Demystifying Accreditation: Action Plans for a National or Regional Accreditation

As part of educational reform, many institutions of higher education are undergoing accreditation processes. Based on interviews, observations, and the author's experiences in accreditation reviews, this discussion delineates three stages of planning for an accreditation process. Recommendations are organized by each stage of preparation into long- and short-term action plans with specific tasks. Analyzing the process of accreditation across institutions and programs led to the identification of common elements that can make planning an accreditation effective and efficient. This article maps the roles and responsibilities of accreditation stakeholders and the need for communication and collaboration throughout the process.Ann L. Wood earned a Ph.D. in educational psychology from The University of Michigan and a M.A. in special education and a B.A. in sociology, psychology, and education from Michigan State University. She is currently the Co-Principal Investigator for the Comprehensive Teacher Education Institute and an Assistant Professor in the Charter College of Education at California State University, Los Angeles. Her special interests are educational reform, urban education, lives of faculty and teachers, higher education, teacher development, and teacher induction     

Early Childhood Education and Care for Children with Disabilities: Facilitating Inclusive Practice*

In this case study, a co-operative inquiry process was used to facilitate the expansion of inclusive early childhood education and care practices in a rural community in the Midwest. A university and a community researcher first engaged in interviews and site visits, during which they learned how a three-member inclusion team of early care and education professionals initiated changes in practice from self-contained to inclusive special education and therapy. Key practices included responding to families’ priorities, changing roles, and providing integrated services and support for children’s successful transitions into Kindergarten. The second part of the research consisted of action planning during focus groups and community meetings, which resulted in social recognition from the school district, technical assistance through state improvement grant funding, and better preschool options for young children with disabilities. *We gratefully acknowledge partial funding of this research by the Dean's Office at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and State Improvement Grant funding by the Department of Public Instruction.     

Does Educational Preparation Match Professional Practice: The Case of Higher Education Policy Analysts

This study compares the extent to which higher education policy analysts and master’s and doctoral faculty of higher education and public affairs programs match on a set of competencies thought to be important to higher education policy analysis. Analysts matched master’s faculty in three competencies while analysts and doctoral faculty matched in five competencies. The findings suggest possible reasons why analysts and graduate faculty agree or differ on various competencies. Also, the findings raise important questions regarding the preparation of higher education policy analysts and the graduate programs that educate them. This study is an addition to the body of competency literature. Eduardo C. Arellano  obtained a B.A. in Political Science and an M.P.A from the University of Texas at El Paso, and he holds the Ph.D. in Educational Administration from New Mexico State University. He is an assistant professor at New Mexico State University in the Department of Educational Management and Development. His special interests are interactional diversity, competency, and US–Mexico border studies. Mario C. Martinez  has a B.A. in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University, an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from Arizona State University. He is an associate professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in the department of Educational Leadership. His special interests are higher education policy, governance, finance, competency modeling, and strategy.     

美国密歇根州立大学小学卓越教师课程特点

美国密歇根州立大学小学教育专业以培养卓越教师为目标,以全面综合的课程设置为优势,以富有成效的见习实习制度为特色,铸造了密歇根州立大学小学卓越教师培养的神话。在课程设置上,综合学习与写作课程,奠定卓越基础;计划课程结合主修学科课程,搭建卓越脚手架;教师教育课程,锻造卓越锋刃。借鉴密歇根州立大学小学卓越教师培养,建议从国家层面制定我国卓越教师专业标准,从高校层面改善小学教育专业课程结构,增强实习的专业性。     

Foreign policies of U.S. higher education institutions: Accident or design?

Based on a content analysis of The Chronicle of Higher Education from 1984 to 1989, the authors find that current foreign policy decisions of higher education institutions are being made reactively within four policy arenas: research, students, investments, and academic programs. The authors conclude that a comprehensive foreign policy should be included in an institution's strategic planning process.He has served recently as Visiting Professor of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. Previously he was Director of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. Carolyn P. Griswold has a M.Ed. from Georgia State University and is a doctoral candidate in the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. Phyllis Wyatt-Woodruff is Director of Enrollment at Paine College and a doctoral candidate in the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. Patricia Gregg is on the staff of Clayton State College and is a doctoral candidate in the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia.     

Faculty Engagement in Mentoring Undergraduate Students: How Institutional Environments Regulate and Promote Extra-Role Behavior

Faculty-student interaction is critical for quality undergraduate education. Faculty mentorship provides concrete benefits for students, faculty members, and institutions. However, little is known about the effect of institutional context on mentorship. Using data from interviews of 98 faculty at five different California State University institutions, we examined faculty motivations and institutional supports and barriers to mentoring as it occurs outside of formalized programs. We argue that this type of mentoring is distinct from advising and teaching and constitutes extra-role behavior. Further, institutional norms and the culture of the academic profession often hinder mentorship. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.     

Working an Academically Rigorous,Multicultural Program

In 1997 the California State University Monterey Bay Master of Arts in Education program began accepting students with the explicit intent of offering an academically challenging curriculum that grounds teacher-leaders in multicultural social justice education. By 2003, the program had successfully attracted and graduated a student population that is as racially and ethnically diverse as the state of California. As eight faculty members who designed and implemented this program, writing from a position of “insider knowledge” regarding how it functioned on a day-to-day basis, we show how culturally and linguistically diverse students, many of whom have been underprepared for rigorous academic work, can attain high levels of academic excellence in a challenging and supportive context. In addition, we explore the tensions and realities of doing this work, especially in a state university context that is experiencing decreased funding that jeopardizes programs such as this one. We write so that our work is not forgotten but rather narrates what is possible.     

加州高等教育总体规划的经验教训及其启示

《加州高等教育总体规划1960-1975》有力地促进了加利福尼亚州高等教育的发展。它不仅成功地化解了公立高等院校之间的矛盾,使高等学校之间停止了恶性竞争,而且把加州高等教育引上了健康有序发展的道路。规划实施后,加州大学系统、州立大学系统和社区学院系统都得到了很大发展,使加州公立高等教育系统成为美国运转最为良好而且质量一流的公立高等教育系统。加州高等教育总体规划对各层次高校成功定位的经验,对我国高校的结构层次划分可能包含积极的借鉴意义或警示意义的因素。     

Assessment of research quality

The assessment of research quality and accountability for research funding are major issues in higher education. This paper describes the British experience of nationwide research quality assessment exercises, and newly introduced measures intended to improve accountability. The consequences are examined, including those for the higher education system as a whole and for individual institutions, using the University of Glasgow as an example. Comprehensive peer review of research quality has demonstrated the usefulness of certain performance indicators. Their relevance for U.S. institutional researchers is discussed, and similarities with the measures used by the National Academy of Sciences in its assessment of researchdoctorate programs are identified. The requirements of the U.S. Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) are noted.     

Alternatives in higher education — Who wants what?

A survey of undergraduate students enrolled on eight campuses of The University of California yielded information about the magnitude and structure of desire for programs of study different from the traditional, full-time programs in which these students are enrolled. These preferences were elicited about both undergraduate and graduate programs of study. Although a desire for alternative programs is greater for the graduate level, both graduate and undergraduate orientations toward alternative programs have two principal sources: (1) a desire for greater time and space flexibility in access to higher education, which arises out of objective familial and financial impediments to easy, full-time enrollment; and (2) a negative view of established forms and modes of higher education. The kinds of programs which students feel will meet these needs are characterized by instructional modes which do not require the student to attend a single center of learning but which, nevertheless, retain interpersonal contacts among students and faculty members. The most attractive single feature endorsed by those desiring alternative modes of instruction is the design of the course of study by the student himself. The implications of these findings for future changes in traditional higher education are discussed.The first author is Director of Research and Evaluation, Office of the Vice President - Extended Academic and Public Service Programs, Office of the President, University of California. The second author is President of the University of Utah and was formerly Vice President - Extended Academic and Public Service Programs, University of California. This paper is adapted from a background paper which the authors prepared for the Conference on Future Structures of Post-secondary Education, Paris, France, June, 1973, sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.     

Comparisons and Contrasts in Traditional Versus On-Line Teaching in Management

California State University/Dominguez Hills, in Carson, California, is a leader in distance learning in the twenty-three campus California State University system. A pioneer in distance learning in its system, California State University/Dominguez Hills now offers six degree programmes via the Internet and televises over thirty hours of classes per week. California State University/Dominguez Hills was recently named by Forbes magazine as one of twenty "Cyber Universities" in the United States. Five of the six on-line degree programmes offered by California State University/Dominguez Hills are Master's degree programmes; four of these are self-supporting, attracting students from around the world. The experience that California State University/Dominguez Hills has gained in distance learning places it in a unique position of leadership among state universities in the western United States.     

在线教与学多媒体教育资源(MERLOT)项目评析

美国加州州立大学的MERLOT项目是将高校教育创新付诸实践,以提高高校教学质量的典范。文章介绍了MERLOT的起源与发展,对其资源的共建共享机制、质量评价机制和学术支持服务机制进行了剖析,并总结了该项目取得成功的经验及其对高校精品课程资源建设和应用的启示,旨在为我国高校精品课程资源的共建共享和"十二五质量工程"的开展提供借鉴。     

Implementing Quality Service-Learning Programs in Community Colleges

This cross-case comparative study at Western Community College and the University of the Coast explored through a constructive lens the characteristics that lead to sustainable, high quality service-learning programs and how they are implemented at institutions of higher education. The researchers determined that both Western Community College and the University of the Coast (a) have diverse collaborative partnerships that promote excellent communication between all of the entities, (b) offer a wide variety of service-learning courses to connect curricular and cocurricular experiences, (c) have a stable funding base, (d) provide the necessary resources, (e) have continuity in staffing, and (f) incorporate feedback and assessment into their respective service-learning programs. The findings from this study, based on one-on-one interviews, focus groups, observations, and document analysis, serve as a model on how to create quality and sustainable service-learning programs that combine academic scholarship, off-campus learning discoveries, reflection, civic engagement, and meaningful community service. The research may be applicable for educators at community colleges at various stages in developing service-learning programs, or who are transforming faltering programs, trying to make them sustainable.     

美国不同类型高校教师对本科教学的认知差异与成因分析

以加州州立大学这一教研型高校与加州大学这一研究型高校的教师代表为样本,通过质性访谈、编码分析发现美国不同类型高校的教师对本科教学地位、目标、认可与回报的认知存在明显差异。加州州立大学的教师视教学为“首要使命”,认为本科教育旨在促进学生的“个体发展”,教学为他们带来了多元成就;加州大学的教师则认为教学是基本职责之一,致力于训练“未来的研究者”,教学上的认可主要来自学生和同行。这种认知差异的直接原因在于各校在教师晋升中导向明确,组织使命得以内化为教师的个人目标。美国研究型大学同样注重在教学管理和人事制度上对教师的教学行为予以规范,保障本科教育质量。我国大学要重视本科教育,更应当提升教学在教师评价中的地位。     

在美国作为一个研究领域的高等教育:历史、学位项目与知识基础

在探索高等教育作为一个研究生阶段的新的学术领域在美国的崛起方面,本文提出了四个相关的主题。首先,本文追溯了高等教育作为一种学位项目的起源和程序化的发展,以及高等教育的课程发展和专业化的演变。第二,通过高等教育研究领域在研究型学位(Ph.D和M.A.)和专业学位(Ed.D.和M.Ed)的发展历史,本文指出在整个20世纪,教育学院都在力求区别对待这两种学位类型,而且努力证明这些学位类型各有其存在的原因和不同的要求。第三,高等教育研究领域的崛起逐步形成了一种知识基础,它反映了与大学历史和传统、大学管理与治理、大学课程、学生和公共政策研究领域相关的正在增长的研究生产力。与许多其他学科和专业领域一样,这种正在发展中的知识基础发轫于致力于高等教育研究的学术期刊、丛书、专著以及期刊文章。第四,在高等教育研究中心和学位项目国际化的背景下,本文对美国、欧洲、加拿大和中国正在演化中的高等教育的多学科领域提供了一个粗略的描述。     

Better Allocating University Resources to Create On-line Learning Environments for Non-Traditional Students in Underserved Rural Areas

This article details one university’s efforts to develop graduate courses and programs to better serve the needs of the increasing non-traditional student population in underserved rural areas. A detailed overview is presented, along with the strategic planning outcomes achieved. We hope this article will initiate dialogue among higher education professionals on ways to better meet the academic needs of non-traditional students in underserved rural areas. Erinn D. Lake earned a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.A. in Communication Studies from Edinboro University and a D.Ed. in Administration and Leadership Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is the Assistant Vice President for University Planning, Institutional Research, and Continuous Improvement at Edinboro University. Andrew J. Pushchak earned an Ed.D in Educational Leadership from Youngstown State University. He is an Assistant Professor for the Educational Leadership Program in the Department of Professional Studies at Edinboro University.     

The three Rs of conflict management for department chairs and faculty

This article presents an introduction to understanding and addressing conflict in academic departments. Current philosophies toward conflict in organizations include a principled approach encouraging the positive benefits that conflict may bring to institutions. To utilize this approach it is important to understand the nature of conflict, identify effective response options, and develop skills in principled conflict resolution. This paper identifies the structures within organizations which inherently cause conflict. In addition, various strategies for dealing with conflict are outlined based on the Thomas/Killman response modes. Finally, Fisher and Ury's foundation for principled conflict resolution is applied to departments in higher education.Walter H. Gmelch received an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. in the Educational Executive Program from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is currently professor and chair of the Educational Administration Department at Washington State University and directs the University Council for Educational Administration Center for the Study of Department Chair. His area of interest is in leadership development, managerial stress and academic department chairs. James B. Carroll received his Ph.D. in educational administration from Washington State University. He is currently the associate director of the Center for the Study of the Department Chair, Washington State University. His area of interest is in investigating role orientations and careers of department chairs.     

The Psychology of the Teacher

The Greek authorities are at present struggling to develop new dimensions in higher education in order to meet the new demands as members of the European Common Market. The author (B.A. equivalent, University of Athens; M.A., Ph.D., Southern California) sketches the problems and demands and offers a wide range of suggestions for the advancement of higher education in Greece. He is serving at present on the faculty of Western Washington State College.     

Inclusive education in the Netherlands: how funding arrangements and demographic trends relate to dropout and participation rates

There is a global trend towards including children with special needs in mainstream schools instead of placing them in special schools. However, the numbers of students in special schools varies greatly among regions due to variations in educational systems, funding arrangements – and the incentives that are associated with these arrangements – and demographic trends. In the Netherlands, a new policy aimed at inclusive education was introduced in 2014, together with financial measures to equalise funding for students with special needs across the country. The present study explored the effects of this equalisation policy, as well as the demographic trend of population decline, on dropout rates and participation rates in special education (namely, special schools for mainstream education and schools for special education). The data were retrieved from nation-wide registration systems. The results showed that population decline did not affect participation rates in special education, whereas decreases in funding did result in greater declines in participation rates in special education. Moreover, decreases in funding also resulted in higher dropout rates in areas with growing student populations. Although the reform of funding arrangements resulted in lower participation in special education, higher dropout rates might be a cost of this shift towards inclusive education.     

Preparing student teachers for alternative assessment in science

This material is based upon work supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation California State University Student Teaching Development Project (DOE-9250027) and the W. M. Keck Foundation. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding ordanizations.