UNDERSTANDING INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION: THE RESTRUCTURING OF FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY by YARBRAH T. PEEPLES (Under the Direction of Libby V. Morris) ABSTRACT The economic recession of 2007 forced many higher education institutions across the country to restructure; however, public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were disproportionally affected, specifically by the decline in governmental appropriations to higher education. In Florida, state appropriations declined to all of the four-year public institutions, but Florida A&M University (FAMU), the state’s only public HBCU, was severely affected experiencing $35 million in reductions to their state allocations between 2007-2010. The purpose of this study was to explore academic and administrative restructuring at a public, historically Black, doctoral/research university. This study investigates the impetus for and implications of restructuring at FAMU between the initiation of the restructuring planning process in September of 2010 through the approval of the restructuring plan in April 2011. The activities were intense over these months and an analysis of documents and interviews produced a rich case study of institutional transformation. INDEX WORDS: academic restructuring, administrative restructuring, higher education, change in higher education, organizational change, institutional change UNDERSTANDING INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION: THE RESTRUCTURING OF FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY by YARBRAH T. PEEPLES B.S., Florida A&M University, 2004 M.B.A., Florida A&M University, 2004 M.S., Florida State University, 2007 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2012 © 2012 Yarbrah T. Peeples All Rights Reserved UNDERSTANDING INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION: THE RESTRUCTURING OF FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY by YARBRAH T. PEEPLES Major Professor: Libby V. Morris Committee: James Hearn Sheila Slaughter Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia August 2012 iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my granny, Ruthie Mae Quarterman. I thank God for you and I love you more than you will ever know! Special Thanks To my family: Mom (Ethel Robinson), Dad, (Greg Davis), Sister (Kenitra Robinson), Aunty (LaFredia Small), and Uncle (Dwight Small). Thank you for a lifetime of love, support, encouragement and prayers. I am blessed beyond measure to have a family that has always believed in and supported my dreams. I would not be here without each of you. Your love carried me through! To my friends (in alphabetical order): Corliss Allen, Kiwanis Burr, Erin Connelly, Shakira Crandol, Carl Edwards, Christian Edwards, Estella Gray, Jeff Rodgers, Brandi Tatum, Natalie Tindall. Thank you for your support, listening ears, laughs, encouragement, prayers and love. Your friendship made the difference! Thank you all for everything. I share this accomplishment with each of you because I would not have made it without your collective support. I love you more than words can express! This process has been the most challenging experience of my life. There were many days that I couldn’t see how I would make it…but God. Thank you Jesus for seeing me through this! “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee members who have been generous with their time and patience as I have developed and written this work. Thank you to Dr. Sheila Slaughter and Dr. James Hearn for agreeing to serve on my committee. Thank you to Dr. J. Douglas Toma who was supportive of my research from my very first day in IHE. I wish you were here to see me finish this journey. A very special thank you to Dr. Libby Morris who served as my dissertation chair, my advisor, and my mentor throughout the duration of my IHE experience. I would have never made it without you! I admire your leadership and want to be just like you when I grow up! I would also like to thank the administrators, faculty, staff and students of Florida A&M University that participated in this research. Without your honesty and transparency I would not have been able to complete this research. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 Background of the Problem ..................................................................................... 1 Purpose .................................................................................................................... 5 Study Site ................................................................................................................. 6 Research Design ...................................................................................................... 6 Significance of Study .............................................................................................. 8 Organization of Study .............................................................................................. 9 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................ 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities ........................................................ 10 Restructuring ......................................................................................................... 21 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................... 32 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................................................ 41 Purpose of Study .................................................................................................... 41 Research Questions ............................................................................................... 42 vii Research Design .................................................................................................... 42 Study Site: Florida A&M University .................................................................... 44 Data Collection ...................................................................................................... 48 Data Analysis ......................................................................................................... 50 Research Quality ................................................................................................... 51 Research Context ................................................................................................... 54 4 RESTRUCTURING: REVIEW OF THE CONTEXT AND CHANGES .................. 56 The Restructuring Context .................................................................................... 56 The Restructuring Changes ................................................................................... 68 5 RESTRUCTURING REFLECTIONS: EXPLORING PROCESS & OUTCOMES. 83 Exploring the Restructuring Process ..................................................................... 83 Exploring Restructuring Outcomes ..................................................................... 104 6 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS .................................................................. 121 Implications ......................................................................................................... 129 Future Studies ...................................................................................................... 132 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 134 APPENDICES A FAMU DOCUMENTS .............................................................................................. 148 B FAMU LEADERSHIP LIST ..................................................................................... 149 C INTERVIEW REQUEST .......................................................................................... 150 D CONSENT FORM .................................................................................................... 151 E INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ...................................................................................... 152 viii LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1: 2007 Top 10 HBCU Federal S&E Fund Receipts ........................................................... 14 Table 2: Top 5 Endowments of PWI and HBCUs 2010-2011 ...................................................... 16 Table 3: Florida A&M University Restructuring Timeline ........................................................... 57 Table 4: Florida A&M University Strategic Initiatives ................................................................. 59 Table 5: Selected Strategic Goals and Strategies .......................................................................... 60 Table 6: The Florida Board of Governor’s Strategic Priorities ..................................................... 61 Table 7: Florida