1 UTILISING AN ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING APPROACH TO FACILITATE CHANGE IN A UNIVERSITY AND IMPROVE THE RETENTION OF FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

This paper discusses an ongoing project being implemented at Griffith University, which is designed to develop a strategic approach to improving the retention of first year student and facilitate significant change. An organisational learning model (Dixon, 1999) is used to frame a systematic approach to organisational change. Recognising that change within universities is typically slow, the project aims to impact on the culture in an incremental fashion. A key feature relates to the breaking down of perceived ‘silos’, with the aim of improving information exchange and learning across different areas of the university. In particular, the importance of increasing awareness of, and communication about, good practice approaches already operating in the university is highlighted. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed