Archived Information

Dissemination Strategiesfor a Hub and Spokes ModelMentoring Institution with Adaptors

Based on presentation notes

by Laurie Schreiner, Eastern Collegeat the annual FIPSE Project Directors’ Meeting, November 2000

lschrein@eastern.edu

Edited by Rosemary Wolfe, former FIPSE program officer

If you’re thinking of disseminating your program….If you’re thinking of disseminating your program….

• Do you have a documented measurable track record of success?– Strong evaluation data based on student

learning and performance– Measures that are objective and go beyond self-

reporting and participant attitudes

Disseminating your program….

• Do you have committed, active, and competent team leaders in your program?– Including all relevant levels of the

campus community• Administrators, faculty, staff, students

Disseminating your program….

• Do you have strong commitment from adaptors?

• How will you sustain the program’s dissemination and scale-up to a national level?

Select Adapters Carefully– Communicate clear expectations to adapting

institutions• Institutional buy-in is essential

– Encourage recruitment of team members who• are capable of implementing the program, have

credibility, and possess excellent interpersonal skills

– Research the systems, infrastructure, and capability of the institution

• not only to implement the program but also to continue to support it beyond the grant period

If you plan to adapt a proven model….

consider these conditions for successful reform on

your campus

Four Key Conditions Conducive to Adapting a New Model at Your

Institution

1. Institutional Buy-In

2. Clear Implementation Goals

3. Capable Team Members

4. Sound Infrastructure

1. Institutional Buy-In

• secure commitment from the president and administrators in positions to “get things done”

• include the VP and other key administrators on program planning teams

• build on previous collaborations with the mentoring institution that form the basis for continuing relationships

Adapting a New Model at Your Institution

2. Clear Implementation Goals

• Detailed expectation of all partners – what are they supposed to do?– what is their commitment?

• Outcomes clearly defined– what will success look like?– how will you measure success?

3. Capable Team Members

• The “doers” with good interpersonal skills– “people power” to help others understand the

program and want to be part of it

• Enthusiastic participants who believe in the program– NOT reluctant appointees

4. Sound Infrastructure

• Available equipment?

• Cost share for overhead contributed?

• Support for continuing and institutionalizing the program after funding?

Disseminating the Program: Collaboration Strategies That Work

Disseminating the Program: Collaboration Strategies That Work

• Build on previous research collaboration and needs assessment

• Conduct workshops at mentoring institution• Establish contact procedures• Site visits to adapting institutions

Collaboration Strategies That Work

• Establish partnerships– Individual work with each campus– Campuses working with each other

• Replicate key program elements

• Adapt to campus needs

Collaboration Strategies That Work

• Active and regular communication

• Regular “face” meetings with community building activities

• Flexible approach to unique approaches and systems on different campuses

Obstacles to Successful Dissemination

Obstacles to Successful Dissemination

• Team turnover• Team leader not empowered to act• Insufficient communication (on campus, as

well as between adaptor and mentor)• Campus systems are too complex for

change or are incompatible with grant goals• Campus politics

Dealing with Obstacles

• Team turnover– breadth of support is important: with many on

campus informed and involved, someone can step in if a team member leaves

– encourage teams to meet regularly– establish stable teams with a two to three year

commitment to the project

Dealing with Obstacles

• Team leader not empowered to act– determine if the problem is with leadership

skills or with delegation of authority– consider adding a co-leader or substituting an

alternate– talk with higher-level administration to

empower or replace leader

Dealing with Obstacles

• Insufficient communication

– regular meetings scheduled in advance– communicate with teams rather than with

individuals only– have team co-leaders at each site

Dealing with Obstacles

• Campus systems are too complex or incompatible with program goals– have administrator on each team who can cut

through the “red tape”– find out ahead of time about hardware/software

systems available– identify campus system support offices and

policies for grants, finance, publicity

Dealing with ObstaclesDealing with Obstacles

• Campus politics– Team leader must be highly credible

– Provide advance publicity of grant activities and purpose

– Maintain full support of upper-level administration

– Recruit energetic team members with broad-based campus support

– Conduct site visits that include faculty workshops

– Intentionally address issues of faculty territoriality and workload

Dissemination Beyond the AdaptersDissemination Beyond the Adapters

• Communicate through print and web with– Newsletters, web sites, national conferences

– Published compendium of best practices and sample syllabi

• Establish a home-based resource for training and follow-up– Campus visits based on interest in the program

– Market plan for independent sustainability

For more ideas…..

• Check the abstracts on FIPSE dissemination projects

• Read “Lessons Learned” for best practices

www.ed.gov/FIPSE