Collaborating and Coaching Through Institutional Change Both Ariel Powers-Schaub and Danielle Stertz Academic Success Coaches, UW Flexible Option

Overview UW Flexible Option (Flex) – Competency-based education in the UW System Role of Academic Success Coach Launch of Flex Business Administration (BSBA) degree Review of Case Studies Lessons Learned Ariel

What is UW-Extended Campus? Formerly the Division of Continuing Education, Outreach, and E-Learning (CEOEL) – UW- Extension Partnership with all campuses in UW System to offer Traditional online (collaborative) Online competency-based degree programs (UW Flexible Option (Flex)) Independent Learning courses University Learning Store And more… Ariel

What is Competency-Based Education (CBE)? Time vs. Competencies Ariel

UW Flexible Option Ariel

Academic Success Coach Ariel

UW Flexible Option BSBA degree When What Fall 2015 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree approved by UW System Board of Regents December 2016 First cohort of BSBA students enroll in a subscription period June 2018 BSBA degree program announces transition to UW-Parkside (as a result of UW System restructuring) March 2019 First cohort of Flex BSBA students enroll in a subscription period at UW-Parkside Ariel

What’s in a Degree? Danielle

Collaborating in “the Neutral Zone” “Just when you decide that the hardest part of managing transition is getting people to let go of the old ways, you enter a state of affairs in which neither the old ways nor the new ways work satisfactorily. People are caught between the demands of conflicting systems and end up immobilized, like Hamlet, trying to decide whether ‘to be or not to be.’” – William Bridges Danielle

Collaborating in “the Neutral Zone” “One of the most difficult aspects of the neutral zone is that most people don’t understand it. They expect to be able to move straight from the old to the new. But this isn’t a trip from one side of the street to the other. It’s a journey from one identity to another, and that kind of journey takes time.” – William Bridges Danielle

Discussion is our “neutral zone!” Case Studies Exercise Danielle Discussion is our “neutral zone!”

Case Study #1 Questions In your role, how would you respond to a student who came to you with this situation? How might other parts of the student experience be affected by this academic change? In what ways would you collaborate with other student services units to support this student? How might your approach be different if working with an on-campus student vs. an online student in this situation?

Case Study #2 Questions In your role, how would you respond to a student who came to you with this situation? What could you do to try to retain this student? How might other parts of the student experience be affected by this academic change? In what ways would you collaborate with other student services units to support this student? How might your approach be different if working with an on-campus student vs. an online student in this situation?

Lessons Learned Speak up when you see a problem - know when to let it go and when to persist Know your campus/office politics when speaking up Don’t be afraid to double-check with your peers - if you’re experiencing a problem, they may be too, or they may be able to help you Ariel first 3 Danielle second 3 Can’t possibly anticipate everything that could go right or wrong Don’t take for granted leadership that truly puts students first Take care of yourself

Questions? Ariel Powers-Schaub – ariel.powers-schaub@uwex.edu Danielle Stertz – Danielle.stertz@uwex.edu Bridges, W. (2009). Managing Transitions: Making the most of change. Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press. https://oitecareersblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/02/making-the-most-of-your-transition-to-nih/ https://flex.wisconsin.edu/stories-news/competency-based-education-what-it-is-how-its-different-and- why-it-matters-to-you/