Faculty Developers as Change Agents: Transforming Colleges and Universities into Learning Organizations

Abstract

In the face of demands for institutional restructuring and competition from new internet-based degree programs, the authors argue that campus-based colleges and universities may continue to serve their students well by becoming effective learning organizations. They argue, further, that faculty developers are in the best position to help their institutions become learning organizations. After describing the features of learning organizations as articulated in the work of Peter Senge, the authors reinterpret Senge's theory to make specific application to academic settings. Concrete suggestions are provided for faculty developers to assist in transforming their institutions.