The challenges of the faculty members’ commitment: The role of university brand

Commitment in the knowledge‐intensive sectors has today become a key organisational dilemma as well as a serious managerial concern. In the university setting, faculty members’ commitment to various stakeholder bases and the subsequent implications have hitherto been studied only to a limited extent. Through a quantitative survey, this paper studies university professors’ various modes of commitment and investigates the role of university brand in the context of Iranian universities. The findings reveal that university professors with higher level of professional commitment tend to be more organisationally committed. Furthermore, it is shown that university brand can increase the impact of professional commitment on organisational commitment.     

The promise and the promises: Partnerships from a university perspective

Abstract

This study describes issues related to the genesis of two university and middle‐school partnerships as experienced and related by the university faculty members who have participated in the process.

Benefits and tensions have surfaced from these partnerships. Some of the benefits included a broader community of professional colleagues, opportunities to collaborate on research, and firsthand experiences with school reform. The tensions involved conflicts with the university's reward system, the length of time it takes to build trust, the difficulties in establishing collaborative research agendas and balancing two worlds, and feelings of detachment from university colleagues and activities.

Although promises have been made that the university's reward system will change to give priority to work in schools, this is a major concern for non‐tenured faculty. In spite of this, there is great potential in these partnerships to affect change in teacher education.     

The organizational impact of university labor unions

The current review presents both postulated and empirically tested consequences of university unionization and labor strikes on the North American institution’s administration, faculty, and students. The review explores the impact of collective bargaining on employee working conditions including job security, academic freedom, university governance, and due process. More importantly, this review examines the much neglected issue of organizational work relationships in a unionized academic environment. The relationships discussed include those between faculty members, between the faculty and administration, between the faculty and the university as an institution, and between the faculty and their union. The threat of unionization and labor strikes to the professor–student or mentor–mentee relationship has been a central concern of those opposed to graduate student unions, and this issue is also addressed here. The text concludes with the identification of potential areas for future research.     

The “good professor” as perceived by university instructors

The purpose of this study is to answer the question: What is the Israeli instructor's conception of a “good university professor?” The study deals with the instructor's conception of the characteristics of the “good professor” with regard to the department in which he is teaching. A sample of 51 instructors from two departments were asked to select the three most important characteristics of a “good university professor” from a list of fifteen. It was shown that instructors attached primary importance to the professor's ability to spark intellectual growth. Of secondary importance was his method of instruction. The professor's traits connected to his academic status and his personality were of relatively little concern. There was unanimity among instructors from the two departments in their conception of what a “good professor” should be. They singled out characteristics that fall under the heading of delivery. A disparity exists between the instructor's conception of the “good professor” and the students' conception.     

A tenuous relationship: The African university and development policymaking in the 1980s

This paper examines some reasons why research findings generated by African university-based researchers seldom are taken into serious consideration by development policymakers in anglophone Africa. It begins with a brief review of the introduction of British models of higher education and scientific research into Africa, using Nigeria as an illustrative case. It then considers the current research environment of the African university and the changing role of the university in the late 1980s. The paper posits a number of reasons why research carried out at African universities rarely is used as input by policymakers in their development planning processes: (1) there is a clear dichotomy between the university and government, with relations that can best be described as mutually suspicious; (2) there is a dichotomy between university-based researchers working on national development problems and the rural populations who usually are intended as the recipients or beneficiaries of the research findings; and (3) research is seriously underfunded in virtually all African universities, with the result that researchers seldom have sufficient means to carry out effective dissemination of their research findings. The paper ends with some suggestions as to how the impact of these problems might be minimized.The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the International Development Research Centre.     

Transformation of university governance: on the role of university board members

In this conceptual contribution to the study of university governance the authors will approach potential patterns of behavior of key decision-makers at central university level, i.e. roles of governance actors, as well as the set of factors that shape and constrain the governance actor’s room of manoevre and provide avenues to explain varying role enactments through an actor analysis of members of the newly introduced university boards. In a first part the introduction and empowerment of university boards in European higher education institutions is described as a building block of the transformation of university governance. In the second part the main hypothesis derived is that, in governance practice, board members enact roles which are not only shaped and constrained by formal institutions, as given by the organizational context and regulatory structure, but also by conformable, appropriate and legitimate role expectations of central role senders. As a showcase analysis, the roles of university board members are conceptually explored. Especially in the context of recent reform processes, board members who tend to have a varied status set, very often find themselves in a troubling situation of conflicting role expectations, leading to high levels of role conflicts and role ambiguity. It is the aim of this paper to sketch and examine the factors that contribute to the different roles university board members may take.     

The impact of university incorporation on college lecturers

In South Africa, recent government plans tochange the institutional landscape of highereducation have resulted in mergers of collegesinto universities or technikons. The researchreported in this article focuses solely on theimpact of a ``college-into-university'incorporation as manifested in the personal,emotional and career experiences of thesecollege staff members. It traces the changes intheir perceptions and emotions during and afterthe incorporation process. It also identifiesrecurring themes and issues evident in thepersonal lives of those affected by thisincorporation.A unique research methodology was engaged: TheCollege staff who had been appointed to theuniversity after the merger, identified sevencritical themes and then designed and conducted30 semi-structured interviews among themselves.This article thus documents the impact ofincorporation into a university on theindividual and collective lives of theresearchers themselves.The data suggest that the emotional impact ofincorporation was intense and that theuncertainty, especially, led to considerabletrauma. The most important concern emanatingfrom this joint research project is that whilea certain degree of distress is unavoidable inany institutional merger, inattention to themanagement of human resources, emotions andaspirations could linger on, possibly having anegative effect on the ambitions for thetransformation of the new entity.     

大学教师社会角色论

大学教师作为社会的一个特殊群体 ,具有特定的社会角色。本文从大学教师的社会活动和社会关系出发 ,在分析大学教师的社会地位和作用之后 ,认为大学教师的社会角色是研究者、教育者、知识分子三者的统一体。作为研究者 ,其根本特性是为学术而学术 ;作为教育者 ,其根本特性是热爱学生 ;作为知识分子 ,其根本特性是深刻的社会关怀     

大学制度变革中的价值本位博弈

大学制度变革创新的价值抉择过程,是社会本位、个人本位、知识本位、学校本位价值观之间的一场博弈。社会本位在大学制度变革中有着强大的现实动力、功利目的与外在压力;从大学人的福祉出发,以人的全面发展为中心的个人本位是制度变革的终极关怀之所在;以高深学问的增值为旨趣的知识本位是制度变革中的深层次文化动因;学校本位为制度变革提供了直接推动力与内化影响力。大学制度变革的价值博弈过程,从理性角度看,是这四种本位间因时、因地、因校制宜的合力。从代价视角看,人的发展本身才是大学制度设计与制度变革的终极价值关怀之所在。     

The university of the future: Stiegler after Derrida

Abstract

Higher education has not been spared from the effects of the disruptive aspects of technology. MOOCs, teach bots, virtual learning platforms, and Wikipedia are among technics marking a digital transformation of knowledge. The question of the university, the foundation of its authority and purpose is more than timely; it is urgent to any future philosophy of higher education. Will the university survive in the future and if so, for what purpose? We examine two philosophers, Jacques Derrida and Bernard Stiegler, who take on this challenge. Derrida, writing at ‘the scene of teaching’, proposes new humanities for a university ‘without condition’, one with increasing autonomy to democratize it further. Stiegler takes issue with him on the conditions of the university of the future. Stiegler offers not an ‘anti-Derridian discourse’ but a ‘deconstruction of a deconstruction’ of Derrida. Stiegler’s critique of Derrida on the role of the professoriate and the university of the future expand the fissure between them. In this article, we argue that Stiegler’s reading of Derrida points to the university not as an anachronistic way of knowing displaced by the digital revolution but as vital to a politics of the spirit in a democratic future.     

Higher education inclusivity: when the disability enriches the university

ABSTRACT

This article analyses the perspectives of faculty members on disability in higher education. Their testimonies give value to the attitudes and qualities of university students with disabilities and show how they influence their professional and personal development. We carried out a qualitative study, through interviews with 119 faculty members of different fields from 10 Spanish universities, who were nominated by students with disabilities for developing inclusive pedagogy. We conducted a progressive analysis of the data using a system of categories and codes. The results describe the motivations that drove the participants to respond to the needs of students with disabilities, the personal and professional impact posed by the challenge of adjusting the teaching and learning processes, and the perceptions of the faculty members toward the contributions of these students to the university. In the conclusions section, we delve into the need of universities to embrace inclusivity. The data provided by this study reveal that disability can be a valuable asset in a university context that dissociates from the deficit lens and acknowledges that all students are important and able to learn when the attitudes and conditions are appropriate.     

高校专利资产保护

专利资产是一种潜在的无形资产,是具有获得专利可能性的一项技术。由于法律意识的淡薄以及缺乏相关规章制度和高校教师带走高新技术三方面的原因造成高校专利资产流失。为了避免这些现象发生,强化教师的法律和提高专利保护意识;对于专利资产保护制度不完善的高校,尽快完善各项制度;针对“跳槽”带走专利资产的现象,可以和教师签订合同,明确双方的权利义务。     

Degree flexibility and university drop-out: The Italian experience

How to reduce university drop-out is a topic of increasing concern. Although several measures have been the subject of numerous debates, little attention has been given to those impacting on the duration, structure and content of the supply of university education. This paper looks at the Italian experience to see what can be learnt about the effectiveness of these measures. In 2001, the Italian university system embarked on a process of reform that introduced greater flexibility in the degree programme structure along with a wider range of services offered to students. Employing a decomposition analysis, we find that this reform is associated with changes in student behaviour leading to a decline in drop-out risk.     

对精神“贫困”大学生的分析与对策

贫困大学生的问题能否妥善地解决是关系到能否实现大学校园和谐建设的重大问题。在新的社会大背景下对贫困大学生也要有新的定义,大学生的贫困不能再只是体现为物质的贫困,应该还要加上意识或者说是精神方面的“贫困“。本文就从大学生精神方面的“贫困“这种新的“贫困“形式进行分析,并提出解决问题的策略。     

The challenges of university teaching and learning in the era of managerialism

Abstract

The paper debates the challenges of university teaching in the era of managerialism. It teases out current institutional reconfigurations, and argues that challenges of teaching and learning are integral to the university as a complex institution in the era of supercomplexity. It argues that the university should shed its ‘ivory tower’ mentality, acknowledge that its future legitimacy depends on its willingness to negotiate processes and procedures with its community, of which it is itself a constitutive part. The paper questions the relevance of the lecture as a pedagogical practice in this era of supercomplexity; it argues that the lecture is dead and should be replaced. It advocates Socratic questioning to create epistemological and ontological disturbance in the students. Socratic questioning is characterised by a relentless self-examination and critique, an endless quest for intellectual integrity and moral consistency, manifest in fearless speech that unsettles, unnerves, and unhouses people from their uncritical sleepwalking.     

Teaching university teachers to become better teachers: the effects of pedagogical training courses at six Swedish universities

ABSTRACT

Do pedagogical training courses for university teachers have desirable effects on the participants? We set out to answer this question by following a panel of 183 university teachers from Sweden’s six largest universities, who participated in pedagogical training courses. Our study reveals that the participants’ self-reported confidence in their role as teachers increased slightly, and their self-assessed pedagogical skills increased notably after they had finished their courses. Even though the courses were rather short, we could also observe some changes in fundamental approaches to teaching in some of the subgroups of respondents, both toward more student-centeredness and, perplexingly, toward more teacher-centeredness. Additionally, most respondents (7 out of 10) found the courses useful or very useful. Course satisfaction was most notable among participants with less than three years of teaching experience. Considering the fact that we find the positive effects of pedagogical training courses to be present mainly in the group of participants with less than three years of teaching experience, we discuss whether a policy of making these courses mandatory for all university teachers implies an overestimation of their impact.     

A game theoretic analysis of faculty competition and academic standards

Grade inflation, particularly but not exclusively in higher education, is a serious concern of educators, educational policy-makers and researchers. It has been suggested that student evaluations of faculty are among its principal causes because students tend to give favorable evaluations to professors who give high grades, and that these evaluations are used by university administrators as part of the criteria for promotions, salary increases and similar faculty benefits. This explanation suggests that faculty members compete for favorable student evaluations. It can be generalized to state that faculty members cooperate and compete not only for favorable evaluations, but also for the enrollment of students in the courses they teach. The relevance of faculty cooperation and competition suggests that the Theory of Games could be a useful instrument to analyze the interactions among university professors. The object of this paper is to present a model based on these assumptions and to analyze the consequences that can be derived from it that are relevant for university policy decisions.     

The design and delivery of programs under mandatory continuing professional education

In the last few years mandatory continuing education ("MCPE") has become for many professionals in Australia a fact of their practising lives. This paper examines the nature of the schemes which have recently been set up for members of the legal and accountancy professions. It considers whether the main concern is really continuing education or the certification by professional bodies of their members as competent to practise. The extensive literature on MCPE is then reviewed to draw out the arguments offered by its advocates and its opponents and thereby to elucidate the issues involved. In the author's view, this literature contains valuable lessons not only for those professions contemplating the introduction of MCPE but also for those who already have schemes in place. A knowledge of the issues can assist program designers to provide better programs by reducing the shortcomings and capitalising on the benefits which others have identified. The author concludes that designers should resist the temptation of delivering the same sorts of programs under MCPE that they did under pre‐existing voluntary schemes. They should recognise that there are very different educational issues as well as economic and organisational problems flowing directly from MCPE, which require that traditional programming be rethought.     

Mentoring new university teachers

Abstract

The paper begins by outlining evidence that mentorships are extensive in British higher education. Second, it examines the role of the mentor, drawing attention to the complexity and confusion that exists around this central issue. Next, the authors turn to the various models of mentoring. Taking issue with those who support formal intervention and hierarchical relationships, they argue for a more organic approach, in which regulations are not closely prescribed and participants are empowered to develop their partnership in ways that are congruent with their culture. The paper questions the relative lack of convincing data on the effectiveness of mentoring, either from research or from within organizations’ own evaluation systems, and suggests a future research agenda focused on this issue. Throughout, the focus is on the role of the mentor rather than the role of the mentee or protégé, drawing on data from the authors’ own universities, two ‘old’ research‐led universities with traditions of collegiality (Nottingham is a large provincial university that was founded in the 1880's and acquired a Royal Charter in 1948; Keele dates from 1950, is a smaller, campus‐based university, with strong traditions of multi‐disciplinarity).     

The urban university and urban culture

Conclusion We have briefly described an urban university in contrast to the traditional university, and we have recommended several strategies for changing the traditional university. The urban university plays a much more important role in the intellectual life of the urban community. It reaches throughout the community and, in becoming a center of intellectual activity in its urban settings, gives the intellectual life of a community greater focus. We believe that many urban communities would be anxious to develop an urban university and that such communities would be attractive to a great many people.William L. Blizek and Robert B. Simpson are, respectively, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.This paper is a revised version of one presented originally at the First National Conference on Urban Education, Kansas City, Missouri, November 25, 1975.