The Company Regional Comprehensive Universities Desire to Keep: Choosing Institutional Membership Associations

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article presents findings from a multiple-case study examining administrator choice in and use of institutional membership associations (IMAs) among Regional Comprehensive Universities (RCUs). The study’s purpose was to understand what choice of IMAs revealed about status-seeking and mission-centeredness among RCU administrators. Also examined was how administrators leverage IMAs to position their institutions in the broader postsecondary field. Neo-institutional and network theories guided analysis of two RCU subsets: those that discontinued membership in an RCU association, and current members of the same association that changed Carnegie Classification. Analysis found that membership associations operate similarly to the Carnegie Classifications in the minds of administrators. RCU administrators were interested in the informational resources provided by membership associations that would strengthen their commitment to the historic RCU mission (mission-centeredness), or modify this mission to refocus on the liberal arts or research (status-seeking). Among administrators that had discontinued the RCU association, status concerns were related to this decision. There was also a relationship between choice of membership association and change in Carnegie Classification. Participants saw these groupings (Carnegie and associations) conflating under the advancement of status. Finally, some administrators maintained dual memberships in order to pursue competing priorities related to mission-centeredness and status-seeking.