Implementation, Strategic Controls, and Contingency Plans (Research Paper Sample)

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX
Chris Woolford
STR/581
January 27, 2014
Clarence Doelling
Managing a for-profit higher learning institution is quite different from managing an ordinary buying and selling business. Successfully steering University of Phoenix means that the organization will continually make profits as expected in any good business while effectively providing a competent work force for the world’s economy. To get this accomplished, a good strategy is required in order for the whole organization to run as a unit with every detail being accounted for (Rowley & Sherman, 2001). The objective of this paper is to identify a suitable implementation plan, establish strategic controls, and create a reliable contingency plan for University of Phoenix.
The fundamental root of having an effective strategic and implementation plan is to have a vision of what need to be accomplished (Rowley & Sherman, 2001). The vision for University of Phoenix is to provide a high quality education for students. According to sources, University of Phoenix has been condemned as being, “a very low level of instruction” (Dillon, 2007). Therefore, our vision is ensuring that students receive a high quality education. This will avoid these students being looked down after finishing school. Additionally, providing the best service for students will translate to higher admission and retention rate leading to increased profits (Rowley & Sherman, 2001).
The objective of any effective implementation plan is to turn the overall vision into action throughout the organization. Developing an effecting plan for University of Phoenix begins with establishing long-term objectives and cutting them down to short-term objectives that will be regularly monitored to make sure they are being met. The implementation plan will also include various milestones and a timeline for the administrators. In order to get this milestones achieved with ease, it is very important to structure compensation plans to provide the staff with appealing incentives to work hard toward achieving these goals (Rowley & Sherman, 2001). Another important part of the implementation plan is to focus on resource management where financial resources will be prudently used to enhance the learning environment while still creating savings.
The biggest objective of University of Phoenix will be enriching the students’ educational experience to better enable and equip them for success. That begins with restructuring the current curriculum to create a rigorous and empowering set of standards for students. In fact, sources indicate that the accreditation for the University has been quite an issue because of recent competition that other institutions have brought (Dillon, 2007). In fact, the university’s accreditation has been placed on notice several times, which has significantly hurt its public image.
Improving student success will be a very important goal for the university. This will be accomplished by evaluating teachers, class sizes, technology, student advising, and incorporating more applied learning experiences into the learning environment. Another objective for the University is the need to create more disciplines to provide for the current job market, which demands for many competitive and different talents. Currently, the University of Phoenix provides degree programs in business, information technology, accounting, management, and marketing. Additionally, it is crucial that the university’s resources are evaluated in order to invest in newer technology so that the university will better compete with similar institutions that are founded already equipped with state of the art technological learning equipment.
As far as the learning curriculum goes, there needs to be a review in order to address curricular barriers to the success of the students. This will involve restructuring the curriculum to make it more rigorous to subject matter as well as more engaging to the students. As the university offers more degree programs, students will be allowed to personalize their degree by mixing different disciplines that they find interesting or helpful to them. Essentially, this will empower students to take control over their own learning environment while putting them in a position where they are engaging with their professors and advisors more often. This enables the universities acquire feedbacks from the students.
Evaluating teachers will be a very important strategy. This is because, in order for the university to function as a unit, there needs to be an awareness of how every member of the institution is performing. Either assessing the students through a series of tests where they will be evaluated based on the learning curriculum given to the teacher. Additionally, the university can appoint external evaluators to sit in classrooms as teachers give instruction. Another effective way of evaluating teachers is by asking for student feedback. A group of students from each class will be picked out and given questionnaires to fill out regarding the efficiency of the teachers in making topics in the classrooms understood. It is also important to notice that this is where awards will be given out to instructors who clearly show zeal to getting our short-term goals accomplished. Additionally, this is meant to give the teachers an incentive to be fully committed to our cause because the fruit of their dedication will be there for everyone to see.
Improving the teacher-student ratio will be a very important subject to confront. For our on campus students, more instructors will definitely be hired to improve the ratio. In addition, more advisors will be hired in order to meet the challenge of increasing student-instructor communication. Consequently, due to the new degree programs mentioned above and the need for more classes, more financial resources will have to be allocated to build more classes and offices. Additionally, the issue of technology will be addressed here. Technology makes the learning environment more engaging and more importantly prepares the students for today’s more “digital” working environments (Rowley & Sherman, 2001).
Integrating more applied learning into the university will be very helpful to the students. The majority of students who attend the University of Phoenix are working students. It is of great benefit to provide such individuals with applied learning opportunities such as internships where they will have an opportunity to not only get another job opportunity but also add reference to their curriculum vital. Additionally, integrating a global perspective to the academic programs will be of great use especially when incorporated with study abroad programs that will allow students to explore different perspectives around the globe while still working on their degrees (Rowley & Sherman, 2001).
When the internal changes are well rearranged and finished, it is very important to show to the community and the world that this is a new University of Phoenix. The marketing strategy needs to portray the change in management, change in the curriculum, incorporation of new technology for learning, and new opportunities in applied learning in the country and globally. The new marketing strategy has to be bold, new and refreshing. Additionally, the marketing strategy will focus on the roots of the university’s foundation, which catered to working individuals rather than high school graduates.
Action items in this strategy will be important because changes in the university will come from management to the university president and then filtered down to the instructors (Rowley & Sherman, 2001). The university president will definitely have an item, which will have to do with the first and must do thing, which will be reviewing and addressing the curriculum for all the courses to be offered. Action items will be presented to the head of departments in the university, which will require them to submit detailed information regarding their department’s visions and the kind of tools they require in order to enhance the learning environment and to provide modern and more engaging instruction. The head of advising will also have an action item because they will immediately face the responsibility of overseeing the freshman orientation program. This new plan of making the students more involved will most effectively work with new students to the university because they are easier to mold compare to the other classes who have been at the university and are a bit more hesitant to assimilate to the new system. The head of advising will be responsible to for overseeing the transition of these students while making the observation known to management.
As things get going, an important part of the implementation plan is, closely monitoring the progress of the short term to long-term goals that we have created. It is crucial to establish milestones that have to be achieved on time. Milestones have to be put in short durations of time in order to better keep track of progress (Rowley & Sherman, 2001). Perhaps the most important things to settle right away is creating a plan for new classes, advising offices, making technological additions wherever necessary and housing for the new degre...