Responsiveness in Higher Education: A Case Study

Robin Mueller was granted funding through an Internal Grant for Research to study the return to face-to-face instruction post pandemic, and the responsiveness to this change.

Responsiveness, or the ability to react quickly and flexibly to change, is a key predictor of an organization’s ability to thrive (Walter, 2021). However, responsiveness in higher education is often hampered by organizational rigidity and deeply layered bureaucracy. A case study involving students’ return to face-to-face instruction post COVID-19 provides several examples of how situational responsiveness can be enacted in reaction to rapidly changing conditions, despite the institution’s structural limitations. Practical suggestions for enabling responsiveness, both situationally and organizationally, arise from this case study research.