Theory & Practice Track

Transform Maryland

Institutions by their very nature are built to sustain their processes over time. Many of the ways we do things in government and higher education, for example, have evolved slowly over centuries. Recognizing untapped potential in a stable organizational structure requires insight. Identifying solutions requires ingenuity. In this track, students focus on the University of Maryland’s own institutional processes, identify challenges, and propose innovative solutions for improvement. After a semester of developing their theoretical understanding and honing their practical skills, students devote a semester to working in partnership with University leadership to effect real change on our campus. 

This track will be offered at least through the 2023-24 academic year.

Courses

Faculty Team

HNUH 219T: Transform Maryland: Theories and Models of Consulting

Instructors: Jeffrey Hollingsworth, Joseph Drasin, and Megan Benefiel

This consulting practicum theory course is designed to prepare students with the theoretical and practical background they need to engage in the art of consulting to make real change in the world. The broad number of topics covered make this course both challenging and rewarding, with concepts drawn from business, engineering, psychology, sociology, communications, literature, and more. These topics blend multiple academic disciplines into an analytical, systems, and abstract analysis approach to problem solving. Students will develop an understanding of organizations, how groups make decisions, and how one can influence those decisions. This is driven by the development of two parallel analysis techniques: quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative analysis techniques include such areas as systems design, data analysis, and process modeling. These are paired with qualitative techniques, including organizational analysis, decision modeling, and stakeholder analysis.

GenEd: DSHS
Offered: Every Fall semester
Required/Optional: Required

HNUH 219P: Transform Maryland: Theories into Practice

Instructors: Joseph Drasin and Megan Benefiel

In this intensive, 10-person seminar, students undertake a real-world consulting engagement for their client, the University of Maryland, to improve one of its operational processes. Working as a consulting team, students apply analysis, user-centered design, behavioral and social science methods in order to identify opportunities for innovation and recommend solutions. The one-semester engagement is broken into four phases—Frame, Explore, Analyze, and Recommend—through which students assess the potential for changing operations, addressing political differences, and the potential for technology to augment the streamlined process. The practicum focuses on transforming critical university administrative and business functions and culminates in a presentation to key members of the University of Maryland leadership team. The specific project changes from semester to semester.

GenEd: DSSP
Offered: Every semester
Required/Optional: Required

Megan Mackenzie headshot
Associate Fellow
Jeffrey Hollingsworth headshot
Associate Fellow
Joseph Drasin headshot
Associate Fellow