The large number of academics from the secondary education stage who opt to enroll in higher education institutions such as colleges, universities, conservatories and so on is a clear indication of just how important higher education is (Rowley & Sherman, 2015) . However, in the northeastern United States and the country as whole, there are various challenges that faces the higher education program at this particular university despite the immense growth and development that has been observed in the same over the last few years.
Student needs and desires for the graduate program
The students enrolled in the program need to be well trained by the courses they will be undertaking which is probably the main reason why they are in the program in the first place. Different from other peer programs, this one focuses mainly on building their education in a manner different from the rest. As a result, it follows that students probably expect a rather different approach of being taught and trained.
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It is probable that the students desire that the program becomes a success since the same will reflect and be imparted on them too. Having a program with a good reputation means that the same people who have gone through it have an advantage in the job market as well.
Set of questions to be answered by the faculty:
What are the plausible and viable sources of funds that can be used to obtain sufficient funding to facilitate the program on both shot and long-term basis as well as assist graduates who proceed to pursue master’s and doctoral levels?
What are the relative tuition prices that can be levied on students to make the program both affordable to the students and still remain competitive to other peer programs without compromising on its quality (Thompson, 2014) ?
What is the maximum number of students who should be admitted every year to ensure that the population is sustainable and suffices the minimum threshold?
How best can the syllabus and curriculum be aligned to the regulations and requirements of the education governing bodies?
What steps should be taken to assess the quality of the students who come out of the program upon completion of their course at the institution?
Recommendations
There should be more emphasis on the active roles that are played by the faculty in owning the higher education program in terms of developing it and finally implementing it. The faculty is directly responsible for running the operations of the program hence its success depends a lot on their input. As such, there should be more tenure-track faculty who are hired to run the program, and they should have superior skills in handling their tasks to ensure it runs well (Marshall, 2017) . Moreover, the leadership should strive to have a senior faculty rather than a junior one.
The program should involve institutional leaders who add a lot of value and assistance when it comes to effecting change given that the development, implementation and sustenance of such a program begs such support (Marshall, 2017) . This is a move that will ensure that such leaders are on board with the decisions that will be made by its leadership.
Finally, the leadership should ensure that the steps and processes being taken are aligned with technology to avoid future changes in adopting this. In this era, technology has become very vital.
Who has power and influence related to the program
The faculty remains to be the stakeholder with the highest power and influence relative to the program. As aforementioned, they are the people who are directly in charge of handling its operations (Thompson, 2014) . The faculty therefore dictates a lot when it comes to effecting change in the program. The leadership of the program also bears significant impact on the same subject. Tasked with providing authority and a sense of leading the pro gram with all its entirety, it makes decisions on behalf of all the stakeholders that determine the state of the program. Objectively, the leadership is supposed to generate buy-in, come up with external cover, accept and calibrate failure, intervene in operations when necessary, lead by example and give advocacy. The leadership therefore holds a lot of power with regard to the program and impacts it significantly. Finally, institutional leaders, that is the leaders from other institutions and not from the program itself (Rowley & Sherman, 2015) . These leaders may come form various sectors of the larger society such as the political arena, institutions that govern education such as the Council of Academic Standards (CAS) and any other relevant institution or organization.
Issues of power and influence impact recommendations for change or program evolution through the various individuals to whom power has been allocated and the influence that any given stakeholder has. In this way, such individuals and stakeholders determine whether a given recommendation or proposal of program evolution will be adopted or not. They have within them the means to accept or decline any idea that is brought forward through platforms such as board meetings where final decisions are made (Rowley & Sherman, 2015) . Moreover, having influence dictates that the views and opinions of such an individual be held in high regard as they command a significant number of people with interest or roles within the program.
The leadership is tasked with coming up with the strategies of program development, supporting them and finally overseeing their implementation. It is the leadership that is held liable for any operations that are geared towards developing the program.
Conclusion
There are a number of questions about the program that the faculty must be able to answer in order for there to be a seamless transition in the change process. From such questions and careful look into the program, some best alternatives arise that would work more effectively in program development. The various stakeholders in the program have their roles and varying levels of influence.
References
Marshall, S. (2017). Strategic Leadership of Change in Higher Education: What's New? Routledge.
Rowley, D. J., & Sherman, H. (2015). From Strategy to Change: Implementing the Plan in Higher Education. Jossey-Bass.
Thompson, R. (2014). Changing the Conversation about Higher Education. R&L Education.
