By Tim Amyx, Asst Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Systems, Volunteer State Community College; Bridget Jones, Dean of Enrollment Management, Portland Community College; Becki Lawhorn, Executive Director of Academic Policy Coordination and Strategic Initiatives, University of Dayton; and Catherine Long, AVP & University Registrar, University of South Florida
Higher education is no stranger to ambitious transformation efforts. Change can feel overwhelming. Institutions are complex ecosystems, where minor process adjustments often navigate multiple approvals, competing priorities, and significant coordination.
As coaches supporting participants in the 2026 AACRAO National Learning Mobility Challenge on Improving Transfer Time-to-Decision, we have seen a different approach emerge—one that makes change manageable, actionable, and achievable. The Challenge leverages Improvement Science to help identify barriers, test solutions, and learn from data to directly improve the transfer student experience.
The immediate goal is clear: reduce transfer time-to-decision and improve learner mobility. But the opportunity extends far beyond transfer admissions. The methods participants are learning can be applied across any institution seeking to improve outcomes, strengthen collaboration, and create a culture of continuous improvement.
What Improvement Science Is—and What It Is Not
Our boot camp on Improvement Science was provided by the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH). We learned that Improvement Science is a disciplined, evidence-based approach. Rather than beginning with assumptions, teams start by understanding a process, identifying a specific problem, developing a theory of improvement, and testing small changes to see if they produce the desired result.
Improvement Science is not strategic planning, a large-scale implementation effort, or a long initiative requiring substantial financial investment. Most importantly, it is not a pilot.
Improvement Science instead encourages institutions to conduct low-stakes, high-impact tests of change. Small tests allow teams to gather evidence quickly, minimize risk, and build confidence before considering broader adoption. This mindset creates space for experimentation and learning that is often difficult to achieve through traditional project management.
Why This Matters for Institutional Stakeholders
One of the most powerful lessons is the potential to reset our approach to Change Management. We often struggle with the perception that meaningful change requires extensive planning, significant investments, and broad organizational commitment.
Improvement Science offers an alternative narrative.
Rather than attempting to redesign an entire process at once, our teams identified a practical problem within their sphere of influence and tested a specific change over a defined period. They learned quickly, adjusted, and then chose to adapt, adopt, or abandon the change based on evidence rather than opinion.
We see this as a valuable approach with colleagues and leaders who are more willing to support experiments that require minimal resources, have clear measures of success, and generate actionable learning.
The Challenge provided a tangible example of how participants can move from discussing change to actively testing it. In doing so, participants built credibility for continuous improvement as a sustainable approach. As coaches, it was easy to recognize that Improvement Science can also be applied to every area in our offices.
Reflections from the Coaches
“One of the things that sold me right away is that the test of change is something that comes from the bottom up. The front-line people, the ones who are doing the work, and the ones who are overcoming day-to-day problems are where this starts. The model should force a connection between decision makers and the staff impacted by the decision. They are the ones who most often understand where change is needed.
This model for Improvement Science is also very nimble. It can fit with your strategic plans and continuous improvement models. It is highly and specifically tactical, allowing you to measure a “surgical” tactic for its impact on the overall goal, ultimately allowing you to determine if the tactic is worth trying to scale. The short timeframe means you don’t spend a whole year trying to figure out if something worked. You know quickly if you should invest in the tactic or try something else.” —Tim Amyx
“I really appreciate the ways in which Improvement Science softens the challenges that tend to surface at an institution whenever you mention the word “change.” Change is difficult, causes fatigue, and still seems to be a constant in our industry. Considering this, the lesson that I learned is that a “test of change” is simply that: a test. It’s not a commitment to a new way of operating and lends itself to adjusting when new information is presented that confirms if something is or isn’t working. So often our fatigue comes from committing to something that isn’t working because “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” Improvement Science gives us the permission to say, “We tried something, it didn’t work, so what else can we try?” This process invites and relies upon feedback and creative solutioning. It’s a great way to engage teams and make practitioners feel empowered to be an active part of creating effective change.” —Bridget Jones
“In higher education, we are accustomed to tackling complex, interconnected challenges. We spend months building consensus, anticipating every possible outcome, and designing solutions that can work across the institution before acting. That work is important, but it can also make organizational change feel exhausting. Perhaps the biggest lesson I took away was that Improvement Science gave us permission to stop trying to solve the whole puzzle before moving the first piece. We are comfortable asking students to test ideas, make mistakes, reflect, and grow. When it comes to organizational change, however, we often pressure ourselves to develop the perfect solution before taking the first step.
Improvement Science reminded me that institutions can learn one question, experiment, or insight at a time. Sometimes the most meaningful progress begins not by solving the entire puzzle, but by moving the first piece, learning whether and where it fits, and letting that learning guide the next step.” —Becki Lawhorn
For AACRAO Learning Mobility Challenge participants…
The most important outcome may not be a faster process, though that outcome matters deeply for students. It may be the realization that institutions are not too large to change after all. Change becomes possible when it is broken into manageable steps, informed by data, and supported by a culture of learning.
share