Date of Submission

8-16-2020

Document Type

OIP

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

Keywords

Financial Literacy, Financial Education, Adaptive Leadership, Campus Culture, Social Cognitive Theory, Collaboration

Abstract

Attending post-secondary comes at a cost. With rising tuition and life costs, the financial responsibility students are taking on is significant. Many young adults lack the experience and knowledge to manage their financial obligations. For some, during times of financial stress this may lead to balancing a part-time job, a reduced course load or considering withdrawing from studies. Many students rely on financial aid to support their academic and life costs. In the past few years, the provincial government made various changes to the financial aid program and tuition fees. These changes have led to many students misunderstanding how much financial aid they will receive, which further confuses their overall financial responsibilities to the institution. For many students, this can lead to financial stress or crisis. As the leader of the Financial Aid & Accounts team at Province University, I ask: What is Province University’s strategy for developing better financially prepared students? This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) addresses the gap between the current state of students' lack of knowledge and under-preparedness for the financial responsibilities of post-secondary education. With the focus of driving change and improving financial literacy, adaptive leadership will be used to engage a cross-functional team to implement a solution focused on financial education for students and staff, the development of financial crisis framework, and internal collaboration. Solutions focus on improving student self-efficacy through the application of Social Cognitive Theory and by obtaining campus partner support. Kotter’s eight-stage change process will provide the framework to drive this change into campus culture.

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