scholarly journals “A Question of Integrity”: Academic Values Torn Between Organizational Affiliation, National Competitiveness and the Global Academic Community

2021 ◽  
pp. 139-143
Author(s):  
Michael Hölscher
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Educational Policies ◽  
Academic Values ◽  
National Competitiveness ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Economic Considerations ◽  
Societal Views ◽  
Organizational Affiliation

AbstractValues of higher education, as supported by the IAU, are grounded in the belief-systems and behaviour of the individual researchers/teachers and the academic community more generally. Although these values are influenced from the outside by educational policies and economic considerations, and although they also encompass societal views on science (e.g. trust in science), it is academia itself that has to uphold, and sometimes defend, the inner principles of higher education.

scholarly journals Dropout in Rural Higher Education: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Guzmán ◽  
Sandra Barragán ◽  
Favio Cala Vitery
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Current View ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Student Dropout ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Two Stages

Student dropout in higher education has been of great interest to the academic community, state and social actors over the last three decades, due to the various effects that this event has on the student, the family, higher education institutions, and the state itself. It is recognised that dropout at this level of education is extremely complex due to its multi-causality which is expressed in the existing relationship in its explanatory variables associated with the students, their socioeconomic and academic conditions, as well as the characteristics of the educational institutions. Thus, the aim of this article was to identify the individual, socioeconomic, academic, and institutional explanatory variables involved in student dropout in rural populations, based on a synthesis of the evidence available in the SCOPUS database. In order to achieve it, a mixed systematic review was defined under the PRISMA 2020 method. The analysis was approached in two stages; the first concerned the identification of the documents and the conformation of the sample, where 21 documents were distinguished for effectively dealing with dropout in rural higher education; and the second corresponded to the procedures defined for the development of the bibliometric analysis and synthesis of the information found in the documents. The results showed the distribution of studies by country, years of publication, the categorisation of the documents in SCOPUS, their classification by type and the methodologies used in the development of the studies analysed, as well as the variables that have been addressed in previous research. In this way, it is concluded that the results of the studies are not generalisable, either because of the size of the sample or because of the marked social asymmetries that exist in some countries, which can make the findings lack significance; on the other hand, the interest in research on variables associated with individual and academic determinants to explain rural student dropout is highlighted. In addition, some future research lines which can be addressed as a complement to the current view of the dropout event in rural higher education were identified.

A University Education

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Willetts
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
University Education ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University ◽  
First Time ◽  
The Relationship

Universities have a crucial role in the modern world. In England, entrance to universities is by nation-wide competition which means English universities have an exceptional influence on schools--a striking theme of the book. This important book first investigates the university as an institution and then tracks the individual on their journey to and through university. In A University Education, David Willetts presents a compelling case for the ongoing importance of the university, both as one of the great institutions of modern society and as a transformational experience for the individual. The book also makes illuminating comparisons with higher education in other countries, especially the US and Germany. Drawing on his experience as UK Minister for Universities and Science from 2010 to 2014, the author offers a powerful account of the value of higher education and the case for more expansion. He covers controversial issues in which he was involved from access for disadvantaged students to the introduction of L9,000 fees. The final section addresses some of the big questions for the future, such as the the relationship between universities and business, especially in promoting innovation.. He argues that the two great contemporary trends of globalisation and technological innovation will both change the university significantly. This is an authoritative account of English universities setting them for the first time in their new legal and regulatory framework.

scholarly journals Organizational Change Management in Higher Education through the Lens of Executive Coaches

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 269
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Vlachopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Organizational Change ◽  
Change Management ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Organizational Change Management ◽  
Executive Coaches ◽  
Leadership In Higher Education ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
Higher Education Leaders

This study investigated perceptions of organizational change management among executive coaches working with British higher-education leaders and factors that make leaders effective when managing change. This basic qualitative research used semi-structured interviews with eight executive coaches selected through purposeful sampling. As main challenges to efficient, inclusive change management, participants mentioned leaders’ lack of a strategic vision or plan, lack of leadership and future leader development programs, and lack of clarity in decision-making. They recognized that leaders’ academic and professional profiles are positively viewed and said that, with coaching and support in leadership and strategic planning, these people can inspire the academic community and promote positive change. Additional emphasis was given to the role of coaching in the development of key soft skills (honesty, responsibility, resiliency, creativity, proactivity, and empathy, among others), which are necessary for effective change management and leadership in higher education. The paper’s implications have two aspects. First, the lessons of the actual explicit content of the coaches’ observations (challenges to efficient change management and views of leaders); second, the implications of these observations (how coaching can help and what leaders need).

scholarly journals Using Virtual Learning Environment Data for the Development of Institutional Educational Policies

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 6811
Author(s):  
Emanuel Marques Queiroga ◽  
Carolina Rodríguez Enríquez ◽  
Cristian Cechinel ◽  
Alén Perez Casas ◽  
Virgínia Rodés Paragarino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Predictive Models ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Educational Data Mining ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Educational Policies ◽  
Interdisciplinary Exchange ◽  
Computational Resources

This paper describes the application of Data Science and Educational Data Mining techniques to data from 4529 students, seeking to identify behavior patterns and generate early predictive models at the Universidad de la República del Uruguay. The paper describes the use of data from different sources (a Virtual Learning Environment, survey, and academic system) to generate predictive models and discover the most impactful variables linked to student success. The combination of different data sources demonstrated a high predictive power, achieving prediction rates with outstanding discrimination at the fourth week of a course. The analysis showed that students with more interactions inside the Virtual Learning Environment tended to have more success in their disciplines. The results also revealed some relevant attributes that influenced the students’ success, such as the number of subjects the student was enrolled in, the students’ mother’s education, and the students’ neighborhood. From the results emerged some institutional policies, such as the allocation of computational resources for the Virtual Learning Environment infrastructure and its widespread use, the development of tools for following the trajectory of students, and the detection of students at-risk of failure. The construction of an interdisciplinary exchange bridge between sociology, education, and data science is also a significant contribution to the academic community that may help in constructing university educational policies.

Multicultural Challenges in Educational Policies within a Non-Conservative Scenario: The Case of the Emerging Reforms in Higher Education in Brazil

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Canen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Educational Reform ◽  
Educational Policies ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
Education In Brazil

The article discusses the extent to which multiculturalism has had an impact in the emerging reforms in higher education in Brazil, against the backdrop of the rise of a new non-Conservative, Labour-oriented government whose political agenda is marked by a discursive stand against conservatism, neo-liberalism and neocolonialism. Building on a postcolonial critical multicultural approach and on the need to include ideology in discussions concerning educational reform, it argues that educational policies should work towards valuing cultural diversity and challenging discriminatory practices without falling into dichotomies that freeze subject and institutional identities and fail to consider their mobility, hybridization and contingency. It then proposes alternative perspectives to consider future policies in education that take multiculturalism on board in a transformational perspective.

A Comparison of IHEs and Non-IHEs as Anchor Institutions and Lead Agents of Promise Neighborhoods Projects

2021 ◽  
pp. 001312452110497
Author(s):  
Whitney Impellizeri ◽  
Vera J. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Considerable Time ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Anchor Institutions ◽  
Medical Institutions ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Promise Neighborhood ◽  
Anchor Institution

Place-based initiatives, such as the federal Promise Neighborhoods grant, attempt to coordinate interventions, supports, and services with a myriad of organizations to targeted communities. Although Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), inclusive of academic medical institutions, are among the most overall researched anchor institution, Non-Institutions of Higher Education (NIHEs) have led more Promise Neighborhood grants since the inception of the program in 2010. Therefore, this study compared the revitalization efforts proposed by IHEs ( n = 5) and NIHE ( n = 5) in their applications for Promise Neighborhoods grants awarded between 2016 and 2018. Although similarities existed within and across the applications from NIHEs and IHEs, namely focused on improving academics and health/wellness, the specific interventions, supports, and services proposed by each lead institution largely reflected the individual needs of the targeted communities. The findings from this study illustrate how IHEs and NIHEs are similarly positioned to effectuate change within their communities. Implementing place-based initiatives requires anchor institutions to allocate considerable time and resources in order to adapt to the current needs of the community in real time. Therefore, future lead agents of Promise Neighborhoods should seek to promote an environment that fosters on-going collaboration and mutual trust across and within multiple stakeholders, while also exploring sustainability efforts to extend gains made beyond the duration of the grant.

Students’ perception and satisfaction of services provided by public and private higher education institutes: a case study in Albania

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Drita Kruja ◽  
Huong Ha ◽  
Elvira Tabaku
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Instructional Effectiveness ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Individual

Purpose There have been many research studies on students’ satisfaction of services in universities in developed countries. However, students’ expectation and satisfaction of public and private higher education institutions (HEIs) with regard to service quality in Eastern Europe have been under-researched. Therefore, this study aims to offer an empirical examination of student satisfaction of the service quality of public and private HEIs in Albania by evaluating the gap between students’ expectation and perception and the effect of student satisfaction on retention in HEIs. Design/methodology/approach The survey instrument used in this study was the student satisfaction inventory in the USA. Primary data were collected from a survey of students in two private and four public HEIs in Albania. A total of 554 valid responses were collected from the survey. Findings The findings suggested that there were performance gaps between public and private HEIs. Public universities performed well in terms of concern for the individual, campus support services, student-centeredness and instructional effectiveness. Private HEIs scored well in terms of concern for the individual, academic advising effectiveness, instructional effectiveness and safety and security (parking). There is a significant difference in students’ perception of the overall satisfaction of HEIs. Students’ overall satisfaction positively impacts their retention. Originality/value Overall, this study provides valuable insights to private and public HEIs’ administrators regarding to student satisfaction and retention. The findings will have far-reaching managerial implications for all groups of stakeholders in terms of the service delivery by universities in Albania and Eastern Europe.

Attending to the Teacher in the Teaching: Prioritizing Faculty Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Brianne H. Roos ◽  
Carey C. Borkoski
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
The People ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this review article is to examine the well-being of faculty in higher education. Success in academia depends on productivity in research, teaching, and service to the university, and the workload model that excludes attention to the welfare of faculty members themselves contributes to stress and burnout. Importantly, student success and well-being is influenced largely by their faculty members, whose ability to inspire and lead depends on their own well-being. This review article underscores the importance of attending to the well-being of the people behind the productivity in higher education. Method This study is a narrative review of the literature about faculty well-being in higher education. The history of well-being in the workplace and academia, concepts of stress and well-being in higher education faculty, and evidence-based strategies to promote and cultivate faculty well-being were explored in the literature using electronic sources. Conclusions Faculty feel overburdened and pressured to work constantly to meet the demands of academia, and they strive for work–life balance. Faculty report stress and burnout related to excessively high expectations, financial pressures to obtain research funding, limited time to manage their workload, and a belief that individual progress is never sufficient. Faculty well-being is important for the individual and in support of scholarship and student outcomes. This article concludes with strategies to improve faculty well-being that incorporate an intentional focus on faculty members themselves, prioritize a community of well-being, and implement continuous high-quality professional learning.

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