More than usual lately, I have been contemplating the subject of change. By definition, change is unsettling. It breaks our stride. It upsets our routine. It takes us off auto-pilot. British novelist and playwright Arnold Bennett wrote, "Any change, even change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts." In other words, change can cause stress!
Here at Clinton, we certainly have be staring change in the face. On April 15, we threw the switch on Dynamics/GP, our new financial management software system. On June 15, we did the same for CAMS, our new academic software system. Having been through several software conversions in my career, and having heard horror stories of many more, it seems that our 12-month implementation was as smooth as any and much, much better than most. Nonetheless, change brings stress. I have heard it said that in the first year, a new software systems works against you; in the second year, it works with you; and in the third and subsequent years, it works for you. In other words, it takes a while to get used to the new system. Ugh!
We're also working on organizational changes. Last year, when I arrived at Clinton, many people had commented that there were too many committees here, and that some of them seemed to overlap and others seemed to have outlived their purpose. This year, we have introduced a revised model that changes some of the standing committees to ad hoc committees, and changes others to work groups or taskforces. We're also writing charters and charges that make clear the role of each group. Though our commitment is active and ongoing, we may not be done until the end of the year. Sigh!
More change is coming this fall. The College is preparing for the construction of our new Student Support Services Center (SSSC). The SSSC will be located on the first floor of the Moore Academic and Administration Building, along the south corridor. To accommodate the construction, offices will be relocated, pedestrian traffic will be rerouted, and all of us will have to endure noise and perhaps even unexpected interruptions of utilities from time to time. Even the most optimistic of us expect that the project will stretch into the second half of the spring semester. Oh, brother!
Neither I nor anyone else I know will try to convince you that changes like the ones listed above are easy, but I will suggest the following:
While we who lead and participate in change are not perfect, together we are making progress. As a result of these (and many of the other changes), we will be a better College in the long run. The new software systems are already improving the way our faculty and students interact with each other and with our administrative offices; the Student Support Services Center will dramatically improve the quality of service that we provide to students, prospective students and their parents; and the effectiveness and efficiency of our shared governance will be enhanced by the changes in our committees and other functional groups. If we misstep, we beg your forgiveness; but even more importantly, we beg your assistance and welcome constructive efforts toward improvement. After all, we are on the same team.
How we face change -- with a smile or a grimace -- is a choice that each of us makes. I choose to smile in the face of change; I choose to focus on the benefits that will ultimately result from it, and not on the discomfort that it takes to get there; and I choose to take our mistakes in stride, and correct for them when we can, knowing that every person who is involved is doing their best to make good things happen.
That's what I think. I'm curious to know what you think. Please send your feedback and comments to presidentsblog@clinton.edu.
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