Initiatives
Change Management
The ÐÜèAVÃâ·Ñ is establishing a Change Management framework to help employees, leaders, and other stakeholders successfully navigate change across the university.
This framework includes a dedicated Change Management team with two core responsibilities. First, the team will lead change management directly for the Office of Administrative Operations as the university advances strategic priorities. Second, the team will serve as a university-wide resource, guiding and assisting other departments and initiative leaders in how to apply change management to their own work. This includes sharing tools, templates, and methodology so change management capability grows across the institution, not just within the team itself.
The goal is not simply to implement change, but to ensure changes are understood, adopted, and sustained to deliver long-term value to the university community.
Why This Initiative Is Important
USF is continuously evolving to meet the needs of students, faculty, staff, research partners, and the communities we serve. As new programs, services, technologies, and operational improvements are introduced, success depends not only on the solution itself but also on the people who are involved.
Rather than approaching each change effort separately, the university needs a scalable, repeatable framework that can be applied consistently — whether led directly by the Change Management team or adopted by other departments for their own initiatives. Establishing this framework now means the university isn't building change management capability from scratch each time; it creates a shared foundation that grows with USF as more initiatives, of varying size and complexity, put it to use.
Through a scalable and proactive model of planning, stakeholder engagement, communication, and readiness activities, this initiative will help:
- Improve adoption of new processes, services, and technologies.
- Increase awareness and understanding of organizational changes.
- Strengthen stakeholder engagement and collaboration.
- Reduce implementation risks and unintended impacts.
- Build long-term organizational resilience and change readiness.
- Support the successful achievement of USF's strategic priorities.
Scope
The Change Management team will operate on a dual model: (1) leading change management for Administrative Operations and (2) equipping other areas of the university to lead their own. Its work will include:
- A standardized change management framework and methodology, applied directly and shared with others.
- Governance processes for evaluating and prioritizing change initiatives.
- Stakeholder engagement and communication planning.
- Readiness, training, and adoption support strategies.
- Change impact and risk assessments.
- Adoption measurement and continuous improvement practices.
- Development of a university-wide network of Change Champions to strengthen local engagement and feedback.
- A shared toolkit with templates, guides, and resources available to departments and initiative leaders managing their own change efforts.
The Change Management team is structured to support initiatives of varying size and complexity across academic, administrative, operational, and technology-focused areas of the university whether by serving directly or enabling others.
Timeline
The Change Management Initiative will be implemented through a phased approach beginning
in 2026 and continuing through 2028.
- Phase 1: (We are here) Build the foundation, governance model, and framework
- Phase 2: Develop tools, resources, communications, and support capabilities
- Phase 3: Train & test the approach, gather feedback
- Phase 4: Introduce the program and provide adoption support
- Phase 5: Monitor outcomes, measure effectiveness, and continuously enhance service
Initiative Governance
The Change Management Initiative will be supported through a collaborative governance
model designed to ensure alignment with university priorities and organizational needs.
A Change Prioritization and Steering Committee will guide decision-making, assess
change demand, monitor institutional capacity for change, and prioritize support for
high-impact initiatives. Committee representation includes leaders and subject matter
experts from key university areas, helping ensure a balanced and enterprise-wide perspective.
What to Expect
The Change Management Initiative will provide a structured approach to helping the
university successfully implement change.
Stakeholders can expect:
- Earlier visibility into organizational impacts and potential risks.
- Improved communication and engagement throughout change initiatives.
- Increased opportunities to provide feedback and contribute to change planning.
- Enhanced support for leaders and project teams.
- Better preparation for new processes, technologies, and ways of working.
- Greater focus on adoption, utilization, and long-term success.
The initiative follows a structured lifecycle focused on preparing for change, managing adoption, and sustaining successful outcomes. This approach helps ensure that changes deliver meaningful and lasting benefits to the university community.
FAQ
What is change management?
Change management is a structured approach to preparing, supporting, and helping people successfully adopt organizational changes. It focuses on the people side of change, including communication, engagement, training, readiness, and adoption activities.
How is change management different from project management?
Project Management focuses on implementing the change. Change Management focuses on helping people successfully adopt and sustain the change. Together, they help ensure university initiatives achieve their intended outcomes.
Who can receive change management support?
The Change Management Initiative will offer flexible support options based on the
scale and impact of an initiative. As change management resources become available,
departments implementing smaller-scale changes will be able to access self-service
tools, templates, guidance, and best practices to help plan and navigate change within
their areas.
For initiatives with broader organizational impacts, the Change Management Team will
provide consultation, planning support, stakeholder engagement, communications, readiness
activities, and adoption services to help ensure successful outcomes.
What is considered a change?
A change is any initiative, project, process improvement, policy update, organizational
adjustment, or new way of working that impacts how people perform their work, access
services, interact with systems, or experience university operations.
Changes can vary in size and complexity. Examples may include:
- Implementing new technology or software.
- Updating business processes or workflows.
- Introducing new services or programs.
- Organizational restructuring or role changes.
- Policy or procedure updates.
- Facility, space, or operational changes.
- Strategic initiatives that affect multiple stakeholder groups.
While some changes impact a small department and others affect the broader university community, all changes require people to adapt in some way. The Change Management Initiative helps ensure stakeholders are informed, prepared, and supported throughout that transition.
How are initiatives prioritized?
Initiatives are reviewed through a governance process that evaluates organizational impact, risk, stakeholder considerations, and alignment with university priorities.
How will stakeholders be involved?
Stakeholders will have opportunities to participate through engagement activities, feedback opportunities, communications, pilot efforts, readiness activities, and Change Champion programs.
Contact for Questions
Taryn Williams / tarynwilliams@usf.edu / Change Adoption Manager
Clarence Moore / clarencemoore@usf.edu / Change Management Consultant