Content area
Full text
Innov High Educ (2015) 40:247261
DOI 10.1007/s10755-014-9311-6
Published online: 5 November 2014# Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014
Abstract We draw upon the evolutionary model of change in order to examine the organizational transformation of three liberal arts colleges (Albion College, Allegheny College, Kenyon College). Relying on our prior research (Baker, Baldwin, & Makker, 2012), we seek to continue our exploration and understanding of the evolution occurring in the important liberal arts college sector of higher education. We seek to understand why and how these colleges change, what changes occur, and, especially, what makes liberal arts colleges susceptible to change. The findings of this study have the potential to illuminate change in other types of higher education institutions.
KeyWords Liberal arts colleges . evolutionary change . case study research
Dramatic change is underway throughout higher education; and, at times, the changes are not trivial (Hearn, 1996). Among the forces that account for recent changes are technology, new teaching and learning approaches, cost constraints, changing demographics, and international competition (Kezar, 2001). The consequences of these changes are particularly apparent in the distinctively American (Lang, 1999, p. 133) liberal arts college (LAC). In this article, we seek to extend our previous work on the evolution of liberal arts colleges (Baker et al., 2012) to
Vicki L Baker is Associate Professor of Economics & Management at Albion College. She received her B.S. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, an M.B.A. from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. in Management & Organization and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from The Pennsylvania State University. Her research explores doctoral education, the professoriate, mentoring/developmental networks, and liberal arts colleges.
Roger Baldwin is Professor of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education at Michigan State University. He received the B.A. from Hiram College, an M.A.in Personnel Administration in Higher Education from Cornell University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. His professional interests include instructional strategies and curriculum planning, faculty career development, conditions in the academic workplace, and transformation in higher education systems.
V. L. Baker (*)
Economics & Management, Albion College, Albion, MI, USA e-mail: [email protected]
R. G. Baldwin
Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
A Case Study of Liberal Arts Colleges in the...