Using a network of program heads to enact successful change in a higher education institution

Effective change management in higher education is essentially about the staff who are to put each development into practice wanting to engage with the initiative and then learning how to do something new. A key player in this process is the Head of Program – the person who is responsible for ensuring that a desired educational change is actually put successfully and sustainably into practice. This is because the Head of Program is the final arbiter of whether any learning and teaching change is actually consistently and effectively put into practice by program staff. If a Head of Program does not see a change or quality improvement initiative as being relevant, clear and feasible (implementable), then they will not engage their staff in learning how to make it happen. This paper examines the background, operation and outcomes of a Heads of Program Network set up at the University of Western Sydney in order to reinforce staff engagement in university wide efforts to improve learning, teaching and student retention. This network received a commendation in the University’s quality audit because it had proven to be a convenient and well regarded way for Heads of Programs to assess the feasibility and relevance of changes proposed by “the centre”; to adjust these to ensure their feasibility; and to identify the best way to ensure they were taken up locally. It has proven to be an efficient mechanism for identifying locally successful ways of addressing key changes that could be adapted for application in other locations across the university. And it has proven to be an ideal forum for informal learning and support around a common role and set of change challenges