Here in Dx and at UVU, there are constant changes that impact our customers and us. Some of these changes are minor and easy to adapt to, while others are major and difficult to adapt to. Some individuals may feel uncomfortable with a change, while other individuals learn to adjust quickly. All changes can become opportunities for growth if navigated with the right approach.

Organizational Change Management

The Harvard Business School explains, "Organizational change refers to the actions in which a company or business alters a major component of its organization, such as its culture, the underlying technologies or infrastructure it uses to operate, or its internal processes. Organizational change management is the method of leveraging change to bring about a successful resolution…" 

Some changes are small and incremental, amounting only to minor modifications that address evolving needs; we could call these adaptive changes. Other changes can involve a simultaneous shift in mission and strategy, company or team structure, people and organizational performance, or business processes. In other words, they are very broad, complex, and transformational changes. Most of our changes fit somewhere in between those two extremes, and every situation is different.

Without good change management, changes can become more difficult than they have to be, leading to poor morale for everyone involved. As The Harvard Business School says, "Change management drives the successful adoption and usage of change within the business. It allows employees to understand and commit to the shift and work effectively during it." 

To create buy-in for a given change, every organization needs: 

• A clearly-defined business purpose that aligns with strategy and describes why the change is critical. 
• Roadmaps and change success metrics to help leaders manage the change.
• Messages to inform employees, students, and administrators about how implemented changes will affect them. 

All of these needs can be facilitated through proper communication, which is one of the most important factors for successful change.

ADKAR

Dx has chosen the Prosci ADKAR Model to guide our change management efforts and our communications. "The word 'ADKAR' is an acronym for the five outcomes an individual needs to achieve for a change to be successful: Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement." The five outcomes build upon each other. Our communications should help each individual affected by or involved in a change to achieve the ADKAR outcomes. Since there are five outcomes on the path, it's reasonable to send one communication or message per step. In other words, each person should receive AT LEAST five separate communications per change. 

In some cases, a given message must be communicated through more than one method in order to move an individual or group from one step to the next. For instance, in our recent change to passwordless authentication, many messages were sent to individuals who didn't accomplish the outcomes desired. Each message reiterated the need (Knowledge) a little differently and gave them clear guidance (Ability) to accomplish the goals. But well before all that, a campus-wide message was sent to inform people (Awareness) of the new passwordless capabilities we had at our disposal. Videos showing how easy login is with passwordless (Desire) were created and shared broadly. Our final communications on a change must then address the last ADKAR step: Reinforcement.

Call To Action

As you begin planning your projects, remember to identify the audience of people who will be affected by the changes. Consider the changes from their point of view. Use the ADKAR model as you consult with your supervisor about how best to help others through the change. Dx has many resources to reach your audiences. When in doubt, ask your supervisor for guidance. Let's create successful changes in our path of digital transformation at UVU! 

Retention and outcome measures are usually calculated as time series data that track specific cohorts of students based on when they first enroll. However, these data tell us little about students' academic journeys as they pursue a degree. 

The data used in the diagram below were looked at as sample data, helping to break down what students do once they enroll in a program. Though the sample was taken from a 10-year period, it represents a snapshot of the decade covered rather than a measure of overall academic achievement.

The sample represents students who enrolled in associate programs between 2011 and 2021 and is meant to help understand what checkpoints students pass on their way to a degree within the 10-year period. 

Not all students were enrolled for the entire 10-year period; some may still be enrolled. Those seeking associate degrees who first enrolled outside the sampling time frame are not included in the counts.