Project
The Role Conception of Program Deans as Actors of Middle Management in a Teaching-Related Change Process
- Headed by:
- Stephanie Schulte-Busch
- Project Status:
- ongoing
Supervision: Prof Eva Cendon
Who actually shapes change in higher education teaching?
At the center of this research project are program deans – actors of middle management in higher education who mediate between strategic governance and lived teaching practice. They are often attributed a key role in teaching-related change processes, yet little is known about their actual practices.
This doctoral project investigates how program deans interpret and enact their role within a change process at a German University of Applied Sciences. The aim is to reveal their scopes of action, interpretive patterns, and strategies, thereby offering new perspectives on the dynamics of change in higher education institutions.
The study follows a qualitative approach and understands change as the outcome of everyday negotiation processes. In doing so, it highlights how transformation in higher education teaching emerges not solely from structures or strategies – but through the people who shape it from within the organization.
(in German)
