scholarly journals University of Wollongong in Dubai: creating a private university in the public interest

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Whelan ◽  
Daniel Kratochvil
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Private University ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Complex Organization ◽  
The University

TitleUniversity of Wollongong in Dubai: creating a private university in the public interest.Subject areaHigher education leadership and planning.Study level/applicabilityPostgraduate/higher education.Case overviewProfessor Rob Whelan was appointed President of the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) from the University of Wollongong in Australia (UOW). Professor Whelan brought to the job in Dubai the perspective that public‐good benefits flow from a comprehensive institution engaged with the larger community and these are led by academic staff members who produce research that serves the national interest. To apply this model to UOWD meant a thorough analysis of the organization in terms of both its culture and its broader environment. This case explores the various processes through which a new leader takes stock of an existing institution, identifies the potential for development in a particular direction, draws upon a range of stakeholders to refine the vision and develop it into a strategic plan, gains support for the plan, and then implements change through close collaboration with the institution's constituents.Expected learning outcomesThis case can be used to explore a number of issues in leadership and management including: identifying the various internal and external stakeholders in a complex organization; analysing strategies for mobilization for change, including the assessment of inclusive versus exclusive approaches; reviewing the opportunity costs of change; and assessing types of leadership.Supplementary materialsTeaching notes.

Professional community and student engagement in higher education: rethinking the contributions of professional staff

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaw Owusu-Agyeman ◽  
Enna Moroeroe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Culture ◽  
The University

PurposeScholarly studies on student engagement are mostly focused on the perceptions of students and academic staff of higher education institutions (HEIs) with a few studies concentrating on the perspectives of professional staff. To address this knowledge gap, this paper aims to examine how professional staff who are members of a professional community perceive their contributions to enhancing student engagement in a university.Design/methodology/approachData for the current study were gathered using semi-structured face-to-face interviews among 41 professional staff who were purposively sampled from a public university in South Africa. The data gathered were analysed using thematic analysis that involved a process of identifying, analysing, organising, describing and reporting the themes that emerged from the data set.FindingsAn analysis of the narrative data revealed that when professional staff provide students with prompt feedback, support the development of their social and cultural capital and provide professional services in the area of teaching and learning, they foster student engagement in the university. However, the results showed that poor communication flow and delays in addressing students’ concerns could lead to student disengagement. The study further argues that through continuous interaction and shared norms and values among members of a professional community, a service culture can be developed to address possible professional knowledge and skills gaps that constrain quality service delivery.Originality/valueThe current paper contributes to the scholarly discourse on student engagement and professional community by showing that a service culture of engagement is developed among professional staff when they share ideas, collaborate and build competencies to enhance student engagement. Furthermore, the collaboration between professional staff and academics is important to addressing the academic issues that confront students in the university.

INVESTING IN YOUNG ACADEMIC STAFF AT AN HEI: A PARTICIPANT’S EXPERIENCES OF THE UNISA RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-98
Author(s):  
Thulile Pearl Shandu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Career Development ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
Research Development ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
The University

This article is based on the views and experiences of one participant who was part of the Young Academics Programme (YAP) for staff members at the University of South Africa (Unisa) in 2011. In the article, the author presents the scope of the programme, including its contents; her experiences of the programme; as well as the contributions of the programme to personal and career development. While previous research on YAP is acknowledged, the thrust of the article is on one participant’s experiences and how the programme contributed specifically to the particular participant’s development, especially in research. The article, therefore, highlights and validates some of the previous findings on YAP, while presenting new insights based on the 2011 YAP group. At the end of the article, recommendations are presented with reference to the programme, Unisa as an institution as well as other higher education institutions (HEIs).

Altmetric scores: short-term popularity or long-term scientific importance

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Starbuck ◽  
Sharon Purtee
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Community ◽  
Research Output ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Obesity And Diabetes ◽  
Subject Areas ◽  
The University

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on a three-year case study of the extent with which altmetrics compare to traditional metrics in certain subject areas for selected departments at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine (COM). Design/methodology/approachA three-year analysis of peer-reviewed papers and invited editorials from 2009 to 2013 written by tenure-track faculty from 20 COM departments was done to explore what subject areas received the highest altmetric scores. Research output was searched in PubMed; articles were quantified by subject area, times cited in Scopus, and its altmetric score over each of three successive years. FindingsThe topics of the highest scored altmetric papers (n = 40) sample focused on stroke, obesity, and diabetes for all three years. Analysis of high initial altmetric scores over the course of the three years shifted from a possible predictor of future impact in the second year to no indicator of long-term interest in the scientific community as the public interest waned over time. Research limitations/implicationsThe authors used Scopus Times Cited and Altmetrics.com to gather data. Originality/valueInitially assessed a total of 3,678 unique publications and worked with the 40 highest altmetric scores in subsequent years. Data showed that subjects of interest to the public receive the highest altmetric scores and the topic areas did not change over the course of the study. These initially high altmetric scores do not indicate long-term interest by the scientific community.

Scientific excellency model in Iran’s higher education case study: Guilan university of medical sciences

foresight ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-436
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hoseini Moghadam ◽  
Abtin Heidarzadeh ◽  
Hassan Bashiri ◽  
Hossein Khoshrang ◽  
Ideh Dadgaran
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Experiences ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to answer the question of how scientific excellency can be achieved. The origin of scientific excellency in Iran, national and international experiences concerning the subject has been investigated to review the literature. The authors also designed a process and then a model to test the course. Guilan University of Medical Sciences was selected as a case study for the research. Design/methodology/approach The approach used in this paper is from Future Studies, with emphasis on the “Participatory Learning and Action” method. It means that different stakeholders, including the strategic council members, managers, faculty members, students, alumni and non-academic staff, have been involved in different parts of the process. Findings After semantic analysis of scientific excellency in the theoretical field; the examination of national and international experiences in universities; the analysis of higher-level documents of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education as well as strategic documents of the university; the determination of the strengths and weaknesses of the Guilan University of Medical Sciences in online survey; the completion of the scientific excellency canvas in the expert panel and finally obtaining other stakeholders, a conceptual model was designed for achieving scientific excellency. Practical implications The study of the actions, policies and trends of pioneering universities indicates that it is important to consider issues such as the internationalization of education and research and the modification of university structures. To achieve a superior national and international status, the university must specifically enhance a range of different aspects, from intangible aspects, such as motivation of employees to tangible aspects, such as human resources, structure and facilities. Originality/value Scientific excellency is going to be one of main streams between universities to attract top students and researchers from all over the world. There has been little academic attempt on scientific excellency. In this research, first the authors examined the concept of scientific excellency, criteria and measurement in higher education, then based on that case study and participatory action learning method, a conceptual framework to achieve scientific excellency in Iran’s higher education system was proposed.

The future of student life: participating

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-180
Author(s):  
Johann Schutte
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Maker Movement ◽  
Student Life ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
The University

Purpose A research project exploring emerging student needs explored six aspects of student life: living, learning, working, playing, connecting and participating. Participating is explored here. This aspect focuses on the ways that students may become active citizens by participating in civic life. Insights are gained as to how students may engage with universities and governments and how they will contribute to the public sphere. Themes such as voting, (h)activism, transparency and digital strategies to improve governance are explored. This paper aims to summarize two scenarios about the Participating domain from the Student Needs 2025+ project and highlight implications for the future of higher education. Design/methodology/approach A modified version of the University of Houston’s “Framework Foresight” method was used to explore the future of six aspects of future student life. Findings The ability of students and citizens to innovate and affect change should not be underestimated. The maker movement and the “life hacking” meme are symbols of the hidden societal energy available to governments to improve the world and solve our pressing issues. For this to be effective, the role of the hacker, and hacktivism in general as a form of civic participation, should be reframed as a positive contributor of change. The relationship between governing bodies and activism is at a crossroads. The current age of interconnectivity offers tremendous potential for governing bodies to include civil contributions and innovation in a powerful, net-positive way. However, the status quo is so often the opposite and those who are being governed are perceived as a threat. There is a need for key players and leaders to creatively act according to innovative paradigms and principles that strategically reconcile the hacked and the hacking for the greater good of society. Research limitations/implications In terms of research limitations, the paper is focused on the needs of students and does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of all of the issues influencing higher education. It views the future of higher education through the lens of students and their emerging needs. Originality/value This paper explores student life in its totality as a way to more accurately identify student needs in the future.

The social scholar: re-interpreting scholarship in the shifting university

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 277-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Greenhow ◽  
Benjamin Gleason
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Knowledge Generation ◽  
Information Flows ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a re-envisioning of traditional conceptualizations of scholarship informed by knowledge assets theory, trends shaping the modern university and technological advancements. We introduce social scholarship, a set of scholarly practices being envisioned within the conventional four domains of scholarship (i.e. discovery, integration, teaching and application). This paper provides concrete examples of the benefits and challenges of enacting social scholarly practices in light of Boisot’s theory of information flows, proprietary knowledge and the social learning cycle. Design/methodology/approach – This article is a cross-disciplinary conceptual exploration. Findings – In the model of social scholarship, access to knowledge is spreading faster than ever before; information flows are bi-directional in each domain (discovery, teaching, integration and application) where previously knowledge resided with the institution, flowing out to the public. Relationships between scholars and their university as well as between government, university, researchers and the public are being re-negotiated. Research limitations/implications – Certain limitations may exist, such as the conceptual alignment of a business model of knowledge generation to the university, which has particular cultures, service-orientations and power structures that are unique to academia. Practical implications – The alternative model for scholarship outlined in this paper has implications for those in higher education concerned with faculty recruitment, retention, professional development and performance review. The insights in this paper are also relevant for those concerned with the induction and training of doctoral students and preparation of future faculty programs. Social implications – The conceptualization of scholarship outlined in this paper has implications for a broad, non-specialist audience who seeks to access, critique and provide input on basic, interdisciplinary or applied research as well as teaching in higher education. Originality/value – Using a business model of knowledge generation, this paper introduces how current social media affordances and societal values can and are transforming conceptions of “the scholar,” “scholarship” and the university as knowledge-purveyor.

scholarly journals 5. Quality Aspects of Product Design in Artistic Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-217
Author(s):  
Bard Bajçinovci ◽  
Uliks Bajçinovci ◽  
Elena Rexha ◽  
Bujar Bajçinovci
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Product Design ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Higher Education Institution ◽  
Empirical Observation ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Quality Aspects ◽  
The University

AbstractThe University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina” is the biggest higher education institution in Kosovo, which ever since its foundation has held the main burden of education and the development of the Kosovar society. If in the past the University of Prishtina was not only a hearth of knowledge, but also an icon of Kosova’s high education, now its mission is to offer stable and qualitative education to the new generation, functioning as an asset for the development and the strengthening of the Kosovar society. Currently, the UP is the biggest higher education institution in the Kosovo, with 42.006 students, above 1.000 academic staff members and around 350 administrative staff members, accommodated in 14 Academic Units. The research conducted in this paper reflects quality aspects in artistic education for sustainable product design, especially in art, architecture, creativity and innovation in academia curricula. The research methods consist of empirical observation in academia, direct observation of teaching methods, and promoting contemporary interactive teaching methods. To perceive a clearer research data, exploring was made within: The department of Architecture, Department of Anthropology-Archeology, The faculty of Arts in the University of Prishtina, also with UBT - Higher Education Institution in Kosovo, in the context of the possibilities for the improvement of the curricula’s, within actual and accredited academic frameworks. Research concludes that new teaching strategies must involve a new closeness, a brand new and more refining holistic system, as a response to less functional academic curriculums.

Ensuring access to theses in the Arab speaking world – University of Jordan initiatives

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-322
Author(s):  
Dina Tbaishat
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Computer Applications ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Activity Diagram ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Of Jordan ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to examine some of the digitization projects at the library of the University of Jordan. As the library acts as the deposit centre for theses from the Arab world universities, an effective management policy for deposit, management and access is required. The paper illustrates some of the existing workflows and considers the challenges and possible improvements. Design/methodology/approach Interviews (n = 8) with library staff in the Information Division provided details about the methods used for the collection and management of print and electronic theses in the University of Jordan, in addition to some digitization projects. In addition, very recent unpublished brochure was collected from one member of staff in the computer applications and databases section to learn about theses deposit statistics from various countries in the Arab world. A business process modelling technique (Riva) (Ould, 2005) using role activity diagram illustrated some of the existing workflows, the challenges and possible improvements. Findings Some Arab universities do not send theses on regular basis; some do not collaborate at all. Workflows vary according to the format of the thesis. The number of digitized print theses has reached 77,885 titles, out of total of 84,043, but it is a slow process. All newly submitted theses from Jordanian universities come in print and on a CD, but other external institutions may use different methods (CD only by mail, or direct uploading to the webpage provided by the University of Jordan). The current online system for uploading theses was last updated in 2017. Deposit rates through the system are very low. Access to theses is relatively limited; print theses can be accessed within the library premises. The online theses repository provides full text and all academic staff; students and researchers can access these from any workstation within the university campus. Only registered users may access theses databases (read only) outside the network. Resourcing for digitization is limited, and the digitization itself is currently outsourced although other processes are done in-house. Practical implications The paper encourages the use of a practical online theses’ repository to deposit theses from the higher education within the Arab world. Social implications Establishing theses repository and ensuring proper and smooth deposit process by Arab universities libraries, would enhance communication and collaboration amongst them. Originality/value The paper supports the theme of the primacy of global access to information for learning and scholarship. The paper adds value in the context of theses access amongst Arab universities. As the library acts as the deposit centre for theses from the Arab world universities, an effective management policy for deposit, management, access and preservation is required. The paper provides a set of recommendations that would contribute to raise the visibility of research produced by Arab higher education, through a single source of access to theses.

scholarly journals The University Administrative Staff Perception of Inclusion in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 90-104
Author(s):  
Dita Nīmante ◽  
Sanita Baranova ◽  
Ligita Stramkale
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
University Education ◽  
Student Diversity ◽  
Administrative Staff ◽  
Staff Perception ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Interview Method ◽  
Diverse Student ◽  
The University

This study investigates university administrative staff perception of inclusion in higher education at the university level. The study uses the University of Latvia as a case to answer the following research questions: What constitutes inclusion in university education, how accessibility is provided? What are the support systems provided for diverse students? What support and training are provided to administrative and academic staff to ensure that the educational needs of diverse student bodies are met? The methodology employed is exploratory and descriptive, and uses the interview method and semi-structured questionnaire. The sample is made of seven administrative staff members representing all levels of administration in the University. Findings suggest that administrative staff members perceive inclusion as a new principle for HE, where diversity is perceived in its broader sense. Findings indicate that support is provided to all students, but that the support is not designed specifically for students with diverse needs. Findings suggested that none of the administrative staff or academics had received training on how to address student diversity.

scholarly journals The University of Johannesburg merger: Academics experience of the pre-merger phase

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Goldman ◽  
C. Van Tonder
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Plan Change ◽  
To Come ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
The University ◽  
Economic Motives

Purpose of the study: The aim of this study is to gain an understanding of the merger experiences academic staff were exposed to during the pre-merger phase of the University of Johannesburg merger. Of particular interest is how these experiences translate into acceptance of the merger amongst academic staff. The study was borne out of the transformation of the higher education landscape in South Africa, which is typified by a spate of mergers between higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: As the purpose of the study was, inter alia, aimed at understanding the merger experiences of academic staff, the study was conducted according to an interpretive research paradigm, where interpretation of data calls for an insider perspective, in order to "see things through their eyes" as it were. In this regard, a qualitative methodology was employed. Findings: Findings indicate that academic staff members at the University of Johannesburg experience two distinct mental states during the pre-merger phase. Following the announcement of the merger, reaction and experience tend to be emotionally driven but as merging efforts become more concrete over time, this emotive state is replaced by a more rationally driven disposition. Implications: The distinction between an emotive and rational demeanour during the pre-merger phase of a merger affords managers and leaders the opportunity to plan change interventions in such a way that irrational, emotive responses and behaviour do not hamper progress in terms of merger implementation. In a more general sense, this study highlights the process of transition individual staff members pass through as they have to come to terms with the changes brought about by a merger. Originality / Value: The majority of merger literature, as well as change literature, focuses on the organisational context of change during a merger. Limited literature exists on the personal effects of a change event such as a merger. This study can thus contribute to the understanding of the personal effects of change during a merger. Furthermore, scant literature exists concerning mergers that are not driven by "conventional" economic motives. As the University of Johannesburg is this type of merger, this study presents the opportunity of gaining a better understanding of this type of merger.

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