DISSERTATION APPROVED BY Date Stine{heyne, Ph.D., Debra J. Ford, Ph.D., Committee Member Moss Breen, Ph.D., Director Gail M. Jensen, Ph.D., Dean LIVED EXPERIENCES IN ACCREDITATION: THE INFLUENCE OF ACCREDITATION DECISIONS ON CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION ___________________________________ By CRAIG S. LITTLE ___________________________________ A DISSERTATION IN PRACTICE Submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of Creighton University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership _________________________________ Omaha, NE September 30, 2019 Copyright (2019), Craig S. Little This document is copyrighted material. Under copyright law, no part of this document may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the author. iii Abstract American universities that offer an education to future chiropractic physicians must complete a reaffirmation of accreditation process with the Council on Chiropractic Education, an agency that maintains recognition by the United States Department of Education. Administrators of programs are typically assigned the task of operationalizing the changes required by the accreditation process, which frequently entails concerns surrounding education outcomes or the assessment of student learning. This qualitative descriptive study sought to better understand the lived experiences of chiropractic education program administrators from leading change in assessment practice, as the result of implementing recommendations from the accreditation process. The data obtained from this study enabled the researcher to identify five themes and five subthemes that influenced change in assessment practice that was implemented as the result of accreditation decisions. These themes were: (a) nurturing assessment cultures in transition, (b) using accreditation as a carrot or stick in assessment initiatives, (c) using leadership to advance a vision and promote facilitation, (d) creating teams as a catalyst in facilitating change and stimulating program improvement, and (e) managing barriers in the change process. In support of the theme of using leadership to advance a vision and promote facilitation, three subthemes were identified as: (a) leading is more than delivering a letter from the CCE, (b) we needed to build trust to move forward, and (c) authenticity is necessary as a part of practice. To organize the salient points in the theme of managing barriers in the change process, two subthemes were identified: (a) financial and human resources, and (b) time is a necessity — change fatigue is a reality. iv The proposed solution is to create an assessment leadership workshop and collaborative forum for administrative leaders of CCE accredited programs in efforts to stimulate the various leadership tenets identified by this research and the literature. Keywords: Administration, leadership, assessment of student learning, professional development v Dedication Many individuals have provided assistance to me along this journey. However, there is one woman who deserves the utmost appreciation and credit for getting me here today. This body of work is dedicated to my wife, Karen-Grace. Thank you for your continuous support and unconditional love. You have been my source of strength throughout this process and I could not have done this without you. vi Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my committee members, Dr. Kellen Stine-Cheyne and Dr. Debra Ford for the time and expertise they provided me throughout my dissertation journey. Further, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Jim Martin, who provided me ongoing support throughout my time as a student and who taught me to view challenges through a scientific lens. I am very grateful for the musings On Research by Dr. Candace Bloomquist that provided essential questions and understanding as I explored and experienced methods described in this study. I am grateful for the entire Creighton EdD staff, particularly Dr. Jennifer Moss-Breen and Dr. Rob Koonce who provided exceptional guidance during writing workshops. I would also like to acknowledge my colleagues at the Council on Chiropractic Education. My work family at the CCE, Ray Bennett, Jeannette Danner and Toshia Wenning offer tireless assistance to me in all facets of my professional life. I am very grateful for the support and guidance of the Council. Thank you to my family for encouraging me to pursue my dreams and being understanding and patient with me as I accomplished my goals. Thank you, Mom (Joanie), our three wonderful children and their spouses Jared (Amanda), Gene (Joline), and Julianne (Jared). Jackson, Jensen, and Harper, your Pappa can come play now! Without all of your ongoing love and support, this dissertation would not have been possible. vii Table of Contents Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication ........................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ vi List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE: OVERVIEW OF THE DISSERTATION IN PRACTICE PROBLEM 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Background of the Problem ................................................................................................ 1 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................... 2 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................... 3 Research Question .............................................................................................................. 4 Aim of the Study ................................................................................................................. 5 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 5 Definition of Relevant Terms ............................................................................................. 7 Limitations, Delimitations, and Personal Biases ................................................................ 9 The Role of Leadership in This Study .............................................................................. 10 Significance of the Dissertation in Practice Study ............................................................ 12 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 14 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 14 The Role of Assessment .................................................................................................... 14 Assessment in Higher Education Programs .......................................................... 15 viii The Professional Practice Field of Accreditation ............................................................. 17 The Government ................................................................................................... 17 Higher Education Programs .................................................................................. 19 Value of Accreditation .......................................................................................... 19 Professional Practice Setting: The Council on Chiropractic Education ........................... 20 Role as a Programmatic Accreditor ...................................................................... 21 Conflict in the Professional Practice Setting ........................................................ 21 The Stimulus of Change: Accreditation Decisions ............................................... 23 Leadership Theory and Traits That Relate to Accreditation and Assessment .................. 24 Behavioral and Contingency Leadership Theories ............................................... 24 Distributed Leadership and Organizational Learning ........................................... 28 Organizational Culture .......................................................................................... 32 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 35 CHAPTER THREE: PROJECT METHODOLOGY ....................................................... 37 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 37 Research Question ............................................................................................................ 38 Research Design ................................................................................................................ 38 Participants/Data Sources and Recruitment ...................................................................... 41 Interviews .............................................................................................................