CCPA 810A studies leadership for sustainability, not just survival, in organizations where external pressure for change dominates, which describes most community colleges today.
The University of Maryland Global Campus lists Leadership and Change as a paired 3-credit course (810A and 810B) in its Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration. The catalog asks students to examine change in varied industries and in their own organization.
That means identifying and analyzing theories, assessing classic works against current perspectives, testing ideas with case studies and developing scenarios and strategies. Students often find the hard part is moving from describing a change model to judging whether it actually fits.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
| Course code | CCPA 810A (paired with CCPA 810B) |
| Level and credits | Doctoral, 3 credits |
| Subject area | Organizational leadership and change |
| Credit note | Credit for only one of CCPA 810A or DMCC 810 |
| Typical work | Case analyses, theory critiques, scenario and strategy papers |
What CCPA 810A Covers
| Catalog topic | In plain terms |
|---|---|
| Knowledge and abilities for managing change | Including improvization and reinvention when plans fail |
| Leading in new organizational models | Roles and skills at every level, including virtual teams |
| Impact of change on people and organizations | Especially the effect of frequent, overlapping change |
| Classic and current perspectives | Testing older change models against recent research |
Key Concepts Explained
Planned Change Models and Their Limits
Kurt Lewin's unfreeze, change, refreeze model and John Kotter's eight steps treat change as a sequence leaders can manage. Critics argue that in turbulent settings there is never a stable "refreeze", so change is continuous rather than episodic.
Example: A college redesigns developmental mathematics using Kotter's steps: urgency from completion data, a guiding coalition, a vision of corequisite support. Two years later state funding rules change and enrollment shifts online. A strong 810A analysis asks whether a linear model explains this, or whether a continuous-change view fits the evidence better.
Technical Versus Adaptive Challenges
Ronald Heifetz distinguishes technical problems, which experts can solve with known methods, from adaptive challenges, which require people to change values, habits or loyalties. Leaders often fail by treating adaptive problems as technical ones.
Example: Installing a new student information system is largely technical. Getting faculty and advisers to share responsibility for student persistence is adaptive: it touches professional identity, so a training memo will not solve it.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Assignment type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Case study analysis | Testing a theory on a real situation | Choose one model, apply it step by step, then note what it misses |
| Classic vs current critique | Judging older works | Show what newer research confirms, refines or rejects |
| Own-organization analysis | Linking theory to practice | Anonymize details and support claims with sources |
| Discussion posts | Scholarly exchange | Add a counter-case or new source to a peer's argument |
A Structure for a Change Case Analysis
Most 810A papers follow a similar logic, whatever the case. A clear structure keeps you analyzing rather than narrating:
- The pressure: what external force (funding, enrollment, policy, technology) triggered the change, with evidence.
- The response: what leaders did, when and through whom.
- The lens: the change model you are applying and why it suits this case.
- The test: where the model explains events well and where it fails.
- The judgment: did the change build long-term capacity (sustainability) or only get the college through a crisis (survival)?
- The lesson: what a leader should do differently next time.
Step five is where this course differs from a general management module. The catalog's contrast between survival and sustainability gives you a ready-made evaluative criterion, so use it explicitly.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Retelling a model. Readers know Kotter's eight steps. The marks are in judging how well they explain your case.
- Ignoring the "sustainability" framing. The catalog contrasts survival with sustainability; ask whether a change left the college more capable of the next one.
- Heroic leader narratives. The course covers roles at all levels, so include middle managers, faculty and staff.
- Thin evidence. Anecdotes from your workplace need backing from the literature.
Study Tips for CCPA 810A
- Build a comparison table of change models: assumptions, stages, typical uses and main criticisms.
- Choose one live change at your college and track it through the course as a running case.
- Pair every classic source with at least one recent peer-reviewed study that tests it.
- Write your conclusion as a recommendation a college president could act on.
How We Help with CCPA 810A
Send the prompt, rubric, required readings and your draft or notes. A doctoral-level writer can review your argument and APA style, or prepare a referenced model case analysis showing how to apply and critique a change framework.
GradeEssays is independent of the University of Maryland Global Campus. Treat our work as a study and reference aid, then write and submit your own work under UMGC's academic integrity rules. Every order is written from scratch, with free revisions within the scope of your original request and a full refund if late.
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Frequently Asked Questions
UMGC lists Leadership and Change as two 3-credit courses with one catalog description. Your syllabus sets the specific focus and assignments for each.
Classic planned-change models such as Lewin's and Kotter's are common starting points, alongside newer views of continuous change and adaptive leadership. Your readings set the core list.
The catalog explicitly includes examining change in your own organization. Anonymize sensitive details and support your points with scholarship.
Very. The course asks you to assess whether classic works still apply, so explain what recent research supports or challenges.
Leading in new organizational models involving virtual teams is a listed topic, so expect it to appear in readings or assignments.
Yes. Send it with the prompt and rubric for feedback on argument, theory use and APA formatting.