Learning to Play the Game: Professional Development and Mentoring

ABSTRACT

During the course of a career, community college administrators are engaged in activities that are believed to enhance their skills, knowledge, and abilities. Career-related activities such as furthering one's education, participating in professional development activities, and cultivating mentoring relationships may impact the career advancement of administrators. They may also provide opportunities for administrators to grow and develop as leaders. Using social and human capital as a theoretical lens, this article provides an increased understanding of the types of formal and informal activities that senior community college administrators participate in, as well as their perceptions of whether these activities are important for career advancement and development. It also further explores the role that mentors play in the lives of administrators. Findings reveal that administrators in this study participated in a variety of professional development activities both off- and on-campus, and a majority of administrators indicated that they had a mentor in higher education. Implications and areas for future research are discussed.     

INSTITUTIONAL PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE PREPARATION OF COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS

This article looks at the relative usefulness of 12 selected factors in the preparation of college administrators as seen by practicing administrators and faculty in comprehensive community colleges, four‐year liberal arts colleges, and universities.

Three hundred randomly selected faculty and administrators in the state of Iowa were sent survey questionnaires. The returned surveys and research data were then analyzed in order to answer the research question.

The findings suggested that graduates from programs in higher education administration may be more accepted in community colleges than in liberal arts colleges or universities. The findings also showed that university personnel perceived the major research experience as being significantly more useful than the other personnel. Nonclassroom experiences were thought to be the most useful by all personnel, with faculty experience in higher education perceived to be the most useful. This study also showed that both administrators and faculty perceived majoring in higher education administration to be less useful than any of the other 11 preparation variables.

One of the recommendations of this study is that students, graduates, and professors in higher education administration programs attempt to educate the participants in higher education and the public on the strengths and uses of their programs. It was also recommended that further research is needed in the area of administrative task analysis at the different types of institutions.     

THE CHANGE FROM TRANSFER TO CAREER EDUCATION AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN THE 1970s

For most of the twentieth century, up until the 1970s, the transfer curriculum, which prepared two‐year students for continuing their education at a four‐year school, was dominant in the community college; the ratio of enrollment in transfer programs to enrollment in occupational or career programs varied only between 2:1 and 3:1. In the 1970s, a dramatic shift occurred. Students began abandoning the transfer curriculum for the career curriculum in record numbers, and fewer decided to transfer to four‐year schools. This phenomenon has been widely quoted as fact, yet little has been done to document it, with actual figures from individual states. This paper first presents difficulties posed by this area for the researcher. Second, it examines the rise of career education and the decline of transfer education on a state‐by‐state basis. Finally, it concludes with a call for future researchers to study the repercussions of this change on the community college as a whole.     

ACHIEVING SEX EQUITY IN TWO‐YEAR COLLEGE CAREER PROGRAMS

The purposes of this research study were to document the current status of sex‐equity efforts in New York State two‐year colleges and to identify institutional and individual factors impinging on these‐vfforts. A statewide survey collected initial data (N = 37 colleges). At a sample of responding colleges, questionnaires and personal interviews were used to collect information from male and female students enrolled in programs traditional and nontraditional to their sex (N = 361), and from administrators, faculty and staff (N = 72).

Results showed that progress toward sex equity has been made, but continued efforts are needed. Achievement of sex equity as a total concept is no either/or situation; rather it becomes a matter of degree or comparative extent. Research results led to recommendations regarding the categories of leadership, support services, career information, materials and facilities, placement, and community service, which would promote sex equity in postsecondary career education.     

THE DISSEMINATION OF A UNIVERSITY FIELD PLACEMENT PROGRAM: IMPACT ON RECRUITMENT,SATISFACTION AND EFFECTIVENESS

Community college field placements often reflect a “vocational education” approach to outside‐the‐classroom learning, attempting to train students in specific skills and prerequisites for predetermined job slots. In the human services area, however, this may not be the most advantageous approach to producing innovative workers who will generate creative solutions to persistent and serious social problems. This study examined the impact of utilizing one popular university approach to field learning‐experiential learning coupled with social change agentry—with community college students. A criterion‐group field experiment was conducted, looking at paper‐and‐pencil measures, interviews, and archival data. It was found that the community college students were as willing to participate, were equally satisfied with the experience, and were as effective with their assigned cases as were the university students in this rigorous and demanding field placement. Community college administrators who are seeking to broaden their human service field settings should also consider successful university models of experiential learning as alternatives.     

PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY ABOUT THE NEED FOR GERONTOLOGY TRAINING

America is aging, and quickly. Among the educational institutions that could address this critical issue, none are better suited than community colleges. Community colleges not only educate students but also respond to the emerging needs of the communities they serve. Previous studies have shown that few community colleges have developed an agenda for addressing the impact of aging on our society and that faculty and administrators may not be aware of the potential for expanding aging‐related programs. This study reports the responses of 703 community college faculty representing a broad variety of disciplines and educational backgrounds. As expected, the majority of faculty had little previous training in aging, included no aging content in existing courses, and were uncertain as to whether to include aging content in other courses that they taught. This uncertainty, however, must be tempered by the fact that 61% of the responding faculty were interested in attending a basic training program in aging. Such community college faculty interest and participation could enhance the introduction of aging materials into existing curricula and expand their other educational activities that would ultimately benefit older persons in the community.     

ON COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRODUCTIVITY: PERCEPTIONS FROM THE INSIDE

Community colleges historically have demonstrated an ability and desire to address needs unmet by other sectors of postsecondary education. On the assumption that productivity assessment should be molded to reflect the unique missions and approaches of 2‐year institutions, this study examined preferences for broadly stated institutional goal areas as well as for productivity measures for assessing the achievement of these goals. Findings regarding the goal areas substantiate the unique community college mission and reveal preferences for measures that reflect consistent satisfaction or areas which can be impacted directly by community college trustees, administrators and faculty. The study was conducted over an 8‐month period in 45 institutions, 10 of which were community colleges.     

STUDENT EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTION: PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS,FACULTY, AND ADMINISTRATORS

The purpose of this study was to compare the opinions of students, teachers, and administrators relative to student evaluation of instruction in selected community colleges. While important educational decisions in community colleges are made on the basis of students’ evaluations (as in retention, promotion, tenure, and pay), little has been accomplished in testing the assumptions behind student evaluation of instruction. The student evaluation process assumes that students are honest, serious, and evaluate instruction, not some incidental activity.

A 25‐item Student Evaluation Process Scale was completed by 607 students, 130 faculty, and 45 administrators in five Illinois community colleges. Findings revealed little significant differences in the opinions of students regarding evaluation of instruction based on variables of sex, age, school location, student type (transfer or occupational), and class standing. There were little significant differences in faculty opinion and within the administrative groups based on selected variables. There were significant differences when the opinions of students, faculty, and administrators were compared. Students and faculty tended to agree with those items that questioned the objectivity of student evaluation of instruction. Administrators and students tended to agree with items reflecting the seriousness with which students evaluate instruction. Faculty and administrators indicated that student evaluation of instruction impacted faculty members’ instructional performances. Neither students, faculty, nor administrators supported the concept of merit pay tied to student evaluation of instruction.

The role of student evaluation of instruction in a faculty evaluation system must be investigated. A variety of groups should participate in this investigation.     

Community Reciprocity in the Work of African‐American Teachers

The scholarship on historical and contemporary African‐American teachers highlights the emphasis on community connections in their work. As such, the scholarship portrays African‐American teachers almost exclusively as givers without fully considering what teachers derive from community connections. This paper describes a qualitative study in which intergenerational African‐American teachers illustrate the dual nature of community connections and the ways in which constructs of community informed their work. Three distinct points along the professional spectrum—entry, career development, and long‐term career trajectories—illuminate the ways in which community reciprocity impacts and informs the teachers under study. Study findings elucidated a communal reciprocity in that community connections influenced professional entry contributed to feelings of personal and professional self‐worth and impacted long‐term career goals.     

WOMEN EDUCATORS: LEADERSHIP IN THE 1990s

Institutions of higher learning have been places where men have ruled supreme, but in the past 20 years women have come into the sphere of academia with strong academic backgrounds and an energetic desire to establish a place for themselves equal to their male counterparts in the profession. Women administrators, teachers, lecturers, research scholars, and counselors are moving into career positions and are sharing with distinction the responsibilities and duties of education. To maintain this academic impetus, women educators in junior colleges, in community colleges, and in universities must continue to strive for the highest goals. In a world of change and of much discord, educators will be called on to contribute knowledge and solutions that will lead to a more peaceful universe. Women educators must have a role in world affairs as well as in the educational institutions of the world.     

Mentoring as an Induction Tool in Special Education Administration

Mentoring is a widely used method of induction into a variety of professional roles, including educational leadership. However, little scholarly literature has focused on the role of mentoring in the career development of special education administrators. In this examination of 14 such mentoring relationships, the existence of career and psychosocial functions as theorized by Kram is explored and the perceived value of the functions to mentors and protégés in the career development of beginning special education administrators is identified. Evidence of coaching, a career function, and counseling, a psychosocial function, was found in all relationships studied and these two functions were ranked as most important to the career development of beginning special education administrators by both mentors and protégés. Recommendations include incorporating mentoring functions into mentor and protégé training to increase the positive effect of mentoring on the career development of beginning special education administrators.     

FACTORS AFFECTING THE ATTITUDES OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS TOWARD MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to assess and determine how operation under a management by objectives system (MBO) has affected administrative units and individual administrators in public two‐year community colleges. Results from the study showed that respondent attitudes toward the management by objectives system were favorable. The variables identified which serve as significant predictors of administrator attitudes toward the MBO program were: (a) effective as a means for planning and organizing work for which an administrator is accountable, (b) effective as a means for evaluating work performance, (c) effective in improving satisfaction with being more a part of decisions, (d) effective in improving the attitudes of the superior toward the MBO program as perceived by subordinates. Negative reactions toward the MBO system were perceived to be generated by increased paperwork and difficulty in setting educational objectives.     

Using the Wisdom Development Theory to Conceptualize Student Professionalism Development in Community Colleges

ABSTRACT

Historically, community colleges have played a vital role in career and vocational preparation for students. In today’s complex and ever-changing work environment, professionalism issues are at the forefront of employers’ concerns related to millennials and other young students and recent graduates. This issue is aggravated by the rise of social media and other trends that pose challenges related to, for example, professionalism in communication. The community college community is an excellent site for a movement towards structured professionalism training and research that is process-centered and that emphasizes lifelong learning. Drawn upon the literature review and our own experiences in career counseling, we expand on the perspectives of professionalism at the individual and group levels. And we present on how community colleges’ offices, instructors, and administrators can use the Model of Wisdom Development to understand whether and how are students developing professionalism.     

DEMOGRAPHIC AND JOB SATISFACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF FLORIDA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY

The demographic and job satisfaction characteristics of Florida community college faculty were studied in Florida's 28 community colleges. A total of 1,116 faculty responded in the fall of 1977 to an instrument developed to measure faculty characteristics and attitudes.

The results showed that the Florida faculty is a satisfied faculty with over 95% reporting that they were satisfied with community college work as a career and with 72% stating that they plan to stay in the community college field until they retire. Second, it was found that faculty participation in in‐service training programs had increased significantly since 1968. In 1977‐1978, 69% of the faculty reported participation in one or more in‐service programs while the 1968 percentage was 37%.

It is concluded that periodic surveys in other community colleges and states similar to this one should provide useful information for the further development and improvement of community colleges.     

A WAY WITH WORDS: A Unique Approach to Literacy and Career Development

This article describes a unique collaboration between the Career Center at the University of Missouri–Columbia, Columbia Public Schools and the community. A WAY WITH WORDS is an America Reads community literacy program that has enriched the educational experience of graduate, undergraduate and K–5 students since 1996. Teams of undergraduate volunteers led by graduate students in Counseling Psychology and Educational Leadership (ELPA) tutor local children in an effort to increase literacy. The teams interact and communicate with children, parents, teachers and principals as they serve during school and in after-school programs that they co create with school administrators and community members. Tremendous opportunities exist for learning about socio-economically and increasing ethnically diverse communities. During a biweekly seminar, team leaders lead career exploration activities that focus on mentoring, multicultural issues and team building. The program seeks to cultivate civic responsibility as an aspect of career development through communication, relatedness and reflection.     

高校管理人员实行职业生涯管理的可行性

本文以企业职员和高校教师职业生涯的成功开展为前提,在比较职员、高校教师和管理人员三者职业共性的基础上,通过可行性分析,证明职业生涯管理理论同样适用于高校管理人员的管理上,从而能更好地解决高校管理工作中出现的各类问题,促进高校管理人员个人和组织和谐发展。     

The influence of trust in principals’ mentoring experiences across different career phases

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of primary school principals about the influence of ‘trust’ in their mentoring experiences. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used in the study. The Primary School Principals’ Mentoring Questionnaire previously developed by the researchers was applied to 1462 primary school principals. As a follow‐up study, focus groups were carried out with 50 school administrators at various career phases in order to gather more in‐depth data about the impact of ‘trust’ in the mentoring process. Results of the study showed that in different career phases, principals attached varied levels of importance to trust in the mentoring process.     

ACTIONS TAKEN BY PUBLIC TWO‐YEAR COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS TO COPE WITH AND RESPOND TO ENROLLMENT DECLINE

Due to changing environmental conditions arising in the past ten to fifteen years, many community colleges for the first time in their relatively short history have experienced enrollment decline. The purposes of this study were to determine how community colleges coped with and responded to enrollment decline, and to determine the effectiveness of these actions in reducing, halting, or turning around the decline. The survey revealed that the majority of the respondents coped with enrollment declines by reducing the number of staff/ administrators, and support personnel, reducing the number of part‐time faculty members, and by redesigning the curriculum. Actions taken by administrators included: an increased emphasis on recruiting and retaining students, offering courses at times more convenient to students, and up‐dating equipment needs of vocational‐technical programs. A number of the actions taken by college administrators helped the institutions to cope with and respond to the decline, while others exacerbated the problem leading to further decline.     

A Political Analysis of Community Influence over School Closure

This study seeks to understand community member participation in and influence over an urban school district’s school closure process. Data from interviews with School Board members, district administrators, and community members, as well as district documents and newspaper articles suggest that district administrators limited participation through committee membership and public hearing procedures. In addition, the development of an “objective” process served to legitimize the decision. Finally, higher income community members influenced the closure process through formal and informal mechanisms, while low-income community members exerted power through alliances with external (powerful) groups.