View in EDS

Bridging the Gap: Department Chairs as Change Agents for Compressed Academic Terms

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Bridging the Gap: Department Chairs as Change Agents for Compressed Academic Terms
Language: English
Authors: Amanda Melniczek, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research
Source: Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research. 2026.
Availability: Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research. 706 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27603. e-mail: belk_center@ncsu.edu; Web site: https://belk-center.ced.ncsu.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 7
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Two Year Colleges
Adult Education
Descriptors: Department Heads, Change Agents, Community Colleges, Flexible Scheduling, Professional Continuing Education, Curriculum Design, Faculty Development, Organizational Communication, Communication Strategies, Decision Making
Abstract: Community colleges nationwide are investing in evidence-based practices to support student success and degree completion. Compressed academic terms are a large-scale instructional innovation that provides course scheduling flexibility and more frequent enrollment opportunities for today's community college student population. Findings from this comparative case study of two community colleges that successfully implemented compressed academic terms study highlight that early, transparent communication from senior leadership--paired with structured opportunities for chairs to process the change--significantly shapes chair perceptions and faculty buy-in. Department chairs emphasized the need for ongoing, role-specific professional development to support course redesign and change management. This brief summarizes a qualitative study comparing the perceptions of department chairs about the compressed academic term and the implications of professional development to support faculty in implementing this change.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED679035
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED679035
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED679035
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Bridging the Gap: Department Chairs as Change Agents for Compressed Academic Terms
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Amanda+Melniczek%22">Amanda Melniczek</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22North+Carolina+State+University+%28NCSU%29%2C+Belk+Center+for+Community+College+Leadership+and+Research%22">North Carolina State University (NCSU), Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Belk+Center+for+Community+College+Leadership+and+Research%22"><i>Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research</i></searchLink>. 2026.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research. 706 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27603. e-mail: belk_center@ncsu.edu; Web site: https://belk-center.ced.ncsu.edu/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 7
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Two+Year+Colleges%22">Two Year Colleges</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Adult+Education%22">Adult Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Department+Heads%22">Department Heads</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Change+Agents%22">Change Agents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+Colleges%22">Community Colleges</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Flexible+Scheduling%22">Flexible Scheduling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+Continuing+Education%22">Professional Continuing Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum+Design%22">Curriculum Design</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Development%22">Faculty Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+Communication%22">Organizational Communication</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication+Strategies%22">Communication Strategies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Community colleges nationwide are investing in evidence-based practices to support student success and degree completion. Compressed academic terms are a large-scale instructional innovation that provides course scheduling flexibility and more frequent enrollment opportunities for today's community college student population. Findings from this comparative case study of two community colleges that successfully implemented compressed academic terms study highlight that early, transparent communication from senior leadership--paired with structured opportunities for chairs to process the change--significantly shapes chair perceptions and faculty buy-in. Department chairs emphasized the need for ongoing, role-specific professional development to support course redesign and change management. This brief summarizes a qualitative study comparing the perceptions of department chairs about the compressed academic term and the implications of professional development to support faculty in implementing this change.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: ERIC
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED679035
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED679035
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 7
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Department Heads
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Change Agents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Community Colleges
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Flexible Scheduling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Professional Continuing Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Curriculum Design
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Faculty Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Organizational Communication
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Communication Strategies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decision Making
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Bridging the Gap: Department Chairs as Change Agents for Compressed Academic Terms
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: North Carolina State University (NCSU), Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Amanda Melniczek
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 02
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1