Social Innovation as a Framework for Institutional Change: Engaging with Universities Around the World// Ashoka U
What is Ashoka U? What role did I play?
Ashoka U, a start-up founded in 2008 by social entrepreneurship pioneer Ashoka, has partnered with over 600 higher education institutions and 4,000 stakeholders worldwide. Its Changemaker Campus program, which I was a part of from early 2016 - mid-2019, has worked closely with over 45 institutions in ten countries that exemplify leaders in social innovation and changemaker education. These institutions were selected to demonstrate the feasibility of social innovation and changemaking in various contexts, inspire their peers to advance changemaking, and collaborate to spread the adoption of changemaking in higher education.
The Changemaker Campus network serves as a learning and innovation lab for higher education practitioners to share insights, and create and replicate new models.
As Renewal Manager, I led these exemplary institutions' recertification process (called “Renewal”) in the Changemaker Campus Network.
Constant Intellectual/Analytical Gymnastics (from 100 feet to 30,000 feet)
As the Renewal Manager, I was responsible for effectively leading and managing the complex process of renewing several Changemaker Campuses at different stages in their "social innovation maturity/life cycle.” This process took several months and involved several steps, including conducting a thorough assessment of the campuses' social innovation ecosystem, conducting an in-person Site Visit to assess the institutional social innovation infrastructure and ecosystem, and producing a comprehensive Site Visit report and final evaluation.
One of the most challenging aspects of this role was leading the Site Visit delegation and facilitating conversations with various stakeholders, including senior university leadership, deans, faculty, and students. This required assessing the needs of all parties involved and facilitating appropriate discussions.
Following the Site Visit, I led the process of writing a comprehensive report synthesizing key strengths and opportunities for growth, as well as codifying and sharing best practices from other institutions.
Some of the insights collected from this process also contributed to the creation of a guidebook, "Building a Changemaker Institution.”
Exposure to different locations and institutional contexts (in the US and worldwide)
I had the opportunity to work in various locations across the US and worldwide, including eight different countries and with 45+ colleges and universities. The diversity of these institutions varied widely, including public and private institutions, universities and colleges, elite schools, and community colleges. Working in such a diverse range of locations required me to quickly understand each country’s higher education landscape and the institution’s unique culture. The varied nature of this work required me to adapt my approach and style to suit each institution’s needs.
Adaptability/Iteration:
One of my proudest achievements was redesigning the Renewal process. When I joined the organization in 2016, the initial Renewal process had already been launched at several colleges and universities. However, it became clear that the process was not optimized for the varying maturity levels and diversity of the "social innovation ecosystem" present at our network of colleges and universities around the US and the world.
Despite these challenges, I worked to make the best of the existing conditions while constantly working diligently to improve the process. To address the issues with the initial Renewal design, I introduced minor improvements such as a better system for collecting qualitative data about the campuses' social innovation ecosystem and eliminating the in-person Renewal panel to save time and costs for institutions. In the third year, with support from the CMC director, I conducted a comprehensive assessment. I redesigned the process to ensure additional parity and efficiency while also accounting for the unique circumstances of each campus by creating multiple pathways. It was challenging, but I enjoyed the opportunity to "improve the aircraft as we were flying.” The redesigned program was received very well by the institutions.
Navigating organizational complexities and relationship management:
In my role as the Renewal Manager, I was responsible for effectively navigating the complexities of the organization and managing relationships with key university stakeholders. This included working with faculty and staff at different institutions, supporting the convening of senior university leadership for strategic conversations, and collaborating with middle and senior leadership at universities during the Renewal cycle and throughout the year. Strong relationship management skills and navigating organizational complexities were essential in this role.
Drawn to systems impact
As someone drawn to opportunities for large-scale systems impact, I was excited to take on the role of Renewal Manager at Ashoka due to the organization's extensive engagement with universities worldwide and the opportunity to help transform higher education.
Throughout my time at Ashoka, I fulfilled my core job responsibilities and actively sought additional opportunities to contribute to this goal. For example, I collaborated with Ashoka's leadership in Japan to present the "changemaker institution" model to higher education stakeholders in Tokyo. I also presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of American Association of Colleges and Universities on "If I Could Build a University from Scratch: Four Models Worth Copying from Around the World".