STLHE 2016 SAPES

Change is a constant factor in today’s higher education landscape. Inquiry and dialogue can be powerful tools that “enable organizational members to examine assumptions and strategies, and to plan, implement, and sustain change” (Boyce, 2003). By making a conscious decision to “pay attention to the cues that everything is not all right” (Boyce, 2003) we can begin to set the stage for significant transformative change.

This interactive workshop welcomes anyone who wishes to engage their institution in a productive dialogue about organizational and cultural change. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping emphasizes a cognitive appraisal of situational factors, and focuses on the identification of coping and problem solving strategies, as well as acknowledgement and reframing of emotional reactions. It provides an opportunity to reflect, evaluate, strategize, and re-frame. Using this model as a basis, participants will be guided through a framework that supports dialogue about change in higher education at the individual, unit and institutional levels. This framework, along with workshop resources and materials will be provided to participants for them to employ with their own teams and communities.


Boyce, M.E. (2003). Organizational Learning is Essential to Achieving and Sustaining Change in Higher Education. Innovative Higher Education, 28(2), 119-135.

Glanz, K., & Schwartz, M. C. (2008). Stress, Coping and Health Behavior. In Glanz, K., Rimer, B. K, & Viswanath, K. (Eds.), Health Behavior and Health Education (pp. 211-236). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.