Technological, demographic, financial shifts, and especially the impacts of COVID-19, call for higher education to become accessible to more students nationally and globally. This study examined the organizational design and strategic role of Learning Innovation Departments (LIDs) in effecting transformational change in higher education. The research fills a gap in the literature on investigation of the organizational design and function of LIDs and the application of the Mobile Model for Transformational Change (MM) (Eckel & Kezar, 2003b). The capabilities of LIDs extend beyond traditional academic services to include more enterprise services as essential for university transformational change. A qualitative single case-study design was used, centered on EdPlus at Arizona State University (ASU), a leader in learning innovation. The MM provided the theoretical framework, focusing on EdPlus’ strategic functions and change implementation approaches. The researcher's role as an insider (employee of ASU) was acknowledged, providing advantages and drawbacks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 ASU administrators, faculty, and staff closely connected to the design and evolution of EdPlus. 49 primary source documents were collected and analyzed. The overarching research question was this: How do leaders designing the LID at Arizona State University approach transformational change initiatives that help the university advance its strategic public charter? Six sub-research questions were explored as part of the interviews, and qualitative methods were used for data analysis. The following themes emerged: Student Engagement and Support, Collaborative Partnerships, Operational Flexibility and Innovation, Strategic Leadership and Planning, Transparency and Governance, Research and Development, and Communication and Relationship Building. The principal finding of this research is a case study that constructs EdPlus at ASU uniquely characterized as a Learning Innovation Department (LID) which plays an empirical role in ASU’s transformational change. This finding may advance higher education theory and practice with descriptions of LID organizational design characteristics, underscoring the important role of design in university transformation and emphasis on the balance between digital education support services and innovation research and development. Future research could focus on LIDs in relation to recent phenomena, such as COVID-19, the transition to remote learning and Artificial Intelligence. Implications of the study may guide higher education leaders to implement transformational changes with the approach of EdPlus as a blueprint for effective LIDs. The findings may also be implemented for similar institutional initiatives to bring online higher education to more individuals throughout the world.