Faculty participation in strategic decision-making at a small, private liberal arts college: A case study of Keuka College
State University of New York at Buffalo, PhD Thesis, (1993)Abstract
The dissertation was a single site case study of Keuka College, a small, private liberal arts college located in Upstate New York. The study traced the evolution of Keuka from its founding in 1890, through its years of growth, decline, and eventual strong recovery in the 1980s. Considerable focus was placed on the strategic initiatives of the current administration and their successful attempts to return Keuka College to its once competitive position among small, private liberal arts schools. Developing theories in participatory management and the strategic decision process were used as a framework for examining the following questions: (1) What role, if any, has Keuka faculty historically held in determining the strategic direction of the institution? (2) What factors, both internal and external, have influenced the faculty's role in institutional strategic decisions? (3) What barriers exist to Keuka's faculty and administration in their search for a model of participatory decision making? Keuka's story is illustrative of the potential for small, liberal arts colleges to effectively redefine their mission, manage limited resources and engage the full community in the strategic positioning of the institution.