Case Study on "Institutional Type of This University as Classified"

Case Study 8 pages (2374 words) Sources: 1+ Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

institutional type of this University as classified by the Carnegie classification system? Go to this website www.carnegiefoundation.org/classification

Within the classification of Carnegie, the Huxley College follows a bureaucratic and collegial form of institution. It functions as individuals adhere to formal rules and regulations typical of a bureaucratic setup and acknowledge as authoritative the orders of those who are superior to them within the campus hierarchy. This is more marked in the purchasing Department as its functions are more of a transactional nature and for that bureaucracy specifies conservative rules of record keeping The Sociology Department although being a subjective Department too follows a particular calendar, adhere to regulations administering grading and follow the class schedule, albeit diffidently, the class program formulated by the Chairman. (Birnbaum, 1998)

Eventually, everything that takes place is an outcome of normal functioning methods, programs and repertories. Concurrently, people in groups meet in a routine manner with others either in their offices or Departments. They possess a common background and awareness, consider their fellow colleagues as equals and endeavor in solving problems with solutions that is acceptable to everybody. It is through their interaction that the members belonging to these groups come to impact one another's behavior and attitudes. As a consequence, group norms value evolves that also steer major features of organizational behavior. These bureaucratic as also collegial methods prevalent at Huxley College makes even organizational behavior and minimizes the prudence of groups as also individual participants. (Birnbaum, 1998)

2. What is the mission, vision, strategic planning process, and values ascribed to by this hypothetical University you have chosen? And are these elements congruent with the Carnegie type description?

Being a centre of learning, the mission and vision of Huxley College is achieving academic excellence in their area of operation which can be attained in a number of methods. One of the methods chosen is the running the honors program. The prerequisite of this program which Huxley has identified is high SAT scores as one of the indicators of success of the program. In this endeavor, the problem experienced by the college while short-listing from among an uncertain number of possible programs which would possess the utmost chance of maximizing an uncertain quantity of objectives that is undefined has been considerably made easy. The strategic planning process has identified a single variable in a particular program as a quantification of a single goal. (Birnbaum, 1998)

At the time when the college administration is asked to report on its developments in achieving academic excellence, there is maximum possibility to quote the SAT scores in the honors program. With this the value ascribed by the decision makers of Huxley are presently able to concentrate their mind on a small number of incoming variables in the absence of having to devote time in a comprehensive manner examining the possible results. Although being a cybernetic organization with a lot of uncontrollable variables, the value ascribed to the varsity is marked by the presence of a justifiable degree of steadiness and order to a system which cannot be comprehended or envisaged through the application of cogent paradigms or by means of the most powerful computer systems. (Birnbaum, 1998)

Interestingly these elements are harmonious with the Carnegie type of description as the University functions as a self-correcting in-built system which monitors organizational functions and give attention cues, or negative feedback to the participants when some unpleasant situation happens that makes situation uncomforting for Huxley, a counteraction happens that puts it back on its rails for smooth functioning. This is the most vital element because the coordination is not ensured by any single agent, but rather by automatic remedial action of the constituents of the college. (Birnbaum, 1998)

The external controls at the Huxley College are regulated by two types of control systems which function within the constraints determined by the organizational culture. And these control systems operate as "organizational thermostat" under which the firsts systems comprises of unequivocal controls and measures apparent in organizational objectives, regulations and structures which are referred to as structural controls. For instance, in case a Department at the college endeavors to incur expenditures surpassing its budget the purchase directive is sent back with the remark that the account is overdrawn and the budget is sent back to its balanced and desired position. (Birnbaum, 1998)

The next kind of system covers inherent controls developed by means of interaction of the individual groups which guide them in the direction of shared attitudes and interest for group cohesion which are the social controls and hence external controls which can be visualized. For instance this can be seen for instance as the Department Chair while instructing that the students appear to be distressed that some individuals in the Department has not been available for advertisement observing the receipt of input that a crucial value has shifted outside the realm of acceptability and the Branch reacts with concern the significance of advertisement which reinforces their agreement regarding the same. Political as well as symbolic processes impacts which controls are given priority at the time when conflict exists between them and the manner in which structural as well as social controls are interlined under various situations. At Huxley, the organization culture within these controls function delivers the perspective within which implication is inferred and data are sensed, refined and understood. (Birnbaum, 1998)

It is important to note that structural as well as social controls are feedback loops emanating from the organization which are responsive to definite factors within the environment. Two important functions are performed. In the first place they made small adjustments in the continuous organizational processes as essential for keeping them functioning within satisfactory ceiling. Care must be taken to ensure that in case minor adjustments are not successful in keeping the factor being adjusted within the acceptable ceiling, they start taking action to modify the organizational processes on their own for instance, by altering the purchasing system or by ushering the matter of advertisement before the senate for discussion. These are the negative feedback continuum that generates information that something is not functioning properly. They permit Huxley for sensing that some important variable is outside its satisfactory limits which is outside Huxley's constraint set and endeavors to correct it. It is this type of adaptive behavior which builds a justifiably stable institution. (Birnbaum, 1998)

4. What is the composition of the governing board or boards and advisory bodies?

As regards the composition of the governing board, the University is headed by a President, but functions without a fulltime Director. There is a hierarchical system within the organization comprised of senior administrators who monitors and coordinates the functioning of the subunits under them in order that the larger organization goals are attained. There are decision makers who also function as advisory bodies and the University proposes to increase the number of decision makers in a manner such that each decision maker can then concentrate on some niche area, and the manner in which the impact generates results in other dimension will come to be the concern of other decision maker. (Birnbaum, 1998)

5. What is the relationship between the President or Chief Operating Officer and the board or boards?

The relationship of the President and the Board is complex web of different activities for which it is often impossible to follow the path of influence of the President in the routine functioning The President participates in a host of crucial activities, but he is more often that not responding to them as a reactive action rather than being a proactive functionary. The responsibility of the President as the administration head is exclusively to look after the budgetary aspects to overview that the funds are adequate for its objective and they are not overspent. It is important to note that a good university does not have the necessity to be headed as much as putting a person as it head. (Birnbaum, 1998)

6. How often does the board or boards meet? Who sets the agenda? And what are some of the current agenda items being dealt with at your University?

One of the most important agenda items being dealt with at Huxley is running the Honors Programs for which the ST scores are an important indicator. Since SAT scores are regarded as very important, the University has developed several systems in order to detect and monitor the same. The long-range plan of the Department contains a section in the honors program wherein an acceptable SAT score in order to secure admission is stipulated and acknowledged as a standard of success. The estimation of SAT scores and making reports to the program are typical operating processes. The data are gathered in a routine manner by the research office of the institution and dispatched in every semester to the program as well as to the Dean of academic. One of the important corrective measure that they undertook was that when the average verbal SAT score dropped ten points two years back,… READ MORE

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