Developing a change roadmap for CMU

Following a charge from the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees in September 2025, university leaders have been working to develop a change management plan.

Led by the University Transformation Office and CMU President Neil MacKinnon, the effort seeks to identify and improve the ways CMU prioritizes initiatives, makes decisions and navigates change.

“As a university community, we are preparing to take on numerous large-scale projects and we are facing an increasingly uncertain and competitive landscape in higher education,” said Chief Transformation Officer Darcie Wilson. “Developing a comprehensive change roadmap is a vital step in ensuring we come through this period stronger and more successful than ever.”

Gathering input

Wilson said the UTO held over a dozen data-gathering workshops in the late fall semester. 

“We met with more than 350 faculty and staff members representing multiple departments and offices university-wide,” Wilson said. “We also provided an anonymous input form so that everyone could share candid feedback, raise questions and offer suggestions related to organizational change, decision-making and institutional priorities.”

Information and insights gathered through the workshops and online forms are now being synthesized into an initial draft of a change roadmap, Wilson said.

“The UTO is deeply grateful to the faculty and staff members who took time to share their insights with us over the last few months,” she said.  

Challenges identified

“Early input from faculty and staff highlighted a need to balance CMU’s risk management with greater adaptability to support innovation,” Wilson said. “There also was a recurring theme of needing to address siloed processes and restrictive policies that can present barriers to progress. We have to consider how to remove those barriers while protecting the university’s mission and long-term sustainability and strength.”

Some of the other themes raised in the workshops and online forms included:

• Unclear ownership of processes and decision-making authority
• Risk-averse behaviors that can slow progress and lead to increased costs
• Inconsistent processes that strain staff capacity

Participants also raised the need to create a psychologically safe environment grounded in trust and accountability, Wilson said.

"That kind of environment is a key enabler of innovation and continuous improvement,” she said.

Next steps

Wilson said she expects to have an initial draft of a change roadmap, including high-level implementation plans, ready to share with initial reviewers later this month.

“The early drafts will include an outline of proposed change priorities, guiding principles for decision-making, and opportunities to rethink some high-friction processes,” Wilson said. “All of this will be aimed at strengthening university-wide alignment and supporting leaders and teams in adapting to change more effectively.”

Wilson said the Change Champion Network will review the drafts and ensure the plans reflect the realities and needs of the entire community. Wilson also plans to share the drafts with key stakeholder groups and university leaders.

“We plan to have a near-final version of the roadmap to share with the Board of Trustees in April,” Wilson said.