Formal Organizational Structure and Participation in Planning Continuing Professional Education

Abstract

This study explored and described the relationship between formal organizational structures and extent of participation of clients, faculty and program administrators in planning continuing professional education programs in six Southern land-grant universities. Each university was treated as a case study. Data were collected by interviews and content analysis of policy documents. The study found that the extent of structural integration/differentiation of the formal organization of continuing education is described by the extent to which responsibility for the delivery of continuing professional education is located in a university-wide continuing education delivery system as opposed to numerous college-based delivery systems. In addition, extent of par ticipation of clients increased when planning occurred in the context of campus-wide continuing education delivery systems and decreased in college-based delivery systems. Program ad ministrators participated most in planning which occurred in the context of college-based delivery systems. Type of organizational context was not associated with extent of faculty par ticipation in planning.