Date of Award

5-1994

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of faculty during the process of expanding an associate degree-granting technical college to a baccalaureate degree-granting polytechnic university. Two research questions were addressed:

  1. What perceptions did faculty have about the vertical extension?

  2. Did the faculty go through a transition process in adapting to the vertical extension? H yes, what transition process did they follow?

The site for this qualitative case study was the campus of the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Twenty-eight of 30 full-time tenured teaching faculty participated in this study. Qualitative research methods included open-ended interviews and the review and analysis of publications and correspondence.

Conclusions regarding faculty perceptions were as follows: the reason for vertical extension was survival of the institution; faculty had little understanding of the activities and emotional experiences involved; faculty were excited about the addition of baccalaureate programs; faculty anticipated professional advantages; the process had been rapid and crisis managed; administrative leadership was autocratic during the process; faculty anticipated workload, promotion, and tenure expectations would change; the political environment was a controlling and limiting factor; lack of funding to support the vertical extension would slow the process; faculty moved through a personal, idiosyncratic transition; and the institution and the faculty were still in transition.

Recommendations for other colleges involved in vertical extension included the following: involve faculty in decision-making throughout the vertical extension; frequently communicate with faculty using a variety of communication channels; organize information sessions and professional development activities to assist faculty in clarifying expectations; involve faculty in the political processes; communicate to faculty that at times an autocratic style of leadership may be necessary to facilitate decision making; secure additional financial resources; and develop a plan to help manage faculty stress.

Suggestions for future research included the following: study perceptions of different groups of participants during vertical extension; a longitudinal study to track changes in the institution's and faculty's transition process; a study to determine if individual personality type impacts the personal transition process; study the impact of the perceived motivation for the change on the change and the personal transition process.

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