Abstract
Until recently, higher education in the United States was widely perceived as a primary pathway to social mobility and economic advancement. However, contemporary institutions now face sustained disruption driven by demographic shifts, affordability concerns, political pressures, leadership turnover, and rapid technological change. In this reflection paper, we examine how leadership disruption has become both a symptom and a catalyst of broader systemic challenges in U.S. higher education. Drawing on current scholarship, we argue that disruption, when accompanied by human-centered change management and intentional approaches to organizational resilience, can foster institutional clarity, adaptability, and renewal. Specifically, we explore the dynamics of leadership instability, synthesizes evidence-based change management strategies suited to shared governance environments, and highlights practices that support institutional learning, trust, and long-term sustainability.
Recommended Citation
Masibo, M., & Charwood, A. R. (2026). Leadership Disruption, Change Management, and Organizational Resilience in U.S. Higher Education. The Journal of Advancing Education Practice, 7(1). https://openriver.winona.edu/jaep/vol7/iss1/4
