outcomes relevant for your unique institutional context.

FIGURE 4. STRATEGIC QUESTIONS FOR DEVELOPING LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students are being
prepared forStarting a social
venture.
Innovation within
an organization.
A variety of socialchange roles(advocacy,
storytelling,philanthropy, etc.).

Scope of offeringYour Goals

Course/program.

Support course/
program design.

Course sequence/
student learningjourney.
Institution-wide.

Taking (any) action
to make the world
a better place.

Align stakeholders.
Evaluate and iterateofferings.
Engage students
in their learning
process.

Institutional
context?

How might
your learning
outcomes
design &development
be influenced
by:Student
context?

Disciplinary
context?

Community
context?

Note: Strategic Questions. Reprinted from Preparing Students for a Rapidly Changing World: Learning Outcomes for Social Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship,
and Changemaker Education (p. 4), by H. Duplechain & J. Lax, 2019, Ashoka U. Copyright 2019 by Ashoka U. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.

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AC T I O N ST EPSARTICULATE WHY
Get clear on the type, purpose, and intended use of learning outcomes. Refer to Table 28 anduse the strategic questions in Figure 4 as a starting point. Use the stated purpose and functionof the learning outcomes to guide the development process.
CONSIDER INSTITUTIONAL MISSION, CONTEXT, AND CAMPUS -WIDE
OUTCOMES
Consider how new changemaker learning outcomes will relate to existing mission statements
and goals. Review existing strategic plan, academic plan, educational model, graduate
attributes, and/or other relevant institutional frameworks. Consider if/how they relate
to changemaking. Draw connections between language in existing outcomes and yourchangemaker intentions. Use the learning outcomes development process to help stakeholders
see the importance of changemaking to achieving existing outcomes.
ENGAGE STUDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS
Bring together social innovation stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, community
members, and social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. Ask them to share their changemaking
stories and reflect on their own changemaker qualities and learning experiences that havebeen most important to them. Leverage diverse perspectives to ensure that changemakerlearning outcomes prepare students for a broad array of potential experiences.
DRAFT OUTCOMES, COLLECT INPUT, AND ITERATE
Determine what development approach works best for your context, for example, you
might: a) work with a small group to survey the field, create draft outcomes, share for initial
feedback, and then convene larger groups to iterate; b) convene stakeholder groups in a seriesof small group gatherings to facilitate design charrettes (Duplechain & Lax, 2019, p. 60-64);or c) break learning outcomes work into stages to maximize engagement and input, while still
managing the feedback integration process.
OFFER INCENTIVES, TR AINING, AND SUPPORTProvide faculty and staff with the support they need to reimagine their educational offeringsand embed changemaker outcomes as a part of their teaching. If an educator: request timeand resources if they are not readily available; consult peers; and refer to the inspiring

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campus examples at the end of this strategy and to Preparing Students for a Rapidly
Changing World: Learning Outcomes for Social Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship,
and Changemaker Education. If an administrator: help translate and align institutionalframeworks with changemaking learning outcomes; engage your Center for Teaching and
Learning to develop timely and relevant training and resources; provide educators ample time
to develop and iterate learning outcomes and curriculum; and help bring stakeholders into
the conversation.

✓
✓
✓

TI PS
CONSIDER HOW YOUR INSTITUTION’S EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND
INCLUSION GOALS CAN BE SUPPORTED
The processes of aligning stakeholders, building learning outcomes, and engaging students inthe design and implementation of learning outcomes and pedagogies should enhance equity,
diversity, and inclusion.
STUDENTS CAN BE POWERFUL ALLIES FOR LEARNING OUTCOMES WORK
Their demand for changemaker opportunities is a common catalyst for the creation oflearning outcomes and new offerings (Duplechain & Lax, 2019).
DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL
While it is important that outcomes are adapted to context, it is still possible to draw on what
others have accomplished to date. Consider a survey of the field to understand how others haveapproached changemaker learning outcomes as a starting point for work with your community.
REMEMBER THAT A SINGLE COURSE OR OFFERING CA NNOT COVER ALL
CHANGEMAKER LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students will develop changemaker learning outcomes over time, through many different
educational experiences in their learning journey. Deeply exploring a few outcomes will likely
be more impactful than trying to touch on everything (Duplechain & Lax, 2019).
LEVERAGE BACKWARDS ENGINEERING TO YOUR A DVANTAGE
In an ideal world, learning outcomes are designed at the beginning of the design process forany educational offering. In reality, learning outcomes must often be “backwards engineered”
based on implicit goals guiding existing offerings. Use this as an opportunity to reflect onwhat an offering currently accomplishes and what else it might be able to.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES
N O RTHEA ST ERN UN I V ERS I TY, W E STE RN WASHINGTON UNIVE RSI T Y,
A N D P O RT L A N D STAT E UN IVE RSITY 12
DEVELOP CHANGEMAKING LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning outcomes are a critical foundation for developing educational experiences that enable
students to develop changemaking competencies. This can be accomplished on several levels,
including: establishing specific learning outcomes for a course that allow for student growth, cocreating learning outcomes with students to ensure that the course is personalized and adaptive, or
involving multiple stakeholders to create these outcomes.
At Northeastern University, Rebecca Riccio, who serves as the Juffali Family Director of theSocial Impact Lab, focuses on three foundational concepts: ways of thinking, ways of being, andways of doing. This framework informs the design of projects in her lab and the trajectory ofher course entitled, “The Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropy, and Social Change.” By focusing first on
ways of thinking, Riccio engages students in systems thinking to help them become more adept atunderstanding and navigating complex and dynamic problems. Riccio then introduces ways of being
to center values of social and racial justice in students’ consciousness and challenge them to grapple
with the ethical implications and obligations of engaging in changemaking. It is only after students
gain these competencies that Riccio moves towards ways of doing to equip students with thestrategies, methods, tools, and resources needed to achieve social change. The focus on embedding
an awareness of positionality as well as a systems-thinking lens allows students to engage insocial change more ethically and effectively and provides a powerful and collaborative learning
experience.

12 Chapters 6, 7, and 8. Summarized from Preparing Students for a Rapidly Changing World: Learning Outcomes for Social Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship,
and Changemaker Education, by H. Duplechain & J. Lax, 2019, Ashoka U. Copyright 2019 by Ashoka U. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA
4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.

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At Western Washington University, Professor of Secondary Education Molly Ware aims to utilize
learning outcomes to encourage transformative learning and equip students with the knowledge
they need to navigate their pathways as changemakers. Ware’s outcomes are based on her
experiences with changemaking and are fluid and adaptive based on what she learns and hears
from students. In doing so, the framework evolves. At the core of Ware’s learning outcomes is thatthey are both accessible to students and aligned with the critical mindsets and abilities needed forchangemaking. These learning outcomes, which span from challenging assumptions to perspective
taking, are evaluated through formative assessments conducted initially by the students themselves.
This allows students to play an active role in their learning process and to design the learning
experience to be relevant to their needs.
At Portland State University (PSU), Jacen Greene, who previously served as the Director of the
Impact Entrepreneurs program, developed the learning outcomes for PSU’s Certificate in Social
Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship through a human-centered design process. By gathering
faculty, staff, community members, students, and social entrepreneurs, each group aimed tosurface critical learning outcomes for social innovation and social entrepreneurship. The emerging
framework resulted from an iterative process that honored the stakeholders and ensured thatcollective wisdom was represented in the final product. These learning outcomes allowed forfurther innovation to strategically map learning experiences that would allow for the outcomes tobe achieved.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

CQ UN I VERS I T Y
EMBEDDING SOCIAL INNOVATION ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

CQUniversity (CQU) is the only Australian university with campuses in every mainland state,
resulting in the largest geographical reach of any university in the country. The university has over
20 campuses and study centers and serves around 35,000 students. Building on its long-standing
tradition of community engagement, CQU has taken two bold moves to systematically embedsocial innovation and changemaking into the curriculum.
First, CQU identified “social innovation mindset” as one of its Core Graduate Attributes and clearly
identified introductory, intermediate, and graduate outcomes (CQUniversity 2020, p. 3). As
students progress through these learning outcomes, they move from awareness of social problems
and motivations and methods for social change (introductory) to reflection and cultivation of achangemaker identity (intermediate) to indentification of how they will apply changemaker skills
and mindsets to their chosen career (graduate).
CQU’s “A Guide to Social Innovation in the Curriculum” (Andreasson et al., 2019) supports
faculty with an overview of social innovation and outlines how to embed it in their courses. To
support introductory level outcomes, CQU’s iChange online module is available to all students asa social innovation orientation, and schools are encouraged to include it in a relevant unit within
the first year. To cultivate intermediate level social innovation mindsets, schools may either
incorporate
an existing social innovation/change unit or tailor one of their units to include social innovation/change content. Experiential and capstone projects suppor t students in fostering the graduate level
outcome of reflection and career application.
Second, in its 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, CQU ar ticulated a key performance indicator of“embedding social innovation into the curriculum” in support of its goal to “create career ready,lifelong learners who have a social innovation mindset and a genuine commitment to culturalawareness” (CQUniversity, n.d., p. 7). This means that by 2023, 90 percent of undergraduate
degrees will be underpinned by experiences that cultivate a social innovation mindset.
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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

UN I VERS I T Y O F N O RT HA MPTON
SUPP ORTI NG FACULT Y IN EMBEDDING CHANGEMAKING AND EMP LOYABILITYGRA DUAT E ATTRIBUTESThe University of Northampton is one of the newest universities in the United Kingdom and oneof the few to be ranked Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
Through its ChANGE Project (Changemaker Attributes at Northampton for Graduate
Employability), the university produced the ChANGE – Framework of Graduate Attributes. This
framework identifies the attributes for changemaking and employability (University ofNorthampton, n.d.).
In 2013-14, the University of Northampton identified best practices for changemaking in the
curriculum and published a series of case studies, “Changemaker in the Curriculum”, to highlight
how faculty and staff infuse changemaking into their work (Institute of Learning and Teachingin Higher Education, 2014). This led to an institutional commitment to expand the reach ofchangemaking so that every student could engage through their studies.
In 2017, its Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILT) released the COGS
Learning Outcomes Toolkit (Changemaker Outcomes for Graduate Success). The toolkit supports
faculty and staff in incorporating relevant changemaking and employability outcomes into theirprograms. As of the 2019-20 academic year, every undergraduate and graduate program has
embedded Changemaker Employability learning outcomes, and therefore all students are taught
and assessed against these outcomes.

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To learn more about how the University of Northampton took an institution-wide approach tosupporting students to become changemakers and engaged a diverse array of stakeholders indesigning the attributes, refer to “Changemaking and Graduate Employability” (Maxwell & Irwin,2020).

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11
CH AN G E M A K E R E DUC ATI O N STR ATE GY 11

UTILIZEPEDAGOGIESFORCHANGEMAKING
Once outcomes are defined for a changemaking education

experience, it is important to identify the best teaching methods
to bring them to life. This chapter explores how Changemaker

Educators can utilize pedagogies that help students grow in theirchangemaker mindsets, knowledge, and skills.

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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Makes learning relevant and relatable.
 Puts students at center and in charge of theirlearning experiences.
 Works to overcome structural inequalities.
 Employs new, innovative teaching methods.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 When (re)designing educational experiences.

R EA DERS
Who might use it and how?

C HA N GEMA K ER
EDUC ATO RS

 Identify types of pedagogies and activities best
suited to foster changemaking.
 Share with colleagues; exchange practices witheach other.
 Share with students and invite feedback onwhat is/not working in current classes.
 Use to iterate educational design.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS

 Review current practices; identify what
resonates and what is missing.
 Brainstorm with faculty and staff to improveeducational experiences.
 Use as a foundation when designing peer
mentoring and co-teaching experiences.

C HA N GE L EA DERS Share with educators interested in getting
more involved in changemaking.

S EN I O R L EA DERS

 Engage Center for Teaching and Learning toreview pedagogies across campus, spotlight
best practices for changemaking, and identify
new resources and support needed.
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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
Pedagogy is the how of teaching or, in other words, the approach an educator takes to facilitate a learning
experience.
While there are not necessarily pedagogies exclusive to changemaking, there are a number of pedagogicalpractices that can support students’ learning and growth as changemakers. Going beyond the classroom
lecture and embracing a wider array of pedagogical practices means that education can be tailored tomore diverse learning goals, content, and styles. Ultimately, it means that education can more effectively
support students and their unique changemaking needs, strengths, and interests.
PEDAGOGIES THAT SUPPORT CHANGEMAKING
The following are some pedagogical approaches that are most used to develop the changemaker mindsets,knowledge, and skills needed to address problems in our communities and the world.
EQUITABLE
The pedagogical approaches used in the classroom can reinforce or undermine the values
and ideas which a learning experience may try to convey. To prevent classroom dynamics
from modelling structural inequalities educators should use inclusive pedagogical practices(Ashton, 2017). This may include carefully assessing who the educator presents as theexpert, what type of knowledge is valued, whose voice is heard, and what type of behavior
is rewarded. These practices can bring inequalities that are often overlooked to light anddemonstrate to students a new way of hosting discussions and designing interactions withequity at the center.
REFLECTIVE
Pedagogical approaches that help students develop self-awareness can be a critical foundation
for changemaker education and can help students understand their own experiences andintentions, strengths and limitations, biases, and impact. While there are often pressures tocover additional material, space for self-refection, and receiving and giving feedback can beeven more powerful. Without this level of reflection and self-awareness, changemakers are at
risk of burning out and perpetuating the problems they seek to address through the choices
they make.

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RELATIONSHIP-BASED
Trust-based relationships are critical for effective changemaker pedagogy. Changemakereducation requires students to step outside of their comfort zones, which requires opennessand vulnerability. Building trust with peers and with the educator is critical for students tofeel secure through this learning process. Such relationships also help educators understandwhat students are experiencing and where they are struggling. This allows educators tomanage the level of stress in the classroom or co-curricular experience and ensure thatvulnerability leads to positive growth experiences and that challenges do not become
overwhelming.
STUDENT-DRIVEN AND CONFIDENCE BUILDING
Changemaker education positions students as co-leaders of the educational experience andcreates space for them to take charge of and shape their learning. When students are given
a leadership role in their own education, they can help ensure that learning is relevant andapplicable to their changemaking journey. Student-driven educational practices also help
students learn how to learn to solve problems that are important to them. Finally, studentdriven learning experiences can also build students’ confidence as changemakers. Taking
charge of their own learning provides students with evidence of their own power to createchange. These practices yield significant and lasting benefits in building motivation andagency to fuel students as lifelong learners and changemakers.
EXPERIENTIAL
Changemaker education should foster environments where students can practice applying
what they have learned and support them in stepping into their potential to lead and to createchange. Concepts and approaches that may have seemed non-essential take on much greater
meaning when it can be connected to a challenge a student is facing in a real situation.
For example, service learning allows students to gain experience in real-world, community
contexts and learn about an issue. Project-based learning approaches anchor learning inspecific contexts and similarly helps students learn about societal challenges while also
engaging them in problem-solving and project management.

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INTEGRATIVE
Changemaker education helps students integrate both their own knowledge and experiences
as well as that of others. When students learn exclusively in disciplinary siloes, suchcomplementarity between bodies of knowledge and experience may not be readily apparent.
Similarly, if their educational experiences are facilitated in isolation of others, learning ismerely additive versus exponential. Pedagogies must support students in having integrative
learning experiences. This includes, for example: reflecting on what they know and cando, drawing broadly on the skills they have gained from across personal and academic
experiences, and looking beyond their own experiences to work with people who offerdifferent perspectives and expertise. Methods include pedagogies that encourage reflection,
value different ways of knowing, and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.
IMPACTFUL
Much of the work students complete throughout their academic career serves to fulfill
educational requirements and advance their own personal learning. Changemaker education
uses pedagogical approaches to enable students to foster relationships, gain insights, andoffer contributions that live on outside of the classroom and have an impact on others. Thisbuilds their identity as a changemaker as they recognize evidence of the power of their voiceand their contribution to the world. This can both fuel their motivation and help them growtheir student portfolio.
Table 30 illustrates how these pedagogical approaches can manifest as concrete practices and activities.

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TABLE 30. EXAMPLES OF PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES FOR CHANGEMAKINGE D UCAT I O N A L
T E CHNI Q U ESPEDAGOGI C AL P R AC T I C ES /AC TI VI T I ESE QUI TAB L E

 Designing educational experiences that accommodate all students.
 Intentionally giving more space to those whose voices are often marginalized
in classroom discussions.
 Bringing in guest speakers that come from a variety of backgrounds.
 Selecting course readings and inviting speakers that demonstrate the value of lived
experiences and different ways of knowing.

R E F LE CT I V E






R E LAT I ON SH IP BAS E D

 Implementing regular reflection and feedback practices amongst students and instructors.
 Using group activities and collaborative projects to build student relationships.
 Engaging social innovation practitioners, social entrepreneurs, and community members
as guest speakers to share their stories and insights with students in a way that is mutually
beneficial.
 Supporting students with social change mentors and coaches.

ST UD E NTD R I V E N AN D
CONF I D E N C E
BUI LD I NG






E XP E R I E NT IA L

 Partnering with community organizations around a challenge and collaboratively designingpotential solutions.
 Teaching human-centered design processes and having students employ them in addressing
social challenges.
 Participating in the Map the System Challenge, social impact hack-a-thons, and otherchallenge-based activities.
 Assigning/conducting action research together with students and community.
 Designing an intervention to an issue peers are facing on campus.

I NT E GRAT IV E

 Encouraging students to reflect and draw on their changemaker journeys and previous
learning experiences.
 Drawing on mapping practices to explore and more deeply understand complex systems.
 Facilitating multidisciplinary courses and creating teams of students from diverse disciplines.
 Including co-lecturers and guest speakers from different disciplines.
 Synthesizing multiple resources.

I M PACT F U L






Offering resources to explore implicit bias.
Incorporating journal writing activities.
Leveraging life history assignments.
Incorporating self-assessments.

Establishing learning outcomes in collaboration with students.
Fostering student-driven reflection and grading processes.
Providing forums for student-led community relationship building.
Assigning group projects in which students lead design and implementation.

Creating a class blog or publication where students write about what they are learning.
Having students collaborate with a campus or community partner to address a challenge.
Designing an assignment to culminate in making a presentation to partners.
Using Open Pedagogy principles and having students contribute to an OER (open
education resource) so others can benefit in the future.

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AC T I O N ST EPS
The following are some ways that Changemaker Educators and administrators can leverage pedagogies forchangemaking education:
CONSIDER THE LEARNING JOURNEY
Consider how the educational experience you are designing relates to students’ previous
learning experiences. Select approaches and assignments that will help them makeintentional connections to and draw from previous lived or educational experiences. Imagine
how a student’s personal journey continues beyond the classroom and how the course plays
a supporting role. Identify what potential next steps students might take after this as theynavigate their changemaker journey.
CONDUCT FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIESConduct data collection and diagnostic testing before an educational experience tounderstand where students are in their understanding and abilities (Rossi et al., 2018). Use
this to select and iterate pedagogical practices and monitor progress.
SELECT PRACTICES ACCORDING TO GOALS
Employ backwards planning (Suskie, 2018) by selecting pedagogy based on how teachingpractices will help students achieve intended development. Articulate intended learning
outcomes in a concrete and observable way. Build an ideal timeline for addressing outcomesover the course of an educational experience. Acknowledge students’ starting points, basedon diagnostic assessment. Select pedagogical interventions that will help students move fromcurrent mindsets, knowledge, and skills to the intended mindsets, knowledge, and skills.
BUILD STUDENT SUPPORT STRUCTURES
Leverage pedagogical structures to support students on their changemaker learning journey,such as: in-class discussions, reflection journals, regular check-ins with the instructor, andcommunity partner feedback.
SEEK TEACHING SUPPORTDraw on existing resources that can help you reimagine pedagogical practices. Reach out tothe Center for Teaching and Learning on campus, connect with colleagues who have this kindof instructional experience, or review the pedagogical resources of educational organizations

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in your country (e.g., Association of American Colleges & University’s High-Impact
Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter by
Kuh in 2008).

✓✓✓

T I PSPRIORIT IZE PEDAGOGY THAT IS STUDENT-CENTERED AND
ACTI ON-ORIENTED
For students to feel confident taking action, they must practice doing so. As an educator,
stepping away from the lecture format can feel foreign and sometimes even risky. But
offering students the opportunity to apply learning and practice skills is central to cultivatingchangemaking mindsets and skillsets.
CONSIDER FLIPP ING THE CLA SSROOM EXPERIENCE
Often courses focus on helping students build foundational knowledge using traditional
pedagogical practices, like lectures, before introducing students to experiential learning
practices. By beginning with experiential learning, student experience becomes thefoundation upon which to engage in reflection and build deeper understanding.
FOCUS ON REFLECT ION
Reflection is critical for helping students understand their own experiences, that of others,
and the collaborative changemaker experiences. Pedagogy that facilitates reflection allows
students to understand and integrate their changemaking experiences in a supportive
environment with the guidance of their educator.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

T EC N O LÓ GI CO DE MO N T ER RE YUTILIZING CHA NGEMAKER PEDAGOGIES

Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec) is a private university founded in 1943 with 26 campuses across
Mexico. Both through its Tec21 educational model and a unique initiative called “Semana i” (or iweek), the university is bringing innovative approaches to create changemaker pedagogies that
foster key changemaker skills.
The first Semana i took place in 2014, as part of a transition initiative into the new Tec21
educational model, which emphasizes collaborative work and employs problem-based, projectoriented learning methods to help students gain knowledge and skills that they can use to help
solve real-life problems.
Semana i uses a challenge-based learning methodology in which students engage in a one-week,
real-world immersion working on projects with a company or a civil society organization. As aresult, students develop a humanistic outlook and cultivate skills in collaboration, communication,and leadership, all critical for holistic development and human flourishing. Projects bring intellectual
vitality, disciplinary expertise, and inspiration to students.
Semana i also offers international programs to further develop multiculturalism in students.
Professors dedicate significant time in supporting training units for students.
In 2018 during Semana i, approximately 50,000 students, faculty, and staff across the 26 Tec
campuses engaged in projects with approximately 1,000 businesses and organizations to advance a
better future for Mexico (Villanueva, 2018).

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ACTIVITY EXAMPLE:
First and second semester students participate in the Entrepreneurial Challenge, in which theybring a humanistic outlook to entrepreneurship and philanthropy. This challenge consists of creating
a business using 2,000 pesos of seed capital that each team receives. Teachers advise and guide theteams, who are sometimes also supported with additional mentors, such as graduates or moreadvanced students. The teams must both regain the capital and generate a profit, which is later
donated across more than 90 social or environmental entrepreneurship initiatives. The intention isfor students to develop competencies and skills individually and collaboratively, just as they would ina real work environment.

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12
CH AN G E M A K E R E DUC ATI O N STR ATE GY 12

BUILD
SOCIALI N N O VAT I O N
13COURSES

Social innovation courses make a unique contribution to an

institution’s portfolio of changemaker education experiences.

Building social innovation courses can cultivate systems thinking,creativity, and collaboration skills as a critical enabler for multiplechangemaking paths.

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STRAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Equips students with key processes and skills thatcross disciplines.
 Prepares students for a variety of sectors, roles, orchallenges.
 Provides unique opportunities for collaboration.
 Complements other changemaking pathways.

T I MI N GWhen might it be useful?

 When developing or updating a social innovation
course.

R EA DERS
Who might use it and how?

C HA N GEMA KER
EDUC ATO RS

 Identify content and types of social innovation
courses.
 Take stock of the offerings, gaps, and opportunities
at your institution.
 Envision how social innovation courses can beused to foster interdisciplinary learning andformalized changemaker educational experiences.

STUDEN T L EA DERS Use as a foundation for identifying social innovation
development opportunities for self and peers.
 Reflect on existing social innovation courses andrecommend opportunities for further innovation.

C HA N GE L EA DERS Share with Change Team members to foster strong
team understanding of social innovation.
 Engage Change Team in a social innovation
orientation, certificate, or course as part of theirown development.

S EN I O R L EA DERS

 Commit resources to social innovation as adiscipline.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
As introduced earlier in the section introduction, there are multiple ways to foster changemaking,including civic engagement, advocacy, philanthropy, and social innovation, amongst others (Kim &Krampetz, 2016). Providing students exposure to an array of changemaking methods is important asthey explore which approaches can be used for a challenge and which most resonate with their talents,
interests, and visions for the future.
Social innovation curriculum serves as a dynamic pathway from and into other changemaking experiences
and perspectives. Often a student’s interest in changemaking is piqued through a service learning, cocurricular, or other educational or life experience. Having social innovation coursework can provide animportant next step to further cultivate changemaking capabilities by equipping students to more deeply
analyze social problems, systems, and root causes and work in partnership with others across disciplines
to identify human needs, generate ideas, and co-create and test solutions while taking into consideration
unintended consequences, sustainability factors, scaling, and impact measurement for social change.
Social innovation coursework alone does not make a Changemaker Institution. However, it is a vital
ingredient that uniquely contributes to the broader changemaking experience an institution hopes to offer
students.
SOCIAL INNOVATION CONTENT
In our over 10 years of experience working with colleges and universities seeking to embed changemaking
into their institutional culture and educational offerings, there are some key concepts we have noticed
that often get built into social innovation coursework. These social innovation concepts, the value they
offer, and potential educational activities or resources are introduced in Table 31. Each of these could beconsidered “building blocks” or content areas of a potential social innovation course.

13 We appreciate that terminology varies across regions and educational systems. Please refer to the glossary for how we use the term course for thispublication.

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TABLE 31. TYPICAL SOCIAL INNOVATION CONCEPTS/SKILLS 1 4

CO N C EP T / SK IL L

VALUE OFFER ED

SYST E MS
T HI NKI NG

Various ways of thinking about andvisualizing social issues to understandtheir complexity, interconnectedness,and unique nature. In addition tocreating knowledge of what systems
are and skills around mapping
them, a professor can encourage
the development of systems-led
leadership skills.

 Encourages students to visualize and understandthe greater context around a given issue or
problem.
 Enables students to conduct root cause analysis.
 May reveal underlying systemic factors of bias,
power, and privilege.
 Serves as a foundation for considering(un)intended consequences.
 Provides the means of better understanding therange of stakeholders in a system.
 May illuminate one’s own role, influence, andlimitations related to the issue.

“AP P RE NT IC IN G
WITH AP ROBLE M” 14

Deep learning experiences thatenable significant engagement withand understanding of a challenge,
often through sustained engagementwith organizations, communities andthose with lived experiences (PapiThornton, 2016a).

 Honors the expertise of those with lived
experience of a social issue.
 Fosters greater student understanding of andempathy for the social issue.
 Facilitates the development of relationships withkey stakeholders and organizations.
 Helps minimize the risk of students rushing in to“solve” problems single-handedly.

ROOT CAU SE
A NALYS I S

Activities and methods to help
students move beyond identifying
symptoms to more deeply analyzing
the underlying causes of problems toenable development of systems-level
solutions.

 Enhances ability to identify potential levers ofchange.
 Provides visibility into potential change processes.
 Serves as a foundation for cost-benefit analysis.
 Helps in identifying and minimizing potential
unintended consequences in support of “doing
no harm”.

D E S I GN
T HI NKI NG

Focuses on human needs while
taking into account technological andeconomic feasibility in generating
innovative products, services, orprocesses. Core principles include
cultivating empathy, exploring manyideas, and testing through prototypes(IDEO U, n.d.).

 Trains students to put human needs first.
 Encourages creativity.
 Helps students become more comfortable
experimenting and iterating.

14 Refer to “The Rise of the Sophisticated Changemaker” (Kim & Krampetz, 2016) for a discussion on key concepts of social innovation and “Tackling
Heropreneurship: An ‘apprenticing with the problem’ approach to move us from the social entrepreneur to social impact” (Papi-Thornton, 2016a) for
more information on “apprenticing with a problem” (p. 17) and the need for systems thinking.

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CO N C EP T / SK IL L

VALUE OFFER EDI M PACTME A S URE M EN T

Frameworks, templates, and activities
that equip students to design for,measure, and evaluate social impact.
May include determining theoryof change and identifying levelsof impact (Kim, 2015), types ofimpact (e.g., outputs, outcomes, andimpacts), and methods for evaluation.

 Fosters alignment of intended outcomes withchange activities.
 Helps students embrace mindsets of discipline
and accountability.
 Instills evaluation into change projects from the
beginning.
 Equips student to be articulate in communicating
about the change project in clear and compelling
ways.

SUSTAINABILITYF OCUS

Knowledge, approaches, anddecision frameworks that encourage
students to commit to social,financial, environmental, andpersonal sustainability through theirchangemaker journeys and as they
co-create solutions.

 Helps students better understand theinterrelationship of societal challenges, solutions,and consequences.
 Fosters development of personal values andethics.
 Equips students to approach decisions througha values and ethics lens.
 Prepares students in managing tensions andtrade-offs.
 Encourages prioritizing personal reflection,wellness, and resiliency.

S CALI NG

Exploring various models for
scaling and when they are/not
most appropriate, whether theybe the organization (e.g., organic
growth, acquiring or merging withother social ventures, leveraging afranchisee model); the ideas (e.g., viaintermediaries or partners, networks,
open sourcing); or a systems change(e.g., via changes in values, mindsets,
resources, and norms).

 Encourages students to consider the best
method(s) to achieve the desired level ofimpact and not take for granted that bigger isbetter.
 Fosters development of a long-term, strategic
mindset, even amidst an emergent andinnovative space.
 Provides additional know-how to reinforce
and achieve sustainability as efforts evolve.

SOCIAL INNOVATION COURSE TYPES
As with most topics, there is not a single or standard course type for social innovation. Rather, Ashoka
U has observed many ways that colleges and universities design and deliver social innovation courses.
Ideally, the institution would have a variety of offerings to meet different learning objectives, levels, andforms of engagement. Table 32 highlights a few examples of types of social innovation courses we haveobserved:

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TABLE 32. TYPES OF SOCIAL INNOVATION (SI) COURSESS I COURSE T YP EP OT EN T IA L GOAL S

KEY EL EM EN TS

Establish a basic understandingof social innovation concepts
and methodologies.

 Providing historical overview of social innovation
space.
 Understanding process, practices, and examples ofsocial innovation.
 Reflecting on personal connections to social
innovation.
 Practicing concrete skills associated with social
innovation.

SI
E XP E RI E NT IA L
COURS E

Hone student understanding
and practice of social
innovation throughexperiential methods.

 Focusing on practice of social innovation whileembedded in local campus or community context.
 Emphasizing collaboration and facilitation skills.
 Integrating service-learning or other highly engaged
approaches.
 Practicing ethical and responsible engagement in a
key project/output.

SI
CROS S D I S CI P LI N A RY
COURS EShowcase the relationshipand connection of social
innovation methodologies
with other disciplines.

 Providing historical overview of how these
disciplines have/not worked together toward
providing social impact.
 Demonstrating how the discipline can leverage social
innovation processes and skills in the real-world.
 Engaging in a project to practice cross-disciplinary
collaboration and bring social innovation process to
life.

SI
CAP STONE 15 /I NT E RNS H IP
COURS E

Integrate, apply, and advance
students’ social innovation
learning through a final,
focused research or practiceproject at the campus or local
community level.

 Synthesizing and applying social innovation theories
and/or processes.
 Encouraging reflection to deepen students’
understanding of their experiences and changemakeridentities.
 Communicating final project/output anddemonstrating increased mastery of social innovation
concepts.

SI
ONLI NE
M OD ULE S( S E LF - PAC ED )Democratize the experienceand accessibility of social
innovation across theinstitution and/or community.

 Providing modules virtually enabling access anytime,
anywhere.
 Facilitating discussion boards and inviting diverse
perspectives and life experiences from an often
more diverse student population (e.g., crossdisciplines or community).
 Encouraging deep reflection and personal meaning
making.

SI
101(INTRODUCTO RY )COURS E

15 A capstone course is final unit or project designed to integrate learning experiences across one’s studies.

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DESIGN CONSIDERATIONSThere are a number of considerations when developing a social innovation course including: course
format, institutional housing of the course, appropriate learning outcomes, inclusivity of the course,balance of theory and action, involvement of outside expertise, collaboration with community
organizations, etc. While this process will look different for everyone, we encourage you to invest the time
to reflect; survey existing needs, resources, and opportunities; and align with relevant teams.
Educators who have more latitude in course design and available funding and/or support, mightalso consider options related to course duration, location, student co-leadership, and experiential or
immersive formats.

AC T I O N ST EPSIDENTIFY STUD ENT DEMAND AND COMMUNITY INTERESTS
Explore and articulate driving factors such as interest and demand. Administer a student
survey and consult with students as you consider what is needed and how the course might beframed. Engage community members to identify areas of expertise, interests, and/or needs
and how the course might relate. Create mutually beneficial partnerships with community
members and organizations. Create relationships with student advisors and student
organization leaders who can provide input and help promote the course.
CLAR IFY YOUR COURSE FORMAT
Identify the course format that best suits your institutional context and needs, whether it
be general education, specialized in a minor or major, a first-year seminar, embedded in acapstone experience, part of an immersive study abroad, or hosted online. Consider whatrole this course might play in a student’s broader changemaker journey. (Refer to Strategy
13 for more on social innovation course sequences and Strategy 15 on changemaker learningjourneys).
BUILD LEARNING OUTCOMES AND EVALUATION PROCESSES EARLY
Avoid the urge to jump into creative design before setting the strategic intent. Resist thetendency to employ creative and engaging pedagogical activities that create a “wow factor”
without first confirming they will support the desired intended learning outcomes. (Refer
to Strategy 10 for more information on co-creating changemaker learning outcomesand Preparing Students for a Rapidly Changing World: Learning Outcomes for Social

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Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship, and Changemaker Education for a survey of social
innovation learning outcomes.)
LEVERAGE PUBLICLY AVAILA BLE RESOURCES
Visit free, collaborative resource hubs like www.socialchangeinnovators.com and/or explore
databases like the Open Syllabus Explorer.
BOLDLY COMMUNICATE THE COURSE VISION
Get creative with your course description, promotion, and how to get students involved inpromoting it to their peers. Frame the course as an invitation to get involved in a greater
vision of changemaking on campus and with the community, if relevant. Consider ways
to reach and appeal to students that might not yet be as familiar with social innovation orchangemaking.
BRING COURSE CONTENT ALIVE
Connect the classroom to real world problem-solving by inviting practitioners, local social
entrepreneurs, field partners, or changemaking alumni into your course. Utilize case studies
to facilitate a deeper study of complexity, failure, or iterative processes. Create experiential
activities and create space for experimentation and reflection. (Refer to Strategy 11 for a
discussion on pedagogies to facilitate changemaker learning outcomes.)
GIV E PRACTICA L TOOLS A ND TIME TO APPLY THEM
Dedicate time and energy to the exploration and practice of social innovation tools andmethods. Employ practical templates, tools, and key processes such as root cause analysis,
ecosystem mapping, impact canvas, and stakeholder analysis.
CONTRIBUT E YOUR EXPERIENCE
Bring in your own identity and lived changemaker experiences into the course content.
(Refer to Strategy 9 for more information on cultivating a Changemaker Educator mindset
and skills.)
ENGAGE STUDENT SOCIAL INNOVATORS AS CO-LEADERS
Create student teaching assistant roles to showcase and utilize student co-leadership. Createclear opportunities throughout the coursework for students to take action and lead, whether
it’s a speaking, presentation, or facilitation role.

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COMMIT TO PRACTICES OF MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION
Assist students in their abilities to assess and understand their progress toward key concepts.

✓
✓
✓

TI PS
BE FOCUSED
Scope the course content and provide opportunities for deeper engagement on fewer topics
and social issues or problems (Ashoka U, 2010).
ENVISION STUDENT PATHWAYS
Imagine your course as a pipeline into other opportunities such as student research, course
sequences, micro-credentials, or other student leadership opportunities. (Refer to Strategy 15
for more details on mapping student journeys.)
REFLECT ON AND ITERATE THE COURSE
Record examples of successes or “aha” moments during your first iterations of your social
innovation course. Apply the principles of social innovation to the course design itself
by experimenting and iterating over time. As the course continues to change, grow, andbetter meet student needs, it will be modeling intrapreneurship (i.e., innovating with anorganization or program) and changemaking in education.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

B ROW N UN I V ERS I T Y
SYSTEMS CHANGE AND ETHICS AS CRITICAL COURSE COMPONENTS

Brown University is a private Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island in the
United States. With approximately 10,000 students and 7,000 undergraduates, Brown has along track record in promoting ethical community engagement and innovation for impact. Thisvignette shows how a social entrepreneurship course at Brown has been framed more broadly
to address critical concepts such as systems change and ethics as part of a more comprehensive
understanding of strategies social entrepreneurs use to address complex problems and develop
innovative, systems-changing solutions that foster transformation.
The course is open to both undergraduate and graduate students of all levels and majors andstudents are determined through an application process. The course features modules on:
problem definition, systems change, ethics, evaluation, business models, and scaling. These key
concepts reinforce that solutions must first be grounded in a clear understanding of the problem,the system(s) in which it is situated, its root causes, and the potential levers for transformativechange. The course explicitly addresses ethical dimensions of social entrepreneurship such as theimportance of engaging community members in co-developing, evaluating, and iterating solutions.
The course also guides students to learn about and consider a variety of organizational structures,
funding, and scaling models. Students engage with articles, cases, and guest speakers, bringing
theoretical methodologies and frameworks to life.
As a result, students learn that successful and ethical social entrepreneurship is grounded indeep understanding of context and community, emerges through engagement with systems andstakeholders, and flourishes through a variety of organizational forms. Importantly, it avoids thepitfalls of many social entrepreneurship courses that overemphasize the role of an individual
entrepreneur without lived experience of a problem developing largely commercial solutions.

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CO L L EGE O F T HE AT L A N T I C
CREATING SOLUTIONS FOR CREDIT

At College of the Atlantic (COA), an institution in Bar Harbor, Maine in the United States that has
350 students, 35 faculty, and offers just one major, students design their own courses of study in
Human Ecology (an exploration of the relationships between humans and their natural, cultural,and built environments). A COA education is about transforming thought into action and working
across multiple disciplines to make a difference in the world.
Students participating in COA’s sustainable enterprise incubator, the Diana Davis Spencer Hatchery,
devote all their academic credit for one term (the equivalent of three classes) to designing andlaunching an enterprise. This intense focus allows students to align their studies with their passions,preventing the dilemma encountered by social entrepreneurs where they need to drop out ofschool to pursue their dreams. The Hatchery frequently functions as a capstone course and as such,it not only prompts students to synthesize their previous coursework, but also acts as a bridge tolife after graduation. As an interdisciplinary course, it leads social entrepreneurs from across thecurriculum through a common start-up framework. This allows them to combine their subject area
expertise with essential entrepreneurial skills needed to build a successful enterprise and maximize
impact. Among other topics, course material covers design thinking, problem framing and reframing,
innovation and rapid prototyping, partnering with stakeholders, social entrepreneurship businessmodels, and sustainable sourcing and operations. Hatchery students have launched sustainable foodbusinesses, alternative fuel products, humanitarian relief efforts, and youth changemaker projects.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

UN I VERS I T Y O F SA N DI EGO
CHANGEMAKER CAPSTONEThe University of San Diego (USD) is a private, liberal arts university in the United States withapproximately 8,000 students. USD offers students a Changemaking Minor where they can learn
about the practice of changemaking and social innovation in the classroom. One of the courses
in this minor is the Changemaking Capstone which “provide[s] students with the opportunity
to create a specific course of action to address a challenging social issue” (University of San
Diego, n.d.a). Whether students are pursuing a challenge on campus or in a community, thiscourse provides a space for students to synthesize and apply what they have learned throughout
their minor. As the they advance their real-world projects, they gain pragmatic experience incollaboration with students, faculty, and others.

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13
CH AN G E M A K E R E DUC ATI O N STR ATE GY 13

BUILD
SOCIALI N N O VAT I O N
COURSE
16
SEQUENCESAs changemaker education evolves on campus, it is natural to

explore which academic pathways are ripe to serve the student

interest and enthusiasm growing out of various curricular or co­curricular experiences. Building social innovation course sequences

as part of your changemaker education offerings provides a gateway
for increased and more diverse student involvement as well as

opportunities to further embed changemaking across the institution.
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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Provides pathways and recognition thatcomplement other disciplinary studies.
 Signals the importance of developing deeper
social innovation skills.
 Prepares students more rigorously for social
impact careers.
 Demonstrates institutional commitment to thediscipline of social innovation.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 When designing social innovation sequences.
 To consider social innovation in context ofchangemaker pathways.

R EA DERS
Who might use it and how?

CHA N GEMA KER
E DUC ATO RS

 Identify course sequence types and design
considerations.
 Consider the student learning milestones andhow they relate to course sequence design.
 Test and iterate course sequences.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS Identify how social innovation sequences fit into
your institution’s changemaker offerings andsupport changemaking pathways.
 Recommend opportunities for further innovation.

CHA N GE L EA DERS

 Consider how course sequence(s) relate to theinstitution’s changemaking ecosystem and strategy.
 Identify new opportunities based on student,
community, and/or employer needs.

S E N I O R L EA DERS

 Commit resources to social innovation as adiscipline.
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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
The approach to developing social innovation course sequences is closely linked to the institutional
context and assets available to make the sequence possible. Regardless of the type of sequence, theprogression of courses and experiences should enable students to demonstrate increasing mastery insocial innovation concepts and methods over time. Table 33 provides an overview of a variety of social
innovation course sequences which may serve as a springboard for your own ideation and planning.

TABLE 33. SOCIAL INNOVATION COURSE SEQUENCE TYPES 1 7

TYPE

D EFIN IT IO N

VALUECONCE NT R AT IO N ,MI NOR, OR M A JO R

Provide comprehensive
academic pathways
which allow students
to achieve an advanced
understanding of social
innovation.

 Provides depth and rigor with sustained engagement
for highly motivated students.
 Serves as an engine for continued rigor, experiences,and research in social innovation that benefits otherprograms across the institution.
 Can complement students’ other educational
experiences and/or graduation outcomes.
 Does not depend on students’ capacity to participate
in co-curricular social innovation offerings.

CE RT I F I CAT E

Provide a bundle ofcourses that may be
more broadly available
across the institution
and/or community.

 Enables deeper dive than a single class, with lesscommitment than a full minor or major.
 Provides external validation in the form of a “certificate”
that positions students for internships and career paths.
 Can provide an additional revenue stream to theinstitution.
 May be more appealing than a degree program andthus able to engage more students, staff, faculty, and/or community stakeholders and/or support institution’scommunity engagement priorities.

GRA D UATEP ROGR AM /MAST E RS

Provides depth andprepares students fora dedicated careerin social innovation
as practitioners,
researchers, educators,
and/or policymakers.

 Fosters additional research and co-creation of thought
leadership with faculty.
 Contributes to the establishment of social innovation as
an academic discipline, providing more legitimacy.
 Cultivates and prepares students for career pathways insocial innovation and changemaking.
 May provide opportunity to more holistically (crossdisciplinary) address social change than exclusively
traditional pathways of entrepreneurship andinternational development.

16 We appreciate that terminology varies across regions and educational systems. Please refer to the glossary for how we use the term course sequence forthis publication.
17 Some institutions designate courses to distinguish them as tracked to “Sustainability”, “Changemaking”, or “Community-Engaged” as they are developed into
formal certificates, minors, majors, programs, etc. This helps create “legitimacy” both for the respective courses as well as for course sequences or tracks. It
also helps students identify courses and navigate their own changemaker pathways.

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Table 34 offers some considerations for each type of course sequence.

TABLE 34. CONSIDERATIONS FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION COURSE SEQUENCESTYPEU NI QUE ATTR I B UTES AN D CON S I D ER ATI ON S

CONCE NT R AT IO N

 Provides relatively easy way to implement and sustain a pathway.
 Can be associated with a variety of majors, disciplines, or departments.

M I NOR Requires a small number of courses.
 Serves as a more accessible opportunity for students seeking to develop
competencies in social innovation.
 Encourages interdisciplinary participation across various pathways.
 Provides an opportunity to test demand before creating a major.

M AJ OR Offers a variety of experiential elements for advancing social innovation skills.
 Must feature disciplinary and sector content and expertise as a complement tosocial innovation content and practice expertise.
 Requires a team of educators, innovators, and community members to co-design
and instruct.
 Requires significant time, support, and administrative costs.

CE RT I F I CAT E

 Allows customization to address unique:à Context, e.g.: on and off-campus demand, faculty expertise and research,
institutional context, and gaps in institutional offerings to students and thecommunity.
à Participants, e.g.: exclusive to students, offered campus-wide, available tocommunity members with a venture, or designed specifically for executive
cohorts with local employers.
à Purpose, e.g.: systems thinking, venture education, cross-sector collaboration,or intrapreneurship.
à Partners, e.g.: community organizations, social entrepreneurs, coaches,
employers, etc.
à Cost, e.g.: free, low-cost, or competitive market rates.

GR AD UAT E
P ROGRA M /M AST E RS

 Provides an opportunity to address unique institutional, regional, and participant
needs (e.g., undergraduate students looking to deepen their expertise and prepare
for a doctorate; non-profit professionals looking for continuing education; local
employers seeking graduates with specific, relevant expertise).
 Leverages pedagogies and the university’s cross-disciplinary expertise in socialchange to prepare students for changemaking careers.
 Includes opportunities and support systems for cross-disciplinary teaching andresearch.

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As you reflect on which type of social innovation curricular pathway is achievable and relevant to yourcampus community, we encourage dedicating time and space to reflect on considerations such as: What value might a new pathway offer that is not already present on campus?
 How might you communicate the uniqueness and the purpose of this pathway?
 What are the most effective building blocks to generate momentum for a student to startand complete a pathway in social innovation curriculum?

 What are potential outcomes (e.g., employment) for students who complete this pathway/credential?
While considering the variety of course sequence options, it is also critical to imagine the ideal user
perspective—your students! As introduced in Table 35, a student may experience a variety of learning
milestones related to social innovation throughout his or her educational journey. When designing acourse sequence, it can be helpful to consider what learning milestones a student may have alreadyexperienced or how a course sequence can further fuel their development.

TABLE 35. SAMPLE STUDENT LEARNING MILESTONESLE A R N IN G
M I LESTO N E

W H EN I T M AY OCC UR

I M P ORTAN C E

Better understanding ofdynamics between major
actors in social change
and the relevant socialchange methodologies

 This milestone would likely occur
toward the start of a social
innovation journey to deepen
understanding of the ecosystem, key
players, and applicable approaches.

 Students develop anunderstanding of the field suchthat they can reference models,
practices, and practitioners who
inspire and guide their work.

Better understanding of
how deeply complex andembedded issues are,especially those forwhich they do not have
lived experience Through engaging with and learning
about the problem over an extended
period (Papi-Thornton, 2016a).
 This milestone will require a sustainedcommitment from students and may
span a course, sequence of courses,
and/or their educational journey.

 Students practice theircommitment to ethical, informed,
and responsible application ofsocial innovation.

Awareness of how to
uniquely contribute tosocial impact

 This milestone will occur all
throughout the educational journey,
in various shapes and sizes.
 Awareness will continue to grow asmuch as it is practiced.

 Students practice their selfawareness and connection to
how their life experiences haveinformed them as an emerging
social innovator.

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LE A R N IN G
M I LESTO N E

W H EN I T M AY OCC UR

I M P ORTAN C E

Deepening of corevalues like empathy,collaboration, social
justice, andchangemaking

 Deepening of values grows throughpractice and will serve as a milestone
that, while not necessarily measurablewith typical assessment techniques ina single course, should be revisitedand celebrated at various stages ofthe pathway, especially at the start andend, and beyond.

 Students prioritize their practiceof and connection to core values
essential to effective, responsible
social innovation.
 Their values deepen as they areencouraged to reflect and integrate
new levels of commitment to thesevalues.

Engaging in
intrapreneurship This milestone will likely occur inthe second half of their educational
journey, as it requires excellence incompetencies and skills that advancea student to the point of acting on
intrapreneurial insights and ideas.

 As students mature in
their development, they
will increasingly notice andbe confident in pursuing
intrapreneurial andentrepreneurial opportunities.
 This will deepen as their practiceof core changemaker values
deepens.

Readiness to advance a
specific solution throughsocial venture creation

 This milestone is an advanced pointin students’ journeys, where they can
synthesize and combine a number ofmethods and practices.
 It represents a deepened
understanding, competence, andconfidence to move to a new level ofideation, prototyping, and solutionsoriented practice, design, andimplementation.

 Students can bring new rigor,
dedication, and advanced
resources into their practice ofsocial innovation.
 This stage also supports a
student’s consideration of
workforce pathways and issues
they would like to explore withmore time and energy.

Embedding social
innovation
methodologies into a
career direction of
choice This milestone is something that canbe considered through a student’s
journey, and especially toward thepathway’s conclusion.

 Reflection around how theirstudent experiences in social
innovation connect to theirbroader life and career goals
can support students in making
career decisions and integratingsocial innovation values andpractices regardless of chosen
sector or role.

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AC T I O N ST EPSANALYZE EXISTING PROGRAMMING AND DEMAND
Analyze and determine if and what type of a course sequence in social innovation makes sense
for your institution. Consider student demand, faculty expertise and research, institutional
context, gaps in academic offerings, and community and employer interests. Consider
existing courses across disciplines that may become part of the minor, major, concentration,
certificate, or graduate program.
CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE
Identify the primary audience of the social innovation course sequence, e.g.: students of
all levels, faculty, staff, community members, social innovation practitioners, and/or otherrelated professionals. Gather data, conduct surveys, and/or focus groups to learn more
intimately about their interests and needs. Invite representatives as co-designers of thesequence.
IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACADEMIC HOUSING
Consider where academic initiatives in social innovation are primarily housed, as well as
which department(s) might house the major, minor, or concentration. Identify how this will
influence the structure or content of your social innovation program. Reflect on how the
program might align or diverge from current trends in social innovation program offerings.
DETERMINE RELATIONSHIP AND SEQUENCING OF YOUR PATHWAYS
Analyze existing academic pathways and how they do (or could in the future) interact with orinform the other. Be intentional as you build sequences. Consider launching a single course togauge student interest before creating a course sequence and testing a concentration or minor
before building a major.
IDENTIFY AND SCAFFOLD LEARNING OUTCOMES
Select clear social innovation or changemaker education learning outcomes for the program.
Think about the sequence needed to work towards these outcomes over the course of a
student’s learning journey. Ensure that students deeply understand the mechanics offostering social change, understand the root causes of social problems, and gain knowledge
and experience of issues in introductory courses before moving to develop solutions in moreadvanced courses.

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CONSIDER ACCESSIBILITY AND DELIVERY OF PATHWAY
Determine appropriate formats and delivery mechanisms to achieve the desired scale andaccessibility, e.g.: in-person, online, or through a hybrid approach; weekdays, evenings, or
weekends; residency or non-residency based; etc.
CONSIDER IMPACT MEASUREMENT
Identify your institution’s desired outcomes and success criteria for the social innovation
program and establish appropriate key performance indicators. Establish formal performance
review cycles, create informal feedback mechanisms, and create a team culture of listening,learning, and continuous improvement. Evaluate student learning in each course and acrossthe sequence. Conduct pilots and experiments as you iterate learning outcomes and pedagogies.
Conduct longitudinal studies to research and track students’ next educational and professional
steps, social innovation and changemaking impact, and if/how the sequence has contributed.

✓
✓
✓

TI PS
TAKE STOCK OF INSTITUTIONAL DATA
Revisit any recent surveys your institution has conducted around the student experienceand consider where your social innovation academic pathway can be in service of expressed
student needs.
DESIGN FOR FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR INITIAL PROTOTYPEYour sequence will naturally evolve over time as you refine based on student feedback and theoutcomes they are striving to master.
INVOLVE STUDENT CO-LEADERS
Identify student co-leaders who can help their peers reflect and process their experiencethroughout the social innovation sequence. Consider what learning milestones those student
co-leaders would have had to reach to serve as effective mentors and reflection partners toother students.
DEPICT THE PROGRAM VISUALLY
Given the many parts of course sequences and their supporting requirements, resources, andoptions, a graphical depiction can help students best plan for and customize their experience(Refer to Strategy 15).

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

P O RT L AN D STAT E UN I V ERSITY
CERTI FICATE IN SOCIAL INNOVATION AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Portland State University (PSU) is the most diverse public university in Oregon and serves
28,000 students, nearly half from historically marginalized and underrepresented racial and ethnic
backgrounds. As an anchor institution for the City of Portland in the United States, PSU provides
thousands of jobs, invests millions of dollars on capital projects, and adds an estimated $1.44 billion
in annual economic impact.
Housed in the School of Business but open to anyone, PSU’s Certificate in Social Innovation andSocial Entrepreneurship is a majority-online, credit-bearing program that creates a pathway forstudents to draw on their own identity and lived experience in developing creative approaches toaddressing major social or environmental issues. Open to undergraduates, graduate students, andcommunity members, participants work on their own concepts for a new social venture or analyze
an existing organization.
The certificate was funded through an internal, crowdsourced grant process designed to seedinnovative approaches to online education. The curriculum was designed through a series ofsessions that included students, alumni, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs. The programis one way in which PSU lives its values of access, inclusion, and equity, not only through open
enrollment, but also in valuing lived experience and supporting students in advancing ideas fora more equitable society. Graduates have designed and launched foundations, social enterprises,
academic programs, and nonprofits around the world.
To learn more about the process of developing learning outcomes for the Certificate, refer to thecampus example in Strategy 10 or Chapter 8 in Preparing Students for a Rapidly Changing World:
Learning Outcomes for Social Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship, and Changemaker Education.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

UN I VERS I DA D DEL DESA RROLLO
PUBLIC RESPONSIB ILITY T RACKUniversidad del Desarrollo (UDD) is a private university with campuses in Santiago andConcepción, Chile. It has more than 14,000 students enrolled in 25 undergraduate programs andalmost 2,000 students in 94 graduate programs, collectively spread across 22 research centers.
Founded in 1990, at the core of UDD’s DNA are three “signature” focal areas: entrepreneurship,
public responsibility and ethics, and innovation. In line with these roots and its aim to equip
graduates as changemakers, the university offers four tracks as part of its academic model, UDD
Future (including one focused on Public Responsibility). Students are required to take one course
in each of the four tracks, and if they choose to take four in public responsibility, they earn acertificate.
This Public Responsibility Track aims to make students aware of social problems experienced by
the country and the university’s local community and learn more about public service as a career
path (Universidad del Dessarollo, n.d.). There are approximately 20 courses offered, and they
respond to issues such as public policies and citizenship; sustainability; inclusion; wellbeing andquality of life; emergency management; and urban planning, among others. Overall, the track isdesigned to support students in acquiring skills that will allow them to evaluate, question, or sustain
different world views. Specifically, the Track is intended to help students develop critical positions
towards national social realities; get them actively engaged in social initiatives that pursue thecommon good; and help them analyze different socio-cultural contexts and their relationship withthe development of public policy.

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N O RTH C EN T RA L CO L L EGE
RE(INVENTING) ACADEMIC PATHWAYS

Founded in 1861, North Central College is a private, comprehensive college located in the
Chicago metro area in the United States. Described by its inaugural President as a great moral
lighthouse, North Central opened as a vanguard co-educational institution and has long been
devoted to social change and social impact. Continuing in this legacy, North Central has recently
reinvented new academic pathways for equipping students as changemakers while demonstrating
innovation and creativity within the confines of traditional curriculum approval processes.
The College’s social innovation offerings include the launch of the Social Impact Center in 2017, a
Social Entrepreneurship major, and a Social Innovation minor, all of which are the result of multiple,
intentional iterations.
For over 25 years, North Central has had a Leadership, Ethics, and Values (LEV) program, aunique interdisciplinary program designed to touch every student through the general education
curriculum as well as additional concentrations and minors. At one point, the LEV Program offered
minors in: 1) Conflict Resolution, 2) Leadership, 3) Organizational Leadership, and 4) Social Change
and Public Advocacy. In 2009, leadership saw an opportunity to combine the Organizational
Leadership and Social Change minors to create a Social Change Leadership minor.
Strategically, the development of the Social Change Leadership minor enabled the college tooffer a more focused way of cultivating students as changemakers. Operationally, it was easier torecombine, reinvent, and reapprove existing programming rather than create something entirely
brand new. Pragmatically, the new minor resonated more with students who sought changemaking
education rather than traditional leadership or advocacy offerings (which can still be accessed
through other disciplines and offerings).

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When North Central embarked on updating its general education requirements in 2017, leaderschose not to simply align to the new requirements, but rather seized the opportunity to re-envision
academic pathways for changemaking. In this new iteration, the team reimagined the Social Change
Leadership minor as a Social Innovation minor, leaning into the more unique, and cross-disciplinary
skills of design thinking, systems thinking, and innovation. This Social Innovation minor was designed
to be a complement to any number of other disciplinary majors (e.g., Sociology, Engineering, orEnvironmental Studies).
Through the ongoing iteration and evolution of its changemaking offerings, North Central has
embodied social innovation institutionally by perceiving, and subsequently responding to, theemerging needs of students while also iterating creatively within academic approval structures andprocesses to achieve impact.

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UN I VERS I DA D DEL DESA RROLLO
DLAB

Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD) is a private university with campuses in Santiago andConcepción, Chile. Founded in 1990, at the core of UDD’s DNA are three “signature” focal areas:
entrepreneurship, ethics and public responsibility, and innovation. Drawing on these roots, its“dLab” is an innovative education program that is creating a disruptive model for higher education
curriculum centered around interdisciplinary project-based learning.
dLab brings together students and faculty from five departments (Architecture, Design, Civil
Engineering, Business, and Advertising) to engage in a project-based curriculum (16 credit hours
per semester) for one academic year. The program is run by the Institute for Interdisciplinary
Innovation, a joint venture of the five departments under the Innovation and Development
division. Participating students come from each school, are in their final year of study, and musthave demonstrated experience in and commitment to advancing their social innovation skills. The
program features a different theme each year, and students unite around a relevant social challenge,
test and develop real solutions, and start creating deep social impact. The program combines anapplied innovation methodology with an interdisciplinary approach, and the final products arepractical solutions to real social problems. Students also have the option to engage in a competition
for seed capital for their projects.
UDD believes that today’s highly competitive, globalized, and technologically advanced society
requires all citizens to be adaptable and maintain a change-oriented mindset. dLab helps students
cultivate diverse skills so that they can be true changemakers and generate a positive social impact.
dlab has been beneficial to faculty by serving as an innovation laboratory to develop new teaching
methodologies and test new ways of cross faculty collaboration.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

RO L L I NS CO L L EGE
BUILDING ACADEMIC PATHWAYS

Rollins College is a private liberal arts college with approximately 3,000 students in Winter Park,
Florida in the United States. Driven by pillars of excellence, innovation, and community, Rollins
provides a personalized, hands-on education that inspires students to tackle the big challenges
facing our global community. Based on its strong reputation for experiential learning, community
engagement, and global citizenship, Rollins became a Changemaker Campus in 2012, and has beena key leader in creating academic pathways for social entrepreneurship and innovation.
Since that time, Rollins has built several academic pathways for student changemakers. In 2013,
Rollins created the first AACSB-accredited undergraduate major in Social Entrepreneurship(SE) in the nation, which prepares students to apply market-based approaches to social change.
Housed within the Business division, the SE curriculum includes courses such as SE Marketing,
Ethical Sourcing, and Financing SE. In 2018, Rollins added an interdisciplinary major in Social
Innovation (SI), designed for students who want to apply their changemaking skills to careers suchas community organizing, public communication, nonprofit management, and public policy. Over 50
faculty members from 15 departments offer courses for the SI major, and students choose theirown curricular path based on a specific social problem that they are passionate about. Rollins alsooffers a concentration in Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Enterprise for the MBA degreein the Crummer Graduate School. The curriculum is accompanied with a wide range of immersive
experiences with and deliverables for a local and international companies and organizations.

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14
CH AN G E M A K E R E DUC ATI O N STR ATE GY 14

C R E AT E
CO-CURRICULARCHANGEMAKINGPROGRAMS
In addition to curricular programming, it is important to offer cocurricular opportunities which enable students to engage in andexperiment with changemaking outside of the classroom. Ideally,
institutions provide a broad array of co-curricular programs andexperiences to support a diverse range of student interests, needs,
and availability.
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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Engages diverse campus and community
stakeholders.
 Offers shorter, less intimidating developmental
opportunities.
 Enables low-risk experimentation.
 Complements and enriches academic courses.
 Provides opportunities to tailor one’s
changemaking journey.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 Anytime.

R EA DERS
Who might use it and how?

C HA N GEMA K ER
EDUC ATO RS

 Identify various types of co-curricularexperiences and design considerations.
 Take stock of the offerings, gaps, andopportunities at your institution.
 Create or innovate new offerings orconnections across existing ones.

ST UDEN T L EA DERS Initiate design of and/or lead various
changemaking offerings with Changemaker
Educators and Change Team.

C HA N GE L EA DERS

 Encourage Change Team to conduct an audit
of offerings across the institution and use result
to inform future strategy and activities.

S EN I O R L EA DERS

 Commit resources to co-curricularchangemaking experiences.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONS
Co-curricular changemaking programming provides activities and experiences that help students developchangemaker qualities outside the classroom. As further described in Table 36, potential offerings could
include internships and fellowships; incubators and accelerators; centers; leadership programming; andevents.

Regardless of type of co-curricular experience, engaging and empowering students as cocreators, leaders, and mentors lives out the vision of an everyone a changemaker world andensures that programing best meets their needs.

TABLE 36. SAMPLE CO-CURRICULAR CHANGEMAKING ACTIVITIESI NT E RNS H IP S
A ND
F E LLOWS H IP S

D ESC R IP T IO N

Internships and fellowships are in-depth experiences for students to explore social
issue(s) and learn about how an organization is addressing them.
SIG N IFIC A N C E






Provides real-world experience.
Enables learning about problems and systems.
Provides guidance and a support structure.
Provides opportunity to identify potential career paths and roles.

U N IQ U E CO N SID ER AT I ON S

 Consider whether students secure an internship partner themselves or choose
from a list of potential internship partners curated by the university.
 Require that students are paid for their internships and/or connect students tofunding opportunities.
 Set and employ criteria for vetting and confirming students, partners, andengagement expectations.
 Seek to build long-term partnerships with employers and community
organizations, as feasible, to maximize the potential for impact.
 Provide orientations/trainings to prepare students for the context of theirinternship (e.g., cultural context, travel safety, and respectful and ethical engagement
and co-creation with community).
 Provide ongoing or periodic mentoring or advisor check-ins.
 Integrate a reflection and forward action/sharing component to capture and sharelearnings (e.g., create report of learnings, conduct a workshop, or mentor otherstudents).

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V E NT UR E - B A SED
P ROGRA M M IN G ,ACCE LE RATO RS,
A ND
I NCUB ATO RS

D ESC R IP T IO N

Programming that supports early-stage ventures through a variety of resources, training,and mentorship.
SIG N IFIC A N C E

 Provides guidance and support structures for starting and growing a social venture (e.g.,developing business plan, securing seed funding, etc.).
U N IQ U E CO N SID ER ATI ON S

 Consider whether the programming will focus on incubation, acceleration, or both.
 Leverage relevant institutional resources and thought leadership on intellectual property
rights, trademarks, patents, etc.
 Determine staffing model best aligned to program goals, participants, and design (e.g.,
professors of practice, business coaches, local social entrepreneurs, alumni, student
mentors).
 Look for natural points of integration with other relevant offerings such as Map the
System Challenge, social business pitches, and capstone projects.
 Exercise caution in advising students to ensure they have apprenticed with the problem,
considered unintended consequences, ethically par tnered with relevant stakeholders,and assessed existing solutions, before seeking to solve a problem or launch something
new (Papi-Thornton, 2016a).
 Provide mentorship and advising both on technical aspects of start-ups as well asaround team dynamics, student transitions, etc.
 Consider whether to provide funding to social ventures.
CE NT E RS , L A B S,
A ND HUBS

D ESC R IP T IO N

Space and/or units for fostering connection, collaboration, and support for innovation
and/or changemaking among a range of stakeholders.
SIG N IFIC A N C E

 Provides space for co-working, training, events, and/or collaboration.
 Offers training and events to raise awareness and understanding of social innovation
and/or changemaking.
 Can be a means of facilitating a community of changemakers.
 Can provide a one-stop-shop for students, faculty, and staff to learn aboutchangemaking activities and resources across the institution and navigate theirlearning journeys.
U N IQ U E CO N SID ER ATI ON S

 Determine whether the center will serve a single school or the entire institution.
 Determine how the center will be funded (e.g., endowment, grants, student affairs/
fees, fees for service).
 Evaluate location and spaces for the greatest accessibility and visibility as well ability tosupport program goals.
 Consider the type of programming to be offered and if the space will support
primarily co-curricular events or also academic programming.
 Design the space to communicate changemaker offerings (signs and digital andinteractive displays) and live out social innovation and changemaking values andprinciples.
 Establish partnerships and marketing channels with student clubs and other university
offices.
 Develop guidelines, processes, and trainings for student-run efforts to support
professionalism, consistency, impact measurement, improvement, and staff transitions.

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CHA NGE M A K ER
LE A D E RS H IP
P ROGRA M M IN G

D ESC R IP T IO N

Programs and experiences that cultivate a deeper understanding of social change, self,
and others and how to achieve social impact.
SIG N IFIC A N C E

Cultivates strong self-awareness and adaptive leadership skills.
Can provide deeper, more transformative development.
Helps students identify strengths, passions, and potential unique contributions.
Fosters a sense of community and a personal and professional network to draw on
through one’s career.
 Provides leadership competence development that is attractive to employers.
U N IQ U E CO N SID ER ATI ON S

 Determine changemaking and leadership skills/competencies to be developed andhow they will be cultivated and assessed.
 Consider engaging alumni and thought leaders as guest speakers, mentors, site/fieldvisit hosts.
 Build in intentional student reflection throughout.
 Support students in integrating their learning into other aspects of their lives (e.g.,courses, leadership roles, volunteerism) and relating it to their futures (e.g., potential
career paths and roles).
E V E NTSD ESC R IP T IO N

Informational, celebratory, or challenge-based events that increase awareness of and/or engagement in social innovation and changemaking.
SIG N IFIC A N C E

 Can increase campus community energy for changemaking.
 May be more manageable to resource and staff compared to ongoing efforts
given they are time-bound.
 Can incentivize student engagement and spur action or commitment.
U N IQ U E CO N SID ER ATI ON S

 Consider the flow of events across the academic calendar to determine optimal
time for engagement and participation.
 Incorporate changemaking into orientation or first week of classes to engage
broad group of students early in the term and at the start of their time at theinstitution.
 Consider adding to established events (e.g., introduce social innovation into
Service Week) to achieve synergies and minimize duplication of effort.
 Engage students as ambassadors and volunteers.
 Engage faculty and staff to recruit students starting a venture and integrate theevent/challenge with existing courses and programs.
 Identify appropriate incentives based on event purpose, participant profile,and university resources (e.g., seed money for challenges; recognition for achangemaker award, badge, or certificate).
 Provide orientation and training prior to challenge-based events and ongoingsupport after to connect students to appropriate resources.

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STUDENTS AS CO-LEADERS
When assessing existing programming and determining new opportunities, it is important to consider
the diverse needs and perspectives of the full student body. As with strategic and academic planning, it iscritical to invite and engage diverse and representative student voices to consider a full range of needs andinterests and how those will shape design for optimal accessibility, participation, and support.
Student leaders with advanced social innovation and changemaking skills are also important co-creators,
facilitators, peer mentors, and ambassadors for co-curricular changemaking experiences. As such, it isimportant to recognize, celebrate, and reward student leadership. Some institutions offer paid positions tostudent leaders whether as Change Team members, program coordinators, communicators, peer mentors,
or ambassadors (refer to Strategy 6, Brigham Young University campus example). Compensating students
for their work not only provides validation and recognition, but also supports equity and inclusion byremoving a barrier to participation for students who do not have the opportunity to volunteer given theneed for paid work.

AC T I O N ST EPSANALYZE EXISTING PROGRAMMING AND DEMAND
Analyze current co-curricular programming and determine what type might make sense
for your institution. Consider institutional context, resources, and assets; current academic
programming and faculty expertise; and student and employer demand. Consider synergies
across co-curricular or curricular programs and if/how they could be linked. Identify any
gaps and target audiences for new offerings. Refer to Strategy 15 for more on student learningjourneys.
DETERMINE INSTITUTIONAL POSITION OR AFFILIATION
Consider where academic and co-curricular changemaking initiatives are sponsored and run
across the institution. Determine the optimal institutional home for your new co-curricularexperience, whether in a specific school, institute, or center. Consider how factors such as
funding, location, scheduling, protocols, etc. will impact and shape the structure, content,delivery, and accessibility of your new co-curricular offering.
DESIGN FOR SCOPE, SCALE, AND ACCESSIBILITY
Identify the scope, scale, and accessibility goals and requirements. Consider design decisions
and how relevant formats will support your goals: flexible/structured, in-person/virtual, onetime/ongoing, on-campus/off-campus, free/paid, self-directed/instructor-led, etc.
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DEVELOP LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
Develop changemaker education learning outcomes to address the gap you are trying tofill and pedagogical approaches to meet the target audience’s needs (refer to Strategies 10
and 11 for more details). Consider the sequencing of offerings and scaffolding of student
development—i.e., how the new offering will relate to existing programming, where it fits
within a typical student learning journey, and what competencies may need to be mastered
before this experience.
IDENTIFY CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND RESOURCES
Identify and vet potential program partners such as social enterprises, innovative non-profits,
and other community organizations seeking to tackle issues. Establish long-term partnerships
and flexible models that allow for emergent projects. Identify any other resources required,including: mentors, coaches, specialized trainings (e.g., responsible community engagement),
transportation, catering, etc.
SCHEDULE STRATEGICALLY
Consider the academic calendar, course schedules, and any changemaking inventories,
directories, or student learning journey maps when planning new co-curricular experiences.
Optimize use of resources and increase engagement through strategic scheduling (e.g.,
inviting a guest speaker for both a late afternoon academic class and an early evening lecture
series; timing a speaker series in conjunction with a changeamaking festival; etc.).
MARKET AND RECRUIT
Incorporate the new program into directories and student learning portals and journeymaps. Create a targeted marketing effort to advertise the program across the institution andin the community, if applicable. Consider partnering with different departments, centers,
community partners, employers, and others to spread the word. Develop working relationshipand protocols with alumni, career placement, and community engagement offices. Employ
student leaders as powerful program ambassadors.
PREPARE STUDENTS TO ENTER COMMUNITIES RESPONSIBLY
Provide orientations/trainings to prepare students for the context of engagements such as
internships, projects with community, and field or study trips. Provide ongoing mentor oradvisor check-ins during the experience. Integrate a reflection and forward action/sharing
component for students to capture and share learnings. Consider conducting debriefs withparticipants and any other special “re-integration” support, especially after community

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engagement and/or travel experiences. (Institutional Offices of Community Engagement,
Service Learning, Study Abroad, Ethics, and Counseling may be useful resources. Be sure toresearch what standing protocols, guidance, resources, and support are offered institutionallyto ensure alignment and avoid reinventing the wheel.)
MEASURE IMPACT
Consider what students will be learning through the experience and develop an evaluation
plan. Track student learning outcomes. Evaluate programming effectiveness in terms ofimpact on students, the campus, and/or any engaged community/partners. Reflect on efficacy
and iterate the program design for continuous improvement and innovation. Use testimonies(with permissions) to expand participation.

✓
✓
✓

TI PS
CREATIVELY USE RESOURCES
Before rushing out to create something new, consider existing assets and how they may beleveraged or combined. This may reveal new opportunities you might not have otherwise
thought feasible.
THINK INSTITUTIONALLY AND SYSTEMICALLY
Becoming a Changemaker Institution means considering the wide variety of stakeholder
populations and developmental needs across the student body, institution, and communityand over time.

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M A RQ U E T T E UN I V ERS I T Y
PROM OTING INSTITUTI ONAL INNOVATION THROUGH
THE EXPLORER CHALLENGE

Marquette University, a private, Jesuit institution in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States, hasdeveloped a creative way of encouraging cross-campus participation and fostering a culture ofinnovation and changemaking. The Explorer Challenge invites Marquette students, faculty, and staff
to submit proposals for up to $25,000 in seed money for innovative projects that make an impact
and advance Beyond Boundaries, Marquette’s Strategic Plan.
Explorer Challenge funds may be used for a wide variety of projects including: developing newinterdisciplinary research clusters, building community and industry partnerships, funding ideas thatwill help the university operate more effectively or efficiently, or advancing other potentially highimpact ideas that require seed funds to test concepts or build momentum. Innovation can include
adaptation of existing strategies to support Marquette in new ways as well as the development ofbrand-new ideas. Projects that are interdisciplinary and have potential for community partnershipor impact are encouraged. The Fund is supported through donations.

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UN I VERS I DA D DE MO N T ERR E Y (UDE M)
UNIQUE CO-CURRICULAR PROGR AMMING FOR HOLI STIC STUD ENT
DEVELOPMENTThe Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM) is a Catholic institution located in Monterrey, Mexico.
Through its Formative Model, UDEM fosters holistic student development through a personalized
educational approach, enabling students to both excel in their respective fields and serve others.
Central to this model is required co-curricular programming.
Co-curricular coursework is one of four key components of the Formative Model which supports
student in systemically and intentionally cultivating 14 values and six competencies (Universidad
de Monterrey, n.d.). Development opportunities range from leadership, interculturality, citizen
participation, and sustainability to art and culture, health, sports, and spirituality. The META course(in Spanish, “Materia Enfocada A Temas Actuales”) is required of all undergraduate students. META
seeks to foster responsible, integral, and participatory citizens, who are sensitive to the needs oftoday’s world. Students engage in various community projects to identify social problems and work
together to propose solutions. An important part of the course is the incorporation of the UN
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the theme of social innovation. Unlike mostother co-curricular experiences, students completing META earn grades which contribute to their
GPAs and transcripts, ensuring they get “credit”.

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CQ UN I VERS I T Y
ICHANGE: A UNIVERSITY-WIDE SOCIAL INNOVATION ORIENTATION

CQUniversity (CQU) is the only Australian university with campuses in every mainland state,
resulting in the largest geographical reach of any university in the country. The university has over
20 campuses and study centers and serves around 35,000 students. CQU created iChange, an
online orientation to social innovation, to support accessibility and scaling of introductory concepts
across its geographies and disciplines.
iChange is a two to three-hour module that provides participants with the introduction, inspiration,and tools they need to engage with social innovation during their time as a CQU student. The
course provides a brief history and future trajectory of social innovation, together with an overview
of key trends and co-design theory. Through intentional units along with formative assessment
opportunities, the program culminates in an iChange certificate and digital badge. In the future,
students will have a chance to include this designation on their academic record.
iChange is also available to all faculty and staff, and many courses at the university have alreadyembedded iChange as a component of their coursework. While initially developed as optional, it isbeing built into academic programs, including a core professional practice unit that will be available
to all courses across the University.

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GEO RG E MA S O N UN I V ERS I TY
CA SE STUDY: SUSTAINABLE BEEKEEPING AS SOCIAL INNOVATION EDUCATION

George Mason University (GMU), an anchor institution for the United States national capitalregion with three campuses in Northern Virginia, is the largest public research university in thestate. Mason’s approximately 37,000 students hail from 130 countries and 50 states; of its 25,000
undergraduates, approximately 40% are first-generation college students.
Central to Mason’s Strategic Plan is: “What can Mason do—or do better—to produce the typesof graduates, scholarship, and service-oriented action that will best serve society?” (George Mason
University, n.d.a, p. 2). The Strategic Plan Update (George Mason University, n.d.b) promises that
Mason “will deepen our commitment to sustainability” (p. 12) and outlines “three multidisciplinary
research initiatives whose portfolios of outcomes promise significant academic, societal, andeconomic consequences” (p. 22). One of the research areas is Supporting Resilient and Sustainable
Societies which focuses on research, teaching, partnerships, and creative work that contributes“to the development of communities and societies here and around the world that are just, safe,
economically secure, and environmentally sound.”As part of its leadership role in bring the strategy to life, the Business for a Better World Center at
the School of Business oversees the University’s Honey Bee Initiative (HBI). The Center partners
with many schools and colleges across George Mason University to ensure that HBI is integrated
in the educational experiences of thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community
members. The story of HBI illustrates the diverse ways that a university can contribute tosustainability and economic development while cultivating changemaking skills through innovative
curricular and co-curricular opportunities, collaborative research, and community engagement(Gring-Pemble & Perilla, 2020).

18 Refer also to Kluser (2010).

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The George Mason University Honey Bee Initiative: Historical Context
Why bees? In their Pollinator Research Action Plan, the U.S. Pollinator Health Task Force observedthat “pollinators are critical to our Nation’s economy, food security, and environmental health”(2015, p. ii).18 Bees pollinate one third of the food we eat and have been declared, “The mostimportant living beings on Earth” (Concio, 2019). But for many reasons, including colony collapse
disorder, invasive mites (varroa destructor), and pesticides, honey bees are dying at unprecedented
rates. Without bees, human food security is in jeopardy, agricultural industry is compromised, andthe environment suffers. An investment in bees is an investment in people, community prosperity,and the planet.
GMU’s engagement with honey bees began in 2012 when an internal seed grant enabled theplacement of four hives on the main Fairfax campus to educate the university community about
the benefits of sustainable hive management in an urban setting. Soon thereafter, Mason launcheda beekeeping class, and the extraordinary 99-person waitlist for the course, combined withthe existence of Mason’s 300-student pollination lab, prompted thoughts of further program
development.
After taking inventory of complementary campus-wide initiatives (e.g., Mason was a founding
Changemaker Campus in 2008, signed the UN Global Compact in 2012, joined UN Principles
of Responsible Management Education in 2012), natural resources on campus (e.g., organic
garden, native plant garden, pond), and existing partnerships (e.g. Smithsonian-Mason School ofConservation), team members consulted potential faculty and staff partners from a variety ofareas/disciplines and launched HBI in 2013.
HBI’s mission is to empower communities through sustainable beekeeping. It promotes
multidisciplinary, experiential, and entrepreneurial approaches to honey bee sustainability.
Students from the fields of business, the humanities, education, engineering, health, science, andart collaborate on initiative-related problems and projects. HBI offers opportunities for engaging
in scientific research (e.g. pollen quality, pests, queen rearing), art projects, innovative teaching
and research (e.g. artificial insemination, pollen research, beekeeping), community outreach, andeven study abroad. These opportunities are vital for developing the creative and entrepreneurial
intelligence that is critical to addressing the world’s “wicked” problems and to lifelong learning andcareer success. Ultimately HBI introduces students, faculty, staff, and community members to the

18 Refer also to Kluser (2010).

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green economy and inspires them to take meaningful action. In fact, HBI has nearly 1,000 visitors to
the hives annually.
Today, with over 700 hives (domestically and internationally), an established teaching and research
program, thriving international programs, and dynamic public-private partnerships, HBI continues togrow its impact.
HBI as Curricular and Co-curricular Student Experience
On GMU’s campus, HBI models best practices in honey bee hive management and works withstudents of all majors and community members to emphasize the critical interdependence ofpollinators and human food sources. Courses such as Sustainable Beekeeping, Amazon in theModern World, and In Search of the Perfect Queen are offered through the School of Business,
College of Science, and College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Courses offered in theCollege of Education and Human Development (CEHD), such as “Science Methods for Diverse
Young Learners,” provide guest lectures on conservation/environmental education issues as well
as experiential learning experiences for pre-service and in-service student teachers. Graduate
students at CEHD use the bees as a means of developing lesson plans on pollinators, anatomy,
behavior, and conservation education for use in PreK-third grade classrooms. Faculty affiliated with
HBI also mentor students in courses at Mason and Northern Virginia Community College.
In addition, the College of Health and Human Services uses HBI honey during its annual
sustainability cook-off, the College of Visual and Performing Arts has partnered on a number of art
projects (including a “Living Hive” exhibit that toured the East Coast educating people about theimportance of pollinators), and the Volgenau School of Engineering has participated in “smart hive
hackathons.”
All of these educational experiences provide opportunities for students in different colleges,
disciplines, and majors to rub elbows with one another and develop changemaking skills using realworld examples and project-based applications.
HBI for Regional Economic Development
A particular point of pride has been HBI’s ability to offer significant contributions to the healthof the regional environment and economy through its partnerships with local farms, businesses,
and county government. For example, with Beltway Brewing Company, HBI is launching a honeyale entitled Patriots 57 which will be sold at on-campus events, basketball games, and major

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HBI for Global Study Abroad
HBI also has an international reach with programs around the world, including Colombia. The trisector approach HBI is taking in Colombia helps to drive sustainable, entrepreneurial beekeeping
programs to foster economic self-sufficiency for indigenous women and their families. This projectis made possible by generous support from Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) in Colombia
and partnerships with local mayors, the Universidad Industrial de Santander, Servicio Nacional de
Aprendizaje (SENA), and community beekeepers.
HBI’s Impact
Ultimately, the Honey Bee Initiative has evolved to be an interdisciplinary program with embedded
partnerships across sectors, global study abroad experiences, and a model for robust social
innovation education. Every year HBI touches the lives of thousands of students, faculty, andcommunity members, each of whom in turn multiply the effect by interacting with others. Indeed,
HBI creates lasting change in the communities with which it collaborates. The research, teaching,and partnerships that epitomize HBI underscore the importance of business as a force for good.

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15
CH AN G E M A K E R E DUC ATI O N STR ATE GY 15

FOSTERSTUDENTLEARNING
JOURNEYS

As educators develop changemaking courses, course sequences,and co-curricular experiences, it becomes increasingly importantto support students in navigating the variety of offerings across thecollege or university. Fostering student learning journeys involves
mapping and communicating educational opportunities to bettersupport students in charting and navigating their own development
as changemakers.
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ST RAT EGI C BEN EF I TS
Why is it important?

 Provides coherence to changemaking offerings.
 Communicates the value of changemaking
experiences.
 Increases awareness and participation.
 Inspires students to advance in their changemaking.
 Equips students to connect and apply
changemaking to other academic and personal
pursuits.

TI MI N G
When might it be useful?

 When demonstrating how educational
experiences can support changemaker journeys.
 When changemaking opportunities have grown
and navigating them becomes more difficult.

R EA DERS
Who might use it and how?
C HA N GEMA KER
EDUC ATO RS

 Identify the different types of changemaker
experiences students may have.

STUDEN T L EA DERS

 Engage peers in providing feedback on theirchangemaker journeys and experiences, what isworking/missing.

C HA N GE L EA DERS

 Advocate with senior leadership to secureresources and/or other offices’ collaboration indiversifying and connecting educational pathways.

S EN I O R L EA DERS

 Provide mandates for and remove obstacles tocross-departmental alignment and coordination.
 Dedicate resources to support mapping andmarketing changemaker experiences.

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K EY CO N C EPTS A ND CONSIDE RATIONSAt its core, student changemaking learning journeys are a summation of students’ campus, community,and personal experiences during their time enrolled as a student.
Changemaker education offerings, whether curricular and co-curricular, exist in complex ecosystems(your campus and community environments), in complex lives (your students’ lived experiences as well as
your own), and in complex times. Naturally, students’ perspectives, life experiences, and guiding passions
will interact and integrate with changemaker education in a variety of unique ways. And while there will
be any number of ways students may navigate the institution’s offerings, it is important to support themas they identify learning goals and chart their own changemaker steps.

PAT H WAYS VS . L EAR N I N G J OUR N EYS

For the purposes of this Guidebook, we define pathway and learning journey as below.
PAT H WAY

Specific and defined set of academic or co-curricular experiences that sequence and combine
to culminate in a recognized form of learning (e.g., a certificate, minor, or badge).
LE ARNI N G JO U R N EY

Customized combinations of changemaking experiences that students can pursue to cultivate
their changemaker identities and develop changemaker mindsets, knowledge, and skills overthe course of their college/university experience to further activate personal passions anddirect their energies.

A key starting point for developing a learning journey is taking stock of the institution’s various
changemaker offerings, pathways, research, and resources. We have observed that as campusesorganically grow their social innovation and changemaking offerings, there is a risk either of having
too many offerings aimed at a particular audience or developmental level, or not enough for others.
Additionally, with programming offered by various schools, centers, and offices, it can be difficult for
students to access, make sense of, and draw from these options in a meaningful way. Figure 5 can be used
as a brainstorming tool.

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FIGURE 5. TAKING STOCK OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNINGOPPORTUNITIESP E RSO N A L

 Emergent life
experiences (e.g., travel,
volunteering, hobbies,
and/or interactions withothers, news, social
issues).
 New job or change incareer.
 Emergent personal orfamily events (e.g., newopportunities, illnesses,
moves, job losses, etc.).
 Expected personalor family member
milestones (e.g.,marriages, births/
adoptions, graduations).






C U R R IC U L AR

CO-C UR R I C UL AR

I N ST I TUT I ON A L

Student advising.
Required orientation.
General education.
Academic courses
and course
sequences.

 Special or one-timeofferings or events.
 Co-curricular
workshops or courses
on social impact,changemaking, orleadership.
 Recurring offerings orevents (e.g., monthly
guest speaker series,
annual competitions,annual fellowships orinternships, annualchangemaker day orfilm festival).

 Special or one-timeofferings or events.
 Recurring offerings orevents (e.g., biannual
job fair, annual
scholarships).

QUE ST I O N S TO CO N SID ER What personal life experiences and learning moments are students simultaneously encountering that might
be cultivating their interest or development in changemaking?
 What “pathways” already exist? Are they accessible?
 What type of participants do existing opportunities attract? Who is missing?
 Are there any gaps in curricular, co-curricular, and institutional opportunities? Any duplication?
 Which learning opportunities are formal? Informal? Required? Optional?
 What mindsets, knowledge, and skills are currently being developed/taught?
 What is the best sequence of opportunities? How do they relate to other offerings?
 Are there mechanisms to ensure communication and facilitation between existing learning opportunities?
 How would students determine what to do after being exposed to changemaking in a first-year orientation?
 How might students make sense of their learning experiences? How might they identify new learning goals?
 How might students become aware of the offerings? How might they determine the best next step in theirown changemaking learning journey?
 What special support might students need to access, participate in, or learn through these?

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Taking stock of the changemaking offerings across the institution can serve as the foundation not only
for developing and scaffolding programming but also for mapping and communicating offerings in ameaningful way. It is important to ensure students understand what opportunities exist and which might
be appropriate next steps after a curricular or co-curricular experience sparks their interests and passions.
Similarly, it is critical to illuminate how a specific, organized pathway—like a social innovation minor
or major—fits into a student’s broader learning journey. Table 37 lists a variety of ways to map student
learning journeys.

TABLE 37. SAMPLE LEARNING JOURNEY MAPPING METHODSM AP P I NG
M E T HOD

Create a visual
ecosystem ofchangemaker
offerings andpathways.

Design narrative
or visual guides
by category,discipline, crossdisciplinary
issues, and/or
passion area.

ST EP S R EQ U IR EDI M P ORTAN C E

EXAM P L ES

 Identify and track all
your campus offeringsof social innovation andchangemaking.
 Consider organizing
pathways by discipline,
department, values, etc.

 Serves as afoundation for
identifying gaps andduplication.
 Offers a way to“connect the dots”(or bridge gaps)
between various
opportunities on
campus, especiallythose connections
that are less obvious.

Mount Royal University’s
Changemaker Roadmap visually
depicts how various institutional
efforts conceptually connect tosupport changemaking culture andaction (Mount Royal University, n.d.). 19

 Create concise andtargeted guides that canbe easily accessed by
students.
 Co-create
interdisciplinary visuals
that can be “read” by all
programs.
 Keep guides to an
essential layer of
information andcategorize appropriately
by level of involvement,
student perspective,
discipline requirements,
and/or student interests.

 Provides accessible
starting point for
students looking totake next steps on
their changemakerjourney.
 Supports academic
advising, mentorshipsessions, or student
organization meetingsto spark conversationand new ideas,
without requiring
deep preparation andalignment in advance.

Brigham Young University’s
Changemaker Maps are organized bymajor, feature a field overview andleadership profile, and are designed
to help students understand how
their discipline connects with social
innovation and changemaking (Ballard
Center for Social Impact, n.d.).
The maps include a list of courses,
internships, experiences, and otheruniversity resources.

Cornell University’s intake form andKumu Map list and map stakeholders
who self-identify that their teaching or
research supports social innovationand entrepreneurship (Cornell’s
Ashoka U Change Leader Team, n.d.).

19 While this map is less specific to concrete changemaker educational offerings, it is a useful institution-wide visual to demonstrate how various institutional
efforts connect to support the institution’s focus on fostering changemaking culture and action. Such a visual helps students (and other stakeholders)conceptually understand the institution’s commitment to changemaking and the broad categories of ways to engage.

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M AP P I NG
M E T HOD

ST EP S R EQ U IR EDI M P ORTAN C E

EXAM P L E

 Scan and survey yourcampus for all thoseworking on and offeringsocial innovationand changemaking
opportunities.
 Compile your findings(and ideally, code themby relevant category) ina listing or searchable
database.

 Enables students
and campus
community accessand exploration ofopportunities on theirown time, sparking
their imagination toenvision and createconnections.
 Enables easy updating
as new offerings
emerge, which isharder to do withvisual maps that willneed dedicated time
for updates/revisions.

Wilfrid Laurier University’s
Experience Guides enable students
to identify experiential opportunities,
many of which supportchangemaking, by academic programand year of study (Wilfrid Laurier
University, n.d.a).

Utilize a physical  Use an existing space Provides accesscenter onthat already gathers
to peer-to-peer
campus to servechangemakers andnetworks andas a central hub
re-prioritize its use
collaboration andfor exploring
as a home base fora new level ofpathways.
exploring and connecting
momentum that doeswith changemaking
not usually come asopportunities on campus.
easily in virtual spaces.
 Layer in programming, Provides moreworkshops, andhands-on support
other events that are
to students andspecifically designed tosupports longerset goals around andlasting interest
reflect on next steps inand participation
student’s changemakerin changemaking
journeys.
opportunities.

Arizona State University’s
Changemaker Central provides
physical spaces and virtual resources
and programming to promotestudent engagement in changemaking(Arizona State University, n.d.a).

Encourage selfdirected student
reflection andprocessing of
milestones andgoals.

Northeastern University’s SelfAuthored Integrated Learning (SAIL)
enables students to search, record,
and reflect on learning experiences(Northeastern University, n.d.b;
Northeastern University, n.d.c).

Develop a living
database ofchangemaking
opportunities.

 Create a guiding Sets expectations
framework andfor and provides
process for students to
structural support
consciously connect theirand resources toexperiences to theirequip and empowerchangemaking goals.
students to make Facilitate supportive
meaning from andenvironments fortake agency in theirstudents to complete thislearning journey.
process and take action.

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220

Important to note is that fostering student changemaking learning journeys is not just about inventorying
or marketing programs. Rather, it is an intentional approach to scaffolding, connecting, communicating,and coaching students as they chart their own journeys. There are many stakeholders across theinstitution that can actively support students through this process. First and foremost are student
themselves. With some basic structure and access to reflection tools and databases of offerings, students
become their own guides. Near peer mentorship can serve as an effective strategy to build relationships
and support reflection, motivation, and interest. It is also important to empower all student facing
individuals—such as Changemakers in Residence, changemaker hub staff and directors, faculty members,
academic advisors, and resident assistants—with guidance and tools on how to best coach students as theynavigate their changemaking journeys.

AC T I O N ST EPSDESIGN MAPPING PROCESS FOR INCLUSIVITY
Select journey themes according to a variety of academic and topical interests. Embraceprocesses that are inclusive to your entire student body population, not just a group of
students that would already self-identify as changemakers. Identify any special needs andoffer supporting resources to help all students engage and flourish as changemakers (e.g.,scholarships, paid positions, online or remote access, mentors with similar identities and life
experiences, transportation, etc.).
ENSURE BROAD INVOLVEMENT IN DESIGN
Involve student groups, student leaders, staff, and faculty from across diverse departments
and disciplines throughout the mapping process. Reach out to people and places on campusthat may not be intuitively linked to changemaking to identify unexpected offerings andpotential gaps in pathways.
CONSIDER ALL THE INFORMATION YOUR MAPPING CAN INCLUDE
Imagine a wide variety of offerings included in your mappings, e.g.: curricular and cocurricular, resources and tools, field leaders in your institution’s network, recurring events on
campus, or support offices on campus such as changemaker centers, student learning centers,
academic advising, etc.

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DESIGN AND DEPICT PATHWAYS AND JOURNEYS TO EMPOWER
KNOWLEDGE
Create interactive journey maps where students can build knowledge and skills whether they
are engaged in a particular pathway or not. Visually present journeys to provide both clarity
and illustrate optionality, flexibility, and customization.
ALIGN RESOURCES AND EQUIP COACHES
Train and equip key influencers such as student leaders, changemaker hub staff, faculty, andadvisors to provide formal or informal support to students as they navigate their journeys.
Seek to listen, learn, and empathize with students’ unique experiences and concerns. Work
with your key influencers and campus’ inclusion practitioners to identify any barriers orconstraints that are known to prevent or discourage participation (e.g., limited time; orlimited access to supporting resources, technology, or transportation), and proactively seek tomitigate constraints or remove any unnecessary barriers.
CREATE IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THE PATHWAY/JOURNEY
MAP CAN BE ACCESSED
Leverage physical centers as a place and community to connect, grow, and supportchangemaking connections across campus. Visually display changemaker learning journeymaps and/or resources. Offer orientation sessions, open nights, and student advising.

✓
✓
✓

TI PS
THINK EARLY
What are some opportune “first touchpoints” that students have in their changemakerjourneys on your campus? How can you utilize those touchpoints?
LEVERAGE THE INSTITUTION’S MISSION STATEMENT OR HISTORICA LCOMMITMENTS
Explore how your changemaker pathways/maps can best serve your institution’s mission andcurrent goals and make the case to align resources.

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DO NOT WORRY ABOUT STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Students across your campus are already thinking about their jouneys. Work to identify a key
area where students are eager to grow, and design your map, process, or tool accordingly.
MODEL THE PRACTICE
You are also on a changemaking journey yourself. Remain open to sharing elements ofyour own journey and experiences that helped clarify your path in social innovation andchangemaking.

L EA R N IN G JO U R NEYS TO EN GAGE AL L D I S C I P L I N ES

When developing changemaker learning journeys it can be useful to consider how your work
can intentionally build bridges and engage students from different disciplines. We encourage
you to reflect on the following questions and examples: How would a student studying social innovation in the business school be awareof an opportunity to mentor high school students through the school ofeducation?

 How would an environmental studies student that has been newly exposed to andinterested in a key issue through a service learning class become aware of theMap the System Challenge marketed through the business school?

 As accounting, engineering, or information systems students start self-identifying
as changemakers, how would they learn about careers of social impact throughtheir discipline and what opportunities exist at the college/university to prepare
them?

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

B R I G H AM YO UN G UN I V ERSITYCHA NGEMAKER MAPS

Changemaker maps are an effective way for Changemaker Institutions to help students navigate
various changemaking opportunities across campus.
The Ballard Center for Social Impact at Brigham Young University, located in Utah in the UnitedStates, offers changemaker maps by major (Ballard Center for Social Impact, n.d.). Each map
features a field overview and leadership profile, helping students understand how their discipline
connects with social innovation and changemaking. The maps include a list of courses, internships,
experiences, and other university resources. In addition to the maps, students can access oneon-one advisement sessions to identify ways to advance both their disciplinary knowledge andchangemaking impact.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

N O RTH C EN T RA L CO L L EGE
SOCIAL IMPACT CENTER: A HUB FOR NAVIGATING CHANGEMAKINGOPPORTU NITIESIn 2017, North Central College launched its Social Impact Center, an important step in helping
students identify changemaking opportunities and chart their journeys, building on the college’s
tradition of being devoted to social change and impact. Founded in 1861, North Central College isa private, comprehensive college located in metro Chicago in the United States.
Through the Social Impact Center, students have a hub for identifying opportunities and resources
to “become the change you wish to see in the world” (North Central College, n.d., para. 1). The
center’s website presents five different avenues for students to “explore, experience and influence
the issues and causes” they care about and to discover “innovative ways to solve complex social
challenges and grow as a leader” (North Central College, n.d., para. 1). These are:1) service and volunteering; 2) academics and research; 3) social entrepreneurship and innovation;4) civic engagement and leadership; and 5) advocacy and activism. Within each, students can learn
about relevant student clubs, academic courses, immersion experiences, funding opportunities, andinternships/jobs.
Through the center’s creation, the college has not only validated that there are many ways to fostersocial change, but it has also helped different parts of the institution showcase their offerings. Most
importantly, it provides a gateway for the variety of ways students can develop as changemakers.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ES

N O RTHEA ST ERN UN I V ERS I TY
SA IL: FOSTERI NG STUDENT DIRECTED LEARNING JOURNEYS

Northeastern University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts in the
United States that enrolls around 18,000 undergraduate students and 8,000 graduate students.
At Northeastern, experiential engagement is considered central to supporting students inengaging with societal challenges, identifying opportunities, becoming agile, and creating change(Northeastern University, n.d.a).
Having been a trailblazer in co-op education, Northeastern is also leading in equipping students
to chart their own learning journeys. Central to this is the university’s Self-Authored Integrated
Learning (SAIL), with digital platforms for students as well as for staff and faculty educators.
Underpinning SAIL is a framework of five learning dimensions associated with particular skills andattributes and “cross-cutting foundational masteries” related to all the learning dimensions(Northeastern University, n.d.d). Many of these skills and attributes are critical to supportchangemaking. For example, relevant learning skills include systems thinking, design thinking,entrepreneurship, inclusive action, and civic-mindedness; and relevant mastery skills include humility,
comfort with ambiguity, empathy, collaboration, and open-mindedness, among others.
Using the SAIL application students can: search learning opportunities (both academic andinformal) across the database; document learning experiences and ideas; and visualize and assess
skill development progress (Northeastern University, n.d.b; Northeastern University, n.d.c).
They can also connect with students, staff, faculty, and alumni across the Northeastern network(Northeastern University, n.d.c).
Ultimately, SAIL helps students navigate personal learning journeys towards their identities aschangemakers. The integration of search, recording, and assessment enables students to scaffold
efficacy and competencies in their pursuit of changemaking while also building networks andsharing their experiences.

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C A MPUS EXA MPL ESW I L F R I D L AURI ER UN I V ERSITYLAUR IER EXPERIENCE RECOR D AND GUIDES

Wilfrid Laurier University is a multi-campus university located in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.
The institutional proposition is inspiring lives of leadership and purpose, with a focus on
experiential learning. Laurier has been ranked #1 in student satisfaction four years in a row byMaclean’s.
Wilfrid Laurier University’s Competency Framework includes several competencies related tochangemaking including adaptability and resiliency, self-awareness, collaboration, and problem
solving (Wilfrid Laurier University, 2017). The Laurier Experience Record (LER) and Laurier
Experience Guides support students in their paths to cultivating these and other competencies andbecoming changemakers by building an awareness of and providing access to over a thousand
hands-on, high impact experiences in the classroom, on campus, and in the local communities.
The LER is an online tool that allows students to maintain a comprehensive, validated recordof their curricular and co-curricular activities and the competencies they have gained (Wilfrid
Laurier, n.d.b). Students reflect on their learning and challenges in terms of self-awareness, values
clarification, skill development, and career exploration.
Laurier’s Experience Guides encourage students to take advantage of all the opportunities that
Laurier has to offer. Organized by program (e.g., Business, Global Studies, etc.) and year of study,
the guides identify experiential opportunities (e.g., volunteering, campus clubs, studying abroad, andwork experience) to support students in gaining real-world experience (Wilfrid Laurier, n.d.a). The
guides encourage a changemaking mentality for students by highlighting opportunities from the
beginning of their studies at Laurier throughout their academic journey.

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Kim, M. (2015, May 8). Rethinking the impact spectrum. Ashoka U blog.
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Kim, M., Krampetz, E., & Ansari, B. (2018). Changemaker institutions: How higher education can use social
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VII. APPENDICESA P P EN D IX A . GLO S SA RY O F TE RM SCAPSTONE COURSE
A final unit or project designed to integrate learning experiences across one’s studies.
CHANGE LEADER
Faculty, staff, administrators (usually mid-level), and/or students with complementaryperspectives and influence, and the institutional mandate, vision, and grit to advancesocial innovation and changemaking across the institution—through strategy, culture, andeducational pathways—and beyond.20
CHANGE TEAM
Committed, interdisciplinary team of faculty, staff, administrators, students, and community
members who embody changemaking in their work, develop programs and pathways to growchangemaking, and collaborate on projects and initiatives to further embed social innovationand changemaking across the institution itself.
CHANGEMAKER
A changemaker is “anyone who takes action to address a problem, activates others, and works
towards solutions for the good of all” (Duplechain & Lax, 2019, p. 9).
CHANGEMAKER EDUCATION
An education that helps students build their identities and capacities as collaborative agentsfor change. This education aims to help students:

 Develop personal awareness, community understanding, and ability to collaborate(Duplechain & Lax, 2019)

 Develop their abilities for catalyzing social change including methodologies such as civic
engagement, social innovation, social justice, and philanthropy (Kim & Krampetz, 2016)

 Practice changemaking as they step up to take action and activate others around a societal
challenge (Duplechain & Lax, 2019)20 While an institution may have a department or special projects office that manages ongoing leadership development or change management, the terms
Change Leader and Change Team in this Guidebook are used to denote resources specially dedicated to advance social innovation and changemaking. In
some cases, the institutional department or special projects office overseeing leadership development and change management may be key allies to engage,even while their mandates are broader than social innovation and changemaking.

235

APPENDIX ACHANGEMAKER INSTITUTION
An institution of higher education that enables and empowers students, faculty, staff, seniorleaders, and the surrounding community to be changemakers. Changemaker Institutions
are purpose-driven and “model an open and adaptive approach that sparks innovation andcreates space for everyone to contribute” (Kim et al., 2018, p. 13).
CHANGEMAKING
The action or process of fostering positive societal change and reflecting the qualities of achangemaker.
COURSEFor the purposes of the Guidebook, we use the term course as is often used in the higher
education systems of the United States and Canada. Here it refers to a teaching unit facilitatedover an academic term and comprised of multiple sessions or lessons (Course (education),2020). According to the same source, this is roughly equivalent with the term module or unit
as is more typically used in Australia, India, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
COURSE SEQUENCE
Series of courses that build upon each other to increase mastery of knowledge and skills suchas a concentration, minor, major, or certificate.
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (LATER REFERRED TO AS
INSTITUTIONS)
Any organization that provides educational offerings at the post-secondary level. Whilethe names and types of institutions will vary by region, these often include colleges anduniversities.
LEARNING JOURNEY
Customized combinations of changemaking experiences that students can pursue to cultivate
their changemaker identities and develop changemaker mindsets, knowledge, and skills overthe course of college/university experience to further activate their personal passions anddirect their energies.

APPENDIX A

236

MAJOR
For the purposes of the Guidebook, we use the term major to refer to a set of courses required
to obtain a degree (Academic major, 2020). This may be more typically referred to as course
in other parts of the world. (Course (education), 2020).
PAT H WAY
Specific and defined set of academic or co-curricular experiences that sequence and combine
to culminate in a recognized form of learning (e.g., a certificate, minor, or badge).
SENIOR LEADER
Presidents, provosts, vice presidents, and deans in official positions of leadership.
SYSTEM
Meadows (2008) defines a system “a set of elements or parts that is coherently organized andinterconnected in a pattern or structure that produces a characteristic set of behaviors, often
classified as its ‘function’ or ‘purpose’” (p.188). In the context of higher education, the sector
itself, an institution, a program, a departmental group, or a course, could all be thought of as
systems. Similarly, social problems that higher educational institutions, their faculty, staff,
and students seek to address are nested in various social, economic, political, environmental,
and community systems.
SYSTEMS THINKING
Systems thinking is a “transformational approach to learning, problem-solving andunderstanding the world” that “helps people of all ages and walks of life see beyond theheart of a problem to find fair and lasting solutions that deliver benefits” (Waters Center for
Systems Thinking, 2020, para.1) Meadows (2008) describes the benefits as enabling one
to understand the parts of a system and their connections; to consider alternative systembehaviors; and courageously redesign systems to make an impact (pp. 6-7).

237

APPENDIX A

A P P EN D IX B.

PRAC T I C I N G AND DE VE LOPING SE NIOR LE ADE RSH IP
Q UA L I T I ES F OR CHANGE MAKINGS E NI OR L EA D ER
QUA L IT Y

WAYS QUAL I TI ES
A R E P R AC T I C ED

Recognize higher
education’s potential
as a force for positivesocial impact.

 Make physical assets available to community.
 Advise on regional development initiatives.
 Partner with local organizations acrosssectors to address local challenges andadvance changemaking in the region.

Demonstrate belief
in the need for
educational
ecosystems forchangemaking.

 Ensure the academic and strategic plans,
educational model, and teaching andlearning resources support student
cultivation of agency, ethics, andchangemaker skills.
 Incentivize and reward faculty and student
service and impact.
 Engage students directly in institutional
governance and support student-led
initiatives.
 Listen to and champion student interests,
concerns, and ideas.
 Create relationships with local schools
to cultivate empathy and changemaking
mindsets in youth.
 Partner with local government and schools
to increase access to higher education.
 Offer college-readiness programs andchangemaker scholarships.

Demonstrate strong
agency and initiation.

 Leverage your position and platforms to
speak up for changemaking and more justand equitable systems.
 Contribute thought leadership to local
and regional partners and high education
associations and policy-making bodies.

WAYS TO D EVELOP Maintain a regular practice ofconnecting with your personal“why”—why you are committed
to advancing higher education asa force for social impact.
 Identify which changemakerqualities you self-identify with andwhich you need to grow(refer to Table 2 in the Getting
Oriented: Key Concepts chapter).
 Invite regular feedback with a few
stakeholders with different
perspectives (e.g., board member,peer, someone who reports you,a student) to reveal blind spots
and growth opportunities.
 Become familiar with the UN
Sustainable Development Goals,
UN Global Compact and/or Principles for Responsible
Management Education (PRME).
 Serve on the board of a relevant
community, municipality, or
regional development
organization.

APPENDIX B

238

S E NI OR L EA D ER
QUA L IT Y

WAYS QUAL I TI ES
A R E P R AC T I C ED

Foster adaptability
and innovation.

 Lead conversations with the board,administrators, faculty, faculty senate, unions,staff, students, and other stakeholders to(re)design systems to foster innovation andequity.
 Identify and appoint innovative
administrators and faculty.
 Give permission to self and others to learn
through missteps and failure.
 Seek unlikely partners and newopportunities.
 Learn about new ideas and changemaking
models.
 Create spaces for diverse stakeholders toengage with and co-create together.
 Fund and run innovation challenges.

See opportunities
instead of scarcity.

 Reframe problems to opportunities.
 Commit to finding ways to enable others’
visions.
 Pose challenges to others and encourage
combining resources and creative solutions.

Demonstrateunderstanding of
the history, current
context, and trendsof higher education.

 Engage the institution’s centers and institutes
to synthesize critical trends and identify
implications.
 Discuss trends, the future of higher
education, and the role of the university
in fostering impact with peers and otherthought leaders.
 Co-create new models for Changemaker
Institutions and education that better equip
all to be engaged, adaptive, and resilient
contributors to society—leaving no one
beyond.

239

APPENDIX B

WAYS TO D EVELOP Become familiar with theprinciples and processes ofdesign thinking (Refer to Strategy
1, Call-Out Box, Design Thinking
Principles Applied to Leading
Equitable Changemaking).
 Build time into your scheduleand project timelines to allow forexperimentation.
 Draw inspiration from diverse
disciplines and reflect on how
seemingly unrelated topics may
creatively inform your work (e.g.,
metaphors, constructs, theoriesof change, processes).
 Pay attention to how often yourfirst reaction to something newis “no”; practice finding ways tosay yes.
 Work with the Development
Office to secure funds forinnovation challenges andorganizational change.
 Appoint an Innovation Officer
or Organizational Development
position to focus on institutionalinnovation.
 Read seminal works on historyof higher education.
 Monitor current events andtrends.
 Identify and build relationships
with thought leaders acrosshigher education.
 Schedule regular check-ins with apeer or thought leader to discusscurrent issues.
 Join the leadership cohort ofan educational association or
institute.

S E NI OR L EA D ER
QUA L IT Y

WAYS QUAL I TI ES
A R E P R AC T I C ED

Demonstrate
systems thinking
and a deep
understanding of theinstitution’s power
structures.

 Create time and space to reflect on how/
why something is/not working and thesystem dynamics at play.
 Map and “view” the system from different
users’ perspectives.
 Ask questions and listen deeply.
 Keep asking “why”, searching for root causes.
 Understand how you relate to and influencesystems.
 Reflect on your implicit biases and theirpotential impact on decisions.
 Identify your real or perceived power andhow to use it positively.
 Identify how to relinquish your power when
it serves as a roadblock to others’ leadershipand innovation.
 Challenge assumptions through a spirit ofcuriosity and learning, not one of shaming or
blaming.
 Look for levers for change—both the quick
wins that will create energy as well as pointsof strategic intervention that could have aripple or lasting impact.

 Familiarize yourself with key
principles and tools of systems
thinking (e.g., Ashoka’s Systems
Change Crash Course, Water
Center for Systems Thinking).
 Engage a systems thinking
advisor/consultant in key strategy
and decision-making
conversations.
 Display systems maps of yourinstitution or of higher education
in your region as a visual
reminder.
 Take a course on power andprivilege; reflect on personal andinstitutional implications.

Demonstrate
fluid, co-creative
leadership of systems
change.

 Keep trends and potential disruptions andopportunities at the forefront of the board
and senior leadership’s attention.
 Offer open and accessible channels forstakeholder feedback.
 Create collective time and space to identify
system “noise” and “feedback” (e.g., how
events, communications, reactions areobserved or experienced in a changeintervention or process).
 Partner with the board, leadership team,and key stakeholders in imaging the future
together and co-creating visions andstrategies.
 Create Change Leader roles, team, or othercoordinating structure.
 Dedicate budget and administrative support
for becoming a Changemaker Institution.
 Position Change Leaders and Change Teams
as leads for the work to legitimize theirwork.
 Advocate for changemaking values andbehaviors.
 Create structures that allow for diversity ofthought, emergence, and innovation.

In addition to those above:
 Support Change Leadersand Change Teams (refer toStrategies 4-7).
 Consider senior executive
leadership development
experiences that focus on
systems leadership (e.g., focusing
on values, changing self to change
the system, learning to see andchange the system with others,
fostering emergence and being
comfortable with ambiguity).
 Partner with the Marketing/Communications office to get
regular updates and advice
on stakeholder feedback andmessaging needs.

WAYS TO D EVELOPAPPENDIX B

240

S E NI OR L EA D ER
QUA L IT Y

WAYS QUAL I TI ES
A R E P R AC T I C ED

WAYS TO D EVELOP Create socially and environmentallyconscious policies (e.g., equity, diversity, andinclusion; social procurement; sustainability).
Create changemaking
structures.

241

 Create new structures (e.g., universitywide challenges and faculty awards) towork around more durable systems (e.g.,budgeting and promotion/tenure systems)
that may be blocking changemaking, whilestill working to redesign those systems.
 Identify quick wins and easy opportunities
to create energy and build stepping-stones
towards long-term change.
 Leverage strategic opportunities to fosterchange in organizational systems andprocesses (e.g., strategic planning andbudgeting cycles, program and curriculum
reviews).
 Identify and elevate the champions ofinstitutional innovation across the institution.

APPENDIX B

Combination of those throughout
the table.

A P P EN D IX C . C HA N GEMA KING LE ADE RSHIP DILE M M AS

CHA NGE M A K IN G
P RI NCI P L ES V ERSU SP OT E N T IA L LY
COM P E T I N G VA LU ES
OR ST RU C T U R ES

L EA D E RS H I P
D IL EM M A( S )P R I N C I P L ES I N AC TI ON

Organizing for the
futureversusHonoring history

Need to lead the institution
into the future while still
honoring historic roots
and current realities, needs,
and concerns (e.g., futuresometimes robs from thepresent).

 Communicate the drivers and urgency forchange.
 Use stories from the institution’s past to
demonstrate how it has responded to change
previously and can do so now.
 Identify any “scripts” currently used across theinstitution and how they may support/inhibit
the case for change.
 Be confident and persuasive incommunications.

Empowering forinnovation
versusManeuvering amid
traditional systems,
hierarchies, andapprovals

Need to “empower” people
to innovate despite being
embedded in traditional
systems that are inherently
hierarchical, siloed, or
bureaucratic and constrain
empowerment.

 Amplify student voices, which often serve as
one of the strongest pressures for systemicchange.
 Create parallel or new structures that are
not constrained by traditional systems (e.g.,find alternative funding models to inspirecross-disciplinary research; employ alternative
incentives and rewards that work in parallel to
traditional tenure paths).
 Actively champion those you seek toempower, who might be otherwise
constrained by systems or tradition (e.g.,
invite diverse voices; work with supervisors
to release time; compensate stakeholders fortheir time).

Embracing emergenceand experimentation
versusDemonstrating
administrative
accountability

Need for compelling
evidence to catalyze change
and administrative planningand accountability to leadit, while recognizing thatmuch of innovation andtransformation requires risktaking and emergence.

 Create strategy processes that allow for
adaptive planning.
 Create cross-functional teams that foster
emergence.
 Leverage living cases examples andtestimonials of those “one step ahead” (e.g.
peers, consultants, industry leaders) in theabsence of “proof ” or “conclusive evidence”.

Fostering collaboration
versusLeading at a pace thatmatches the urgency andscope of change
required

Need to move fast but also
include broad group in eachdecision-making stage (e.g.,
as in the case of a crisis,
regulatory deadlines, etc.).

 Engage key constituencies as part of task
force.
 Draw from existing stakeholder surveys anddata that represent constitute needs/interests.
 Consult representatives of demographic
groups as proxies.

APPENDIX C

242

CHA NGE M A K IN G
P RI NCI P L ES V ERSU SP OT E N T IA L LY
COM P E T I N G VA LU ES
OR ST RU C T U R ES

L EA D E RS H I P
D IL EM M A( S )P R I N C I P L ES I N AC TI ON

Demonstrating empathy
versusResponding toinstitutional or
strategic imperatives/
crisis with vision andcourage

Need to take a hard, risky
decision for the benefitof many or the benefit
of institution itself in thelong-term that is notseen as serving its current
constituents (prioritizing
institution sustainability over
immediate individual impact).

 Listen with empathy and openness; signal thatperspectives have been heard.
 Empower current stakeholders with decisionmaking control, within the constraint ofachieving the long-term vision.
 Communicate a hard decision with empathy;
provide support for individual needs andthriving despite hard circumstances.
 Be generous (to the extent feasible) in
incentives, redundancy packages, and/or
support through transitions.

Embeddingchangemaking learning
outcomesversusNavigating traditional
academic power
structures

Needing to embedchangemaking across theacademics while having
limited levers for curricularchange (e.g., the power ofcurriculum committee andfaculty senate).

 Demonstrate evidence of student demand forchangemaking experiences and amplify their
voice to influence faculty/senate.
 Use academic planning processes tocreate frameworks and opportunities
for changemaking learning outcomes andinstitution-wide curriculum overhauls.

243

APPENDIX CA P P EN D IX D. RO L ES DES C RIP TIONS AND RE SPONSIBILITIE S
C HA N G E L EA DER
CHANGE LEADERS
Faculty, staff, and/or administrators with complementary perspectives and influence, and theinstitutional mandate, vision, and grit to advance social innovation and changemaking acrossthe institution and beyond.
Ashoka U sees Change Leaders as higher education innovators who are role models for how
to build thriving ecosystems for social innovation and changemaking across their institutions.
Change Leaders often crave the ability to influence beyond just their institution and havean eye towards sector-level impact. While the number of Change Leaders will vary basedon institutional context, we generally recommend approximately 2-3 Change Leaders per
institution.
CHANGE LEADERS HAVE THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS

 Intrapreneurial/entrepreneurial track record
 Experience in social innovation and changemaking in higher education
 Belief in the need for everyone to be a changemaker High social and emotional intelligence Fluid and adaptive leadership Collaboration and team of teams orientation
 Ethical fiber/trustworthiness Ambition for large-scale impact in higher education and beyond
CHANGE LEADER RESPONSIBILITIES
Change Leaders not only serve as institutional leaders but also as active contributors to thefield of social innovation and changemaking in higher education. The following describes core
Change Leader Responsibilities, which can be adapted to your institutional context.
INSTITUTIONAL FOCUS
The primary responsibility of Change Leaders is to advance social innovation andchangemaking across their institution, as opposed to solely working within any particulardepartment, program, or course.

APPENDIX D

244

To do this, the Change Leaders: Coordinate the development of a vision and strategy for advancing social innovation andchangemaking across the institution.

 Act as the spokesperson for social innovation and changemaking at the institution.
 Create and manage a Change Team: a committed, inter-disciplinary group of faculty, staff,
administrators, students, and community members who help grow and strengthen thecampus-wide ecosystem for social innovation and changemaking.

 Assess current changemaking curricular and co-curricular programming and ensure they
are connected to other changemaking activities at the institution. These programs include
but are not limited to:o Curricular programming (such as majors, minors, certificates, or masters).
o Co-curricular programming (such as internships, fellowships, incubators, andaccelerators).
o Student engagement opportunities.
o Faculty engagement and development opportunities.
o Campus-wide awareness, marketing, and communications around social
innovation and changemaking activities

 Advance social innovation and social entrepreneurship as a part of the institution’sofferings, which may include:o Teach or help coordinate and design classes, certificates, majors, or minors onsocial innovation and social entrepreneurship.
o Lead or help lead changemaking co-curricular programming.
o Oversee or conduct research on social innovation and social entrepreneurship.
o Act as a liaison with faculty across the institution, legitimizing social innovationand social entrepreneurship as an area of research and study.

 Establish and manage a coordinating structure for social innovation and changemaking
activities to ensure that all related activities are aligned, connected, and embedded acrossthe institution. This may be through a center, department, committee, or other format.
Similarly, manage all staff and resources associated with this coordinating structure.

 Ensure the financial sustainability of social innovation and changemaking.

245

APPENDIX DFIELD BUILDING FOCUS
As the institution’s changemaking ecosystem grows, Change Leaders may also increasingly
influence the conversation around social innovation and changemaking across higher
education. This is usually in the form of contributing thought leadership based on their areasof expertise and the institution’s changemaking work.
Several examples of field building activities include: Pilot original programs, fellowships, incubators, internships, etc. and assist otherinstitutions in learning from or adapting the models.

 Conduct, publish, and/or present original research on social innovation and changemaking
education.

 Collaborate with others to produce joint publications, white papers, etc.
 Mentor other institutions in developing changemaker education and/or becoming a
Changemaker Institution.

 Host regional convenings to grow changemaking across the educational system or acrosssectors.

C HA N G E T EA M
CHANGE TEAM
A committed, inter-disciplinary group of faculty, staff, administrators, students, andcommunity members who help grow and strengthen the campus-wide ecosystem for social
innovation and changemaking.
The Change Team brings together the necessary expertise, diverse perspectives, influence,and time to support the Change Leaders in advancing social innovation and changemaking
across the institution. Team composition and size may vary depending on the institution’s
structure, size, and needs. The Change Team is part of or the stepping-stone to a campuswide coordinating structure for social innovation and changemaking.
CHANGE TEAM STRUCTURE

 The Change Team includes:o Faculty from diverse schools, disciplines, or programso Administrators/staff (e.g., service learning/civic engagement, admissions, alumni
engagement, development)o Student affairs/student services representatives
o Social entrepreneurs or community partners

APPENDIX D

246

o At least two students, with different graduation dates

 The Change Team meets regularly.
 Change Team members have clear roles for advancing social innovation and changemaking
and are able to contribute at least 10-30% of their time.
CHANGE TEAM MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES Translate social innovation and changemaking ideas into their domains of expertisesuch as teaching, research, program leadership, student engagement, and community
partnerships.

 Influence others in their domain of expertise to mainstream ideas of social innovation andchangemaking through conference, publications, and other mechanisms.
A CHANGE TEAM MEMBER DIFFERS FROM A CHANGE LEADER IN THE
FOLLOWING TWO WAYS Specific focus rather than institution-wide: While Change Leaders must be focused on
advancing social innovation and changemaking across the entire institution (without
particular focus on one discipline, program, or department) the Change Team member
may have particular focus or expertise in a certain type of social innovation andchangemaking activity. They may still spend 100% of their time on this role, but do not
see their personal priorities as advancing social innovation and changemaking acrossthe institution beyond a particular program or role. For example, this may include thefollowing roles:
o Embedding a changemaking lens and learning outcomes into their discipline’s
degree program.
o Teaching courses in social innovation and social entrepreneurship.
o Running a social innovation or social entrepreneurship degree program.
o Specializing in fundraising for social innovation and changemaking.
o Managing a social innovation incubator program.
o Specializing in communications around changemaking.
o Advancing social innovation and changemaking through admissions.

 Focus on execution or strategy: Change Team members tend to be focused primarily oneither execution or strategy around social innovation and changemaking. In contrast,
Change Leaders must balance strategy with execution, being involved in advancing theagenda around social innovation and the day-to-day execution of this work.

247

APPENDIX DC HA M P I O N S
CHAMPIONS
Key senior leaders, at the level of Dean or Vice President, who view social innovation andchangemaking as a priority for their institution and actively advance social innovation
education through their work. They hold institutional authority beyond that of most faculty or
staff members. They advance the vision of social innovation and changemaking at their own
institution and beyond by acting as an advocate, engaging key internal allies, and mobilizing
support across the institution.
Champions are typically more senior than Change Leaders and might hire or manage a
Change Leader. Champions and Change Leaders are completely aligned in terms of vision andgoals for social innovation and changemaking and their institution. They differ primarily interms of seniority, staff time, and tactics for implementation.
CHAMPIONS HAVE THE FOLLOWING RESPONSIBILITIES: Make social innovation and changemaking one of their top priorities and dedicate at least
10% of their time to advancing social innovation and changemaking.

 Work closely with Change Leaders, potentially in a management or supervisory capacity.

APPENDIX D

248

A P P EN D I X E.

PRAC T I C I N G AND DE VE LOPING CHANGE LE ADE RSH IP
Q UA L I T I ES FOR CHANGE MAKINGCHANGE L EA D ER
QUA L IT Y

WAYS QUAL I TI ES
A R E P R AC TI C ED

Recognize higher
education’s potential
as a force for positivesocial impact.

 Serve on advisory boards of local educationor community initiatives or challenges.
 Spread awareness of the UN Sustainable
Development Goals across the campus andhelp faculty, staff, and students connect withchangemaking.
 Foster research and educational
opportunities in collaboration with
community partners to address social
challenge.

Demonstrate belief
in the need for
educational
ecosystems forchangemaking.

 Spearhead the development ofchangemaking visions and plans.
 Recruit other Change Leaders and Change
Team Members.
 Equip various functions and departments
to embed changemaking into institutional
processes and structures.
 Manage Change Team or othercoordinating structure to foster alignmentand coordination of changemaking.
 Serve on curriculum review committees.

Demonstrate strong
agency and initiation.

 Leverage position and platforms to speak
up for changemaking and more just andequitable systems.
 Secure roles in key decision-making
processes (e.g., strategic planning processes;
presentations with senior executive
leadership and/or the board).

Demonstrateunderstanding ofroot causes andidentify solutions.

 Learn about problems before rushing tosolutions.
 Engage partners and stakeholders
in problem definition and solution
identification.
 Map institutional and related systems.
 Understand how you relate to and influencesystems.
 Explore existing solutions.
 Consider what can be learned from otherdomains and problem/solution fields.
 Test and iterate solutions together withothers.

249

APPENDIX E

WAYS TO D EVELOP Maintain a regular practice ofconnecting with your personal“why”—why you arecommitted to advancing higher
education as a force for social
impact.
 Identify which changemakerqualities you self-identify withand which you need to grow(refer to Table 2 in the Getting
Oriented: Key Concepts
chapter).
 Become familiar with the UN
Sustainable Development
Goals, UN Global Compact
and/or Principles for
Responsible Management
Education (PRME).
 Actively volunteer in local
community efforts.
 Regularly engage with aleadership mentor/s andcontinuously learn from otherchangemaking leaders.

 Have a regular practice of asking“Why” five times whenevaluating problems (e.g., 5 Why
Analysis).
 Regularly employ otherframeworks and tools for getting
to root causes such Problem
Analysis, Fishbone Analysis, andDiagramming Causes.

CHANGE L EA D ER
QUA LI T Y

WAYS QUAL I T I ESA R E P R AC T I C ED

Demonstrateongoing learning andpersistence.

 Focus on opportunities and assets, while
not turning a blind eye to challenges.
 Pay attention to disconfirming data or
negative feedback and course correct intimely fashion.
 Develop strong, trust-based relationships,
strong channels of communication, andfeedback loops to accelerate learning.

 Create feedback mechanisms
and dashboards to focus
attention on opportunities forcontinuous improvement andinnovation.

Demonstrateunderstanding ofsocialentrepreneurship,social innovation,and changemaking.

 Engage Social Entrepreneurs in Residence.
 Develop a social innovation bootcamp orchangemaker certificate program for students,
faculty, and staff.
 Partner with Teaching and Learning
Resource Centers to offer faculty training
on pedagogies for changemaking, systems
thinking skills, and/or social innovation.
 Coach faculty and staff how to embedchangemaking, social innovation, and/or social
entrepreneurship content into their courses.
 Train students in becoming changemaking
mentors to peers.
 Collaborate with researchers and ecosystem
partners to assess and grow local ecosystems
for social entrepreneurship.
 Support the institution in developing social
procurement practices.
 Identify social enterprise opportunities forthe institution itself.

 Audit a social innovation/
entrepreneurship course atyour institution.
 Take your institution’s social
innovation orientation or
certificate program.
 Take an online course (e.g.,+Acumen).
 Identify relevant mentor suchas a social innovation professor,
a local social entrepreneur, etc.

Demonstrate
systems thinking anda deep understandingof the institution’s
power structures.

 Similar to those of Senior Leaders. Refer toStrategy 3 and Appendix B.

 Refer to Strategy 3 andAppendix B.

Demonstrate cocreative leadershipof systems change.

 Similar to those of Senior Leaders. Refer toStrategy 3 and Appendix B. In addition:o Develop strong social ties across theinstitution.
o Find “unlikely allies” and equip them asambassadors for changemaking.
o Help others recognize thechangemaking aspects of their work.
o Celebrate others’ success.
 Cast a vision with cross-functional teams
and then let go of how things will be
implemented, allowing for others to lead.

 Identify a list of key contacts
needed across campus; schedulechats and build connections.
 Develop a personal practice ofgratitude, which will help you
identify and spot the good inothers.
 Build trust-based relationships
and provide guidelines within
which innovation should occur.

WAYS TO D EVELOPAPPENDIX E

250

A P P EN D I X F .

PRAC T I C I N G AND DE VE LOPING CHANGE MAKE R
EDUC ATO R QUALITIE S

CHA NGE M A K ER
E D UCATO RQUALIT Y

WAYS Q UA L I TI ES
A R E P R AC TI C ED

WAYS TO D EVELOP

Changemaker
Educator identity.

 Initiate frequent reviews ofand iterate curricular andco-curricular development.
 Serve on committees that
contribute to development of
academic plan and othereducational strategies andreviews.
 Advocate for institutional
support and incentives forchangemaker education.

 Identify other Changemaker Educators; learn why
and how they self-identify as a Changemaker
Educator.
 Reflect on why you want to be Changemaker
Educator.
 Reflect on your personal changemaking journey
and identify meaningful experiences or insights.
 Practice and tell your Changemaker Educator
story.
 Stay current on institutional and academic
strategy developments and look foropportunities to innovate.

Knowledge of social
entrepreneurship,social innovation, andchangemaking.

 Leverage key frameworks
and processes (e.g., systems
thinking, design thinking,piloting, etc.) in the designof changemaker educational
experiences or pathways aswell as institutional change
processes.

 Connect with social innovation, social
entrepreneurship, and changemaking experts on
your campus (e.g., visit with professors ofpractice, researchers, and relevant centers orhubs).
 Consider conferences and professional
development opportunities like the Ashoka U
Exchange, the International Social Innovation
Research Conference (ISIRC), and others in yourspecific country/regional context (e.g., in the
United States, the United States Association for
Small Business and Entrepreneurship [USASBE]
and the Social Entrepreneurship Research
Conference).
 Access online courses such as Ashoka’s Systems
Change Crash Course and +Acumen andsystems thinking references offered by Water
Center for Systems Thinking.
 Study the work of and connect with social
entrepreneurs and social innovators in yourcommunity and/or through networks such as
Ashoka, Echoing Green, and the Schwab
Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

Knowledge of 21st
century challenges
and thechangemaking
landscape.

 Incorporate relevant campus,
social justice, and societal
issues into your respective
educational offerings (e.g.,
an engineering challenge
to address clean water andsanitation; a creative writing

 Grapple with inequities in your community andreflect on your own experiences, others’
experiences, and your potential blind spots.
 Become familiar with the UN Sustainable
Development Goals.
 Stay up-to-date on current events; consider how
they relate to your discipline and community.

251

APPENDIX FCHANGE M A K ER
E D UCATO RQUALIT Y

WAYS Q UAL I T I ESA R E P R ACTI C ED

assignment on anti-racism; achallenge in partnership with alocal community organization on
reducing inequalities).

WAYS TO D EVELOP Reflect on 21st century skills and consider
how to design relevant educational
experiences (e.g., refer to “New Vision
for Education: Unlocking the Potential ofTechnology” by World Economic Forum incollaboration with Boston Consulting Group).

Educational design
skills.

 Establish learning outcomes thatprioritize changemaking.
 Co-create educational experienceswith students, employers, andcommunity members.
 Design curriculum and experiences
to help students progress towardlearning outcomes.
 Ensure curriculum is flexible,
making space for exploration,
learning, and surprises outside ofintended outcomes.
 Assess student progress in theway that will most effectively
support student learning andinform iteration.

 Take advantage of professional
development opportunities to keep up
on developments in educational design,
pedagogy, and assessment.
 Create a community of practice withother Changemaker Educators.
 Ask students, peers, and community
partners for feedback and areas of
improvement.

Changemaking
facilitation skills.

 Select pedagogical practices
and facilitation approaches that
support changemaker learning
outcomes.
 Create opportunities for selfdirected learning.
 Engage students as co-leaders ofeducational delivery.
 Coach students as they navigate
their changemaker learning journey.

 Consider the Association of American
Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)“High-Impact Educational Practices” (orother sources in your region) and otherpedagogies that foster changemaking.
 Reach out to your institution’s center forteaching and learning to access resources
or partner in co-creating new models foryour classroom or institution. · Explore opportunities to develop
coaching skills.

Building partnerships
skills.

 Build deep, trust-based
relationships.
 Establish long-term, collaborative
partnerships.
 Form community engaged projects
and research projects that are
mutually beneficial and engage
community partners as leaderswith valued lived experience.
 Train both students andinstitutions in navigating effective
partnerships.

 Attend community events and connect
with community organizations.
 Ask questions and learn aboutorganizational needs.
 Provide opportunities to community
organizations for partnership feedback.
 Take advantage of any partnershipresources or workshops offered by yourinstitution’s Community Engagement
Office.

Note: Disciplinary knowledge is omitted here given the behaviors and development opportunities are unique to each discipline.

APPENDIX F

252

How can higher education equip the future
leaders our world so desperately needs?
In these uncertain times, when so many social and environmental problems
are not only persisting, but in many cases, worsening, we need bold andreimagined colleges and universities more than ever.
Becoming a Changemaker Institution is a guidebook with strategies and actions
for campus innovators who are ready to answer society’s call and step up to transformtheir institutions. Drawing on more than a decade of insights and work with over 600
higher education institutions around the world, this guidebook provides the needed
inspiration and best practices to spark institution-wide change.
Both practical and deeply reflective, Becoming a Changemaker Institution
offers a robust framework for faculty, staff, and student leaders who are ready toembed changemaking into their work, leadership, and campus communities.

“I have reviewed hundreds of resources for innovators who are looking toreimagine higher education. Ashoka U has done it again and produced one of thebest resources I’ve found to guide those of us who are working to change thesystem and equip students as the changemakers the world needs.”— Debbi Brock, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship & Marketing,Wingate University and Co-Creator, Social Change Innovators“Higher education leaders have a tremendous opportunity to influence thefuture and to model what kind of institutions the world needs. The strategies outlinedin this guidebook provide a much-needed roadmap for leaders who are ready torewire their institutions and help lead society towards a better future.”— David H. Lord, Trustee, Rollins College“We need innovative colleges and universities now more than ever. This guidebook is anindispensable collection of strategies to help institutions embed changemaking and innovation
in a way that will accelerate time to impact and optimize resources in getting there.”— Melissa Carrier, Director of the Office of Social Innovation,
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
253

E D U C AT I O N : S T R AT E G Y 1 5