Effective Initiative Development and Implementation in Higher Education: A Case of the Excellence in Partnerships Initiative in the College of Business Administration at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

With growing enrollment rates in higher education, it has become imperative for Universities to develop and implement the most innovative, current, and experiential educational experience for their students to be competitive in the real-world against other graduates. This research aims to identify the factors of effective initiative development and implementation in higher education through a practical case study of the Excellence in Partnerships initiative in the College of Business Administration (CBA) at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. The development and implementation of the CBA external partnership initiative analyzed data that was collected through a series of interviews, focus groups, and a student survey. The results indicated a need for data-driven decision making through the collection of internal and external data in addition to the need for dedicated resources and leadership to make the development and implementation of external partnerships most effective. Higher education administrators, managers, supervisors, and staff members should recognize important factors of initiative development and implementation because it will enhance their decision-making skills. They will be better prepared to transform a new idea into feasible actions considering the complexities of the higher education system.