Creativity and Innovation Have Become Mandatory in Higher Education
No matter a college or university’s size, student body, affiliation, or type, every campus is facing increasingly complex challenges: enrollment shortfalls, budget deficits, and faculty and staff who are asked to do so much more with less. Stakeholder demands for increased accountability, shifting student demographics, and governmental policy changes are reshaping the higher education landscape. Leaders across the academy must be willing to adapt to undertake these challenges head-on.
Disruptive Transformation draws on the expertise of a diverse array of creative and innovative higher education leaders to encourage readers to reflect, experiment, and evolve their professional practice. This edited volume brings together a remarkable collection of examples, strategies, resources, and reflections related to how creativity and innovation can be harnessed by those privileged to lead colleges and universities. Chapters explore best practices in creative and innovative leadership in higher education; intersections between diversity, inclusion, and creative leadership; barriers for leading creatively; and the importance of creativity and innovation at the senior level. Reflection questions and activities are provided throughout the book to help readers unlock their inner creativity.
The field of higher education is constantly evolving, and there is an unquestionable need for qualified leaders who are equipped with the requisite skills to usher in change. Disruptive Transformation is an essential resource for higher education leaders seeking to become more creative and innovative as they transform campus and organizational cultures.
Praise for Disruptive Transformation
“Given varied perceptions of the value of higher education, changing demographics of the college-going population, and the increasing complexity of our work, readers will gain important insight, perspective, and advice for leadership and practice that is more creative, innovative, and transformational.” —LORI S. WHITE, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Washington University in St. Louis
“Disruptive Transformation is a clear and practical volume that provides college and university leaders with helpful counsel and tools. The book’s various chapters describe key strategies and pathways to support and foster creative and innovative approaches to meeting the many emerging challenges facing higher education.” —JAMES P. HONAN, Senior Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
“Disruptive Transformation achieves for the field exactly what the title suggests. It is a clarion call to work at the intersections of innovation, creativity, equity, and leadership if we are to achieve higher education’s full potential for impact on society. If you are looking for insights and inspiration to fundamentally reorient how you think about higher education, then this is a must-read!” —JOHN P. DUGAN, Executive Director of Youth Leadership Programs, The Aspen Institute
“Written from a standpoint of hope, the chapters invite readers into new considerations and ways of being to create cultures of transformation as we join each other in experimentation, reflection, and action.” —LAURA OSTEEN, Assistant Vice President for Campus Life, Tulane University