Finding Synergy in Academe: An Interview With Dave L. Edyburn

Dave L. Edyburn, PhD, is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Exceptional Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and more recently the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida. His teaching and research interests focus on the use of technology to enhance teaching, learning, and performance. He has authored more than 175 articles and book chapters on the use of technology in special education, and his work represents a variety of contributions to theory, research, policy, and practice.

Common pathways to Dean of Medicine at U.S. medical schools

Purpose We sought to evaluate common leadership experiences and academic achievements obtained by current U.S. Medical School Deans of Medicine (DOMs) prior to their first appointment as Dean in order to elucidate a common pathway for promotion. Methods In April-June 2019 the authors requested a curriculum vitae from each of the 153 LCME-accredited U.S. Medical School DOMs. The authors abstracted data on prior appointments, demographics, and achievements from CVs and online databases. Differences by gender and institutional rank were then evaluated by the Fisher’s exact and Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Results CVs were obtained for 62% of DOMs (95 of 153), with women comprising 16% of the responding cohort (15/95). Prior to appointment as DOM, 34% of respondents had served as both permanent Department Chair and Associate Dean, 39% as permanent Department Chair but not Associate Dean, and 17% as Associate Deans but not permanent Department Chair. There was a non-significant trend for men to have been more likely to have been a permanent Department Chair (76% vs 53%, p = 0.11) and less likely to have been an Associate Dean (48% vs 67%, p = 0.26) compared to women. Responding DOMs at Top-25 research institutions were mostly male (15/16), more likely to have been appointed before 2010 (38% vs 14%, p = 0.025), and had higher H-indices (mean (SD): 73.1 (32.3) vs 33.5 (22.5), p<0.01) than non-Top-25 Deans. Conclusions The most common pathway to DOM in this study cohort was prior service as Department Chair. This suggests that diversification among Department Chair positions or expansion of search criteria to seek leaders from pools other than Department Chairs may facilitate increased diversity, equity, and inclusion among DOM overall.

The Complexity of Remote Teaching in Emergency Situations: Initial Basic Principles to Avoiding Technological Boundaries

Considering the challenges of sustainable education in emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this study provides basic principles for future ERT implementation based on the experience of higher education in Indonesia. Seven local expert distance educators reviewed the ERT principles, participating in the early stages to check the relevance, content validity, and readability of the five principles proposed in the context of Indonesian education. After an extensive expert review, the ERT principles were evaluated using quantitative data through an online survey (82 students and 45 faculty members). In addition, open-ended questionnaire responses, experiences, and challenges encountered by 21 respondents (College Dean, Associate Dean of Academics, and faculty quality assurance of seven universities/colleges in three provinces in Indonesia) in ERT were used and analyzed. This study suggests that ERT should be designed based on the principles of simplicity, accessibility, affordability, flexibility, and empathy in all learning activities in unfavorable situations. This study complements previous work and can thus be used for generalized principles for teaching activities in similar emergencies, especially in developing countries.

ACRL candidates for 2021: A look at who’s running

Emily Daly is the head of assessment and user experience at Duke University Libraries, a position she has held since 2013. Prior to this, Daly served at Duke University Libraries as interim head of instruction and outreach (2012) and coordinator of upper-level instruction (2006–12). She also served as media coordinator at Southern High School in Durham, North Carolina (2005–06).Erin L. Ellis is the associate dean of research and learning services at Indiana University, a position she has held since 2018. Prior to this, Ellis held various positions at the University of Kansas, including associate dean of research and learning (2013–18), head of instructional services (2009–13), and social sciences librarian (2005–09).

Improving the quality of disaggregated SDG indicators with cluster information for small area estimates

The increasing needs for more disaggregated data motivates National Statistical Offices (NSOs) to develop efficient methods for producing official statistics without compromising on quality. In Indonesia, regional autonomy requires that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators are available up to the district level. However, several surveys such as the Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey produce estimates up to the provincial level only. This generates gaps in support for district level policies. Small area estimation (SAE) techniques are often considered as alternatives for overcoming this issue. SAE enables more reliable estimation of the small areas by utilizing auxiliary information from other sources. However, the standard SAE approach has limitations in estimating non-sampled areas. This paper introduces an approach to estimating the non-sampled area random effect by utilizing cluster information. This model is demonstrated via the estimation of contraception prevalence rates at district levels in North Sumatera province. The results showed that small area estimates considering cluster information (SAE-cluster) produce more precise estimates than the direct method. The SAE-cluster approach revises the direct estimates upward or downward. This approach has important implications for improving the quality of disaggregated SDGs indicators without increasing cost. The paper was prepared under the kind mentorship of Professor James J. Cochran, Associate Dean for Research, Prof. of Statistics and Operations Research, University of Alabama.

Stepping up to the plate: An unexpected leadership opportunity during the Covid 19 pandemic

A regional campus graduate communicates in this piece her experience during the initial period of the COVID 19 pandemic. Her words highlight the importance of the “sense of place” that is the unifying theme of this rural regional campus.1 She worked 3 years in our college rural scholar program and ultimately wrote the best summary of the community aspect of this experience.2 She then completed our prematriculation and preclinical programs, and graduated from our clinical campus in 2015. She then completed an OB/Gyn residency at Geisenger, and returned home to practice, where she serves as a key faculty for our clerkship. William J. Crump, M.D. Associate Dean, University of Louisville SOM Trover Campus

Decision Points in Higher Education Administration: The Case of Criminal Background Checks

This hypothetical teaching case illustrates the complex issues that human resources (HR) professionals in higher education may face when making day-to-day employment decisions. This is particularly evident with recruiting and hiring—from applications to interviews, from offers to background checks. Here, an HR professional, with many years of experience but new to higher education, weighs the results of criminal background checks for two Associate Dean positions at a small private university in New York City. As part of the review and decision-making process, the HR professional has a series of meetings with the HR Director, the Dean, and in-house legal counsel. This case considers how HR professionals must navigate through sometimes competing institutional interests.

Message from the Editor

Message from the Editor-in-Chief: It is with great excitement that I share with you that we have added an Associate Editor to our journal, Dr. Peter Nalin, Chair and Professor of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus and Associate Dean for Rural Medicine for the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Nalin has published in our journal and is well positioned to assist with our ongoing growth and development. Many thanks to Dr. Alan Johns who served in this role and helped to launch the journal. We will continue to honor his contributions by naming him as our Associate Editor Emeritus. Many thanks to our Editorial Board and their ongoing oversight and contributions to our journal. We invite you to consider submissions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on your campus. We have one perspective to share in this issue and would like to have an upcoming issue focused on COVID-19 impact. Be safe. Regards,Paula M. Termuhlen, MD Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Regional Medical Campuses

Wendy L. Havran, PhD: 1955–2020

Wendy Havran, Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at Scripps Research, passed away on January 20th, 2020 following a heart attack [...]