Academic Middle Manager-Driven Strategies for Managing Curriculum Change in Higher Education

Abstract

This study is an investigation of strategies that can be deployed by academic middle managers (AMMs) to support successful planning, implementation and management of curriculum change in higher education. It has been consistently shown in literature that well above half of curriculum improvements which fail to be successfully implemented are due to failure by the improvement sponsors to effectively plan particularly with regards to the identification and deployment of effective curriculum change strategies. Authorities in the field of curriculum change have identified two broad categories of curriculum change strategies namely the process management and the strategic management strategies. Drawing from the two broad categories of strategies above, this study has identified a number of specific strategies for planning, implementing and managing curriculum change and these include making curriculum change a high priority, providing support to achieve change, planning and resourcing for effective curriculum change, providing effective leadership to drive change, gaining the confidence of department staff, recognizing and dealing effectively with staff wants and needs during curriculum change, and dealing with negative perceptions of change as well as ensuring professional development.