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Background: Motivated by the need for a diverse technological workforce, broadening participation in computing (BPC) efforts aim to increase the representation of people who identify as women, African American or Black, Hispanic or Latinx/a/o/e, Native American, Indigenous, persons from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and persons with disabilities. Research on BPC efforts has highlighted exemplar institutions and activities, but tends to focus onwhatinitiatives computing departments have undertaken and the outcomes of these initiatives. Purpose: Given this prior focus onwhatinitiatives computing departments are undertaking, we propose refocusing onhowchange happens to increase our collective capacity for impactful change efforts. We apply a well-known organizational change framework, John Kotter’s eight-stage process of leading change, to examine catalysts for change in computing departments, who contributes to this work, and what motivates the work. Doing so can deepen our understanding of BPC efforts and how to enhance them. Theoretical Framework: Kotter’s framework for leading change includes the following eight stages: (1) establishing a sense of urgency, (2) creating the guiding coalition, (3) developing a vision and strategy, (4) communicating the change vision, (5) empowering broad-based action, (6) generating short-term wins, (7) consolidating gains and producing more change, and (8) anchoring new approaches in the culture. Methods: Using a practitioner research approach, we conducted interviews with 13 faculty and staff members across R1 and R2 U.S. institutions via Zoom. Participants were recruited based on their involvement in BPC efforts at their respective institutions. We used inductive and deductive analytic coding approaches to capture how the Kotter framework illuminated participants’ experiences leading BPC efforts. Findings: Kotter’s stages provide a useful breakdown of processes with which to understand and illuminate catalysts for change in computing departments. Across our participants, we see examples of how each stage not only takes shape in different departments, but also how subsequent stages build upon the one(s) before it. Findings reveal a variety of factors that motivate the urgency for computer science (CS) departments to engage in BPC work, along with the importance of top-down leadership and institutional resources. Implications: Kotter’s organizational change model provides an appropriate frame to guide BPC efforts and may be useful to practitioners. Findings from this study illuminate several areas for CS departments to address in order to build capacity for organizational change efforts that support BPC goals. These include examining a variety of departmental data, effectively using meetings and other communications mechanisms, and revising hiring and promotion policies.
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This content will become publicly available on April 1, 2027
Leading Change in Academic Departments: An Analysis of Department Heads and Teaching Evaluation Reform Using Kotter’s Model
Abstract Desired reforms in undergraduate education require shifts in departmental practices. Department heads are positioned to be change agents, but often lack formal leadership training, and their approaches to change have received little scholarly attention. Research findings from disciplines like organizational management can offer relevant insights. We drew on Kotter’s 8-step model for leading change as a theoretical lens for examining the ideas and actions of heads leading changes to departmental teaching evaluation practices. We used deductive and inductive qualitative content analysis to identify what was present and absent in the approaches taken by department heads. Department heads used some, but not all the steps in the 8-step model and prioritized additional actions. They sought faculty input to foster a sense of ownership in new practices and address concerns. Heads also proposed new changes strategically, worked with colleagues to develop new practices and build buy-in, and aimed to cultivate confidence about the feasibility of new practices. Compared to the 8-step model, heads did not foster a sense of urgency or intentionally craft messaging. Drawing on the collective wisdom of department heads and Kotter’s model, we present an adapted process for leading change in academic departments. The process recognizes the flat hierarchy of academic departments by including iterative steps of proposing, piloting, and revising new practices. It also highlights important steps that might not be the norm in departments, such as formulating careful messaging about the need for a change and repeatedly and intentionally broadcasting progress.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1821023
- PAR ID:
- 10678671
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Innovative Higher Education
- Volume:
- 51
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0742-5627
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 629 to 658
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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