Enhancing Academic Preparedness Of International Students Coming To X University For Post-Secondary Education, Gurneet Singh Anand

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

International students comprise an increasing demographic on Canadian campuses and represent increasing diversity in the higher education sector. Student transitions to higher education relate to concepts of equity and inclusivity with respect to these institutions providing the best chances for all students to succeed. Similar to other higher education institutions in Canada, X University is in the unique and somewhat difficult position of navigating the effects of globalization. As X University has seen steady influxes of international students, the faculty, staff and domestic students are realizing that the international students themselves have been facing integration difficulties within the university and …

Etuaptmumk: The Indigenous Principle Of Two-Eyed Seeing As A Remedy For Administrator Resistance In Developing Sovereignty-Affirming Equity Leadership Competencies, Bobbie Jo Lovell

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

School leadership is a critical factor in disrupting systemic oppression and ensuring the achievement and well-being of all students. In Ontario, school administrators are charged with setting an equity agenda to foster safe and equitable learning conditions for all students. This PoP seeks to improve administrators’ mindsets on leading equitable schools, and this organizational improvement plan (OIP) leverages the principles of two-eyed seeing (2ES) to braid together the servant, appreciative, and transformative leadership styles which, stronger together, support sustainable solutions for change. A braided integrated approach of the medicine wheel, the Knoster model for managing complex change, and the appreciative …

Weaving The Story Of Self Into Transformative Leadership, Nicole R. Davey

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Indigenous students are not achieving the same levels of success as non-Indigenous students according to British Columbia (BC) Ministry of Education annual reports on academic achievement, secondary transitions, and sense of belonging. School-based leaders oversee implementation of the BC curriculum in their schools and can influence the mindset and practices of educators in their buildings; however, they need supports and structures to better understand how to address the opportunity and achievement gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) asserts that school-based leaders can disrupt oppressive behaviours in the K–12 education system through social justice practices. Transformative …

Better Together: From Siloed To Relational Organizational Design, Brooke Moore

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The impacts of historical inequities continue to limit access to quality outcomes for all learners in British Columbia. Organizational structures that separate and isolate efforts to create equity persist in BC school districts. Riverstone School District has attempted to disrupt the norm of siloed and discoordinated efforts by merging several central office support departments to offer increasingly wholistic and effective support to schools and the families they serve. However, despite the best intentions and despite now sharing physical space with one another, the departments have not yet merged effectively; isolated, conflicting efforts persist. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) offers a …

The Missing Link: Applying Embodied Cognition To Professional Learning, Jon William

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Post-secondaries have been implementing a hyflex delivery model, which is a far more complex pedagogical setting than more traditional modes of face to face or online delivery. This has fundamentally changed the way faculty experience the learning environment, with some faculty noting an increase in stress and a decrease in performance. Drawing on Organization A’s implementation of hyflex, this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) observes professional learning (PL) for the hyflex environment focuses solely on technology and cognitive knowledge, with consideration to wellness and performance scantly discussed. This OIP proposes the missing link to address wellness and performance is the inclusion …

Building Global Skills: Broader Concepts Of Internationalization In An Ontario College, Mariam Raza

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The Canadian federal government, national associations, and internationalization scholars have identified the need and demand for Canadian students to acquire global skills and competencies during their post-secondary education. Opportunities to acquire global skills can be offered through a wide variety of global engagement programs, such as study-abroad exchange programs, faculty-led excursions abroad, and other programs that allow students to interact with the global world. However, these programs are costly and do not consider the significant financial resources students require to participate in such activities. Most at-home students are left out of global engagement programming and therefore do not have the …

Building Dynamic Capabilities Towards Innovation And Flexibility, Marianne Iaboni Marando

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

In March 2020 most Higher Education Institutions around the world quickly moved to online learning and work with only one week to prepare. While the pandemic forced us to do this quickly and without a well thought out plan, most of us met this challenge. The World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 was no longer a global health emergency on May 5, 2023, but many institutions had started the return to “normal” before then. This Organizational Improvement Plan starts with the vision that rather than retrenching back to “normal”, Ontario Polytechnic, a large polytechnic institution in Ontario, Canada, should be …

Inviting A Hospital Healthcare Team To Change : A Framework For Building Capacity To Provide Intersectional, Trauma-Informed Care, Yasser Ismail

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan is designed for Open Doors (a pseudonym), a Canadian hospital invested in providing stigma-free, social, and structural determinants-based care to patients who are marginalized from healthcare vis-à-vis previous experiences of exclusion and institutional trauma at healthcare settings. In the context of deepening scrutiny on healthcare institutions for their role in perpetuating systemic oppression and for failure to mitigate inequitable health outcomes for marginalized populations, Open Doors’ commitment to justice-centered care offers a compelling case study in hospital-based strategies for addressing health inequity. The specific Problem of Practice (PoP) addressed is the hospital’s care team’s limited capacity …

An Equitable Approach To Academic Progression Advising: To Use An Automated Tool Or Not?, Frances H. Billingsley

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) is concerned with the problem of inequitable access to an automated degree audit tool at a large metropolitan university in central Canada, which is affecting year-to-year progression and timely graduation. Despite the implementation of this tool 17 years ago, it has not been fully adopted, leaving the campus community to navigate degree progression inconsistently and in isolation, with nearly half the students underserved; of particular concern are first-generation students. Stakeholder theory underpins the organizational change management plan, which espouses authentic, transformational, and shared leadership approaches. Following internal and external analyses, it was determined that the …

A Blueprint For Promoting Innovation, Interdisciplinary Teamwork, And Collaboration, Jaclyn H. Doherty

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

In response to the myriad of pressures we are experiencing across the higher education landscape, many colleges and universities are exploring different ways to manage and drive change within their institutions. Centres for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) are well-positioned to be high-impact drivers of change in this evolving educational arena. With this comes the expectation that they will emulate and promote innovative practices and creative approaches when addressing many of our most complex academic challenges. Increased agility, cooperation, and strategic foresight within these centres are necessary to detect, respond, and adapt to anticipated future changes and disruptions. However, coordinating such …

A Postcolonial Study Of Organizational Culture And Professional Collaborative Practice In A Southeast Asian International School, Brett S. Petrillo

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

International School Philippines (ISP) (a pseudonym) is an international school established during an era of colonization in the Philippines. While the school’s mission has evolved, the organization now navigates a complex postcolonial and cross-cultural landscape. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) problematized the school’s vision of establishing an organizational culture of professional collaborative practice within a culturally diverse teaching faculty. Examining the constructs framing the problem reveals that cross-cultural approaches to human behaviour should consider how individual culture relates to organizational phenomena such as professionalism, collaboration, and leadership. Additionally, leadership approaches chosen to guide organizational change at ISP should be framed …

Innovating For Student Success: A Course-Integrated Approach To Delivering Academic Skills And Competency Resources, Danielle Palombi

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores student academic support delivery in Burns College (a pseudonym), a large postsecondary institution in Central Canada. The Problem of Practice (PoP) addresses a gap in the consistent and equitable delivery of academic supports, and the increasing need to meet students within the classroom in their first year. The problem responds to nontraditional student needs, but the solution is meant to be beneficial for all students. Nontraditional students are the majority in higher education today, with competing responsibilities that impact their ability to access academic supports outside of the traditionally structured classroom. By integrating skills …

Igniting Change In Equity, Diversity And Inclusion At A Canadian Community College Coll, Jennifer Phyllis Gorman

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan addresses the need to develop an equity, diversity, and inclusion strategy that will lead to systematic institutional and cultural change at Mountain College (a pseudonym). This organizational improvement plan draws upon transformational and ethical leadership principles to gain support and momentum from across all levels of the College to develop a shared vision for change and reach the new organizational state. Bolman and Deal's (2013) four frames have been used as a strategic tool to examine Mountain College and identify the actions and decisions the team can take in the organizational improvement process. Following this analysis, …

Exploring The Impact Of Performance-Based Funding Policy Reform: The Role Of Institutional Research In Supporting Data-Driven Decision-Making, Jelena Dukic

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The institutional pressures placed on the Ontario college system, exercised through funding model reform, brought forward organizational challenges difficult for even the most fiscally savvy to navigate. The enrollment corridor mechanism and the expansion of the proportions of the differentiation envelope to create a performance-based grant, implemented via the 2020-25 Strategic Mandate Agreement (SMA3), demonstrate the Provincial Government’s calls for efficiencies and accountability and the alignment of institutional and provincial priorities. Remaining financially sustainable while moving from performance reporting to performance funding and weathering the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic requires a solid understanding of not only enrollment challenges and …

Better Together: Fostering Student-Level Intercultural Competence Through Collaborative Online International Learning (Coil) And A Collaboratively Created Assessment Tool, Wes Armstrong

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Many Japanese universities have been undergoing processes of internationalization to mitigate demographic realities that conspire against robust student enrolments. These internationalization initiatives often attract students from other Confucian-based contexts who are expected to move away from their homeland and fully integrate into an unfamiliar, Japanese environment. Resultantly, international student needs are often camouflaged by cultural similarities that favour group harmony and collectivism over more equitable approaches to learning. Therefore, this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) aims to serve student needs by fostering the development of intercultural competencies through a pilot collaborative online international learning (COIL) project open to all students, and …

Addressing Student Attrition In An Era Of Evolving Student Demographics, Christine Sawchuk

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Student attrition is a concern for all organizations that provide education, as high levels of attrition can have a significant impact on an organization’s finances and reputation. Online learning provides access to individuals of varying educational and experiential backgrounds who may not have otherwise embarked in an education or training program (referred to here as “Underserved Students”). While education supports personal and professional growth, if students feel that an Education Program is not meeting their needs in terms of curricular relevance or student support, attrition will likely result. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) addresses a problem of practice concerning high …

Frame-Bending Quality: Leading Through Discourses Towards Equity And Student Success, Christopher F. Mcgrath

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

In 2018, the Government of Ontario introduced a post-secondary accountability framework that attributes up to 60% of colleges’ annual public funding to the achievement of ten government-directed performance outcomes. The new framework’s shift from the previous enrollment-based funding model intensifies neoliberal and post-structural policy discourses of quality and accountability, further relegating social inequities to the margins of post-secondary education. At the same time, burgeoning social movements have appealed to governments and post-secondary institutions to dismantle systemic barriers that impede students from equity-deserving communities from accessing and flourishing in college. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) explores how a large urban college …

Shifting Individuals And An Organization Towards Social Justice: A Teacher Education Program Imperative, Jennifer L. Skelding

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Globalization is the interconnected national and international forces that shape and define nations, economies, and peoples and that extend to schools. Higher education institutions, and kindergarten to Grade 12 school systems, are impacted by the internationalization of teaching, research, and service in response to market- and ethically driven discourses of targeted international admissions policies. Teacher education programs are positioned to respond to the internationalized teaching and learning context to support nondominant teacher candidates and prepare future teachers for diverse classrooms post-graduation. This OIP problematizes an inconsistent strategic direction to prioritize culturally sustaining pedagogies in a diverse teacher education program located …

A Faculty-Based Approach To Engaging University Alumni, Osman Hamid

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Alumni engagement is widely defined as the level of relationship graduates have with their alma maters. Universities have an opportunity to leverage benefits from having strong connections with their alumni. Furthermore, graduates generally have a stronger affinity to the academic departments they graduated from than to the universities where these departments are based. Additionally, the fiscal and regulatory pressures facing Canadian universities within the province of Ontario highlight the advantages that come with having an engaged alumni community. The Problem of Practice (PoP) investigated in this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) is the lack of alumni engagement within a faculty of …

An Institutional Strategy To Address Financial Preparedness In A Post-Secondary Environment, Necia Martins

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Attending post-secondary comes at a cost. With rising tuition and life costs, the financial responsibility students are taking on is significant. Many young adults lack the experience and knowledge to manage their financial obligations. For some, during times of financial stress this may lead to balancing a part-time job, a reduced course load or considering withdrawing from studies. Many students rely on financial aid to support their academic and life costs. In the past few years, the provincial government made various changes to the financial aid program and tuition fees. These changes have led to many students misunderstanding how much …

Addressing The Overall Dissatisfaction Of The First-Year Student Experience In University, Christopher E. O'Gorman Mr.

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Abstract

The concept of student experience has caught the attention of administration in postsecondary institutions, so much so, that they have dedicated departments that deal entirely with the experiences of students on campus. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) addresses the students’ overall dissatisfaction with their first-year university experience. The focus of this OIP is to provide a solution that will improve the overall experiences that students have. The OIP begins by introducing the organization through a PEST analysis and provides a framework for the problem of practice, utilizing secondary data that is publicly available. Utilizing structuralist theory as the theoretical …

University-Wide Internationalization Of Curriculum: An Organizational Improvement Plan, Ayesha Mushtaq Ms

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

In the past few decades, higher education institutions have witnessed a greater interest in the way international perspectives including political, social, cultural, economic and technological perspectives impact graduates’ global competency. The rationale behind this view is to develop a more relevant understanding in graduates of global cultures, global knowledges, and global problems so that they are better prepared for the world of work that awaits them outside the university campus, regionally or internationally. This OIP problematizes the lack of international perspectives in curriculum and proposes a university-wide solution to incorporate internationalization of curriculum. It draws from the theoretical concepts of …

Steam Integration At Aro Academy, Lee-Ron Shulman-Kaye

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan centres around a problem of practice at a faith-based independent elementary school in Ontario. Faced with several organizational challenges including declining enrolment and pressure by stakeholders to ensure curriculum delivery remains relevant for 21^st Century learners, there is a goal of embedding Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) integrated learning in a meaningful way. The school has made physical space and has the technology available to support instructional change including a dedicated Marker Space and Robotics Room. A robotics specialist and an administrator supervising innovation have been hired to support teachers but integration in …

Advancing Employee Engagement With Internationalization Through Networked Leadership Approaches At A Canadian Community College, Inga Wheeler

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan, undergirded by social network theory, addresses the lack of engagement by many organizational members with an ambitious internationalization goal at Sky College (a pseudonym). The institutional climate is one in which day-to-day challenges prevail and motives for internationalization are questioned. Drawing on system and adaptive leadership, and within the functionalist paradigm, the case is made for advancing 4 factors to increase engagement with internationalization: a shared vision and understanding of internationalization, improving internal communication systems, fostering knowledge creation and sharing, and increasing connections in the network. The proposed solution is a 12-month series of focus on …

Continuous Improvement Leadership In Applied Research, Silvana Maclean

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The purpose of this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) is to assist leaders in Ontario colleges in understanding the barriers and challenges of engaging faculty to enact applied research practices. Undergirding this OIP is social cognition theory and the analytical discipline of improvement science theory. Taken together, these theories align with systems thinking and are a step towards a holistic understanding of the dynamics of a college learning culture. Underpinned by a set of simple principles including improving through communication, learning through collaboration, and changing through coordination, a continuous improvement (CI) leadership approach, which combines servant (Greenleaf, 1977), team (Kogler Hill, …

Making Accessibility Services Accessible Through Implementation Of Information And Communication Technology, Ryan J. Lahti

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Post-secondary institutions are facing increased pressure by accessibility legislation, such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), to ensure students with disabilities have equitable access to the academic environment (Flaherty & Roussy, 2014). This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) examines the situation regarding the Student Accessibility Office (SAO) in a large Ontario university. Traditionally, student service-based offices like the SAO require an in-person visit to access tools, services and resources. The growth of information and communication technology (ICT) into post- secondary education is increasing accessibility of academic programs (Yamamoto & Yamaguchi, 2019), but not student services. The research Problem …

Black Students At-Risk: The Problem Of Overrepresentation In The Student Success Program At Fss, Ekwutosi Onyedimma Odozor

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Abstract

In Farmside Secondary School (FSS), Black students are disproportionately identified as "at-risk" and are overrepresented on the student success teacher list. The school climate survey, supported by literature, indicates that racialized students feel targeted, excluded and marginalized in their classrooms. In FSS, social stressors such as systemic oppression, deficit interpretations, non-inclusive learning environments, and inadequate access to supportive structures create gaps. Given the threats these social stressors pose to Black student success, this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) frames the problem within the context of FSS and provides transformative approaches to the problem. While this OIP creates awareness of the …

Creating A Culture Of Data-Informed Strategic Enrollment Management At A Canadian Higher Educational Institution, Shawna M. Matthews

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Higher education institutions are focusing significant energy to attract and retain students through strategic enrollment management (SEM). This organizational improvement plan (OIP) addressed the lack of a data-informed approach to strategic enrollment management at a small Canadian University campus. Although the SEM process is complex, without a data-informed approach to SEM, institutions are wasting their time and resources. This organizational improvement plan used a cultural change approach as well as a combination of authentic and distributed leadership approaches to provide a solution to the problem of a lack of data-informed strategic enrollment management at a Campus X. With enrollments almost …

Increasing Support For Victims Of Sexual Assault Through The Adoption Of A Victim-Centered Approach To Police Investigations, Kara Brooks

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

Police services across North America have been criticized for their lack of support for victims throughout the investigative process, especially when investigating crimes involving sexual violence. The Problem of Practice addressed in this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) focuses on the lack of victim support throughout sexual assault investigations in a large police service in Canada. Taking a victim-centered approach to sexual assault investigations pushes the police organization to consider victims’ needs and rights ahead of strictly gathering information throughout a sexual assault investigation.

A gap analysis identified two main areas of focus for this (OIP): the need for enhanced training …

Implementing Authentic Formative Assessment To Improve Student Learning, Ola Elshurafa

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) capstone addresses the Problem of Practice (POP) pertaining to the lack of a robust system of authentic formative assessment at the Department of Business Administration (DBA) in an Arabian Gulf University. A synthesis on the literature around formative assessment has informed a conceptual model for the POP which highlighted the importance of formative assessment and its positive influence on student learning. This OIP designs a comprehensive and systematic plan which guides change towards the improvement of the POP, targeting stronger system performance and enhanced outcomes for student learning. Using an organizational culture lens, this OIP …