The road already traveled: communication advice for higher education leaders

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon L. McNaughtan ◽  
Brooke Wilson DePue ◽  
Elisabeth D. McNaughtan
Keyword(s):  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Road ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
Flagship Universities ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Higher Education Leaders ◽  
Authentic Voice

Purpose Turnover of presidents in colleges and universities occurs frequently and new presidents are rarely trained to handle communication with the range of stakeholders involved in a campus community, which is one of the most complex tasks their job requires. New presidents need guidance and insight to prepare them for this vital aspect of campus leadership. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes interviews with sitting presidents and vice presidents of communication at flagship universities in the USA to identify themes and best practices for presidential communication. Findings Analysis of interviews resulted in five consistent recommended practices: be informed about your issue and audience; utilize multiple communication channels; know when to speak; identify and use a communication team; and when you speak, use your own authentic voice. Originality/value Limited research exists on the communication process and skills needed to effectively lead colleges and universities. While incoming presidents often lack backgrounds and training in communication strategies, such strategies are required to effectively engage both internal and external audiences. The study provides new leaders with tips from seasoned leaders to enhance their communication strategies.

scholarly journals Internationalizing higher education: from grand plans to evolving responses

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 889-902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sefika Mertkan ◽  
Ilkay Gilanlioglu ◽  
Simon McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Institutional Transformation ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reciprocal Influence ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
Higher Education Leaders ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the complexity of developing into an international institution from the perspective of higher education leaders through the case study of one institution engaged in institutional transformation. Design/methodology/approach This study employs the qualitative approach and involves in-depth interviews with key institutional managers. Findings Findings suggest internationalization is a dynamic change process that goes beyond the rational and predictive elements of internationalization and cannot be confined to the rational planning and grand plans solely at institutional level. Reciprocal influence of different levels of analysis – institution, society and the nation – needs to be acknowledged and internationalization efforts need to go beyond the confines of the institution and extend into the society and the nation as a whole. Originality/value Internationalization of higher education has been widely examined, but the reciprocal influence of different levels of analysis on the internationalization efforts of higher education institutions is thin to which this paper contributes.

Greening the campus: a theoretical extension of the dialogic communication approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Carpenter ◽  
Bruno Takahashi ◽  
Alisa P. Lertpratchya ◽  
Carie Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Dialogic Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Communication Approach

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the strategic organization-public dialogic communication practices of universities in the USA. The authors used the dialogic model of communication to explore the extent to which higher education sustainability leaders (SL) at the top 25 USA sustainable engage in relational communication strategies. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with campus sustainability and student group leaders from a mix of regional areas in the USA. The authors examined the transcripts for concepts argued to exist within the dialogic model of communication from the public relations field. Findings Results reveal that SL rely on dialogic communication strategies to recruit active participants, build stakeholder bridges across campus and empower individuals to have an impact within specific sustainability areas. Communicators most likely engaged in empathy, followed by propinquity, mutuality, commitment and risk of the dialogic model. Research limitations/implications The authors extended the dialogic model of communication by identifying theoretical issues and scale items that can be used to measure each dimension of the model in future work. Practical implications The results reveal several ways that institutes of higher education could successfully use relational strategies to promote sustainability across multiple campus groups and departments by recruiting campus ambassadors, collectively defining sustainability and sharing public progress reports. Originality/value Few studies of sustainability in higher education holistically examine the relationship building practices of organizations that promote sustainability, despite the fact that communication is identified as a key factor in the successful implementation of sustainable actions.

Navigating the New Normal

2021 ◽  
pp. 120-133
Author(s):  
Mark Edward Fincher
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Individual Institution ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
The Us ◽  
Higher Education Leaders

The higher education world within the US changed markedly and permanently with the COVID-19 shutdown in March of 2020. The exact impact of this change will vary by institution and be evolving for years, but higher education leaders will need to negotiate this changed environment in the most effective way possible for their individual institution. Unlike previous major changes, the COVID-19 shutdown greatly restricted options and resources at the disposal of higher education leaders. This presents an unprecedented challenge to those who are tasked with preserving and furthering their institutions. However, in the midst of this unexpected challenge to the very existence of some institutions, many now have developed the necessary capabilities to carry out their missions more broadly than ever before. It is the purpose of this chapter to explore the changes that are influencing colleges and universities in the US and to propose ways that chancellors and presidents can navigate these conditions to allow their institutions to survive and even thrive.

Rankings, accreditation, and the international quest for quality

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Blanco-Ramírez ◽  
Joseph B. Berger
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Global Dimension ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Practices ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
Higher Education Leaders ◽  
Quality In Higher Education ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper seeks to analyze the internationalization of quality practices in higher education. In light of insufficient theorization about quality in the global dimension, the paper presents a model for value construction in higher education. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed different models for quality in higher education vis-à-vis emerging international quality practices in higher education. Findings – After reviewing quality models and international quality practices, the authors argue that, in order to evaluate and improve quality in higher education, a model of value in higher education that connects quality with relevance, access, and investment is necessary. Research limitations/implications – Thus far, quality in higher education has been explored in isolation from access, relevance, and investment. The integrative approach suggested here may prove generative for researchers and help address complex educational interrogations. Practical implications – Higher education leaders are faced with decisions about quality; these leaders may benefit from connecting quality decisions with the demands on relevance, access, and investment that their local settings dictate. Originality/value – The concept of value is largely absent from conceptual discussions about quality in higher education; additionally, many discussions about quality in higher education seem to be isolated from their context. This paper addresses both these issues.

Book Review: Strategic Change in Colleges and Universities: Planning to Survive and Prosper

NASPA Journal ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Strategic Change ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Business Community ◽  
Education Administration ◽  
Higher Education Administrators ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
Higher Education Leaders ◽  
Education Administrators ◽  
Academic Strategy

One of the enduring and unfortunate trends of the 1980s and 1990s has been the wholesale adoption of business language and methods by higher education administrators. Responding to public pressure to be more accountable, a changing environment, and the reality of having to do more with less, higher education leaders have looked to business methods and techniques for ways to rationalize the intellectual work and methods of discovery characteristic of the academy. In the process, they have alienated the faculty, won few friends in the business community, and impoverished the language of higher education administration. "Strategic Change in Colleges and Universities" represents one of the latest offspring of a literature whose lineage can be tracked backed to George Keller's (1983) "Academic Strategy."

Campus sustainability plans in the United States: where, what, and how to evaluate?

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey Swearingen White
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Campus Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Planning ◽  
Administrative Functions ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
The Usa

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the use of integrated campus sustainability plans at US institutions of higher education. The paper also offers a preliminary framework for the evaluation of these plans. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines 27 campus sustainability plans. It determines the types and characteristics of the institutions that have adopted these plans. It then uses content analysis techniques to determine their typical contents and emphases. Finally, the paper draws on literature pertaining to sustainability plans and plan evaluation to present a preliminary tool for evaluating campus sustainability planning efforts. Findings – Campus sustainability plans in the USA are extremely diverse. Environmental aspects are most prominent in these plans, and social equity aspects are least prominent. Campus operations receive more attention than do academic or administrative aspects. Most campuses have taken an inclusive, campus-wide approach to developing their sustainability plans. The evaluation of these plans should consider both their process and their substance and should account for circumstances unique to higher education. Research limitations/implications – The research is focused on US colleges and universities and may have overlooked some campus sustainability plans that have other titles. Nevertheless, it is a fairly comprehensive analysis of campus sustainability planning efforts to date in the USA. Practical implications – Campus sustainability plans are an important integrative tool. Understanding the details and potential evaluation of these plans can help determine their broader adoption and implementation. Originality/value – As an emerging tool for campus sustainability efforts, sustainability plans allow colleges and universities to examine operational, academic, and administrative functions in an integrated manner. To date, there has been very little scholarly attention to these plans, and no prior attempt to consider how they might be evaluated.

Inter-organizational cooperation in community health organizations

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mário Franco ◽  
Heiko Haase
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
Higher Education Leaders ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Organizational Cooperation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine various aspects related to inter-organizational cooperation and how this phenomenon can be applied to healthcare institutions. Design/methodology/approach – To fulfil the aim, a qualitative investigation was adopted, focussing on the relationship between public hospital and a higher education institution in Portugal. Practical implications – The study supports health managers and higher education leaders, and other stakeholders involved inter-organizational cooperation drawing up strategies and understanding inter-organizational cooperation’s impact at the regional level. Originality/value – One contribution is to help fill a gap regarding the empirical research surrounding cooperation between organizations, especially in the health sector, where scientific studies are scarce. It also provides new insights by applying competence-based theory to analyze different approaches to hospital cooperation, which has received scant attention in the health sector.

Students as partners in university innovation and entrepreneurship

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Randolph Hall
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Entrepreneurship Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Plans ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
University Support ◽  
Higher Education Leaders ◽  
Entrepreneurial Training ◽  
The University

PurposeStudents are an essential part of university innovation. Through their training, research and energy, students acquire and transfer knowledge to industry, and they help establish new businesses and start-up companies. This paper investigates how universities might capture the entrepreneurial energies of students toward the goal of university improvement and transformation while also educating students to pursue their aspirations to create new businesses.Design/methodology/approachA framework is presented for integrating “Students as Partners” (SaP) with entrepreneurship training to achieve “inside innovation,” meaning innovation to advance the practices of the university. Students participating in Blackstone Launchpad at three American universities were surveyed as to how they perceive innovation culture and support at their universities.FindingsCommon services (help with business plans, market assessment and entrepreneurial training) had the biggest positive effect on satisfaction with university support. Nevertheless, many students had sought to apply their innovations inside their university and, in so doing, found navigating bureaucracy and knowing “whom to talk to” to be the biggest obstacles. Respondents were least likely to agree with the statement that their institution was willing to accept risks.Research limitations/implicationsSurvey included three universities. A larger sample would be useful for a broader assessment.Practical implicationsPartnered services, technology entrepreneurship, system add-ons and immersion are proposed as four strategies to overcome obstacles to make universities more innovative in their practices.Social implicationsThe paper proposes a culture change toward engaging student entrepreneurs in innovation within universities to improve higher education practices.Originality/valueA framework for how higher education leaders might use the SaP model to capture entrepreneurial energies of students for university improvement and transformation.

Conclusion: emerging issues for Indian hospitality and tourism businesses: How are managers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shweta Tiwari ◽  
Gunjan M. Sanjeev
Keyword(s):  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
Hospitality And Tourism ◽  
Higher Education Leaders ◽  
Hospitality And Tourism Industry ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Industry Professionals

PurposeThis concluding article summarizes the main findings in response to the theme issue strategic question: How are hospitality and tourism businesses in India responding to the COVID-19 pandemic?Design/methodology/approachThe conclusion identifies some contemporary and relevant areas for development in the post-pandemic era. To summarize, this paper draws out the key findings of the theme issue articles and presents the main recommendations for industry action.FindingsThis conclusion highlights emerging issues for Indian hospitality and tourism businesses and includes specific recommendations for industry professionals, policymakers and other stakeholders in relation to strategies that could be adopted to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.Practical implicationsGiven the wide impact of the pandemic across industries, this issue will be of interest to practitioners, higher education leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders as it draws on industry-focused research to explore the challenges and possible solutions to current and pending challenges. This issue also provides insights for further collaborative research.Originality/valueThis article provides insights from practitioners and academics relating to the current and on-going impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and developmental steps that the hospitality and tourism industry in India is taking in response.

Social Progress in Britain

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony F. Heath ◽  
Elizabeth Garratt ◽  
Ridhi Kashyap ◽  
Yaojun Li ◽  
Lindsay Richards
Keyword(s):  
Free Market ◽  
Youth Unemployment ◽  
Social Progress ◽  
The Road ◽  
Social Divisions ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
The Usa ◽  
On The Road ◽  
Free Market Reforms ◽  
Made In

Social Progress in Britain examines how much progress has made in the years since Sir William Beveridge described the ‘five giants on the road to reconstruction’—the giants of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, and Idleness. The book has chapters examining the progress which Britain has made in improving material prosperity and tackling poverty; in extending length of life and tackling disease; in raising participation in education and improving educational standards; in tackling the scourge of unemployment, especially youth unemployment; and in providing better-quality housing and tackling overcrowding. In addition to Beveridge’s five giants, the book also explores inequalities of opportunity (focussing on inequalities between social classes, men and women, and ethnic groups), and the changing nature of social divisions and social cohesion in Britain. Throughout, the chapters put British progress into perspective by drawing comparisons with progress made in other large developed democracies such as Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the USA. As well as looking at the average level of prosperity, life expectancy, education, and housing, the book examines the extent of inequality around the average and pays particular attention to whether the most disadvantaged sections of society have shared in progress or have fallen behind. It concludes with an assessment of the effect of policy interventions such as Margaret Thatcher’s free market reforms of the 1980s on different aspects of social progress.

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