The overall benefit of this session was the discussion of hands-on programs designed to prepare students planning a career in business, education, health services, or social sciences to live and work in this growing reality of a multi cultural, multiethnic, and multilingual America. This workshop focused on the challenges facing professionals who wish to facilitate change in their university. Certain predicable barriers often impede programmatic, departmental, school, college improvement and reform. The presenter used discussion and task group activities to identify and to develop strategies to deal with barriers to change. Faculty doesn t feel trusted.
Administrators believe faculty fear losing their job, tenure, and control.
Administrators believe faculty has a lack of concern for external considerations. Administrators believe many senior faculty members are not interested in the university community and might evidence this by going off committees when they are still needed as institutional citizens. A review of these barriers to change became the foundation for the final group experience. Working together in small groups, participants were encouraged to first profile a case of resistance to change and then design creative and practical strategies to deal with the problem. The dynamics of this group experience might be replicable on our campus.