Leading positive change in higher education through appreciative inquiry: a phenomenological exploration of the strategic planning process

This study explored the application and impact of using appreciative inquiry in the strategic planning process at a Canadian institution. Appreciative inquiry is a strength-based organisational development model that can be used to guide an institution’s dialogues and actions towards positive change. Applying the appreciative inquiry process in strategic planning challenges the deficit and negative connotations that may be associated with this process. Through phenomenological interviews with seven stakeholders involved in this process, their transformative experiences and the generative impact of the process were explored. Implications for higher education practitioners were also provided.     

Internationalising higher education: comparing the challenges of different higher education institutions in Malaysia

Internationalisation of higher education in Malaysia is seen as a means for improving and empowering higher education so that the higher education institutions in the country can become comparable to the best in the world. While the government has spelt out the directions as well as some of the targets for internationalisation, higher education institutions in the country have been internationalising for different reasons and with different levels of priority and intensity. Public universities, especially the older ones, have been engaged in internationalisation as part of their academic growth and development. Concurrently, a variety of private institutions of higher learning has evolved since the opening up of private higher education from the 1980s. These include private universities that have been established by large corporations, smaller private colleges that have been elevated to the status of degree-conferring institutions as well as branch campuses of foreign universities. The objective of this paper is to examine the different concepts and challenges of internationalisation faced by the different types of higher education institutions in the country, using the case study approach. It was found that in each of these cases, the concept of internationalisation and the challenges faced are different, although funding is raised as a problem in three of the four cases. These different challenges imply that current policies may have to be fine-tuned in order to address the different needs of these institutions in their respective efforts to internationalise.     

A financial perspective: categories of higher education institutions

From a financial perspective, the criteria for category distinction of higher education institutions should be based on the ownership of institution property and income for recurrent expenditure. The development of modern higher education witnessed the period wherein higher education institutions have both private property and private payment for recurrent expenditure. The development also saw the period wherein all the institution properties were owned by the state and all the recurrent expenditure were paid by the government. Accordingly, universities could be divided into two categories of “public” and “private” institutions until the 1970s. However, things have been changing greatly over the past 20 years. Property ownership and payment for recurrent expenditure have been separated. The public institutions appeal to more and more individuals sharing recurrent expenditure, while private institutions ask for more and more public financial support. Therefore, some financially mixed institutions came into being and “three categories with sub-groups” has become a new phenomenon. __________ Translated from Peking University Education Review, 2004 (2)     

Moving towards professionalism: The strategic management of international education activities at Australian universities and their Faculties of Business

Universities around the world are increasingly focusing on entrepreneurial activities (Slaughter and Lesley 1997; Clark 1998). In Australia, the growth of international entrepreneurial activities has resulted in the creation of a significant export-oriented sector. These activities include the recruitment of international students to Australian campuses, the development of Australian university campuses in offshore locations, and the delivery of Australian degree programs at both onshore and offshore locations in partnership with universities, professional associations and private corporations. In 2000, Australian universities received A$770 million from international student fees (Maslen 2000a, p. 10). Australian universities currently receive on average around eight percent of revenues from these sources, with some depending on international entrepreneurialism for as much as one-third of revenues (DETYA 1998a). Managing these activities in an efficient, effective and sustainable manner has thus become critically important to virtually every institution in the Australian higher education sector. As is the case when businesses become international, universities are faced with the need to manage the complexities, risks and challenges associated with international operations. To date, little empirical work has been undertaken which explores and examines how Australian universities are managing their international entrepreneurial business operations. The aim of this study is thus to respond to this research gap by exploring how Australian universities, particularly in terms of their Faculties of Business, organise and manage international entrepreneurial activities. The research examines management approaches, practices and processes at five Australian universities. A Strategic Advantage Model of Internationalisation is presented representing a theoretical and conceptual synthesis of the findings.     

Organisational climate and strategic change in higher education: Organisational insecurity

This research introduces the concept oforganisational climate and contributes to anunderstanding of the recursive relationshipbetween organisational climate and strategicchange initiatives. In the 1990s there wasrecognition that higher education worldwide wasmoving through a period of rapid change.Alterations in the external environment wereput forward as rationales for universities toreconsider the way they organised from theirtraditional governance and managementstructures through to the way in which theyperformed their primary activities of research,teaching and learning. A common approach tothis adaptation or change has been through anincreased emphasis upon strategic planning.This was accompanied by discourses rooted intechnological determinism and the unquestioningbelief in the rightness of a particular brandof corporate management. This research focusedon one such approach to strategic change: thedevelopment of information strategies in 12 UKHigher Education Institutions. Using a groundedapproach to theory generation, it highlightsthe influence of different styles of managementon organisational climate. The paper discussesthe antecedents and influence of one of thedimensions of organisational climateidentified: insecurity/security. Itestablishes that that climates of insecurity(or security) can exist within an HEI and canbe shared on an organisational level, or can berooted in sub-cultures. Six issues wereidentified which affected the climate ofinsecurity or security within the differentHEIs. These issues related to perceptions ofchange management and its frequency,predictability, openness, degree ofparticipation, discontinuous or incrementalnature of change, and whether or not decisionsare implemented by use of persuasive power orcoercive power. The paper goes on to discussthe multi-dimensional nature of insecurity. Itnotes that `managerial' approaches are morelikely to create highly insecure environmentswhich reinforce a vicious circle: staff beingde-motivated, cautious, less willing to takerisks or exercise discretion and are morelikely to resist change. In contrast, inenvironments where a more `collegial' approachhad been used, a virtuous cycle was created,whereby there was a willingness to be open andshare information, there was a greater degreeof cognitive conflict, and more positiveinterpersonal relationships. These factorshelped create consensus, the widespreadunderstanding of decisions (acceptance of theirlegitimacy) and commitment to both thestrategic decisions and the university. Thepaper concludes by arguing that a moresophisticated approach to strategic planningand change should be utilised reflecting theneed to view the HEI as a symbioticcommunity.     

成人院校法律课程教学方法之思考

为提高成人院校法律专业的教学质量，实施素质教育，应改变原有的教学模式，采用案例、实践、图表、多媒体等教学方法进行教学。     

The application of a strategic management model to the internationalization of higher education institutions

The growth of international activities within higher education institutions takes place in a number of different ways ranging from the ad hoc (reactive) to the strategic (proactive). This paper draws on an earlier (1993) empirical study by the author of UK Business Schools in order to identify the key elements within any process of internationalization and to provide a framework for assessing levels of international activity within institutions. It concludes with an introductory model of internationalization which is to form the basis for future work. The paper is written from a UK perspective but can be adapted for the analysis of educational institutions in other countries and other subject areas.Abbreviations CATS Credit Accumulation and Transfer Schemes - CNAA Council for National Academic Awards - EAIE European Association of International Education - EC European Commission - ECTS European Credit Transfer Scheme - EFMD European Foundation for Management Development - ERASMUS European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (EC programme) - HE Higher Education - MBA Master of Business Administration - TEMPUS Trans-European Mobility Scheme for University Studies (EC programme) - UK United Kingdom - UKCOSA United Kingdom Council for Overseas Student Affairs     

我国高等学校发展战略规划的价值、挑战与策略

战略管理是我国高等学校管理模式变革的趋势,制定战略规划并组织实施是战略管理的核心。高等学校战略规划是高等学校办学的精神向导、宣言书和制度创新的蓝图。我国高等学校目前缺乏编制和实施高校战略规划的体制性内源力,对战略规划的有效性缺乏理性判断与客观信任,高校战略规划的编制与实施的组织建设滞后,对高校战略规划的理论与实践缺乏必要的研究,同时,校长的任用方式直接影响了战略规划的价值实现等,这些都需要进行改革与突破。     

后合并时代高校的选择:战略联盟

高校合并后并不意味着高校间合作的结束,后合并时代的高校战略联盟具有自己的特征和比较优势,其模式可分为资源共享、学分互换、共同开发项目、合作办学和联邦等五种。高校要根据自身实际采用适当模式和对策。     

Pedagogies of strategic empathy: navigating through the emotional complexities of anti-racism in higher education

This paper constructs an argument about the emotionally complicated and compromised learning spaces of teaching about anti-racism in higher education. These are spaces steeped in complex structures of feeling that evoke strong and often discomforting emotions on the part of both teachers and students. In particular, the author theorizes the notion of strategic empathy in the context of students' emotional resistance toward anti-racist work; he examines how strategic empathy can function as a valuable pedagogical tool that opens up affective spaces which might eventually disrupt the emotional roots of troubled knowledge – an admittedly long and difficult task. Undermining the emotional roots of troubled knowledge through strategic empathy ultimately aims at helping students integrate their troubled views into anti-racist and socially just perspectives.     

高校党建工作创新的哲学探析

分析高校党建工作创新的哲学内涵和推进党建工作创新的条件和可能性，提出推进高校党建工作创新必须正确处理好的若干辩证关系。     

The development of technology enhanced learning: findings from a 2008 survey of UK higher education institutions

This article summarises the key findings from a UK survey of higher education institutions, focusing on the development of technology enhanced learning (TEL). TEL is defined as any online facility or system that directly supports learning and teaching. The 2008 survey builds upon previous UCISA surveys conducted in 2001, 2003 and 2005 and for which at each stage after 2001, a longitudinal analysis was undertaken [see Browne, T., Jenkins, M., & Walker, R. (2006 Browne, T., Jenkins, M. and Walker, R. 2006. A longitudinal perspective regarding the use of VLEs by higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. Interactive Learning Environments, 14(2): 177–192. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). A longitudinal perspective regarding the use of VLEs by higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. Interactive Learning Environments, 14(2), 177–192]. The findings, confirmed by other studies published since 2005, reveal that ensuring the quality of learning and teaching activities is consolidated as the primary driver for using TEL with a committed local champion representing the highest ranked factor in supporting TEL development within an institution. External strategies have been influential, contributing to the rise to prominence of institutional e-learning strategies. The delivery of course content continues to be the most common way in which TEL is used to support teaching and learning. The tools that have increased in prominence are those for podcasting, e-portfolios, e-assessment, blogs and wikis. Regarding new activities, streaming media, mobile computing, podcasting and Web 2.0 are discernibly the greatest. Upgrading staff skills were overwhelmingly noted as the greatest challenge that these new activities would create, with staff development and supportive strategies being seen as the primary remedies. However, the perception of lack of time was identified as the main barrier that needed to be surmounted. Though much of the data remain subtle, clear identifiable differences continue to be discernible between Pre-92 and Post-92 universities.     

Defining mission statements in higher education: Towards a genre perspective

Mission statements provide educational institutions with the legitimacy to market and promote services through positive statements. This study applied genre analysis to examine the function of promotional rhetoric in top 100 international universities' mission statements. Bhatia's rhetorical moves of promotional genre was triangulated with Pearce and David's components for mission-writing. It was seen that international universities rely on promotional rhetorical moves to articulate their self-concept and services. Moreover, universities actively compete against each other to secure a high position in the international ranking lists. This ensures that they obtain additional incentives that help them gain economic stability and build a reputation. Promotional genre has become a practiced culture in the professional discourse community of higher education. Hence, there is a need to allow mission statements genre membership. We suggested a genre model that can be taught and used for writing mission statements. The most recurrent moves employed suggest that the communicative purpose for mission-writing used by international universities is to target the international market and build a public image to reel in more students, thereby improving their financial status while ensuring a good reputation. Based on this study, institutions can get guidance on designing and drafting effective mission statements.     

The action researcher as tempered radical and strategic entrepreneur in higher education: a personal reflection

This article describes the discovery of action research by a ‘conscious incompetent’ in higher education. The influences on the development of an action researcher’s individual philosophy are discussed. These shape a specific investigation into the implementation of international staff exchange in a post-1992 UK university from the position of an ‘outsider within’, a tempered radical. Ontological and epistemological concepts of quasi-objectivity, subjectivity, participation and commitment are discussed in relation to entrepreneurship in the higher education context, concluding that action research is a methodology suitable for tempered radicals and strategic entrepreneurs and that the action researcher can play these roles to research the execution of international faculty mobility in higher education.     

Study on ecological balance of Chinese higher education in popularization stage

Since the beginning of Chinese higher education expansion in 1999, higher education in terms of scale, speed and structure has been rapid development and beyond the bearing capacity of its ecological balance, input and output of the unbalanced phenomenon between higher education and social environment, the unbalanced phenomenon also appear in regional distribution, between quantity and quality, between structure and function. The status quo of Chinese higher education has been described in the paper, the unbalanced phenomenon has been analyzed, and the corresponding countermeasures has been proposed for the imbalance in Chinese higher education, it provide reference views for the reform of Chinese higher education.     

The Contested Curriculum: Academic learning and employability in higher education

This article explores the discourse of employability in higher education by investigating the understanding of different stakeholder groups (students, staff, employers) of the University of Nottingham (UK and China), and their fit to each other and to the educational literature. It finds that, while theories of life-long or life-wide learning position employability as an outcome of a holistic curriculum embracing both discipline and employability, stakeholders perceive learning for employability as a threat to disciplinary learning. The results suggest that to progress significant curriculum development in support of employability, a greater consensus of stakeholder views is needed with a deeper sympathy towards the integration of academic learning and employability. The article concludes with an assessment of the re-envisioning needed by Nottingham and other universities as they prepare students for an “employability” fit for purpose in a twenty-first century characterized by change and challenge.     

面向21世纪高校德育工作的新思考

培养具有创新精神和实践能力的高素质人才是高等学校面向２１世纪的首要任务。它要求高校必须全面贯彻党的教育方针,牢固树立素质教育观念,强化德育教育行为,充分认识德育工作的地位和作用,明确德育工作的目标和任务,充实和调整德育工作的内容,拓宽德育教育的渠道,加强德育硬件的建设,确保德育工作到位,为祖国新世纪的发展培养更多的合格人才。     

大学校长在高校战略管理中的角色定位和角色转换

大学校长在高校战略管理中的角色定位和角色转换是影响一所大学成功实施战略管理的重要因素。根据大学校长在整个战略管理过程中所体现的总体作用的不同,可将大学校长的角色分为构建者、规划者、分析者、引导者、跟进者、学习者和旁观者七种。大学校长在高校战略管理中的角色定位,是由大学发展的需要,大学所面临的环境,大学的特性,校长自身的能力以及大学所处的发展阶段决定的。随着上述条件的改变,大学校长的角色转换既是必须也是必然的。