Structure Questions

Organization

• Is our organization efficiently and effectively organized? How do we know?
• Is accountability clear and aligned with responsibilities?
• How do our organizational charts relate to industry metrics including enrollment?
• Does our structure support our business plan and mission?
• Is our organizational structure relevant to current needs? Does it create barriers to improvement?
• How do we incent behaviors to align with institutional direction?
• Are we demanding excellence/productivity? How is productivity measured?
• Do performance evaluation, promotion and tenure criteria support mission?

Culture

• What incentives help or inhibit staff from contributing? Are staff empowered to develop creative solutions?
• How does our institutional culture align or conflict with goals and strategies?
• Does our vision conflict with existing organizational culture, impairing success?

Policies and Processes

• Are policies in place for processes that are necessary for achievement of mission?
• Is our academic calendar congruent with needs and desires of current students?
• Are information and communication systems in place to support mission and goal attainment?
• How is change managed? How is our culture adapted to new requirements?
• Should we centralize or decentralize services, resources and decision making?
• How do our academic schedule (including drop/add dates, etc.) and course scheduling and occupancy support student success and institutional mission?
• What opportunities do we have to change processes for student transfer and articulation?

Decision Making

• Is decision making delegated to the appropriate positions and levels?
• Does our budgeting process and ERP system allow for necessary change?
• Is there consensus on appropriate levels of risk? Is there a risk management strategy?
• Are policies in place that are necessary for achievement of mission? How do institutional policies support or hinder the mission?
• Are information flows adequate and timely to participants in governance processes?
• Are decisions about problems and solutions made and implemented timely?

Leadership

• Do our leaders confront the historical, legacy issues that threaten long-term viability?
• Do our leaders agree to invest in institutional priorities rather than local needs and squeaky wheels?
• Do leadership’s strengths support our institutional niche?
• Does our leadership have the expertise to lead the college in light of current opportunities and challenges?
• Is our leadership willing to take strategic risk to better position the institution?
• Do we have transformational leadership at all levels?
• Does our leadership share the “brutal facts” transparently while leading with vision?

Governance

• Does our current governance structure support a culture of change?
• Does our leadership structure promote or inhibit collaborative practices across the institution?
• Is our leadership team sufficiently stable and focused on the long-term institutional well-being?
• Does our existing structure inhibit or promote productive, practical leadership? What governance structures inhibit change? Do we have the courage to change them?
• How do we consistently drive change despite leadership changes?
• Is the Board knowledgeable about and focused on their role in institutional change?
• How do we engage Board members with differing levels of experience with higher education in significant discussion and decision making?

Market Factors

• What are the impacts of the changing regulatory and statutory environment? What regulatory and statutory requirements constrain opportunities for change?
• How does our regional and program-specific accreditation support institutional success?
• How do we engage unions to collaborate on change?
• How do we retain our uniqueness and competitive edge within the state system (if applicable)?
• How do political structures impact our mission?

Collaboration

• Should we position our institution for industry consolidation?
• What opportunities exist to expand community collaboration to promote institutional growth and avoid duplication of services?
• In what areas should we expand, strengthen or pursue collaboration or partnership with other colleges and universities?
• What benefits do/might we gain from being a part of the state system (if applicable)?
• What industries in our community offer opportunities for programmatic or other partnerships?
• Are we adequately assessing downside risk as well as upside opportunity?
• What opportunities exist for sharing of services and programs and partnerships/collaborations within our institution and with others?
• Can we leverage intra-institutional mergers to garner resource savings while enhancing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary instruction and research/scholarship?
• Do silos prevent us from delivering services more effectively and efficiently?

Thinking Forward

• Is the current organizational structure appropriate for the future?
• What is a better structure of service delivery to achieve better outcomes?
• Are the structures supporting innovation in place?
• What is “core” to our mission? What might this imply for possible areas for innovation or outsourcing?
• Is there appetite for change and innovation? Does the organization support risk-taking and entrepreneurialism?
• What are the opportunities for structural innovation?