Professional and Support Staff in Higher Education: Data and Decisions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the voice of Chinese and Vietnamese international students through studying the similarities and differences in their learning experiences and the reasons underlying their experience. Design/methodology/approach In total, 57 Chinese and Vietnamese international students participated in focus groups and interviews regarding their experiences of higher education and their suggestions for improvement. Findings The findings show that Chinese and Vietnamese students had varying levels of challenges and different progress in the adaptation process and that Chinese students were more vocal and less satisfied with their experience of higher education than Vietnamese students. This is due to the mismatch in their expectation and the actual experience and the cultural influence. Research limitations/implications The sample size is relatively small. This study only looked at Vietnamese and Chinese students in one university, which might have limitations in relation to subjectivity and bias. Practical implications The findings provide useful implications for educators, institutional leaders and support staff to improve facilities, teaching quality and service to students. Originality/value In the current era of internationalisation, commercialisation and mobility in institutions around the world, this study advances current research and provides timely insight into the experiential differences of the Chinese and Vietnamese student experience and their voice.

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Responding to a Changing Higher Education Sector: The Role of Professional and Support Staff

Professional and Support Staff in Higher Education - University Development and Administration ◽

10.1007/978-981-10-6858-4_32 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 129-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Natalie Brown ◽

Carina Bossu ◽

Brian Denman

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Support Staff ◽

Education Sector

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Students’ Perceptions of higher education in Sāmoa: Finagalo fa’aalia o alo ma fanau a’oa’oina ile Iunivesetē Aoao o Sāmoa

10.26686/wgtn.17151311 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Rosa Filoi

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Student Perceptions ◽

Research Methods ◽

Student Support ◽

Support Staff ◽

Student Resilience ◽

National University ◽

Socially Responsive

<p>This thesis evaluates and analyses Sāmoan student perceptions of higher education in Sāmoa. This work offers an insider’s account of Sāmoan education in particular, focussing on current students belonging to the National University of Sāmoa (NUS). A Pasifika and Sociological framework was used in this study, employing Pasifika research methods of talanoa and aspects of Fa’afaletui. Nineteen NUS students and one student support staff were interviewed for this study. This thesis is not focussed on exploring linear pathways instead it focusses on student resilience in prioritizing their education. Thus, important of this work is to inform the National University of Sāmoa of their students’ needs and the challenges they face in order to provide appropriate support that are culturally and socially responsive to a Sāmoan student’s worldview.</p>

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Rapid response to supporting learning and teaching: A whole of university approach

10.14742/ascilite2020.0130 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Chris Campbell ◽

Simone Poulsen

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Support Staff ◽

Rapid Response ◽

Just In Time ◽

Support Line ◽

Learning And Teaching ◽

Online Engagement ◽

Support Mechanisms ◽

The University ◽

And Training

One university responded rapidly to the changing landscape of higher education to support staff during this time. There are seven support mechanisms that have been put into place across the university to assist staff. Results show data that reports on these mechanisms and that they are seemingly successful, except for the Support Line which has since been reconfigured to still provide support for the small number accessing it. The results also show that a rapid response, if targeted, is able to provide just in time support and training to staff when moving rapidly online. Through the use of the online engagement framework it can be seen that by supporting staff through the seven mechanisms, staff are in a better place to ensure that students are engaged while learning online.

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Creative reflections on brainstorming

London Review of Education ◽

10.1080/14748460.2012.691284 ◽

2012 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Kevin Byron

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Idea Generation ◽

Support Staff ◽

Shared Responsibility ◽

Social Dimension ◽

Self Reflection ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

The Social ◽

Working Together

Brainstorming is the default method of idea-generation in organisations, and is widely applied in higher education by students, academics and support staff. Its popularity is mainly attributable to an illusory belief that groups working together are more productive than individuals working apart. Shared responsibility, the need for collaboration and the social dimension to work also sustains the popularity of brainstorming. To add further insight to the numerous studies that have been demonstrated the inefficiencies of brainstorming, this paper describes preliminary results on participants' self-reflection during a brainstorm. Recommendations are made for improving the productivity of group brainstorms.

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