DiscoverTRANSFORMEDPivoting Off the Strategic Plan to Adopt a 7-week Course Structure
Pivoting Off the Strategic Plan to Adopt a 7-week Course Structure

Pivoting Off the Strategic Plan to Adopt a 7-week Course Structure

Update: 2025-09-10
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Western Technical College president Roger Stanford shares with host Joe Gottlieb how moving to a seven-week term structure transformed student completion rates and revitalized curriculum through comprehensive instructional design.

• Complete curriculum redesign of over 1,000 courses
• Creation of an empowered steering committee to manage implementation
• Three-year timeline allowing faculty breathing room during pandemic
• Centralized change management reporting directly to the president
• Dedication to maintaining "unconditional positive regard" throughout the process
• Immediate improvements in second-term retention rates
• Faculty discovering reduced cognitive load benefits of teaching fewer courses simultaneously
• Commitment to embedding universal design and culturally relevant curriculum
• Program reviews resulting in more streamlined, focused degree pathways
• Balancing academic freedom with instructional design expertise

"While we expected some faculty resistance or departures, the majority embraced the change and are now prouder than ever of their curriculum and assessment alignment." Listen in for the full story,

References: 

Dr. Roger Stanford

Western Technical College

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Pivoting Off the Strategic Plan to Adopt a 7-week Course Structure

Pivoting Off the Strategic Plan to Adopt a 7-week Course Structure

Higher Digital