scholarly journals Urban Agriculture and Campus Sustainability: Recent Books

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-123
Author(s):  
Stephanie Ritchie

Food and agriculture meet an essential need of all humans and the details of how food is produced, distributed, consumed, and disposed is of increasing interest (Hedegaard Larsen, 2016). To meet the growing expectations of the campus community, many college and university decision-makers are including food and agriculture concerns as part of curricula, and in the planning, development, and sustainability efforts. This selected bibliography includes a selection of recently published books covering issues relevant to institutions of higher education on food, agriculture, and sustainability efforts.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 282-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraint Johnes ◽  
John Ruggiero

A number of studies have considered the evaluation of efficiency in higher education institutions. In this paper, we focus on the issue of revenue efficiency, in particular ascertaining the extent to which, given output prices, producers choose the revenue maximising vector of outputs. We then relax the price taking assumption to consider the case in which the market for some outputs is characterised by monopolistic competition. We evaluate efficiencies for English institutions of higher education for the academic year 2012–13 and find considerable variation across institutions in revenue efficiency. The relaxation of the price-taking assumption leads to relatively small changes, in either direction, to the estimated revenue efficiency scores. A number of issues surrounding the modelling process are raised and discussed, including the determination of the demand function for each type of output and the selection of inputs and outputs to be used in the model.



2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 615-632
Author(s):  
Kathryn J. Holl ◽  
Allison E. Cipriano

College sexual assault is a widespread issue and the responses of support providers can greatly affect sexual assault survivors' wellbeing after a disclosure. Although “consent” (or, more precisely, the lack thereof) is the defining feature of sexual assault, little is known about how support providers understand consent and draw from this knowledge in their responses to disclosures. This is particularly important in the wake of evolving consent policies in institutions of higher education. University resident assistants (RAs) are an important source of support for students in crisis, functioning as a “first responder” and providing support. Using a sample of 305 RAs, the current study employs a critical discourse analysis to examine how RAs engage with the concept of consent in response to sexual assault disclosure situations. Four types of consent discourses were identified: (a) affirming nonconsent, (b) validating right to consent, (c) questioning nonconsent, and (d) dictating how to consent. Findings provide a novel examination of how consent is understood, communicated, and reinforced in the campus community, and the implications of these discourses for survivors. Results suggest there may be benefit in additional training for support providers around the conceptualization of consent and how to discuss consent with survivors.



Author(s):  
Denys Zagirniak ◽  
Oleg Kratt ◽  
Mykhaylo Zagirnyak

Topicality of the research subject. The government authorities are concerned about higher education as human capital is being formed in this area.This concern is lessening as macroeconomic indicators show a lack of economic opportunities. Statement of the problem. Limited state funding for higher education requires improved spending of budget funds. Analysis of the recent research and publications. The state funding of higher education is considered at the macro- and micro levels from different angles. Selection of the unresearched parts of the general problem. There is no link between state funding of higher education at the macro level and the use of government funds at the micro level. Statement of the task and the purpose of the research. The method for the assessment of the finance provision of higher education has been improved, which makes it possible to achieve congruence between the mechanism of state order and the choice of educational services by consumers. Method or methodology of the research. A method for assessing the effectiveness of the financial provision of higher education in the space that has the parameters of “educational degree” and “field of knowledge” has been proposed. Statement of the basic material (results of the work). The low effectiveness of the use of state financial resources in relation to specialties and institutions of higher education of Poltava region has been determined. In the segment of “junior specialists” 113 places of the state order were not selected, and in the segment of “bachelors” – 98 places of state order. For most specialties in the segments the license amount did not correspond to the amount of state orders. The segments of the market of educational services differed significantly as to the state order. In the segment of “junior specialists” the share of the state budget places in the amount of demand was 85.16%, the share in the segment of “bachelors” – 60.24%, and in the segment of “masters” –  36.17%. The state stimulated potential consumers with the help of the state order to buy educational services. The state did not fund the realization of the HEI potential, encouraging them to commercialize educational programs. Field of application of results. The field of higher education. Conclusions. The proposed assessment methodology enables determining the effectiveness of the use of the state financial resources for specialties and institutions of higher education and the selection of possible alternative models for the distribution of the state order for their further financing.



2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Alexander ◽  
Jessica Jacovidis ◽  
Deborah Sturm

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an exploratory analysis of campus community member (i.e. students, faculty, staff) definitions of sustainability, their perceptions of select elements of sustainability culture and the relationship between the two. Design/methodology/approach Researchers implemented a cross-sectional design where participants from two higher education institutions in the USA completed an online survey. The 352 respondents from James Madison University and 349 respondents from Wofford College included students, faculty and staff members. Descriptive statistics were used to examine patterns in the quantitative data, and an inductive theme approach was used to analyze the qualitative data. Findings This study provides evidence that sustainability is often viewed from an environmental lens, and personal definitions of sustainability may impact perceptions of campus sustainability culture elements. Generally, the highest rated elements of culture examined (i.e. university actions, signs and symbols and institutional commitments) were all aligned with the environment dimension of sustainability and consistent across sustainability definitions. However, respondents with a more integrative definition of sustainability expected to see elements of culture that aligned with the social dimension of sustainability at a considerably higher rate than the respondents who reported more narrow definitions of sustainability. Research limitations/implications Lack of generalizability, low response rates and self-selection bias are some of the limitations of the study. Practical implications Personal definitions of sustainability may impact campus community member perceptions of sustainability culture and progress on their campuses. Practitioners may use this study to inform development of more effective strategies for creating and assessing the culture of sustainability that colleges and universities are pursuing. Originality/value The empirical analysis of campus community members on two very different campus communities responds to Owens and Legere (2015) who argue for further studies to understand the concept of sustainability at other higher education institutions that are at different stages of pursuing sustainability. This paper links research about sustainability definitions to the emergent research on campus sustainability culture, filling a gap between these two areas.



2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 370-391
Author(s):  
Kelly Marino

AbstractFrom 1905–1920, American college and university students carried on active and understudied campaigns to gain legitimacy and support for women’s suffrage at institutions of higher education across the United States. The primary organization responsible for initiating and directing campus activism was the College Equal Suffrage League (CESL), formed in 1900 by Massachusetts teachers Maud Wood Park and Inez Haynes Gillmore to recruit more upper- and middle-class, well-educated, students and alumni to the women’s rights movement. Exploring the records of state and national suffragists, women’s organizations, and academic institutions associated with the CESL shows that the league’s campaigns helped to reinvigorate the suffrage cause at an important moment in the early twentieth century by using educational tactics as powerful tools to cultivate a scholarly voice for the campaign, appeal to the upper classes, and fit within the contexts of higher education and larger movement for progressive reform. In addition to influencing the suffrage cause, campus organizing for equal voting rights changed the culture of female political activism and higher education by ushering a younger generation of articulate and well-trained activists into the women’s rights campaign and starting in a trend of organized youth mobilization for women’s rights at colleges and universities.



2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-56
Author(s):  
Christine Lynn Mcclure

 Attempting to combine activism and scholarship would seem natural because most academic research is born out of a deep-rooted desire to change, eradicate, or transform a societal issue. As such, translating research into practice by way of activism would seem conventional for most scholars, because it is “informed by both personal and political values and the need to engage our emotional responses to the world around us” (Derickson & Routledge, 2015, p. 5). However, the elite, “ivory-tower” of the academy is not so accepting of scholar-activists. Perhaps it is because activism places higher education in the cross hairs of the criticisms, critiques, and call-outs that activism seeks to influence. Institutions of higher education have done a mediocre job at cultivating spaces for academics to freely engage in activism, as academics who desire to participate in activism face considerable and specific career-related risks (Flood et al., 2013). Loss of tenure, reduced opportunities for collaboration, decreased funding, isolation, and oftentimes physical threats are but a few strategies used against academics who openly participate in activism. While many activist movements have been birthed on college and university campuses, very few demonstrate a willingness to embrace the causes or individuals involved in these activist movements. As institutions of higher education try to strengthen both the policies and practices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion it is imperative that they also examine the oppressive structures, antiquated hiring practices, and exclusionary curriculum that inhibit the culture of activism from thriving. These three specific areas are the focus for this article.



2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 99-100
Author(s):  
Joann Montepare

Abstract The pioneering Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative, endorsed in 2016 by GSA’s Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), calls for institutions of higher education to respond to shifting demographics and the needs of aging populations through more age-friendly campus programs, practices, and partnerships. The case will be made that AFU institutions can also play vital roles in helping neighboring communities develop, launch, assess, and sustain their age-friendly efforts through research and related endeavors that engage students and faculty. In addition, AFU campus-community partnerships can play a critical role in breaking down age-segregation that fuels ageism, building intergenerational connections, and increasing aging literacy among rising community members - all of which are necessary steps for building age-friendly communities.



2015 ◽  
pp. 17-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachawan Wongtrirat ◽  
Ravi Ammigan ◽  
Adriana Pérez-Encinas

Many institutions of higher education have worked toward increasing international student enrollment with an ultimate goal of enhancing global perspectives and enriching the collegiate environment for the entire campus community. However, these increasing numbers often come without adequate consideration for how to serve and provide services that support an inclusive community for students. This article emphasizes the importance of international student support services and a positive international student co-curricular experience as essential for the successful creation of an inclusive institutional community.



Author(s):  
Cathrin Rothkopf ◽  
Theresa Stark ◽  
Silke Schworm

The mental health of students is a critical issue facing institutions of higher education, as a majority of college and university students report suffering from stress and anxiety. Studies have shown that interacting with animals can enhance the mental health. Consequently, animal-assisted interventions can be used to cover the concerns of students. This study evaluated German university students´ attitude towards dogs, animal-assisted interventions and their interest in its use at their own university. Additionally, possible predictors were investigated. Another aim was the validation of the questionnaire. 560 university students answered a questionnaire consisting of the Coleman Dog Attitude Scale (C-DAS), a modification of the Attitude Towards Animal-Assisted Therapy Scale and a translated and modified version of the Cuestionario de Actitudes ante las Intervenciones Asistidas por Perros (CAINTAP). Results showed a slightly positive attitude towards dogs, animal-assisted interventions and interest in its use at the university. Furthermore, students´course of studies and sex have proven to be predictors. Thus, especially female students of educational science would welcome an implementation of animal-assisted interventions at the university. The questionnaire showed high quality with a Cronbach’s alpha α = .936.



2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-59
Author(s):  
P. Eric Wiseman ◽  
Joseph Hoffman ◽  
Susan Day ◽  
Terry Clements

The professional skills and expertise demanded of practicing arborists are greater than at any time in the past, and many employers and educators believe that higher education plays a role in educating future professionals in this field. Although recent surveys have identified major instructional topics that are critically important for future arborists, no assessment of whether these topics are being taught in college and university programs is available. The following paper is a syllabus-level assessment of 68 arboriculture courses being taught at U.S. institutions of higher education. The most common instructional topics observed in syllabi of arboriculture courses at both two- and four-year institutions were pruning (85%), disorders (81%), physiology/biology (79%), risks/hazards (79%), and soils/nutrition (75%). Tree planting and tree selection, topics identified by educators and public sector employers in previous studies as among the most important instructional areas, were found only in 74% and 62% of course syllabi, respectively. Safety was mentioned in only 53% of syllabi. Syllabus content was similar at two-year and four-year institutions, although tree identification and arborist certification were mentioned more frequently in two-year institution syllabi. Trends in arboriculture education and implications for employers and professionals are discussed.



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