Academics' perceptions of their professional development needs related to leadership and management: What can we learn?

Enquiries into the governance, structure and management of higher education institutions across the globe have stimulated changes to the legislative and policy frameworks within which universities operate and to their organizational structures and processes. These changes have subsequently brought into question the proper role of academics in relation to the leadership and management of their departments/institutions. While mainstream academic staff conceive of academic leadership as being strictly associated with teaching, research and community outreach, university administrators and policy makers conceptualize it more broadly. Their definitions often include the management of change, quality, information, finance, and physical and human resources - functions that many mainstream academics perceive as being the responsibility of departmental/institutional administrative or support staff. Such differences create major challenges for academic development units. What type of training should they provide? Should they embrace activities that support these new conceptions of leadership and management? These are among the central issues explored in this paper.     

Strategic planning in African universities: how relevant are Northern models?

Since 1991 donors have advised sub-Saharan African universities to prepare “strategic plans”. Universities should embark on strategic planning because they believe it has value in its own right, independently of whether it may release donor funds. Restructuring the relationship with government is a vital dimension. The plan as a document, to be publicized and negotiated, also takes on greater significance than Northern planning models allow. It must show how the university can serve its society, so the making must tap the skills and energies of academic colleagues. But engaging their co-operation in determining academic priorities has been a repeated difficulty. Much training is required, and a high premium is placed on the vice-chancellor's leadership. Continuous support from consultants helps, but the university must take ownership of the plan. The strategic plans which have been produced are considerable achievements. The form of strategic planning should be very different, certainly in detail and maybe in broad shape, in African universities than in their Northern counterparts. Opportunities for planners in Africa to learn from each other and to develop models appropriate to their circumstances will be of vital importance.     

R&D Funding Sources and University Technology Transfer: What Is Stimulating Universities to Be More Entrepreneurial?

In recent years, universities have become increasingly entrepreneurial as evidenced by their rapid escalation into technology transfer, the process by which university-developed technologies are commercialized. Stimulated in part by a favorable policy environment for patenting and licensing as well as increased competition for limited resources, university commercially oriented activities are nevertheless risky and controversial. Yet, it is unlikely this trend will be reversed, and hence research to inform its responsible practice is needed. This study investigates the effect of core R&D resources on university licensing to small and large companies, two important but distinct forms of licensing activity. Implications of the findings for policy and practice are offered.     

The market route to mass higher education: British experience 1979–1996

The period 1979–1996 was one of radical change in British higher education. Initially change was mainly financial, expenditure was cut severely. In response the universities sought funds from elsewhere. By the mid-1980s expenditure cuts were supplemented by government initiatives to encourage universities and polytechnics to undertake research and consultancy contracts with industry and to seek private donations. Education Acts in 1988 and 1992 speeded the pace of change. Most large higher education institutions were redesignated as universities with consequential changes to the idea of a university. Public funding mechanisms were established that encouraged expansion at marginal costs much lower than average costs. The results were dramatic. Between 1989 and 1994 enrollments increased by over 50% and expenditure per student fell by 30%. Financial power shifted from providers to consumers and proxy consumers. Universities began to contract out non-core activities. This paper describes these changes and considers their significance for the nature and meaning of higher education in Britain.     

A portrait of Canadian higher education

In his book,More Than an Academic Question, Cameron offers a framework within which to understand the relationship between universities and government. He presents a thorough summary of the development of universities across Canada, exploring both public policy and changes in the governance and management of universities. Focussing on the transformation of universities from post World War II to the 1980s, he discusses the evolution of direct federal involvement in the core funding of universities, the reforms within the internal governing structures of universities, and faculty unionization. Although he presents suggestions regarding a more deliberate selection of membership of university governing boards, on the whole Cameron does not offer resolutions to the issues he raises, but rather lays the foundation for discussion.     

新工科背景下化工安全复合型人才培养研究

文章通过分析我国化工安全复合型人才的培养现状,揭示将化工工艺与安全融合发展的必然趋势,分享全国首个化工安全工程本科专业的创新型人才培养模式,提出“政府政策为指导,高校设计为核心,行业推进为支撑,学生参与为提升”的协同育人理念,构建了多学科协同和多平台协同的育人机制,总结形成了包含“具备的知识与能力、课程体系、师资力量、教学方式、教学资源建设”在内的培养方案和两个国际化培养。论文对相关高校培养新工科背景下的化工安全复合型人才有一定借鉴意义。     

上兵伐谋:大学发展中的战略选择

当代社会对大学的需求是多种多样、多领域、多层次的。大学必须对它所活动的主要领域和主要层次作出选择,对其职能发挥的主要领域和主要方向作出取舍;在格外激烈的院校竞争中,大学的领导层、决策层能否把握机会,作出让学校高速发展、跨越式发展的战略选择,关乎大学的核心竞争力。因此,战略选择和规划对大学的发展至关重要。大学的战略定位和选择需要考虑诸多因素,主要包括外部环境、内部资源和能力、利益相关方的期望和反响等。本文以南京大学将美国《科学引文索引》引入科研评价的战略选择与决策过程为例,分析大学战略选择的关键与难点。     

台湾地区大学整并政策与实施状况分析

台湾地区大学整并政策是在为了追求最佳规模效应,竞争有限的资源,调整大学结构,进而提高大学运作效率的初衷下出台的。台湾当局通过经费支持等措施推进大学整并工作的开展,并主要以校内整合与校际整合两种方式进行,以公立研究型大学为重点。但从其整并的实施来看,也存在着一些值得注意的问题,比如最适规模、特色化、机构认同等。     

印度卓越大学教师劳动关系:既成矛盾与治理结构

劳动主体、雇佣主体、劳动内容、劳动客体构成了大学教师劳动关系结构的核心要素。从核心要素来看,印度卓越大学教师劳动关系存在着既成矛盾,主要表现为失衡与冲突。为扭转教师劳动关系的困厄,印度卓越大学建立了政府、市场、学术权力、中介组织多维度的治理结构。印度通过法律和政策等手段促进劳动关系契约化、学校和教师行为法制化、劳动关系和谐化发展,对于显性调节劳动关系、隐性消弭劳动关系的冲突失衡发挥了重要作用,这对我国一流大学教师劳动关系和谐发展具有借鉴意义。     

从重点建设到协同创新:我国建设世界一流大学的政策变迁

我国建设世界一流大学的政策经历了从重点建设到协同创新共五个阶段的变迁历程,根据倡议联盟框架的分析,不同的倡议联盟在建设世界一流大学的政策中都会拥有不同的政策参与者和信念体系,以中央政府为核心的倡议联盟在政策制定中发挥着主导作用。基于此,建设世界一流大学应从信念重组和制度重构两个方面入手:一方面,重组建设世界一流大学的政策信念体系,回归世界一流大学的本质属性和精神内核;另一方面,重构世界一流大学的制度安排,把大学治理结构的构建作为切入点来为世界一流大学的建设构筑新路径。     

基于政策工具视角的日本教师研修政策分析

如何选择政策工具体现着政府的价值取向,决定着教师研修的走向和效果。20世纪80年代中期以来,日本经济社会和教育问题持续引发研修政策更新,依据政策内容可划分为偏重资格、个性、开放和支持的四个时期。不同时期的工具选择存在差异,而同一工具在不同时期又有所变化,且不同工具间的协作与融合渐趋紧密。由此,政府的政策“工具箱”不断扩展与兼容,工具应用的针对性和整合性大大加强。     

Commercialization of research: a case study of Australian universities

Research commercialization is a crucial aspect of technological innovation and is a complex socio‐economic and technological process. This paper explores the commercialization of university research, drawing on an empirical study of the development of research commercialization by Australian universities. The study addresses three main research questions: (i) What are the recent major policy changes affecting the commercialization of university research in Australia? (ii) How much have Australian universities done in research commercialization over the past few years? (iii) What are the key barriers to the achievement of higher levels of commercialization in university research? The findings of this study show that there are two fundamental issues that universities have to address: (i) adequate financial support from governments, industries, and other stakeholders; and (ii) effective innovation management with academic entrepreneurship. Because the issues and problems covered in this study are common to many countries, the study has international applications and provides policymakers and practitioners with valuable information to assist them in the development of organizational strategies in the commercialization of innovative university research.     

大学不能回避战略规划

从20世纪80年代起,美国大学纷纷开始实施战略规划活动,我国大学在20世纪90年代也纷纷开始了自主性的战略规划活动,然而对于大学战略规划活动的有效性问题却始终存在争议,相关实证研究也呈现出支持和否定两种结果。但对大学来说,实施战略规划至少可以有效终止组织内的争论、凝聚发展力量,同时战略规划还是大学回应外部利益相关者重大关切的工具。大学实施战略规划肯定会出问题,但出问题并不表明战略规划在本质上是无效的,真正应该思考的是如何应对这些不可避免的问题。大学必须充分认识到,实施战略规划是为了帮助其更清晰、更有效地思考。此外,如果大学不实施战略规划,就会挑战现有秩序,丧失合法性。以上这些理由决定了大学不应该回避战略规划。     

Gender segregation by field in higher education

In this paper I analyze the level of gender segregation by field in higher education, using indexes of segregation from the literature of economics and sociology. While in recent years women have begun to penetrate many of the fields that had been almost exclusively male, the reduction in the overall level of segregation by field in colleges and universities has been small. Analysis of data from nationwide surveys of college and university faculties suggests that segregation decreased modestly during the early 1970s, but that there has been little if any decline in more recent years. Furthermore, analysis of doctorate degrees granted in the mid-1970s and mid-1980s indicated that the overall level of segregation has actually increased, in spite of a noticeable integration of traditionally male fields.     

日本大学教师发展的理念与实践-京都大学的个案

20世纪80年代后,日本高等教育界从英美等国引入"大学教师发展"(FD)的观念,进行了一系列相关调查,为大学教师发展工作的开展奠定了研究基础。国立大学法人化进程和《大学设置基准》修订等成为推动日本大学教师发展制度化的政策诱因,日本大学开始建立起与本土和本校环境相适应的大学教师发展模式。本文重点介绍了京都大学等校大学教师发展活动的理念和实践,并指陈出目前仍然存在的一些困难和问题。     

探索高校党建新思路 构建和谐校园

加强高校党建是一项重大的战略任务,要完成这项重大的任务,高校要做到四个和谐:把握方向,以理念倡导和谐:制定政策,以改革促进和谐;整合力量,以发展带动和谐;营造环境,以稳定保障和谐.     

Using the DYSA Programme to Reduce Stress and Anxiety in First-year University Students

With recent increases in the number of students attending universities without a proportional increase in resources, it is likely that there has been a decrease in the quality of life students experience and an increase in the stress they feel. This is of course added to by tuition fees and the need to take out student loans. The writers review research into student stress and highlight the fact that many researchers have noted the need for stress-reduction courses, though this has been a recommendation that has not generally been taken up. A specific stress-reduction programme for school pupils and university students is described. This programme was tested with first-year undergraduates. The students involved all felt that the programme had been valuable. Apart from its clear relevance to the support of university students, this paper raises issues which are of importance to those working with sixth-form students.     

Avoiding to fit a square peg into a round hole: a policy framework for operationalising open distance education in dual-mode universities

Abstract

Although education policies in many African countries refer to the need for distance education to widen participation in universities, they have not articulated guidelines on how they plan to develop systems and structures that will support it. The purpose of this study was to develop a policy framework specific for distance education provision in conventional universities. A two-step approach was utilised to guide the process of the development of the framework. The first step was to analyse national education policies, which provide the educational vision of the country. The second step was to analyse distance education policy frameworks in order to provide specific criteria that need to be met when providing distance education. Futures research methodology was employed to look at policy interventions with the aim of identifying probable development in education that may influence distance education practices within the conventional university context.     

高校学报发展存在的问题及改革思路

阐述了高校学报发展过程中存在的四个方面的问题．按照科学发展观的要求，提出了依托高校专业优势、树立品牌意识、强调规范管理、整合现有资源组建高校出版集团、实现学报可持续发展的改革思路．