A STUDY of the TRANSITION of a CONSORTIA INSTITUTION to a BRANCH CAMPUS by SUSAN G. JOHNSON Bachelor of Science Oklahoma
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A STUDY OF THE TRANSITION OF A CONSORTIA INSTITUTION TO A BRANCH CAMPUS By SUSAN G. JOHNSON Bachelor of Science Oklahoma Baptist University Shawnee, Oklahoma 1980 Master of Human Relations University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma 1993 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION May 2012 A STUDY OF THE TRANSITION OF A CONSORTIA INSTITUTION TO A BRANCH CAMPUS Dissertation Approved: Dr. Tami L. Moore Dissertation Advisor Dr. Edward L. Harris Dr. Kerri Kearney Dr. Anthony Brown Dr. Sheryl A. Tucker Dean of the Graduate College ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................... 1-3 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................3 Research Questions ..................................................................................................4 Definitions............................................................................................................ 4-5 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 5-7 Significance of the Study .........................................................................................8 Overview of the Study .............................................................................................8 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE....................................................................................9 Power and Politics.............................................................................................. 9-12 Power ......................................................................................................... 10-11 Political Structures ..................................................................................... 11-12 Bureaucratic Structures .................................................................................... 12-14 Consortia Institutions ....................................................................................... 14-17 Higher Education Centers ................................................................................ 18-19 Branch or Multi-Campus Institutions .............................................................. 19-23 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 23-25 III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................26 Methodology .................................................................................................... 26-27 Description of the Case .................................................................................... 27-28 Research Questions ................................................................................................28 Participants .............................................................................................................28 Data Collection ............................................................................................... 28-32 Interviews .................................................................................................. 29-31 Document Collection ................................................................................ 31-32 Data Analysis Procedures ............................................................................... 32-35 Constant Comparison Method ................................................................... 32-34 Document Analysis ..........................................................................................35 Researcher Reflexivity ...........................................................................................35 Trustworthiness ................................................................................................ 35-37 Summary .......................................................................................................... 37-38 iii Chapter Page IV. THE BIRTH OF AN INSTITUTION....................................................................39 The Birth of an Institution................................................................................ 39-58 V. FRAMING HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS ........................................59 Organizational Behavior in Higher Education ................................................. 59-72 Higher Education Institutions as a Bureaucracy ........................................ 60-66 Higher Education as a Political System ..................................................... 66-73 UCT as a Political System ........................................................................67 Transcripts for UCT courses ........................................................ 67-68 Academic program offerings ........................................................ 68-69 Accounting practices .................................................................... 69-70 Changes in Goals and Objectives ....................................................... 71-73 Higher Education Institutions as Open Systems .............................................. 73-75 Summary .......................................................................................................... 75-76 VI. SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION ........................................................................77 Summary of the Study ..................................................................................... 77-79 Power and Politics in Higher Education .......................................................... 78-80 Management of Interest Groups ................................................................. 81-84 A freestanding institution ................................................................... 81-83 OSU’s entry into the Tulsa market ..................................................... 83-84 Negotiating or Lobbying with Power Holders ........................................... 84-87 Halligan’s commitment to Tulsa ........................................................ 84-86 A branch campus in Tulsa .................................................................. 86-87 The Exercise of Power .............................................................................. 87-90 Conclusion .............................................................................................................90 Implications and Recommendations ................................................................ 91-96 Research ..................................................................................................... 91-93 Theory ..............................................................................................................94 Practice ....................................................................................................... 94-96 Final Reflection ............................................................................................... 96-97 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................98 iv Chapter Page APPENDICES ...........................................................................................................113 Appendix A: Interview Guide ...........................................................................113 Appendix B: IRB Approval ..............................................................................114 Appendix C: Telephone Script..........................................................................115 Appendix D: Informed Consent ................................................................ 116-118 Appendix E.1-E.4: Graphic Elicitation ..................................................... 119-122 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1.................................................................................................................................36 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1.................................................................................................................................43 vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY Governance structures of higher education institutions take many forms. Higher education in the United States has been delivered through a variety of structures such as land- grant institutions, normal schools, historically black colleges and universities, and community colleges. While this list is not exhaustive, it does provide a sense of the many governance structures found in higher education. Higher education institutions were initially established to educate the aristocracy who were prominent members of their communities. However, higher education became a part of the fabric of everyday life as people began to avail themselves of educational opportunities (Trow, 1988). Prior to the Revolutionary War (1775 through 1783) there were nine colleges (Trow, 1988; Bogue & Aper, 2000). By the time the Civil War began in 1861, there were approximately 250 colleges. Eight hundred new colleges were established between 1969 and 1975 (Trow, 1988). The purpose of higher education institutions evolved to become the structure through which social and economic advancement were available to all socio-economic levels of society (Bess & Dee, 2008). Statement of