Sofna College: Pressure To Change Case Studies Example

It is evident that Walker will definitely have a difficult time trying to create a turnaround situation geared towards seeing Sofna College restore its reputation. The first approach is for Walker to assess the functionalities of every department of the organization including facilities and materials required to enhance learning and participation in extra-curricular activities, the role played by teachers and the financial limitations that could be making the Sofna survive on debt financing. Walker needs to look for ways through which a consultative meeting could be set involving teachers, parents, principles and the ministry. This implies that the first approach needs to take into account the fact that everyone identified is responsible and accountable for the success of Sofna with everyone required to contribute in ways that enhance long term success and sustainability of the institution. The way to bring all the stakeholders together is by sending personal letters to everyone involved in running the college while stressing the need to come together to restore the success of Sofna College academically and in extracurricular performance.
The key priorities for Walker would be to scrutinize internal aspects of the institution since there are several loopholes that are leading to undesirable performance. Among priorities to establish would be to assess the motivation among teachers to identify effects of salary gaps between junior and senior members and the need to reduce workload among tutors. The other priority would be to involve financial experts in evaluating the reason for the college surviving on debt financing for three consecutive years. External auditing needs to be done on all financial transactions of the college in the current and previous years to determine the reason for poor financial performance at the college. The integrity of the accounting staff has to be evaluated since it is appropriate that the accountants be made to account for the reason for persistent debts at the college. The other priority for Walker would be to review the mission, vision and core values of Sofna and identify their applicability to the current education demands.
The Board has to be put to task to account for the failure to review the mission, vision and core values in spite of the knowledge that the three are among the driving pillars for every institution. There is also need for Walker to review the profile of the board members since to a larger extent, they have failed in restructuring the college to its good state. The fact that a significant majority of the board members failed to attend meeting regularly implies that their commitment to seeing the college succeed was limited. The board had failed in monitoring the overall functioning of the institution and was doing nothing to improve the condition. Walker needs to involve the ministry in assessing the situation at the college and addressing the ineffectiveness that at the college. Ministry recommendations had not been implemented and there was low level of faculty engagement at the college. The ministry needs to be involved in the change process since the responsible parties need to provide explanations on why the recommendations from the ministry had not been implemented. The college had failed to review its academic standards since 1999 hence the need for the ministry to be involved in questioning the current principles and even the previous administrators including Carlson on why the college failed to review its standards in spite of it being aware that the academic performance was deteriorating. The way to go to achieve all the changes identified would be to involve the ministry and discuss all the problems Walker identified at the institution. Through collaborating with the ministry, it will be possible for actions to be taken on evaluating the governance structures including considering temporary suspension of the board and the senior management as steps are taken to identify the reasons for failure of the college and the fact that none of the administrators including the board had taken measures strategic enough to transform the college.
The message to be sent is on the necessity for prompt actions to prevent the institution from closure. The fact that the college had operated for three years on debt financing is a possible indicator that in the end, it could be impossible to cope with pressures from creditors. It is appropriate that the ministry be engaged in making current and previous administrators account for the laxity in efforts to transform the college. The ministry has to be notified on the fact that the school had not reviewed its education standards since 1999 and that ministry recommendations had not been implemented in spite of the college administrators being aware that strategic options from the ministry are important in promoting desirable academic and extra-curricular standards. The board members need to be notified through personal letters sent to them informing them on the disappointing conditions at the college and sinking the message to them that the college is likely to close if immediate interventions are not designed. The various directors at the college and the accountants will need to be involved in the change process with communication made to them with the intention of informing them to compile the reports on the conditions at their departments and the contributions they have made in spite of seeing the college falling. Finally, students will also be given letters addressed to their parents and guardians inviting them for a meeting to discuss the academic trends at the college and draft the way forward in efforts to improve the conditions and prevent the institution from losing out on enrolments.
Walker needs to have a consultative meeting with all administrators and teachers to brief them on the changes that need to be taken at the institution and prepare them for the change process. This implies informing them to cooperate when called to account for the current situation at the college and the factors that had contributed to deterioration of academic and sports activities.