Differentiation of Colombian university mission statements

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Hernan Gonzalez-Campo ◽  
Guillermo Murillo-Vargas ◽  
Monica Garcia Solarte

PurposeA mission statement is the central axis of any organization and the cornerstone of its strategic planning. Universities have implemented this tool to define, among other things, its identity; however, the legal nature and functions of the mission statement have not been determined. In this article, the authors analyze the differences in the university mission statements of public and private higher education institutions in relation to the mission functions proposed by the 1992 legislation on higher education in Colombia – Law 30 – involving teaching, research, extension and social projection and internationalization.Design/methodology/approachThrough content analysis, the authors analyze the mission statements of two groups of institutions that make up the totality of universities in Colombia – 32 public and 53 private universities. The analysis is conducted along the four dimensions defined by the law as comprising the higher education mission, i.e. teaching, research, extension and social projection, and internationalization, due to its importance in the high-quality institutional accreditation process.FindingsBased on the differences identified in the mission statements, the authors establish the university functions and determine how they give back to society in their legal capacity as public or private institutions.Research limitations/implicationsThis research scenario is appropriate for answering research questions related to whether there are differences in the strategies of Colombian public and private universities based on their mission statements. Although the Colombian higher education system includes various types of tertiary institutions, only universities are included in the study.Practical implicationsResearch has shown that regardless of their legal nature, based on their mission statements, Colombian universities are mainly geared towards teaching. However, when comparing additional dimensions, private universities are less involved in research processes and more focused on activities related to social impact than are public universities. Additionally, private universities are more engaged in internationalization than are public institutions, with mission statements focused on both national and international accreditation processes.Social implicationsThe results of this research are intended to help society comprehend the differences between public and private universities in Colombia based on mission statements, which can contribute to understanding, among other factors, the academic programs offered by universities and how they should guide their activities.Originality/valueThis is the first such study in Colombia, a country that provides higher education through public and private institutions in very similar proportions, that analyses the differences in university mission statements and whose findings contribute to understanding whether universities are strategically oriented towards their own established policies or to contributing to the development of new public policies aimed at supporting the country's development process.

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1249-1267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zulkaif Ahmed Saqib ◽  
Qingyu Zhang ◽  
Jin Ou ◽  
Khubaib Ahmad Saqib ◽  
Salman Majeed ◽  
...  

Purpose This study aims to determine the current state of implementation and effectiveness of education for sustainable development (ESD) in Pakistani higher education institutions (HEIs) using students’ and teachers’ perceptions of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach A survey on teachers and students was conducted in public and private universities in Punjab, Pakistan. Data from 1,915 students and 120 teachers were collected through semi-structured questionnaires implemented during face-to-face interviews. Students were asked to rank social, environmental and economic indicators of sustainability consciousness (SC) on a five-point Likert scale. Structural equation model and regression model are used to analyze the data. The perceptions of students and teachers were assessed from their knowledge of sustainability. Findings The occurrence of ESD in Pakistani HEIs is low and teachers have inadequate knowledge of sustainability. The holistic approach to ESD has a more pronounced effect on students’ SC as compared to the pluralistic approach to ESD. Also, there is a correlation between the students’ grades/class and the effectiveness of ESD. There is a need to pay more attention to implement ESD for undergraduate students in Pakistani HEIs. Originality/value The study stands out for using cross-sectional data from public and private universities of Pakistan. Furthermore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in Pakistan which attempts to investigate the effectiveness of ESD in terms of students’ SC.


Author(s):  
Daniel Levy

Hugo Chavez's clash with Venezuelan higher education is a vivid present-day example of a history of confrontation between leftist, populist regimes and higher education in Latin America. Chavez has transformed the public sector through creation and expansion of new universities. Chavez's policies have alienated the country's private institutions of higher education. Both public and private universities are reduced in importance.


Author(s):  
Karel PERNICA ◽  
Ladislav TYLL

Corporate mission statement is an essential statement to all stakeholders of the organization about its own purpose, its goals and the competitive advantage it offers to its customers. Another purpose of the mission is to create a so-called positive ethos. Universities represent a specific group of institutions from the perspective of defining missions and working with ethos. This paper identifies the elementary components of university missions that help build a positive ethos. The research is focused on the analysis of mission statements of all public and private universities operating in the Czech Republic. The results of this research show that there is a difference in the approach to defining missions between public and private universities (in terms of the inclusion of individual components that help building a positive ethos).


Author(s):  
Farha Sultana ◽  
Sunita Nasrinq

Student satisfaction is an outcome of the insight of service quality provided by the university. Government of Bangladesh introduces private universities in 1992 because of huge demand in higher education. Currently, there are 103 private universities, forty-three public universities and three international universities in Bangladesh. But it is a matter of sorrow that, universities are increasing day by day but the qualities of universities are not satisfactory. This study is a comparative study conducted on two universities (one is Rangamati Science and Technology University (public) and another one is Premier University (private). The study was pointed out academic services in the private and the public universities. Based on the review of literature a questionnaire was developed and it was distributed among 120 students. The total 120 respondents have been drawn probabilistically from 2 universities. Descriptive analysis, factor analysis have been used to analyze the data and to draw the findings. It has been found that satisfaction level of the private university students is not up to the mark. Finally, few suggestions have made to increase satisfaction of the university students in Bangladesh. Results revealed that students from Rangamati Science and Technology university (public) and Premier University (private) hold different opinion whether their expectation met or not.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 664-676
Author(s):  
Meznah Saad Alazmi ◽  
Ayeshah Ahmed Alazmi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of administration and faculty members in developing character education within public and private universities in Kuwait. It further aims to explore the value of character education in effecting the quality experience of higher education. Design/methodology/approach The researchers employed a quantitative research paradigm, using a questionnaire survey method to collect data from faculty members at major public and private Kuwaiti universities. They used Statistical Package for the Social Sciences to analyze a total of 298 questionnaires. Findings The findings revealed that universities do indeed play a “strong” role in student character education. However, within public universities, it is the faculty themselves who form the key ingredient in the process rather than the administrative body, which is perceived to have a “Medium” effect. Conversely, at private universities, the administration and faculty both merited a “strong” role in developing character education. Practical implications The study will provide leaders with several recommendations to improve the integrated development of universities through fostering character education. Originality/value While K-12 education has received significant attention regarding the moral and character development of students over the last few decades, this study, extends this research significantly into higher education; focusing upon character development at university and comparing its implementation at both public and private institutions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Hauser

Purpose Corruption continues to ravage societies around the world. The fight against corruption can be fruitful only if approached from multiple standpoints. Thus, corruption must also be approached from an academic and educational perspective. The purpose of this paper is to provide a good practice example of how universities and business schools can take actions to align themselves with the international sustainability and anticorruption agenda. Design/methodology/approach The six principles of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) provide a framework for higher education institutions to address corruption-related issues. This paper presents the case story of the Swiss-based University of Applied Sciences HTW Chur, which developed an academic working agenda on corruption-related topics based on the principles of the PRME. Findings The case story shares the actions that HTW Chur has taken and the benefits that have resulted from the university’s work. The findings show that to address corruption-related issues, scholars from the university took actions related to four principles in the PRME: method, research, partnership and dialogue. Furthermore, the results indicate that in addition to the university itself, public and private institutions have also profited from the actions taken. Research limitations/implications This paper is founded on a single case story; thus, the usual limitations of this research design apply. Practical implications It becomes apparent that the needs of the private sector in the fight against corruption could be addressed by engaging in and strengthening partnerships with universities. Thus, it seems beneficial to develop guidelines and standards to facilitate collaborations and dialogue in a participatory and transparent way. Originality/value The paper provides a good practice example of how universities can take actions to align themselves with the international sustainability and anticorruption agenda.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-60
Author(s):  
Karel Pernica ◽  
Ladislav Tyll

Abstract Corporate mission statement is an essential statement to all stakeholders of the organization about its own purpose, its goals and the competitive advantage it offers to its customers. Another purpose of the mission is to create a so-called positive ethos. Universities represent a specific group of institutions from the perspective of defining missions and working with ethos. This paper identifies the elementary components of university missions that help build a positive ethos. The research is focused on the analysis of mission statements of all public and private universities operating in the Czech Republic. The results of this research show that there is a difference in the approach to defining missions between public and private universities (in terms of the inclusion of individual components that help building a positive ethos).


2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 167
Author(s):  
Maria Lourdes Machado ◽  
James Stover Taylor ◽  
Minoo Farhangmehr.

This study examined the status of planning within the various types of higher education institutions in Portugal. Higher education in Portugal is a binary system with university and non- university sectors. The university sector integrates public and private universities and the Catholic university. The nonuniversity sector integrates public polytechnic institutes and other establishments, the latter being private institutions. A survey methodology was used to measure perceptions from rectors and presidents within the entire system. Results suggest that institutional planning in Portuguese higher education is in its beginning phases, but there is a desire to expand that participation. While public institutions appear to be most active in attempting to establish such a process, many are doing less than strategic planning. The authors report details of the findings and make recommendations for advancing strategic planning within the system of Portuguese higher education.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-183
Author(s):  
Shaila Luciano-Wong ◽  
Dale Crowe

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between engagement indicators and intent to persist of first-year full-time Hispanic students attending public versus private universities. Design/methodology/approach Metadata from the Your First College Year survey from the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) were selected for this study. The approach included using a descriptive correlational design and regression analysis to examine the relationship between engagement indicators and persistence among first-year, full-time Hispanic students and persistence. Purposeful sampling obtained from the HERI data set resulted in a sample size of 1,206 students who attended public institutions and 1,187 students who attended private institutions. Findings Analysis of the results disclosed a positive correlation between first-year Hispanic students’ intent to persist, satisfaction with peer interactions, amount of contact with faculty, first-year programs and sense of belonging. The results of the analysis disclosed differences between public and private institutions. Of the collective variables, satisfaction with amount of contact with faculty and sense of belonging are significant predictors of persistence. Research limitations/implications The sample of the study was limited to the use of archival data and the responses to specific questions obtained from the 2014 YFCY survey. Factors such as insufficient experience at the college students are attending, unwillingness to provide honest feedback and exaggerating specific areas of their behavior or performance may affect students who respond to surveys (Kuh, 2004), affecting the accuracy of the data. Further, 89.7 per cent of the variance in persistence has not been explained. Adding or using different variables and utilizing a more advanced statistical technique may account for additional variance. Cause and effect cannot be determined from correlational analysis, and the possibility exists that an unknown variable may be the cause of a correlation within the study. Incomplete information from predictors, complete separation and overdispersion can lead to SPSS output errors for logistic regression analysis. Social implications It is important for higher education administrators to understand the cultural differences of not only Hispanic students but other ethnic and racial groups. As a global society, public and private higher education institutions are looking for more inclusion of multi-cultural students. Recruitment is obviously important, but to recruit is not enough. It is the responsibility of higher education administrators to do all that is reasonably possible to retain students through graduation. Originality/value Studies have been conducted on academic disparities between Hispanic students and their White counterparts, but few studies exist on the factors associated to persistence among the first-year Hispanic student population. The results of this study may add to the existing body of knowledge and assist with faculty development of programs, decisions on class size, improvements to pedagogy and discussions to improve the campus climate for Hispanic students. Using the resources of HERI, future studies can be conducted involving other races and ethnicities.


Author(s):  
Maheshchandra Babu Jampala ◽  
Tina Shivnani

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on changing the dynamics of higher education in the Indian education system toward a paperless approach by implementing new media technologies. Design/methodology/approach The review paper highlights the need for sustainable development in higher education by using new media technologies by providing them with some real-time examples used in universities. This paper also highlights a different step toward the paperless approach in various universities in India. This paper draws the analysis based on the recent review of the literature as well as experience at the professional level. Findings The author discusses how the implementation of different new media technologies is helping universities in shifting toward a paperless approach for sustainable development and concern toward the environmental threat. To support the evidence, the authors have given some real-time examples through data collection and observations of various uses of new media technologies among private universities. Originality/value This paper provides an overview of various new media technologies and blends the critical issues of how technologies are changing the educational dimension toward a paperless approach among public and private universities in India. The paper also proposes to create a sustainable model by addressing the challenges by which the universities can support themselves and others.


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