The transitioning of Teacher Training Colleges into Colleges of Education as tertiary institutions by Act 847 is significant for ensuring strategic management change. This research investigated the strategic management of Dambai College of Education in the transitional change. The study adapted the methodological framework of the “Theory of Organisational Change” to ascertain leadership strategies that worked well in contributing to rapid positive transformation and their impact and those potential strategies to further improve the College. The study was qualitative with an interpretive paradigm and nominalist ontological and epistemological stance with participatory inquiry design. Homogeneous purposive sampling was used to select 15 participants for data collection. Data was collected through an open-ended questionnaire. Thematic analyses were done. Findings under strategies that worked include effective governance, recruitment, continuous professional development, Internally Generated Funds (IGF), merit-based remuneration of staff, and enhancement of physical infrastructure. The impact made includes boosting the morale of staff, students, traditional authorities, and other stakeholders; ownership of responsibility; improved learning outcomes; more spaces and equipment for effective work; and the College's improved outlook. Strategies to adopt include more stakeholder engagement and integration of technology. The research concluded that the college has transformed positively and needs to further improve its developmental agenda by adopting hybrid change models.

This study investigates students’ perceptions and overall satisfaction with the management of the COVID-19 pandemic by their university. A qualitative study was conducted at a public university in Cyprus. Semi-structured interviews with undergraduate and graduate students were used to collect data on the perceived strengths and weaknesses of university actions and policies in relation to the pandemic. According to the findings, the main strengths were the university's prompt response to the pandemic and the specific measures it adopted to manage the crisis. The perceived weaknesses concerned unpopular measures, the efficacy of instructors, technical problems in online teaching and learning, and insufficient resources and support. Respondents were very critical of the separation of students into two categories, namely, the vaccinated and the non-vaccinated, which they considered to be a form of discrimination and exclusion. The paper discusses the implications of the findings for the management of higher education institutions at times of crisis, with reference to the formulation of educational policy to address student needs and to leadership models which can inform relevant policy measures and initiatives.