Outcomes Assessment and Accreditation in US Engineering Formation

American higher education is characterized by enormous program and quality diversity among the 3842 institutions (1998 data) with two- or four-year programs (of which 319 institutions have one or more engineering programs). Sharp distinctions emerge along several axes: funding (private vs public), size (hundreds to tens of thousands of students) and mission (research vs teaching). Recently the accreditation organizations for universities broadly and for engineering specifically have addressed this diversity by moving to outcomes-based assessments. Rather than judging student performance in terms of classes passed, institutions must (1) define their distinctive mission, (2) design a curriculum to help students achieve these goals, (3) assess student learning outcomes according to both institutional and professional criteria, and (4) create a culture of continuous improvement to belter align steps (1) and (2). Adoption of similar procedures may help European engineering institutions to measure programs across boundaries and to foster ‘trans-national recognition’.     

Mission and Diversity Statements: What They Do and Do Not Say

For this study we used institutional web sites to examine the mission statements of 80 higher education institutions for messages about diversity. Of the 80 institutions, 59 (75%) referenced diversity in their mission statements; but only 19% defined diversity in racial or ethnic terms. In addition to mission statements, 52 (or 65%) of the 80 institutions had a separate diversity statement; but only 18 of these were an official institutional statement. These treatments of diversity are interesting in light of the changing demographics of the incoming college student population and the recognized need for greater cultural development or awareness on campuses. If mission and diversity statements reflect the priorities of the institution, 35% of the institutions in the sample said nothing about diversity.     

A National Survey of the Program and Enrollment Characteristics of Counselor Education Programs

ACES sponsored a national survey of state supervisors of guidance and counselor education institutions and of nontraditional institutions offering graduate degrees in guidance and counseling in order to secure information regarding (a) the licensure of guidance counselors, (b) the use of a competency-based approach to the certification of counselors, (c) the manpower needs for persons in guidance and personnel work, and (d) the program characteristics of counselor education institutions. Only a relatively small number of states anticipate becoming involved in the licensure of conselors in the foreseeable future; 53.6 percent of the states expect their certification of counselors to be competency-based within 2 to 5 years, and 76.1 percent of counselor education institutions have decided to make their programs competency-based but progress is slow. There is an oversupply of BA-level guidance persons, school counselors, and doctoral-level persons seeking faculty positions; there is a strong preference for ethnic minorities and women to fill counselor education positions; and abnormally high faculty/graduate ratios were reported for many institutions.     

高等学校法律地位变革的功能导向与风险因应

伴随着高等学校任务体系的持续扩张,高等学校法律地位变革的功能导向不断强化。在大陆法系国家,高等学校通常具有基本权主体、国家机构或公法设施以及民事主体或公法意义上的法人等“多重”且“交叠”的法律地位。在英美法系国家,高等学校作为“混合型机构”的特征日益凸显。经由普通法与成文法的持续发展,形塑出高等学校作为自治机构、公共当局、非营利性机构以及贸易实体或法人等不同类型且富有“张力”的法律地位。高等学校法律地位变革中功能导向的强化,既为高等教育治理中多元利益的整合提供了可能,也客观上导致高等学校作为学术机构本质的式微,并衍生出自治权限萎缩、利益冲突状况加剧、教师权利危机凸显等诸多风险。在此背景下,如何调整学术子系统与法律系统之间的复杂关系,如何在传统与现代之间保持必要的张力,构成大学法研究的前沿议题。     

Public relations education—an instrument for the transformation and development of human resources

The author offers a survey of the teaching of public relations in Bulgarian universities. For her, the democratic transformation of Bulgaria and the other countries of Central and Eastern Europe require the effective use of public relations by all social institutions. Even the institutions that teach public relations must make use of it to promote their programmes as well as their graduates. The new private higher education institutions in Bulgaria are more successful in terms of self-promotion via public relations than the older state institutions. The author proposes three common initiatives: (i) a network of chairs and professional organizations devoted to public relations; (ii) publication of a book on “Crisis Public Relations”; and (iii) the organiza tion of common professional and academic activities in public relations in Europe.     

Characterization of human genetics courses for nonbiology majors in U.S. colleges and universities

We characterized college human genetics courses for nonscience majors (NSM) by 1) determining the number of U.S. institutions offering courses and the number of students taking them; and 2) surveying course instructors on course demographics, content, materials, and pedagogies. Between 2002 and 2004, an estimated 480 institutions of higher education (15.2%) offered a course: 8.4% of 1667 associate colleges, 16.1% of baccalaureate institutions, 25.3% of master's institutions, and 32.9% of doctoral institutions. This indicates a need to increase access to genetics education in 2-yr colleges. Based on instructor responses, approximately 32,000–37,000 students annually complete an NSM human genetics course out of approximately 1.9 million students earning a college degree each year (2.0%). Regarding course content, instructors consistently rated many concepts significantly higher in importance than the emphasis placed on those concepts in their courses. Although time could be a factor, instructors need guidance in the integration of the various concepts into their courses. Considering only 30.2% of the instructors were reportedly trained in genetics (another 25.4% in molecular and cellular biology) and the small fraction of students completing NSM human genetics courses, these results demonstrate the need for increasing the availability of these courses in undergraduate institutions of higher education, and particularly at 2-yr colleges.     

印度和韩国国家级实验室和研究实验基地运行管理分析

国家级实验室和研究实验基地作为当今世界科技界的一种科研建制,是国家科技创新体系的重要物质技术基础。许多发达国家把建设和发展一流的国家级实验室和研究实验基地作为国家创新体系建设的基本任务。本文比较研究印度和韩国的国家级实验室和研究实验基地的运行管理及其特点。研究表明,印、韩两国国家级实验室和研究实验基地在宏观管理上均属集中协调型,而内部运行管理各具特色。借鉴这些经验,有助于推进我国国家实验室的建设和发展。     

The Treatment and Use of Best Practices for Diversity in Position Announcements for New Presidents

This study investigated how well institutions were communicating their commitment to diversity within position announcements for presidential openings and whether or not this communication reflected best practices in forwarding the diversity agenda for institutions. The sample included 70 institutions that advertised for a new campus president in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Using documents pertaining to the search, we applied content analysis to position announcements and campus websites dealing with presidential searches and diversity. Evidence indicated that within our sample only 13 (19 %) of institutions stated directly that they were looking for a diverse applicant pool and that only 28 (40 %) of the announcements mentioned diversity.     

Excellence Beyond Athletics: Best Practices for Enhancing Black Male Student Athletes' Educational Experiences and Outcomes

Postsecondary institutions in the United States, including member institutions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), are charged with the responsibility of cultivating positive learning environments where all students have an opportunity to excel regardless of their demographic backgrounds (e.g., race, socioeconomic status, etc.). However, one subgroup of students these institutions have persistently been unable to retain and graduate at rates comparable to their peers is Black male student athletes. Previous research has cited unwelcoming campus climates, inadequate academic support, and an overemphasis on athletics as key factors that contribute to Black male student athletes' academic underperformance and negative psychosocial experiences at these institutions. The purpose of this article is to present a series of strategies and recommendations for enhancing Black male student athletes' educational experiences and holistic development at postsecondary institutions in the U.S. A review of scholarly literature on Black male student athletes, college student development theories, and student athlete support programs was conducted to identify best practices related to the phenomena. An analysis of the literature led to the creation of the Excellence Beyond Athletics (EBA) approach. The EBA approach consists of the following six holistic development principles (HDPs): (1) self-identity awareness, (2) positive social engagement, (3) active mentorship, (4) academic achievement, (5) career aspirations, and (6) balanced time management.     

A spectrum of support: current and best practices for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at community colleges

More than 50% of all college students with a disability enroll in public 2-year institutions. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a type of disability that affects a growing number of students in postsecondary education. Currently, over 70% of 2-year public institutions enroll students with ASD. In spite of increased awareness, the vast majority of existing ASD research focused on primary and secondary education. Research on practices that support students with disabilities in the community college environment is imperative for promoting student success. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore current and best practices that support students with ASD at 2-year public, postsecondary institutions. A web-based tool was used to survey a nationally representative sample of disability service professionals from 367 2-year, public institutions (35.4% response rate). Our results show reasonable accommodations with an academic focus (e.g., extended exam time) were provided more frequently than sensory accommodations. General support services that focused on the transition to college were offered by 42% of the institutions surveyed, and 26% of institutions supplied ASD-specific services. These results indicated that many institutions provide students with a baseline level of academic accommodations; however, accommodations and support services that specifically target the functional limitations of ASD are offered less frequently. Best practices for supporting students with ASD were synthesized and implications for practice were discussed.     

State authorization reciprocity agreement: participation and access to higher education

The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement initiative was launched in 2014 to provide a uniform standard for the regulation of distance education across states in the United States. The system established by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) allows willing post-secondary institutions to participate voluntarily through a member state where their home campus is located. Since implementation, several states and institutions in the approved states have joined the interstate agreement. About 36 states and 613 institutions in the United States are participating in the interstate agreement as of January 2016. This study analyzed the pattern of participation among various institution types (public, private for-profit and private not-for-profit) and finds that participation amongst states and institutions has continued to increase since implementation of the interstate agreement. With the flexibility that distance learning offers, increased participation in SARA may translate into greater opportunities for participation in higher education.     

高校目标管理面临的困惑与思考

以A大学为个案,对高校目标管理实施现状进行调查分析.通过问卷调查和个别访谈,对目前高校目标管理实施中面临的理论困惑与实践问题进行梳理和分析.提出优化高校实现目标管理效能,需要引导组织成员广泛参与,上下达成共识;"三方"准确定位,规范目标体系;优化管理过程,提高管理效能;实施科学考核,达到有效激励.     

Institutional and departmental satisfaction of women faculty

Using the exploratory data analysis method of median polishing, this study examined the institutional and departmental satisfaction of women who relatively recently entered the academic profession. Results indicated that women's satisfaction with both department and institution differed by institutional type (Carnegie classifications) and discipline type (pure versus applied). Women in applied fields in Research II and Doctoral-Granting II institutions were much less satisfied with both their departments and their institutions than would be expected given their institutional and discipline types. Similarly, the institutional satisfaction of those women at Research I institutions and the departmental satisfaction of women in pure fields at Doctoral-Granting I's was lower than would be expected. Higher levels of departmental satisfaction were shown by women in pure fields at Liberal Arts I institutions.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, St. Louis, November 1988.     

A Review and Evaluation of Doctoral Programs 2000-2004 by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education

The results from a U.S. national survey of doctoral programs in kinesiology and physical education covering the years 2000-2004 are presented. The survey was conducted by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education with all 61 institutions with doctoral programs (32 institutions provided complete data, 52%) invited to participate. Results of the survey included an overall final T-score used for ranking of institutions. Quantitative data on faculty (weighted 66% in the scoring) and student indices (weighted 34% in the scoring) were used to develop the final T-scores as well as T-scores for component data. In addition, average data for all variables are presented by the T-score categories of 60 and above, 50-59, 40-49, and below 40. The American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education plans to conduct this survey and reporting process at 5-year intervals.     

产学合作教育与西部创新教育的实施

本文阐述了在教育改革中 ,进行产学合作教育 ,深入开展学校与社会(企业)的紧密联系 ,共同培养创新型人才 ,是促进西部经济及实施西部创新教育的一种途径     

Phenomenological understanding of Black counselor education students at Predominately White Institutions,Historically Black Colleges and Universities,and Hispanic Serving Institutions

The experiences of Black counseling students at Predominantly White Institutions are well documented. Using a transcendental phenomenological environmental research design, we explored how 12 Black counselor education graduates experienced their respective institutions across three types of academic institutions—Predominantly White Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic Serving Institutions. Three salient themes emerged—(1) exposure, (2) real-life exposure, and (3) cultural oasis. The researchers also discussed implications for counselor education programs and future research.     

Higher Education and Public Good

Policy debate about whether to maintain public subsidies for higher education has stimulated reconsideration of the public mission of higher education institutions, especially those that provide student places conferring private benefits. If the work of higher education institutions is defined simply as the aggregation of private interests, this evaporates the rationale for higher education institutions as distinctive social foundations with multiple public and private roles. The private benefits could be produced elsewhere. If that is all there is to higher education institutions, they could follow the Tudor monasteries into oblivion. But what is ‘public’ in higher education institutions? What could be ‘public’? What should be ‘public’? The paper reviews the main notions of ‘public’ (public goods in economics, public understood as collective good and Habermas' public sphere) noting the contested and politicised environment in which notions of ‘public’ must find purchase. A turn to global public goods offers the most promising strategy for re‐grounding the ‘public’ character of higher education.     

The Patterns of Religious Struggle Among Undergraduates Attending Evangelical Institutions

Of the 900 religiously affiliated colleges and universities in the United States, a sizable portion (approximately 118) are members of the Council for Christian Colleges &; Universities (CCCU). As members of the CCCU, these institutions have a shared commitment to the academic and spiritual development of their students. However, relatively few studies have included data sets with multi-institutional types and longitudinal data. The purpose of this two-part study was to examine the patterns and predictors of religious struggle among traditional undergraduate students attending evangelical institutions compared to those at three other types of institutions. This article addresses the following question: How does the level of religious struggle change between the freshmen and junior years among college students attending evangelical institutions? A quantitative design using the 2004 and 2007 College Student Beliefs and Values Survey (CSBV)—which was last administered in 2007—with responses from 14,527 students attending evangelical, Catholic, other religious, and nonsectarian institutions was employed. Results indicate that significant differences in the levels and patterns of religious struggle exist between evangelical institutions and other types of institutions. Longitudinal measures revealed that students from evangelical institutions experience higher levels of religious struggle compared to their peers at other types of institutions at the end of their junior year. This article is the first in a two-part series and focuses on the patterns of religious struggle among students attending evangelical institutions.     

Top Team Structures in UK Higher Education Institutions: Composition,Challenges, and Changes

Higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide have been undergoing significant levels of structural change for a number of years, ranging from minor re‐alignments of roles and responsibilities to radical changes such as the creation of new roles and new models of operating. This article discusses some initial findings from a recent UK‐focused research project that investigated the challenges and changes associated with the composition of “top management team” (TMT) structures in HEIs. Using the key findings from desk research and empirical investigation in a sample of UK institutions, the article identifies some of the key changes in the roles and responsibilities of the TMT, and identifies examples of good “practice” or “process” within institutions.     

Creating teacher capacity in Early Childhood Education and Care institutions implementing an authoritative adult style

The being together intervention intends to raise teacher capacity in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) institutions and promote social and emotional development in preschoolers by implementing an authoritative (warm and predictable) adult style in the institution. An authoritative adult balances between building up high quality interactions with children, while at the same time having a predictable structure with clear norms and social expectations in the learning environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate what helped the ECEC institutions to successfully implement the program principles and core components, and what were the challenges. The staff groups of seven Norwegian ECEC institutions in different municipalities who took part in the innovation were interviewed at the beginning and before the end of the first year of implementation. Data analysis identified five success criteria in the implementation process; strong commitment to the authoritative adult style, strong focus on the implementation process, advanced support systems, highly involved leaders, and a collective orientation. These elements resulted in a shared vision and an academically grounded practice in the ECEC institutions. Staff members without formal professional training and a lack of written documentation in the ECEC institutions should be given more consideration in further improvement of the capacity building.