An Academic Performance Measurement System and its Impact on Quality of Engineering Faculty Work at Middle East Technical University

A system has been developed for measuring the performance of faculty members at Middle East Technical University (METU) in 1998. This system has been designed to provide feedback for improving the quality of academic work. It involves a separate set of criteria and measures for each college within the university. The criteria used for the College of Engineering include publications, editorial work and translation, professional and other research activities, educational activities, memberships and awards, and other activities. Faculty members are recruited based on these criteria. They report their activities and works annually as required by this system, and they can access their measurement results through the university Intranet. These results play a significant role in promotion of the faculty members. Awards are given to faculty members who demonstrate superior performance. This system has also been utilised to measure the efficiency of engineering departments, and guide and support departments in improving their efficiency. Since the beginning of implementation of this system, significant changes have been observed in preferences and activities of faculty members, and their performance. The paper discusses impact of this system on performance of the Engineering College.     

Building world class universities in China: exploring faculty’s perceptions,interpretations of and struggles with global forces in higher education

Employing a glonacal (global, national and local) heuristic as a theoretical lens, and a qualitative analysis with interview data, this study highlights how Chinese faculty members interpret the definitions and implications of pursuing world class universities (WCUs) and struggle with the multiple dimensions of their academic lives across global, national and local dimensions. The findings indicate that faculty members believe that the quest to build WCUs in China has been narrowly defined by the government, which emphasises international/global dimensions, rather than national or local. Because of this, Chinese professors believe that there are growing gaps between administration and faculty. Yet they recognise significant advancement in hardware and facilities, especially in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This study confirms that faculty’s academic lives are intricately interlinked across the glonacal economy and that faculty continue to navigate their roles across all dimensions.     

南京大学个案：SCI引入评价体系对中国大陆大学基础研究的影响

南京大学是大陆高校中最早将SCI的论文收录和被引用次数等作为评价院系、教授学者的研究质量水平,以及理科博士研究生教育质量的重要指标。这一决策对南京大学基础研究的发展和学校声誉的提高产生了积极作用,同时也带动了中国大陆其他高校基础研究的发展和质量的上升,为中国的SCI论文数排名的跃升做出了突出贡献。文章以南京大学为个案,通过梳理其政策调整的脉络,分析采用SCI等科学计量评价对大学科学研究水平和研究生教育质量提高的促进作用,同时评述其局限与不足。     

Administrative support in initiating transformations: A perspective of an African American female

African American females need to develop alliances with White administrators to transform policies and practices to assist these female faculty members in becoming successful and productive professors at predominantly White research universities. Strategies for White administrators and other powerful White faculty members, and African American females are delineated in this article. In addition, illustrations of courses, activities, and programmatic changes in one college are included.Mary M. Atwater is an associate professor in the Department of Science Education at the University of Georgia. She holds a B.S. in chemistry from Methodist College in Fayetteville, North Carolina; an M.A. (M.S.) in organic chemistry from the University of North Carolina; and, a Ph.D. in science education from North Carolina State University, Raleigh. Her research interests include African American learning and involvement in the sciences, multicultural science teacher education, and urban education. Her teaching experiences include science education, multicultural education, and chemistry.     

Faculty careers: Maturation,demographic, and historical effects

Sixty-five University of Michigan arts and science faculty members were interviewed on a number of matters related to their careers. Roughly one-third joined the faculty as assistant professors in each of the three years, 1960, 1965, or 1970. Vitae were used to obtain scholarly productivity measures. The data were analyzed with regard to productivity, promotion rate, and perceptions and values of faculty with respect to the weight that research, teaching, and service are and should be given in promotion decisions. The various outcomes were then examined from the perspectives of maturation (aging), demographic (cohort), and historical effects. The conclusion is that different perspectives are needed to explain different phenomena. Cohort effects, sometimes modified by historical events, were more effective and called upon more often than were explanations relating to age.     

Anomaly-based change in higher education: The case of a large, Turkish public university

This paper analyzes an institutional change in a large, Turkish public university, the Middle East Technical University (METU), by using an anomaly-based change model. The model explains change as an organizational response to anomalies caused by internal and external organizational conditions. The study used a qualitative case study design that included interviews with 51 individuals, and, analysis of institution-specific documents. Anomalies derived from the interview findings compared with a separate set of anomalies, devised from the document study, that are attributed to the strategic change agenda developed by the current president of the institution. The paper argues that human thinking and problem solving as well as organizational cognition and problem solving do proceed through existence and recognition of a problematic situation. So, anomalies are the ID cards of any major change in organizations in that they carry important information about where the organization comes from and where it should proceed to. Implications for the nature and management of change in higher education organizations are discussed.     

A Campus-Wide Study of STEM Courses: New Perspectives on Teaching Practices and Perceptions

At the University of Maine, middle and high school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers observed 51 STEM courses across 13 different departments and collected information on the active-engagement nature of instruction. The results of these observations show that faculty members teaching STEM courses cannot simply be classified into two groups, traditional lecturers or instructors who teach in a highly interactive manner, but instead exhibit a continuum of instructional behaviors between these two classifications. In addition, the observation data reveal that student behavior differs greatly in classes with varied levels of lecture. Although faculty members who teach large-enrollment courses are more likely to lecture, we also identified instructors of several large courses using interactive teaching methods. Observed faculty members were also asked to complete a survey about how often they use specific teaching practices, and we find that faculty members are generally self-aware of their own practices. Taken together, these findings provide comprehensive information about the range of STEM teaching practices at a campus-wide level and how such information can be used to design targeted professional development for faculty.     

Computing and STEM in Greek tertiary education: gender representation of faculty members during the decade 2003–2013

This study focuses on the investigation of gender representation of faculty members of all ranks (professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers) of Computing and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in Greek tertiary education during the decade 2003–2013. To this end, a quantitative study was conducted, taking into account appropriate data derived from the Hellenic Statistical Authority. The data analysis shows that during the said decade, (a) faculty members in Computing and in each discipline of STEM constituted a small part of the total number of Greek faculty members; (b) for every single year of the decade, females were less prevalent than males in all ranks of faculty members in Computing and Engineering; (c) the situation for females in the Computing faculty appears to have been even worse, as the percentage of them in every rank was the lowest among the STEM disciplines studied for all or most of the years of the decade under study; and (d) although females were better represented in the position of lecturer, which constituted the fewest faculty members in the aforementioned disciplines, highly populated ranks of faculty members were dominated by males.     

Northeast wisconsin science forum,an example of cooperative effort in upgrading science education

Conclusions In view of growing national concern over the decline in scientific literacy among students and the need to attract more students to science and engineering, it is incumbent upon college and precollege science faculties to work together to find ways to help solve these problems. To this end, college and precollege science teachers and administrators established the NEW Science Forum and its dinner-and-lecture series and Science Teacher Day field trips. These activities stimulate teacher interest in science, upgrade scientific understanding, and provide new insights and information for classroom use. In addition, the Forum is an opportunity for discussion among techers and between teachers and university science faculty members. The continued high level of participation by teachers and professors during the seven years since the founding of the NEW Science Forum attests to its value to area educators. Our experience prompts us to encourage our colleagues at other colleges and universities to explore the feasibility of establishing a similar program in their regions. The rewards of strengthening ties with area school science teachers far outweigh lost time from research and the trepidation of operating with a zero budget.     

Kellogg Faculty Seminar: Enriching academic leadership in Adult/Continuing Education

The Kellogg funded Faculty Seminar on Future Directions in Continuing Education was a continuing professional development project for young assistant and associate professors of adult continuing education. The Faculty Seminar was developed and conducted by Jerold Apps, Alan Knox, and Jack Ferver, professors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, from January, 1987, through March, 1989. Thirty-three early career faculty members focused on enriching their leadership roles within their academic departments and across the field of adult/continuing education, as well as on personal career development. Within each of these areas, participants normatively considered future directions for the field.Judith G. Adrian is completing her dissertation in Adult/Continuing Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also served as Project Assistant for the two year duration of the Kellogg Faculty Seminar on Future Directions in Adult/Continuing Education.Jerold W. Apps of a Professor of Adult/Continuing Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author ofHigher Education in a Learning Society (Jossey-Bass, 1988) and several other books.     

北京市高校教师学缘关系与职业发展轨迹的调查与分析

本研究采用分层随机抽样,对北京市22所高校的教师进行了问卷调查,实际回收3220份问卷。统计发现:1.在高校教师任职前的学习经历方面:第一,不同类型高校教师的学历结构呈现出不同的特征。第二,出现年轻教师比年长教师的学历水平高的高校教师学历变化趋势。第三,高校教师学缘关系比较单一。第四,社会学科背景教师跨学科学习的比例要高于自然学科和人文学科背景教师的比例。第五,留校任教的毕业生占教师群体的比例较大,重点大学和自然学科在这一问题上表现得更为严重。2.在高校教师任职后的工作经历方面:第一,重点大学高级职称教师所占比例高。第二,教师的流动性弱,教师职称级别越高,晋升次数越多,跨院校晋升教师所占的比例也越大。第三,跨系统流动的教师中约有26.2%的教师具有高校系统外的工作经验。     

日本静冈大学地学教育特点及启示

日本静冈大学理学部地球科学科的大学教育适应其国家基本国情。教授实验室制度、学术研讨制度、公共基础实验平台、大型仪器开放制度以及野外实习等构成统一的教育教学模式。该教育模式具有一定的优点,对学生自学能力、动手能力、科研探索能力和学术表达能力都有较好的锻炼,且科研成本相对低廉,有利于人才的培养。但是,该教育模式也有不足之处,学生受教授专业知识结构影响较大,对学科整体把握程度存在欠缺。     

大学教师工作时间影响因素的实证研究

对全国11个省份68所大学3612名大学教师的调查发现,教师的性别、职称、所在大学层次等因素,都对其工作时间长短和工作时间分配产生了显著的影响。与女教师相比,男教师工作时间长,科研时间比例较高,教学时间比例较低。高职称与低职称教师相比,正教授工作时间最长,讲师工作时间最短。与一般大学教师相比,985大学教师的工作时间长,科研时间多但教学时间少。尤其是,985大学男性正教授的工作时间最长,985大学的助教在服务与管理上占用的时间太多。这些结论为大学教师发展提供了政策参考。     

Arctic Space,Lonely Place: “Mammy Moments” in Higher Education

Many ideologies and cultural practices influence the way we think about Black women. Specifically, the Mammy trope permeates the walls of higher education in ways that leave Black female professors feeling disrespected, not acknowledged, and questioning their own intellectual ability. The ways in which students, faculty, and staff interact with Black female faculty members is termed accordingly as “Mammy moments.” “Mammy moments” are the overt and covert behaviors, attitudes, preconceived notions, and stereotypes that are held on, over, and against Black female professors. Historically, the Mammy trope is depicted as unintelligent, invisible, and self-sacrificing. The author argues that these same depictions are apparent in higher education. Black female professors are presented and represented as lacking the skills, knowledge, and capabilities to be a critically component and credible college professor.     

Faculty and online education as a mechanism of power

This study uses a critical perspective to examine how online education is used in brick-and-mortar institutions as a mechanism through which power is exercised by and against professors who teach online. Based on a larger study of 25 professors and administrators at four institutions, this work focuses on the experiences of 12 professors. Foucault’s conceptualization of power framed our interpretation of interviews conducted with these professors. Our findings suggest online education enhanced faculty autonomy and visibility, but that it was also used to control faculty members, and for some professors, it was used to alter their professional identities.     

The internationalization of faculty life in China

This article examines one of China's top universities – Renmin University – and changes in faculty life linked to internationalization and the push to build world-class universities. Employing academic culture as a theoretical lens and case-study methodology, the authors highlight several significant changes, as described in semi-structured interviews with 27 Renmin faculty members. Some changes discussed include increasing reliance on international standards of scholarship, greater emphasis on faculty acquiring international experience, increased collaborations with foreign scholars and organizations, and the adoption of various pedagogical and curricular facets associated with Western universities. Serious attention is given to concerns raised by several Renmin faculty members apprehensive of certain forms of internationalization and concerned about the likelihood of Chinese universities becoming colonized by Western norms and methodologies.     

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: A Zero Tolerance Professor and Student Registration Choices

College and university faculty and administrators are responsible for constructing academic honesty policies and communicating them to students. This is often attempted through institutional honesty policies and university-wide honor codes. While these approaches have been widely researched, less attention has been given to the role of individual faculty members. That role is examined in this study by addressing student reactions to professors based on their academic honesty policies. In addition to demographic information, data were gathered about student attitudes and beliefs concerning academic dishonesty and their decision to enroll in or avoid a course being taught by a professor with zero tolerance for academic dishonesty. The findings regarding different instructors’ approaches toward academic dishonesty indicate that an intolerant policy will keep dishonest students away, but at a price—it will also detract many honest students.     

中国高校女教师队伍发展的现状分析

This paper examines the changing status of women faculty through an analysis of statistics on China’s universities from 1994 to 2004. This paper first presents the trend of a drastic increase in women faculty members in recent years. Further details on the academic ranks of women faculty, their age and highest degrees obtained are also presented. A comparison of female representation in faculty ranks is made between China and a few selected countries. Lastly, this paper attempts to account for the low percentage of female professors in higher education. Recommendations for the professional development for women faculty are made in the end.      

Teaching the process of science: faculty perceptions and an effective methodology

Most scientific endeavors require science process skills such as data interpretation, problem solving, experimental design, scientific writing, oral communication, collaborative work, and critical analysis of primary literature. These are the fundamental skills upon which the conceptual framework of scientific expertise is built. Unfortunately, most college science departments lack a formalized curriculum for teaching undergraduates science process skills. However, evidence strongly suggests that explicitly teaching undergraduates skills early in their education may enhance their understanding of science content. Our research reveals that faculty overwhelming support teaching undergraduates science process skills but typically do not spend enough time teaching skills due to the perceived need to cover content. To encourage faculty to address this issue, we provide our pedagogical philosophies, methods, and materials for teaching science process skills to freshman pursuing life science majors. We build upon previous work, showing student learning gains in both reading primary literature and scientific writing, and share student perspectives about a course where teaching the process of science, not content, was the focus. We recommend a wider implementation of courses that teach undergraduates science process skills early in their studies with the goals of improving student success and retention in the sciences and enhancing general science literacy.