Student Retention in Higher Education: Some Conceptual and Programmatic Perspectives

Author(s):  
Marvel Lang

Over the past two decades the attrition of students in higher education has raised grave concerns. These concerns were raised initially over the higher rates of attrition of minority students in the early 1980s following a decade of record rates of minority enrollment in higher education institutions during the 1970s. However, by the mid-1980s the rates of high attrition of African-American and Hispanic students had grabbed the attention of the academic community across the country. When scholars and higher education administrators began to take notice of the higher rates of attrition of minority students they found out that student dropout and attrition in higher education institutions was a problem with all students, not just students of color. This article summarizes and presents perspectives on the causes of attrition and the problems of the retention of students in higher education. These ideas and perspectives are based on what has been learned from research on student retention over the past two decades. Also, programmatic strategies that have been implemented at institutions are summarized as examples of student retention initiatives that have had significant impacts.

Author(s):  
Jamil Salmi

In the past decade, however, accountability has become a major concern in most parts of the world. Governments, parliaments, and society at large are increasingly asking universities to justify the use of public resources and account more thoroughly for their teaching and research results. The universal push for increased accountability has made the role of university leaders much more demanding. The successful evolution of higher education institutions will hinge on finding an appropriate balance between credible accountability practices and favorable autonomy conditions.


Author(s):  
Krisztina Zimányi

Notes remain to be playing a significant role in the curricula of higher education institutions, however, the amount of online materials has increased over the past years, primarily thanks to the project EFOP 3.4.3. The advantages of these developments’ direction can be easily recognised as they correspond to the expectations of the students and of modern times. However, following the traditions of preparing notes, each institution currently develops their own education material and curriculum, at most only sharing their experiences in educational methodology at conferences and workshops. Nevertheless, the question arises as to why higher education institutions do not cooperate to develop their curricula together, or why they do not adopt each other’s already existing curricula. The question may also be important because the development of online curricula presents considerably higher costs than developing and preparing “written” notes. A multitude of other questions concerning this issue arises, detailed further by the lecture: - Can the custom of only accepting the institutions’ own lecturers’ materials be broken? - Can cooperation in curriculum development be achieved? If yes, what is required for it? - How can a structure be devised for curricula used by multiple institutions that allows for maximum flexibility and modularisation for application? (‘Bunch of grapes’) - Is it true that if applying the same curriculum, there would be no difference between the courses offered by different higher education institutions? In my lecture I provide a possible answer to each of these questions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Leal Filho ◽  
João Henrique Paulino Pires Eustachio ◽  
Adriana Cristina Ferreira Caldana ◽  
Markus Will ◽  
Amanda Lange Salvia ◽  
...  

Sustainability leadership entails the processes, which leaders, policymakers, and academics undertake in order to implement sustainable development policies and other initiatives within their organizations. It encompasses approaches, methods, and systemic solutions to solve problems and drive institutional policy towards a more sustainable organization. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) play a particularly important role, especially with regard to their institutional leadership role in promoting sustainable development. There is a paucity of research focusing on sustainability leadership in universities. In order to address this gap, this paper discussed the concept of sustainability leadership based on literature and empirical insights. The study aimed to understand the main characteristics of sustainability leaders at HEI and the main challenges they are confronted with. Secondary research questions involved gender issues and positive outcomes of sustainability leadership. The empirical component of the study consisted of an online-questionnaire survey performed among leaders (n = 50) from a set of universities in 29 countries. The sampling scheme was purposive, based on the membership in the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Program (IUSDRP). The study was explorative in nature, and the descriptive statistics were used for the analysis. Due to the purposive sampling, the participants from top management positions could be considered as experienced, and their views were assumed to be information-rich. With a self-evaluation, the respondents described their leadership style and their usual traits, with inclusive style and systemic thinking being predominant in the sample. Regarding the skills, the respondents selected the ability to innovate, to think long-term, and to manage complexity from a pre-defined set of options. Connectedness with interdisciplinarity and knowledge about organizational settings, as well as global challenges and dilemmas, were stated as important issues related to the knowledge required for being a leader. Regarding requirements for a change towards more sustainable universities’ curriculum adaptation, investments in education for sustainable development (ESD), sustainable procurement, and reporting were mentioned. The study also revealed that gender issues were taken seriously among the sampled institutions, which is an encouraging trend. Challenges seen in implementing sustainability leadership are, for instance, a lack of interest by the university administration and among some members of the academic community, as well as lack of expertise and materials or resources. Based on the empirical insights, a set of measures were listed and which may be adopted in the future, so as to allow leaders of Higher Education Institutions to enhance their sustainability performance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sorin Gog

Abstract This paper focuses on the recent neo-liberal transformation in the Romanian education system and analyzes the genealogy of a new form of academic governance that has been implemented in higher education institutions in the past decade. It examines the role quality indicators and supplementary funding have played in the gradual embedding and naturalization of neo-liberal disciplinary reforms in universities and the specific quality enhancement policies that aimed at increasing the productivity of academic workers by stimulating the competition among them. The main argument of the paper is that in order to understand the extensive academic management based on scientometrics and recurrent evaluation of academics we need to look at the structural mechanisms that have shaped higher education institutions in accordance with market rules and at the generalization of competitiveness throughout the system in the context of budget cuts and decreasing resources allocated to education.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Laura Anne Bliss

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine assessed seminars in law modules across first-, second- and third-year students at a higher education academy in Lancashire (England). This form of assessment is essentially a 1 h tutorial, where students are given marks for their oral contribution to class discussions. Assessment is a feature in all degree programmes conducted throughout higher education institutions. Recently, a move has been made from traditional examinations and coursework to assess students learning, to more inclusive forms of assessment following the changing nature of those entering higher education. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative survey, participants were asked to answer ten questions on their perceptions of assessed seminars as a form of assessment. To enhance the findings, interviews also took place with members of staff who had experience in teaching both assessed and non-assessed seminars. Findings This research found that although some students were daunted by assessed seminars, over the course of three years, their key legal skills had improved. Key skills enhanced through assessed seminars include communication-based skills and public speaking, whilst also being a positive form of assessment that maintains student retention. Research limitations/implications This is a small-scale research project, completed in the fulfilment of the authors PgCert. However, it does provide a template for other legal institutions to follow. Originality/value With a growing concern across the higher education sector around student retention, assessed seminars are proven to be a form of assessment that ensures student attendance, whilst enhancing skills ready for the workplace.


Author(s):  
SAFARY WA-MBALEKA ◽  
SAMUEL GAIKWAD

One of the major effects of globalization is the heavy migration all over the world in the past two to three decades. For different purposes related to job, studies, security, religious freedom or other social reasons, millions of people are moving on a yearly basis from a country or continent to another. Students in need of better quality or maybe cheaper higher education are traveling to foreign lands and staying there for four, six, eight, or even more years. They learn from and with people of different cultures, religion, race, and worldviews. Given that globalization has pushed the phenomenon of diversity on most university campuses, it is important for higher education institutions to promote and guarantee equity, diversity, and inclusiveness for all students without distinction of culture, gender, religion, or race. The current study is a survey of the climate of higher education in several higher education institutions with considerable number of international students in the Luzon region of the Philippines. The study aimed at investigating the discriminatory practices that are common in schools that hosts international students. Results revealed that, even though there are areas where international students expressed feeling discriminated against, the climate in higher education institutions is positive for most international students.Keywords: Higher education, social studies, international students, discrimination,quantitative research, survey, Luzon, Philippines, Asia


Author(s):  
Eglė Virgailaitė-Mečkauskaitė ◽  
Velta Lubkina

<p>Since integration and globalization processes are accelerating in the world, the demand to internationalize education and studies increases as well as parameters of the activities of higher education institutions change. International competitive ability of European higher education area, international mobility and high level of university graduates’ employment as well as successful integration into international labour market are the main aims of Bologna process. Bologna declaration, various documents of conventions (European convention of higher education institutions, Salamanca) and communiqué documents (of Prague; Berlin; Bergen) related to the declaration devoted to the creation of common European Higher Education Area raise the necessity of higher education policy emphasizing internationalization, the conception of lifelong learning. The documents mentioned above emphasize the development of European dimensions and content internationalization in study programmes, training of a flexible, mobile, constantly improving and public active specialist who will integrate into the competitive labour market, mobility of the academic community and international cooperation. The development of intercultural competence becomes a more topical subject of the research taking globalization processes into consideration. That is why it is important to understand the influence of internationalization processes in the institution on the development of Master’s degree (MA) students’ intercultural competence through their experience gained in the study process. The aim of the research presented in this article is to discuss the influence of internationalization processes in the institution on the development of MA students’ intercultural competence. A scientific problem question raised in the research is how MA students telling their life story reveal the experience gained in the process of higher education internationalization which influenced the development of their intercultural competence.</p>


Author(s):  
Elvira Llantos

The multicultural and diversity management (MDM) encompasses acceptance and respect, recognition and valuing of individual differences of the university stakeholders. This study determined the perceptions of the academic managers/ leaders towards multicultural and diversity management in a higher education institutions. This quantitative descriptive research determined the perceptions of 100 purposively selected academic managers/ leaders of selected higher education institutions in the Philippines. The researcher-designed questionnaire was administered online using Google Form. Data were analysed using frequency, percentage distribution, mean, and rank. The majority of the respondents belonged to the age group of 41- 50 years old. The respondents were dominated by males and were single. In terms of highest educational attainment, the majority of the respondents have a master’s degree with 1- 10 years of work experience. The majority of the respondents were Coordinators/Program Chairs who were Regular/Permanent employees. On the basis of the findings of the study, it can be gleaned that the majority of the respondents believed that multiculturalism and diversity management (MDM) in higher education institutions should be integrated with the human resources programs to improve the lenses of equality in the universities and colleges as a workplace. Most of them believe that the MDM program prepares employees for higher diversity in their team, as such; it helps in welcoming recruits with diverse backgrounds into the academic community and promotes a positive organizational culture. Respondents also believed that multicultural and diversity management in Higher Education Institution is one of the best ways that university employees and students can become accustomed to other cultures, nonjudgmental, respectful, and accepting of differences, receptive to different ways of thinking.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-206
Author(s):  
Creso Sá

AbstractEntrepreneurship education is a growing field of studies internationally, as a range of curricular and co-curricular programs have emerged in higher education institutions. Considering the multiple goals and motivations of both those supporting and running entrepreneurship programs, how do entrepreneurship educators define “success”? This study explores this question focusing on the Canadian province of Ontario. Ontario is a critical case for investigating entrepreneurship education as programs in the field have proliferated over the past decade. Findings show multiple co-existing views on student success that are far from being reconciled, and speak to broader debates over the goals of entrepreneurship education in the university.


2008 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 131-144
Author(s):  
Saad Elzalitni

AbstractOver the past few decades the Higher Education system in Libya has witnessed a rapid growth in student numbers and a massive expansion in its programmes and services. Despite the contribution of Higher Education provision in the development and progress of Libyan society, the large increase in the number of Higher Education institutions has considerably exceeded the actual needs and demands of the country. Past and present studies highlight several shortcomings and limitations that significantly impede the overall performance and operation of the Higher Education system in Libya. This study supports the need for a comprehensive and critical evaluation of Higher Education provision in order to understand better its current status and role in modern Libyan society.


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