A structured approach to legally-mandated change in higher education institutions

Regulatory demands contribute to an environment of increasing legal risk for higher education institutions (HEIs). The mandate to increase access and yet lower tuition creates challenging cost constraints. In addition, the cost of non-compliance jeopardizes institutional viability as the HEIs struggle to adjust to the pressure created by polarizing legally-mandated changes. An urgent need exists for a tool to implement legally mandated change. Development of a structured approach to making legally mandated changes will benefit HEIs if that approach maximizes compliance with the law in order to minimize legal liability. This thesis accomplishes two research tasks: 1) conceptualization of a structured approach to making legal changes in higher education institutions and 2) investigating the relationship between the various elements of the model. The theoretical paper outlines the envisioned structured approach titled "Synching the Law." The basis of Synching the Law includes principles from organizational psychology and therapeutic paradigms and uses action research as its scaffolding. The empirical paper focused on diversity hiring within a sample of research administrative units of U.S. higher education institutions to reveal the disconnection between awareness and action in response to legal changes implemented at the institutional level. The employees? awareness of the legal requirements is disconnected from their actions. This disconnection requires a resolution that addresses the psychologically embedded reasons underlying those actions. The study reinforced that the law and legal priorities stemming from the law are insufficient to affect the behavior of those who must carry out these rules. Therefore, a model that offers a means of resolving this disconnection would benefit higher education institutions.