This paper evaluates and critiques a recent restructuring initiative for a college at a Midwestern university in the United States in which three academic departments were reduced down to two departments. The case study presents the experiences and perspectives of three faculty members– one from each of those departments–who participated in the restructuring process. The paper first introduces the current challenges and complexities in Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) which initiate and influence restructuring efforts After laying out the context of our case study, we examine faculty perceptions of the purpose, the plan, and the process of restructuring through an interpretive phenomenological case study analysis using Putnam and Nicotera’s (2009) Communicative Constitution of Organization (CCO) as a theoretical framework. The findings are presented as three integrated themes including the importance of a clear and purposeful rationale, maintenance of consistent communication and organization, and an ethical commitment to faculty voice and choice. The ethical implications for each theme are discussed and recommendations for restructuring initiatives are offered. The results of this study will help inform restructuring initiatives in colleges and universities with a particular emphasis on characteristics of effective, ethical leadership and the value of strong communicative elements when engaging in restructuring.

本文评估并批评了美国中西部大学一所学院最近的一项重组计划，该计划将三个学术部门减少为两个部门。该案例研究介绍了参与重组过程的三名教员（每个院系各一名）的经验和观点。本文首先介绍了高等教育机构 (IHE) 当前面临的挑战和复杂性，这些挑战和复杂性引发并影响了重组工作。在阐述了我们的案例研究的背景之后，我们通过以下方式检查了教师对重组的目的、计划和过程的看法：使用 Putnam 和 Nicotera (2009) 的组织传播宪法 (CCO) 作为理论框架进行解释性现象学案例研究分析。研究结果分为三个综合主题，包括明确且有目的的理由的重要性、保持一致的沟通和组织以及对教师声音和选择的道德承诺。讨论了每个主题的伦理影响，并提供了重组举措的建议。这项研究的结果将有助于为学院和大学的重组举措提供信息，特别强调有效、道德领导的特征以及参与重组时强有力的沟通要素的价值。