Case Study: Sherman College of Chiropractic Building an Inclusive Culture for Success
Problem
Solution
Impact
Sherman College of Chiropractic, a world-renowned chiropractic educational institute based in the US, had undergone changes in leadership since its inception in 1973. In 2016 incoming president Dr. Edwin Cordero, a successful entrepreneurial businessman who was new to academia, was committed to staying true to the college’s core values and its focus areas of education, research and service. However, Dr. Cordero soon realized the challenges faced by the fledgling college that had most likely accumulated over time: siloed departments, academic professionals appointed to leadership positions, and an inability to prioritize work in order to be efficient, much less successful. As a result of these, Sherman was in danger of losing its licensure, as well as its funding, attendance was at an all-time low, board member and donor confidence was shaken, and threads of tension and dissatisfaction rumbled amongst employees. To add to the challenges, Dr. Cordero’s sense of urgency and business-like approach to remedy matters did not endear the staff and faculty to him and therefore did not poise the college to move forward in a productive manner.
Enter QDOT, a leadership consulting firm run by Rico Pena appointed to help bring leadership development and organizational training solutions to the faltering Sherman College. After conducting a SWOT analysis and identifying major opportunities for smart and planful growth, Rico and his team began working with all levels of leadership at the college to open the lines of communication, bridge the silos and help everyone from Dr. Cordero himself to the janitorial staff understand their behavioral patterns and learn how to communicate with each other.
QDOT incorporated assessment tools and processes designed to gain an understanding of behaviors and measure how a person fits into their position, the culture and the leadership style of the department, as well as improve teamwork and understand communication styles. By going deeper into the process – studying and analyzing results, #nding common trends, and drawing conclusions – Rico and his team ensured that the tools and expertise used were effective for the college and truly helped them meet their objectives. Sherman College staff and faculty members embraced QDOT’s in-depth training around how to improve communications, understand the process and improve interdepartmental connections, and it paid off.
Rico and his team also worked closely with Dr. Cordero to help him understand the world of academia and that by slowing down, adjusting his messages, and actively seeking input from faculty and staff, he could make stronger headway than by using a traditional business approach. Pena Global established two programs with buy-in from faculty and staff that internally branded long-term goals. “Obsessed with Student Success” and “Obsessed with Employee Success” became clear pathways going forward to ensure that every employee at Sherman College remained laser-focused on agreed-upon outcomes.
As an added benefit to QDOT’s training, participants had the opportunity to personally connect with Rico at any time with questions or concerns, and in fact many of them did, from the executive board to the student branch. This extra level of commitment to the client and Rico’s ability to be personally accessible elevated the program to a whole new level. In addition, Rico implemented a “train-the-trainer” process, where he taught, certified and licensed select individuals amongst Sherman College’s staff in the process and tools to conduct ongoing training, therefore arming the college to continue its growth and development going forward.
Today, Sherman College boasts record-breaking enrollment levels, an increase in diversity and successful fund-raising efforts that brought campus-wide improvements. Dr. Cordero was successful in more than doubling the enrollment within the first three years of his tenure, much of this due to the important work accomplished through Sherman College’s partnership with QDOT.
Diversity among the student body is also at an all-time high, with Hispanic students accounting for more than 20 percent of total college enrollment, and Sherman students hailing from 48 states and 12 countries.
Perhaps one of the most significant outcomes has been the tremendous campus growth, which under Dr. Cordero’s leadership included successful completion of a $22 million campus master plan investment featuring construction of the Gelardi Student Center, now a campus centerpiece. What was once a small chiropractic college barely surviving, Sherman College of Chiropractic is now thriving in an ever-competitive collegiate landscape and continues to build upon the success set forth by its partnership with QDOT.
