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Community College Review 37(3) 187 –208

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DOI: 10.1177/0091552109351185 http://ccreview.sagepub.com

Examining an Evolution: A Case Study of Organizational Change Accompanying the Community College Baccalaureate

Lyle McKinney1 and Phillip A. Morris1

Abstract

This study examined the nature and degree of organizational change that occurs when community colleges offer their own baccalaureate degree programs. Utilizing qualitative research methodology, we investigated how executive administrators at two Florida colleges managed this momentous change process and how this transformation has affected their colleges’ day-to-day operations. Our findings shed light on several important themes that emerged in interviews with the administrators: justifying the need for the degree, acquiring state approval and regional accreditation, modifying existing college policies and services, meeting challenges that are inherent in this transition, and developing strategies for leading this institutional transformation. Our goal was to provide a better understanding of this multifaceted organizational change process to help community college stakeholders make educated decisions regarding the introduction of 4-year degree programs at their institutions.

Keywords

community college baccalaureate, organizational change, leadership strategies, admi- nistrator perceptions, program approval process

One of the most noteworthy, and controversial, issues in contemporary American higher education is the increasingly popular trend of community colleges offering bachelor’s degrees. A community college baccalaureate (CCB) degree has been defined as “one coming from public community colleges or 2-year institutions that are approved

1University of Florida

Corresponding Author: Lyle McKinney, University of Florida, Gainesville, PO Box 117046, FL 32611-7049; Email: [email protected]

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to confer baccalaureate degrees in one or more areas” (Floyd, 2006, p. 64). Because the highest degree conferred by the community college has traditionally been the asso- ciate’s degree, the introduction of the CCB represents a landmark shift in the services provided by these postsecondary institutions. The immediate and long-term implica- tions of the CCB for all of American higher education corroborate the need for empirical research on this topic. Although numerous position papers have been written by both advocates and critics of the CCB phenomenon, very few empirical research studies have specifically addressed the CCB (Floyd, 2005). The study reported in this article sought to address this gap in the extant higher education research literature by illustrating the opportunities and challenges community colleges are likely to encoun- ter when launching a 4-year degree program.

The purpose of this study was to explore the nature and degree of organizational change that occurs when community colleges offer their own baccalaureate degrees. Whereas most previous studies have examined the CCB movement from a national or state perspective, this study explored the impact of the CCB at the institutional level. Two research questions guided the study:

Research Question 1: How do executive leaders at community colleges manage the organizational change accompanying the introduction of a 4-year degree program on their campuses?

Research Question 2: What specific changes in institutional policy and practice occur at community colleges as a result of introducing a 4-year degree program?

In presenting and discussing findings from this study, the primary goal is to provide a practical resource that can be used to make the transition process more seamless and successful for community college leaders who are considering, or planning, the intro- duction of baccalaureate degree programs at their institutions.

Literature Review This thematic review of the literature focuses on three topics that are germane to the study. The emergence of the CCB and its pathway to prominence within the last decade is examined first. Next, because Florida serves as the setting for this study, attention is given to the key factors that have led to the appearance of numerous CCBs in Florida. The literature review section concludes with an examination of organizational change within the community college setting and provides a theoretical perspective to help explain why a growing number of 2-year institutions now award bachelor’s degrees.

Emergence of the Community College Baccalaureate The CCB represents a nontraditional model through which community colleges can participate in baccalaureate education. Before community colleges offered baccalaure- ate degrees independently, there were three established models for helping community

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college students obtain a bachelor’s degree: the articulation model, the university center model, and the university extension model (Floyd, 2005). The articulation model rep- resents an official agreement between the community college and regional universities, allowing students to transfer seamlessly from the former to the latter. Under the articu- lation model, state universities are required to accept associate of art (AA) or associate of science (AS) degrees awarded by the community college. The university center model involves the simultaneous use of learning sites for both the community college and the partnering regional university. State universities are also required to accept AA or AS degrees under this model. The university extension model requires regional universities to establish branches where community college students can participate in distance learning courses to earn the bachelor’s degree. Although the CCB is the most recent model to provide community college students with access to 4-year degrees, it has garnered increasing momentum and support within the last decade.

Contrary to popular belief, the CCB is not a new phenomenon (Floyd, 2006). As early as the 1970s, a small number of 2-year institutions across the country were granted approval to offer 4-year degree programs in specialized areas. During the 1980s, the CCB model was much more common in Canada, with only a handful of U.S. institutions conferring baccalaureate degrees exclusively from the community college (Floyd, 2005). More U.S. 2-year institutions began offering baccalaureate programs in selected fields during the 1990s as a way of providing access to 4-year degrees for place-bound students who would otherwise have been unable to earn their bachelor’s degree (Walker, 2005). Economic concerns, changing demographics, and a growth in the number of jobs requiring bachelor’s degrees are additional factors that have contributed to the overall increase in CCB programs (Cook, 2000). In recent years, the CCB model has gained legislative approval in a number of states. Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Vermont, Utah, Washington, and West Virginia have all granted one or more community col- leges the authority to offer bachelor’s degree in selected disciplines (Bemmel, Floyd, & Bryan, 2009).

The Community College Baccalaureate in Florida The growing concern among state legislators and policy makers about baccalaureate degree production served as the major impetus for the CCB in Florida. Although the state consistently ranks near the top nationally in the number of associate’s degrees awarded annually, Florida ranked 46th in 2007 in baccalaureate degree production per capita (Florida Division of Community Colleges, 2007). This deficiency in bachelor’s degree production has been attributed to the fact that although Florida is the fourth most populous state, the population is served by a relatively small number of public, baccalaureate, degree-granting institutions. Florida’s shortage of public 4-year colleges and universities relative to the population has restricted geographic access to 4-year degrees, hindered the state’s ability to address local workforce needs, and constrained students’ options for attending small public institutions to earn their bachelor’s degree

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(Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, 2007). For leg- islators and policymakers, introducing the CCB model was a strategy intended to overcome these problems and thus increase baccalaureate degree production in Florida.

Florida has been recognized as a national leader in the development of contem- porary CCBs (Floyd, 2006). In 2001, Florida lawmakers passed legislation allowing community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in selected areas and under certain conditions. Community colleges aspiring to launch baccalaureate programs must dem- onstrate that those prospective programs meet identified workforce needs and are not currently being offered by local 4-year colleges or universities. St. Petersburg College submitted the first CCB proposal to the state in 2001 and was subsequently granted approval to begin offering baccalaureate degrees. Following the example of St. Peters- burg College, other Florida community colleges began submitting proposals to the state, hoping to introduce their own 4-year degrees. As of the 2008-2009 academic year, 10 of Florida’s 28 community colleges offered at least one baccalaureate degree program (Floyd & Walker, 2009). The existing CCB degrees in Florida are primarily in teacher education, business and management, and health-related disciplines.

Organizational Change and the Community College Baccalaureate Organizational change has been defined as the alteration of organizational purposes and processes (Levy & Merry, 1986). The introduction of baccalaureate degree programs represents a major organizational change for 2-year institutions. John Levin (1998), who has published extensively on change within the context of the 2-year college, has noted that change is a defining characteristic of the community college. A community college’s success is based on its ability and willingness to undergo significant organi- zational change, because its very mission is to provide comprehensive programs and services that meet the diverse and changing needs of the communities it serves (Van Wagoner, 2004). Although it has been more than a decade since American community colleges began offering contemporary CCBs, theoretical exploration of this significant organizational transformation has been scarce (Skolnik, 2009). Theories of organiza- tional change and behavior can be used to better understand why a growing number of community colleges are launching 4-year degree programs. Two organizational theo- ries, taken in conjunction, provide an explanatory framework for the emergence of the CCB: neo-institutional theory and globalization theory.

Neo-institutional theory (Powell & DiMaggio, 1991) emphasizes the influence of the institutional environment on organizational behavior and change. Rather than exp- laining organizational actions as a function of competition or economic markets, neo- institutionalism emphasizes the role of local and institutional factors. Neo-institutional theorists suggest that institutional motives and behaviors are primary catalysts for organizational change (Brint & Karabel, 1989). From a neo-institutional perspective, community colleges are motivated to launch baccalaureate degree programs to enhance their reputation and increase prestige. Because they often share similar motives and goals, organizations within the same field begin to mimic and model one another (Hall, 2002). This phenomenon is referred to as “institutional isomorphism” (Powell &

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DiMaggio, 1991) and explains the introduction of bachelor’s degree programs as behavior by community colleges that seeks to model the actions performed by 4-year colleges and universities (Levin, 2004).

Neo-institutionalization theory alone, however, does not provide a comprehensive explanation of the CCB phenomenon. This organizational transformation has been stimulated not only by institutional and local forces but also by global forces and external demands on these institutions (Levin, 2004). Globalization theory explains that organizations will incorporate elements of global patterns of behavior because of the increasing interdependence among the world’s cultural, economic, and politi- cal activities (Appadurai, 1990; Guillén, 2001). The result is that organizations will demonstrate characteristics of both global and local identities. In contrast to neo- institutionalism, globalization theory suggests that the economic global marketplace is the primary catalyst for organizational change (Slaughter & Leslie, 1997).

A number of global forces are reshaping higher education and have contributed to the emergence of the CCB. First, employers and students today are demanding a higher level of education and training. The bachelor’s degree has replaced the associ- ate’s degree as the preferred entry-level degree for many jobs that pay well and offer opportunities for promotion (Walker, 2005). Consequently, the CCB can be viewed as a response to the workforce demands of the global marketplace. Changing student demographics are another external factor leading community colleges to launch 4-year degree programs. More low-income and place-bound students are pursuing higher education today than ever before. As tuition and undergraduate admission standards continue to increase at many 4-year institutions, low-income and place-bound stu- dents are threatened to be locked out of earning a bachelor’s degree. The CCB can provide financial, geographical, and programmatic access to the baccalaureate for these student groups (Floyd & Walker, 2009). Finally, the CCB can be considered a response by community colleges to combat increased competition in the marketplace. The higher education marketplace has become international in scope, and the Internet has dramatically increased the number of institutions offering educational services. The CCB is a product of community colleges adapting the services they provide to better compete for students and revenue.

Used in conjunction, neo-institutional theory and globalization theory provide a framework for understanding why many community colleges have begun offering bachelor’s degrees (Levin, 2004). Together, these theories can help explain how insti- tutional and external factors have contributed to the development of CCBs on campuses across the country. While continuing to meet the needs of the local communities they serve, community colleges are also striving to help America’s workforce meet the demands of a global economy.

Theoretical Framework Within the last decade, one of the more prominent frameworks that has been utilized to examine large-scale organizational change is the 8-step model presented by John Kotter in his 1996 book Leading Change. Kotter has published extensively on the

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topic of organizational change and is considered an expert in the areas of leadership and change management. After conducting extensive research on planned change within organizational settings, Kotter concluded that change typically fails because of common mistakes committed by organizational leaders during the change process. To overcome these costly mistakes and increase the likelihood that planned changes will be successful, Kotter recommended that organization leaders follow the 8 sequential steps presented in his model. A major contribution of Kotter’s model is that it presents explicit recommendations about leadership behaviors that foster the success of planned organizational change (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2001).

Kotter’s 8-step model for leading planned change is as follows: (a) establishing a sense of urgency by examining competitive realities and identifying potential opportu- nities and challenges; (b) creating a guiding coalition by assembling an effective group with the power to lead the change process; (c) developing a vision and strategy by cre- ating a vision for the change and strategies to ensure the change becomes a reality; (d) communicating the change vision by using all available mediums to communicate the new vision; (e) empowering broad-based action by eliminating obstacles, changing existing structures that undermine the change, and encouraging risk taking; (f) generat- ing short-term wins by planning and creating noticeable improvements in performance and recognizing those who contributed to the improvements; (g) consolidating gains and producing more change by changing all systems that do not fit the transformation vision, utilizing people who can implement the change vision, and reinvigorating the change process with new projects and change agents; and (h) anchoring new approaches in the culture by improving performance and leadership, articulating cor- relation between new behaviors and organizational success, and ensuring leadership succession.

We utilized Kotter’s model as a framework in our study to develop a better under- standing of the nature and degree of organizational change accompanying the CCB. The model is particularly valuable in illuminating the types of behaviors executive leaders at community colleges can display to help improve the likelihood that this change process is successful. In addition, Kotter’s model can help provide an under- standing of the types of organizational activities that are associated with effective large-scale organizational change. It is important to note that our aim was not to employ Kotter’s model as an assessment tool for determining how well the community col- leges in our study met each of the 8 steps as they introduced 4-year degree programs on their campuses. Rather than prescribing our findings to “fit”’ each of the 8 steps, we present themes that emerged from our data and make connections to specific steps in Kotter’s model only where applicable.

Method Because the objective of this study was to explore a central phenomenon that has received limited attention in the extant research literature, qualitative research methods

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were most appropriate (Creswell, 2008). The research goal was to develop a better understanding of the organizational change accompanying the introduction of 4-year degree programs on community college campuses. A case study design was used because this methodology is advantageous when researching a specific organization, program, or process (Yin, 1989). Conducting a case study allowed the researchers to explore the CCB’s impact at the institutional level in great depth and detail.

The University of Florida’s Institutional Review Board approved the study in the early summer of 2008. To secure informed consent, each participant in the study read and signed a consent form before being interviewed. All study participants were also informed of the researchers’ intentions to use the collected data in a manuscript that would be submitted for publication. The following sections describe the methodology used to collect and analyze the data for this study.

Participants Two community colleges were included in this case study to ensure that the findings were not uniquely associated with a particular institution. Purposeful sampling (Cre- swell, 2008) was used to identify two Florida colleges that share similar institutional characteristics and have launched 4-year degree programs in the same academic disciplines. “Conversion College” and “Transition College” are pseudonyms used throughout this article to protect the confidentiality of each institution.

Data were generated from six semistructured interviews with executive administra- tors (i.e., vice presidents and academic deans) from Transition College and Conversion College. Purposeful sampling was used to identify the three leading CCB change agents at each institution. All 6 interviewees played a central role in planning and implement- ing the initial CCB programs launched on their respective campuses. Pseudonyms were assigned to all 6 interviewees to protect confidentiality. Table 1 provides additional information about each of the participants in this study.

Data Collection The data utilized in this study were collected and analyzed during the summer of

2008. Three interviews were conducted face-to-face, and three interviews were con- ducted by telephone. Kotter’s (1996) 8-stage model for implementing large-scale organizational change was used as a conceptual framework to guide the development of the interview protocol. Approximately half of the interview questions focused on issues related to managing the CCB process, and the remaining questions inquired about specific changes in policy and practice that occurred as a result of introducing a 4-year degree program. When necessary, probing questions were asked to acquire more in-depth responses from interviewees on topics or issues of particular interest to the researchers. Each of the six interviews lasted approximately 1 hour and was audio recorded with permission from the participants.

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Data Analysis

The six interviews were transcribed electronically to establish the dataset for this study. To help ensure the accuracy of the transcriptions, a copy of each participant’s respective transcript was e-mailed to him or her as a form of member checking (Creswell, 2008). All 6 interviewees confirmed the accuracy of their transcripts and no modifications to the initial transcriptions were made. The collective data were then analyzed using an abridged version of Charmaz’s (2006) grounded theory methodol- ogy. The major data analysis steps in Charmaz’s method include initial coding, focused coding, axial coding, and theoretical coding. Collectively, these coding techniques allow patterns within the data to emerge and lead to the development of theory. But because theory development was beyond the scope and aim of this study, the research- ers performed all of the coding steps in Charmaz’s grounded theory approach except for theoretical coding. This strategy allowed the researchers to identify pertinent themes from the data and understand the underlying connections between these themes without developing an explanatory theory.

Both researchers coded all six transcripts to help ensure the accuracy and reliability of the findings. During the initial coding phase, line-by-line coding was used to iden- tify actions in each segment of the transcripts. This process helped both researchers name the phenomena that emerged from the interview data. Once both researchers had performed initial coding on all six transcripts, the process of focused coding was used to help organize and categorize the initial codes. The codes each researcher had identi- fied separately in the first step of Charmaz’s approach were compared and grouped into similar categories. These categories became the foundation for the major themes presented in this study.

Identifying the terminology used to label each code was an important task in the focused coding process because there were two researchers coding the data. Both researchers worked to reconcile differences in the language used to name the initial codes. For example, one researcher labeled a code “establishing the rationale for the degree program” and the other referred to this same code as “identifying the need for the degree.” After deliberation and discussion, agreement was reached to label this

Table 1. Interviewee Information

Namea Institution Years in current positionb Years at institutionb

Douglas Conversion College 6 30 Sarah Conversion College 2 2 Tim Conversion College 8 28 Leslie Transition College 2 9 Fred Transition College 7 7 Elizabeth Transition College 5 7

a. Pseudonyms used to protect confidentiality. b. As of the summer of 2008 when this study was conducted.

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code “justifying the need for the 4-year degree.” This approach was utilized to recon- cile each of the initial codes, which were then organized into themes. Initial and focused coding revealed five major themes from the interview data.

Next, axial coding was performed to help identify the relationship between themes. Axial coding also helped the researchers develop a better understanding of the data by revealing subthemes within each of the five major themes. In addition to using an abridged version of Charmaz’s (2006) grounded theory methodology to identify themes and subthemes, both researchers kept memos throughout the data analysis process, helping them elaborate on ideas or hunches about the data (Creswell, 2008). Memos were particularly useful in formulating connections between the themes and organizing the subthemes. The major themes and subthemes that emerged from the data are pre- sented in the following section.

Findings Justifying the Need

All of the interviewees suggested that justifying the need for a 4-year degree program on their campuses was an essential first step in leading this organizational change pro- cess. The underlying assumption was that community colleges should not offer a 4-year degree unless this program addressed “unmet needs” in the educational community. The interviewees vehemently opposed the idea of community colleges launching bachelor’s degree programs simply because it was viewed as a popular trend. Instead, they insisted that the CCB should be considered a viable option only if the need for this particular degree program could be justified to the institution’s key stakeholder groups (i.e., the faculty and staff, students, trustees, the state board, accrediting agencies, and the local community). The interviewees identified several reasons or circumstances that would justify the need for a community college to launch a 4-year degree program.

Addressing critical-need areas. Citing the well-documented shortage of teachers and nurses in Florida and across the country, the interviewees spoke to the importance of launching CCB programs that help address critical gaps in the workforce. Of parti- cular importance was identifying and meeting workforce needs in the local community served by the institution. When asked why Transition College had begun offering bachelor’s degrees, Fred replied without hesitation, “to meet unmet labor needs in our community.” At Conversion College, local businesses and industries expressed the need to hire bachelor’s degree graduates with specific knowledge and skill sets. Managers at these local businesses were having difficulty identifying qualified individuals to hire, which Douglas said helped justify the need for developing baccalaureate degree programs in these particular academic disciplines. In addition, interviewees from Con- version College and Transition College mentioned that the local university in their region did not offer bachelor’s degree programs in many of the critical-need areas that had been identified by local business and industry leaders. One interviewee stated:

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We thought that there was an unmet need in the educational community. There were areas that were not being served by the local university, and because of that, that created the opportunity. I think a great deal of that had to do with the need for some of those degrees in our region. (Elizabeth, Transition College)

The Florida legislature’s desire to increase the percentage of citizens holding a bachelor’s degree was also cited by all of the interviewees as one of the driving forces for the CCB programs on their campuses. Three of the interviewees mentioned that although Florida is one of the more populous states in the country, it ranks near the bottom in baccalaureate degree production. They viewed the CCB as a viable and cost-effective strategy the state could use to increase the percentage of Florida residents who hold a bachelor’s degree. The region that Transition College serves is also making concerted efforts to increase baccalaureate degree attainment in that particular community, and this has helped justify the need for the CCB programs at this institution.

Improving access. Improving access to the bachelor’s degree for students in the local community was cited a key reason for introducing the CCB. Currently, several of the public universities in Florida have capped undergraduate enrollment, and Fred at Transition College commented that thousands of students no longer have access to these universities. Furthermore, interviewees at both institutions relayed discouraging stories of associate of science (AS) graduates who were turned away from the state’s 4-year universities or who lost a substantial amount of credits on transferring:

You had to have a transfer degree and that was the AA [associate’s of Arts], to get into the State University System. OK. So I felt that was really unfortunate. I felt really badly for these thousands of [AS] students that had to go get an AA. I couldn’t understand why they couldn’t get an AA along the way, because most of them already had about 18 general education credits. (Sarah, Conversion College)

Several interviewees suggested that this led many of their AS graduates to pursue their bachelor’s degrees at proprietary institutions where the cost of attendance is sub- stantially higher than the cost of attending a public university.

The changing demographics among students pursuing higher education were also cited as justification for the CCB. The executive leaders in this study emphasized the importance of providing place-bound and nontraditional students with access to the bachelor’s degree. Tim at Conversion College said, “we are talking about someone who is in their 30s or 40s with a family. What they can’t afford to do is take off and go someplace for a year or two.” Citing the fact that many community college students have full-time jobs, Elizabeth at Transition College suggested that CCB programs can improve access to the bachelor’s degree by offering courses at times that are more convenient for this student population.

Market research. Acquiring objective and unbiased data about the feasibility and need for a CCB program was deemed critically important by the executive leaders at

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Conversion College and Transition College. Both institutions hired an external con- sulting firm to conduct market research to determine if there was a legitimate need for the 4-year degree programs that were under consideration. To corroborate the viability of a particular CCB program, Elizabeth at Transition College stated that approxi- mately 450 regional employers were surveyed and asked about the types of bachelor’s degree graduates their businesses were seeking to employ. The survey feedback helped justify the need for the college’s first 4-year degree program.

Acquiring Authorization Acquiring authorization from the state and from the regional accrediting agency to offer a CCB program was a significant undertaking for the participants in this study. Before a community college in Florida can offer a 4-year degree program, the institu- tion must first be granted legislative approval by the State Board of Education. Once approval has been granted by the state, the college must then submit a proposal to its regional accrediting agency. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) was the accrediting agency for both Conversion College and Transition College. The authorization process was described as time intensive and demanding, particularly as the institutions sought to launch their initial 4-year degree programs. However, multiple interviewees mentioned that receiving authorization from the state and SACS to launch subsequent bachelor’s degree programs became less stressful after having been through the process the first time. As Leslie at Transition College stated about the process, “once you have one [CCB], then you know what to do.”

Obstacles in the authorization process. Interviewees emphasized the importance of understanding the “hurdles you must overcome” during the authorization process to make the 4-year degree program a reality. When seeking state approval for the CCB, Florida colleges are required to make a formal presentation and provide a proposal about the prospective 4-year degree to the State Board of Education. Douglas at Con- version College suggested that the state board “could be a pretty tough body during those presentations” and that the board expects the institution to provide a strong ratio- nale for why the degree is needed. Leslie at Transition College mentioned that a document approximately 1,000 pages in length was submitted to the state for each of the 4-year degree programs that had been proposed by the college.

In Florida, a community college with the intention of launching a 4-year degree program must disclose this information to the regional 4-year colleges and universi- ties. Executive leaders at Conversion College and Transition College met with leaders of the local 4-year institutions on several occasions to discuss plans to launch bache- lor’s degree programs. Executive leaders at Transition College received minimal opposition from the 4-year colleges and universities in their region. As Leslie stated, “At first I don’t think they were thrilled we were doing this in their backyard. But they didn’t put up a major protest and they did not formally make a statement to the state against it.” Conversely, executive leaders at Conversion College received strong opposition from a local 4-year institution. The following quote illustrates the impor- tance of anticipating potential pitfalls that can occur during the authorization process:

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At the state meeting [the local 4-year institution] got up and told them that we shouldn’t be allowed to do this. It was a package that was about five inches thick of why we shouldn’t do it. Well the vote was 7-0 for us to do it. OK, so we had done our homework and that was important. And the bottom line to all this was doing our homework. (Tim, Conversion College)

Executive leaders at both institutions were surprised by the amount of institutional resources and effort that were required to meet SACS requirements. Leslie at Tran- sition College joked, “Let me tell you, Kinko’s just loved me. We practically lived there getting together the thousands of pages of documentation ready for the site visit team.” In addition to “hundreds of dollars” in copying and binding costs, the college was also responsible for all of the travel expenses and logistics associated with the SACS site visit. Reflecting on the accreditation process, several of our interviewees mentioned they had significantly underestimated the total costs that would be incurred by the institution. In addition to monetary costs, a great deal of preparation was required of the campus community to ensure the site visit is successful. Executive leaders at both institutions spent a great deal of time and energy preparing for this important facet of the SACS accreditation process.

Another obstacle in acquiring regional accreditation is a requirement from SACS that at least 25% of the faculty teaching in the new 4-year degree program have a ter- minal degree in that particular academic discipline. Traditionally, the highest degree held by the majority of faculty members at Conversion College and Transition College has been the master’s degree. As a result, both institutions were required to recruit and hire new PhD faculty. In addition, SACS also requires colleges offering 4-year degrees to have a specified amount of library resources. Both colleges were required to upgrade the offerings and resources provided through their libraries in order for their 4-year degrees to become accredited.

Leading the Change Process All 6 of the participants in this study stressed that effective leadership was absolutely essential in order for the 4-year degree program to become a reality on their campuses. Perhaps the most common belief among the vice presidents and academic deans inter- viewed was that a “shared vision” was needed to guide this dynamic change process. Not surprisingly, nearly all of the interviewees stated that this vision should come from the campus president. Tim at Conversion College stated, “Make doggone sure that you have a president who knows where he or she is going. You got to do that . . . the president needs to be the person that says this [launching a 4-year degree program] is the goal.” The president was viewed as the “champion of the cause” who was responsible for keeping the institution moving forward throughout this organizational transformation.

Several interviewees also mentioned that the institution’s board of trustees played a central role in directing the CCB change process. At both colleges, the president and

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other executive administrators presented information about the CCB at “virtually every board meeting” as the institutions prepared to launch their first 4-year degree programs. Fred at Transition College said, “I would say that the board resolution was a fairly clear vision—that we will pursue limited opportunities in workforce areas while maintaining the mission of the community college.”

Planning for the CCB. The college president at both institutions initiated the CCB planning process through strategic meetings and conversations with the rest of the executive leadership. At Transition College, Elizabeth was heavily involved in deve- loping a proposal for the new degrees and described the process of benchmarking her college’s planned baccalaureate programs against those at other community colleges in the state that were offering similar baccalaureate degrees. She stated, “We looked at everything from what the name was going to be, and what the courses were going to look like.” Many of the CCB planning discussions between executive administrators and the college president focused on what particular 4-year degrees should be offered at the college. One interviewee said:

Before all this started you know, there were a lot of different pow-wows between the college president and the members of the cabinet, which are campus presi- dents and vice presidents of human resource, finance [and] . . . our legal area, to talk about what areas we would be approaching to even do this in the first place. So the upper-level administration really did a lot of the brainstorming on this, and then, once the areas were determined then the work shifted to [the CCB proposal writing teams] to kind of do the nuts and bolts. (Leslie, Transition College)

Establishing a CCB task force. Early in the process of developing the degree pro- grams, both institutions formed coalitions of administrators and faculty members to decide what degrees to offer and create proposals for the president and board of trust- ees. In addition to the initial research and development teams, there were also writing teams formed later in the CCB change process to develop documentation needed for state approval and accreditation. In describing the task force at Conversion College, Douglas said, “There were approximately 30 to 35 people, a task force that met over a period of about three or four months and sort of talked through the pros and cons and went through some decision making processes.”

Once the CCB proposals had been accepted by the college president and board of trustees, working teams were formed to develop applications for the state board of education and create the necessary documents for SACS accreditation. Fred described the teams that worked on different aspects of the approval and implementation pro- cess after Transition College had determined which degrees it would pursue:

[the] writing group consists of individuals in my office, usually there is three of us and then we have a writing team on campus where that particular degree will be housed . . . And then finally there is a, we pulled together a student services

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team, as we get closer to implementation where we are actually admitting the students, to work through the implementation issues that may be associated with that particular degree. (Fred, Transition College)

Communication. Keeping college employees and stakeholders informed was an important step in leading the CCB change process. Interviewees cited a variety of mediums and vehicles used by college leadership to communicate information about the institution’s transformation. Several executive administrators said that campus- wide e-mails from the college president were utilized to inform faculty and staff members of the institution’s progress toward offering a baccalaureate degree. At Tran- sition College, e-mail notifications were sent when the CCB proposal was submitted to the state, and a follow-up e-mail was sent when the proposal was approved. Prog- ress reports and information about the introduction of 4-year degrees on campus were also presented at both colleges’ convocation ceremonies. Leslie at Transition College emphasized the value of publishing articles about the CCB in the campus newspapers and posting updated information on the home page of the college’s Web site.

Another important aspect of communication about the CCB involved garnering campus and community support. Several interviewees mentioned that as top admin- istrators at their respective institutions, they were responsible for communicating face-to-face with faculty and staff members about this change process. At Conversion College, Douglas visited faculty senate meetings and the four different employee groups on campus to garner support. By communicating directly with faculty and staff members at these meetings, Douglas was able to obtain letters of support from each of the groups for the introduction of baccalaureate programs. Douglas also emphasized the importance of face-to-face communication with the board of trustees and keeping them updated throughout the transition because board approval was required to submit the proposal to the state.

Challenges in the Change Process Throughout the development of baccalaureate programs at Transition College and Conversion College, there were a number of challenges and obstacles to overcome. Interviewees acknowledged initial resistance from some faculty members and even the surrounding community when the proposal was presented. Other forms of resistance came from nearby 4-year institutions that felt the community college was encroaching on their student market. Another challenge came from the nature of the tedious and lengthy approval process.

Internal and external resistance. One interviewee noted that several faculty members at his college initially opposed the institution’s plan to introduce baccalaureate degrees:

Quite frankly there were some faculty that believed it was the wrong thing to do. Okay, but we dealt with that, not in a confrontational manner, but the train has left the station. Remember when Lee Iacocca said, either get on board or get the

McKinney, Morris 201

hell out of the way? So what essentially we were telling people was that it is already happening and now we need your help making sure that it goes in the right direction. (Tim, Conversion College)

This quote provides a clear example of how administrators at Conversion College addressed faculty resistance to the change process. While making sure that faculty members understood this organizational change was inevitable, administrators also encouraged them to help make the transition successful.

All three interviewees at Conversion College discussed resistance from the nearby state university as an obstacle that had to be addressed before the transition could take place. The terms “protective” and “strongly opposed” were used by interviewees to describe the state university’s response to Conversion College’s proposal to become a baccalaureate-degree-granting institution. Representatives from the university were in attendance when the college’s proposal was presented to the state board of education for approval, and these representatives presented numerous reasons why they believed the state should not allow the college to offer 4-year degrees. Douglas described the process of overcoming this obstacle through intense research and planning and through the institution’s commitment to a quality proposal that demonstrated a real need for the introduction of a specific baccalaureate degree program.

Budgeting. Several interviewees mentioned that budgeting for the introduction of a baccalaureate program was a substantial challenge that deserved serious attention from administrators responsible for leading the CCB change efforts. One interviewee discussed the cost of developing a new baccalaureate program and the importance of understanding the return on investment for the programs:

Budgeting is the biggest thing, because remember during this same, during the last three years we’ve had budget cuts. And so, it’s a challenge to make sure that these baccalaureate degrees are well fed. Because the start-up for a baccalaureate degree is about $125 to $165 thousand dollars to open the door to admit your first student. And so, it involves a huge commitment on the part of the college, that we are going to fund something and know that our payback may be three years after our first students have begun taking classes. (Fred, Transition College)

To overcome budgeting challenges associated with introducing a 4-year degree, several interviewees cited the importance of prioritizing existing resources and trying to find ways to creatively shift funds from other areas or projects on campus.

Staffing. Hiring qualified faculty members was another important obstacle to address during this change process. The executive administrators in this study emp- hasized the importance of identifying and hiring new faculty members who held doctoral degrees in the appropriate academic disciplines. Strategies used to address this challenge included devoting additional resources to the recruitment of new fac- ulty members and increasing the starting salaries for faculty members to compete with the salaries offered at other institutions.

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Changes in Institutional Policy and Practice

A substantial number of modifications must be made to institutional policy and practice when community colleges launch 4-year degree programs. Several interviewees men- tioned that their institutions had significantly underestimated the amount of changes that were required during this transition process. Findings indicate that these changes required planning and coordination among numerous departments and service areas on campus.

Admissions and financial aid. One of the most obvious changes in college policy accompanying the CCB is the establishment of admission requirements for the new degree. Community colleges have traditionally been characterized as open-access institutions, but students must meet academic prerequisites (e.g., having earned an associate’s degree) to be admitted into a bachelor’s degree program. The CCB required both institutions in this study to develop a “ranking system” that would be used to judge students’ admission applications. This was particularly important at Transition College, where 250 prospective students applied for 70 available slots during the program’s first semester of operation. Executive administrators in this study referred to the 4-year degree programs on their campuses as “selective–access” programs. One interviewee stated:

I guess probably the biggest issue is you’re going from open-door, open-access, which most of our programs are, where a student just enrolls in the college, selects a program of study and they take their college placement test and then they can get started, versus a selective access program. You know, structurally how do you get that going? (Elizabeth, Transition College)

Some modifications in the awarding of student financial aid may also accompany the CCB. Before bachelor’s degree programs were established at Conversion College and Transition College, institutional financial aid packages had been designed to meet the needs of students pursuing their 1st and 2nd years of college. The financial aid offices at both institutions had to develop new strategies for delivering financial support to help upper-division students meet the total cost of attendance.

Academic services. In regard to academics, both colleges in this study underwent restructuring to efficiently and seamlessly begin offering baccalaureate programs. Developing a coherent course of study for the CCB with appropriate general educa- tion courses to accommodate all students was an important task at both institutions. The initial degrees proposed at Conversion College were bachelor of applied sci- ence (BAS) degrees, and administrators wanted to ensure that no content would need to be repeated by students who had earned an AS degree. This required a reex- amination of existing course offerings to develop a coherent curriculum for the new 4-year degree program.

Interviewees also discussed the importance of meeting with academic service depart- ments across campus to coordinate the introduction of bachelor’s degrees. Additional

McKinney, Morris 203

training was required for academic advisors and tutors who would now be “dealing with an entirely new realm of information.” Advisors were required to provide more “prescriptive and specific” information to students at the institution who are working toward their bachelor’s degree. Tutors had to familiarize themselves with the material being taught in the new upper-division courses. As a requirement of the SACS accredi- tation process, services provided by the campus library were also changed. Several participants in this study were surprised at how many additional resources the library would need to accommodate the new degree.

Marketing and public relations. Introducing a 4-year degree program reshapes a community college’s identity and requires the institution to consider how it will pro- mote itself to the general public.

Well, from a branding standpoint, we are going to have to rebrand our college. So we are no longer a community college, or are we? How do we go about branding that we are different than what we were? And that’s critical. (Fred, Transition College)

Like the majority of community colleges in Florida that have initiated bachelor’s degree programs, one of the institutions in this study removed the word ‘community’ from its name. This change obviously meant that modifications were necessary to many of the college’s promotional materials (e.g., admissions brochures, letterhead, business cards, web site). In addition, interviewees at both institutions suggested that they made an effort to increase awareness in the local community about the new degree programs. Admissions staff members and executive leaders scheduled speaking engagements and began to promote the college as a baccalaureate degree granting institution.

Human resources. The SACS requirement that 25% of the faculty members teach- ing in the CCB programs hold their terminal degree served as a catalyst for changes in hiring and compensation practices at both institutions in this study. Conversion College and Transition College were required to recruit and hire new PhD faculty members for the bachelor’s degree programs. Because faculty members with a termi- nal degree typically demand a higher salary, Tim led efforts to raise the starting faculty salary at Conversion College to recruit the “best available candidates” for the new 4-year degree program on campus. Many current faculty members at both colleges had expressed interest in returning to graduate school on a part-time basis to earn their Ph.D. so they could teach in these CCB programs. As a result, several inter- viewees cited an increase in the number of employees taking advantage of the college’s tuition reimbursement program.

Expectations of faculty members working in the new 4-year degree programs con- stituted another change in human resource policy. Fred at Transition College said, “you would expect more scholarly research being done at a baccalaureate degree granting institution, but it’s harder if you’re teaching 10 sections.” Although Transi- tion College was still working to identify appropriate expectations for CCB faculty,

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decisions about these expectations had already been made at Conversion College. Highlighting the changes in faculty work expectations, one interviewee stated:

I said, you know, I expect my faculty in the bachelor’s degree programs to pres- ent and publish, and I said, well you know what, I will make sure that they do. I will show them how if they don’t know how. (Sarah, Conversion College)

Discussion and Implications for Practice The five major themes that emerged from the data illuminate many of the oppor-

tunities, challenges, and intricacies associated with the introduction of the CCB. The findings address the two research questions guiding this study by illuminating how executive administrators led this organizational change process and by identifying the specific changes in institutional policy and practice inherent in this transition. Table 2 provides an overview of the five major themes from this study and sum- marizes several implications for practice associated with each theme. This table is intended to serve as a helpful resource for community college decision makers who are considering, or currently planning, the introduction of a bachelor’s degree pro- gram at their institution.

It is critically important for community colleges to conduct a significant amount of background research before launching a 4-year degree program. This finding is related to the initial step in Kotter’s (1996) model, which emphasizes the importance of iden- tifying potential opportunities and challenges associated with the planned change. Executive leaders at community colleges should understand the sources of opposition, both internal and external, that they are likely to encounter during the CCB change process. Institutional research offices should be involved in coordinating data collec- tion on the prospective bachelor’s degrees and providing key decision makers with relevant and timely information. The costs associated with launching and operating the new degree program should be thoroughly examined by budgeting experts on campus. Benchmarking CCB programs against those at other institutions was a strat- egy used by both colleges in this study to develop a better understanding of what to expect during this change process. In addition, research from an external consulting firm that justifies the need for the degree is an important aspect of laying the founda- tion for this dynamic change process.

Effective leadership is essential to make the CCB a reality. At both institutions in this study, the president provided the overall vision for this major organizational change. The president communicated information about the CCB at campus gather- ings and periodically through e-mail messages to all college employees. Executive administrators, such as the vice presidents and academic deans we interviewed, were charged with carrying out this vision and managing the day-to-day activities required in planning and implementing the CCB. The identification of a point person or “cham- pion of the cause” for the CCB was a leadership strategy that proved advantageous for both institutions in this study. The formation of a CCB task force comprised of faculty

McKinney, Morris 205

Table 2. Key Considerations and Recommendations for Managing the CCB Change Process

Theme

Justifying the need: Determining if there is a real need for the proposed CCB

Acquiring Authorization:

Activities related to gaining state approval and regional accreditation for the CCB

Leading the CCB Process:

Leadership actions and strategies throughout the CCB change process

Challenges in the CCB Process:

Obstacles that emerged during the planning and implementation of the CCB

Key considerations

• Is this change needed and feasible for our institution?

• What are the unmet educational and labor needs in the local community?

• What data are needed? Who can provide it?

• What are the specific steps for acquiring state approval? Regional accreditation?

• How long will the authorization process take?

• Who on campus should help put the proposals together?

• Are local universities likely to oppose this change?

• What is the president’s role in this process? VPs and academic deans?

• What is the vision for this change and who decides?

• How will information about this change be communicated on campus and to the local community?

• What funds will be used to cover the costs associated with this change?

• What are likely internal and external sources of opposition to the CCB?

• How does this change impact hiring and staffing practices?

Recommendations

• Get the institutional research office involved

• Hire a consultant to conduct market research and provide unbiased data

• Let data and other background research drive the decision to move forward with the prospective degree

• Hire a consultant to help with authorization

• Contact and benchmark other institutions that have been through the CCB process

• Identify a liaison with the state and accrediting agency to help provide guidance

• Estimate the total costs associated with acquiring authorization

• Communicate to stakeholders through a variety of mediums and address resistance tactfully

• Identify a point person for the CCB process

• Establish a task force of faculty and staff responsible for moving the CCB process forward

• Strive to get the entire campus community to buy into the change

• Develop a budget up front for the total costs associated with launching the CCB

• Identify strategies to handle potential opposition from employees and local universities

• Use the CCB as a catalyst for other changes that will benefit students and employees

(continued)

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and staff members helped leaders overcome internal resistance and capitalize on employees’ diverse knowledge and skill sets to make the CCB transition more seam- less. These findings echo the second and third steps in Kotter’s (2006) model, which emphasize the need for leaders to develop a vision for the change and establish a “guiding coalition” to help ensure that the change process is successful.

It is apparent from the findings presented in this study that modifications to existing policies and practices are required when community colleges launch bachelor’s degrees. Many of these modifications must take place before the institution can acquire authori- zation from the state or regional accrediting agency. Changes can be expected within the areas of admissions and financial aid, academic services, marketing and public rela- tions, and human resources. These institutional changes driven by the introduction of the CCB often require collaboration among different departments or divisions on campus. College leaders should facilitate these collaborations to make certain that the necessary modifications to existing policy and practice are performed. Equipped with an awareness of the nature and degree of these changes, college leaders can help ensure that the appropriate academic and auxiliary services are being provided to stu- dents enrolled in these new degree programs.

Conclusion The emergence of baccalaureate degree programs at community colleges represents a landmark change in the landscape of American higher education. As corrobo- rated by findings from this study, introducing a 4-year degree program at the community college requires significant modifications to existing policies and practices. This trans- formation also begins to reshape the institution’s identity at the local, state, and national

Table 2. (continued)

Theme

Changes in Institutional Policy and Practice:

Modifications required to existing college policy and practice as a result of the CCB

Key considerations

• What changes are mandated by the state or accrediting agency?

• What are appropriate admissions standards for the new degree?

• Which campus services need to be modified to meet the needs of upper division students?

• How do we market and promote the institution now that bachelor’s degrees are being offered?

Recommendations

• Inform employees of required changes within their area or department as soon as possible

• Facilitate collaboration among service areas that must work together to implement changes

• Clarify work expectations for Ph.D. faculty teaching in the CCB program

• Determine the fiscal costs associated with changes in policy and practice

McKinney, Morris 207

levels. The findings presented in this study help demystify the organizational change that occurs at the institutional level when community colleges launch bachelor’s degrees. A better understanding of this multifaceted organizational change process can help community colleges leaders make well-informed decisions regarding the intro- duction of 4-year degree programs at their institutions. Considering the growing number of CCB programs across the country and the long-term implications of this phenomenon, empirical studies exploring this organizational change are an important contribution to the higher education research literature.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared that they had no conflicts of interests with respect to their authorship or the publication of this article.

Funding

The authors declared that they received no financial support for their research and/or authorship of this article.

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Bios

Lyle McKinney is a presidential fellow and doctoral candidate in the College of Education at the University of Florida, Gainesville.

Phillip A. Morris is a research fellow and doctoral student in the College of Education at the University of Florida, Gainesville.