University alumni mentoring programs: a win-win?

Alumni-student mentoring programs have become commonplace at many universities, and yet, scholarly research has rarely explored the impact of these programs on participating students and alumni. To address this, we investigated three alumni mentoring programs at a large research-intensive university in Australia. Using a mixed methods approach (a web based survey and interviews), we sought both students' and mentors' perceptions of their alumni mentoring program and how their involvement may have impacted their perceptions of the university (n=197). The findings highlight that alumni mentoring programs provide distinct benefits to both students and alumni and may result in improved university engagement. Our results also indicate new revelations about alumni mentoring programs, including the challenges associated with mentoring postgraduate students and recommended best practice to ensure the success of alumni mentoring programs.     

Cultural acceptability and personal willingness of Iranian students toward cadaveric donation

Cadaver dissection stands as a crucial component in medical curricula around the world, although computer‐based multimedia programs have been introduced in order to replace the need for cadaver donations. Due to a decrease in the number of unclaimed bodies and rather few donations, there is an insufficient number of cadavers for anatomical studies in Iran. This study was carried out to evaluate medical students' awareness and willingness regarding body donation in Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. In this study, a questionnaire was designed to focus on the cultural acceptability and personal willingness to donate one's body after death. Students from the university's anatomy classes (n = 331) participated in this study. Seventy‐seven percent of the students expressed their agreement toward the idea of utilizing body donation services, though only 25.4% of participants were willing to donate their own bodies. None of the demographic factors were associated with cultural acceptability or personal willingness towards body donation. These findings indicated that besides “payment”, other factors were associated with students' willingness to become donors. All factors of awareness except “previous awareness of organization” were associated with cultural acceptability. In this study, students suggested that encouraging people to register for body donation using mass media (25.6%) and teaching students to respect cadavers in the dissection environment (24.8%) were the best solutions for addressing the lack of cadavers. These findings indicated that a lack of awareness about body donation might be the main factor responsible for unwillingness towards body donation; therefore, improving the public's awareness and addressing the willingness of students regarding body donation may help overcome the current lack of donated cadavers. Anat Sci Educ 10: 120–126. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.     

Evaluation of Information on Body Donation Promotion at Official Websites of Turkish Anatomy Departments

Raising public awareness of body donation is crucial for countries like Turkey that have struggling donation programs. The official websites of anatomy departments may contribute to achieving this goal. Nevertheless, previous studies reported institutional or individual reluctance of departments or anatomists, respectively, due to an expectation of adverse publicity. This study aimed to investigate whether the official websites of Turkish anatomy departments provided information on body donation and analyzed the content of these websites. Websites of anatomy departments at 100 medical faculties were evaluated. Only 12 departments (12%) provided information on body donation with varying content. A thematic analysis of the information provided revealed five main themes. These were (1) legal aspects, (2) significance, (3) acceptance/rejection criteria, (4) availability, and (5) redirection. All departments (n = 12, 100%) outlined the legal aspects of body donation, seven departments (58%) highlighted the significance of body donation, seven departments (58%) provided contact information for potential donors, five departments (41%) covered acceptance/rejection criteria, and three departments (25%) provided a link to the official website of the Turkish Society of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy. Thus, Turkish anatomy departments were reluctant to provide information on body donation, and the content of provided information varied greatly among departments. This lack of information, coordination, and participation in existing awareness activities for body donation in anatomy department websites may be contributing to the low numbers of body donations and donor registrations seen nationally.     

基于认捐模式的图书馆受赠研究

[目的/意义] 图书馆实物受赠模式面临困境，基于网络众筹的现金受赠模式也存在不少问题，兼具现金受赠与实物受赠特征的图书馆认捐受赠模式存在诸多优点，但实践效果差强人意，存在进一步创新空间。[方法/过程] 详细分析图书馆实物受赠模式及其创新探索的困境和形成机理，全面调查我国图书馆认捐受赠的实践现状，在分析其优势和探究问题的基础上提出图书馆认捐受赠模式的创新框架。[结果/结论] 基于互联网思维和技术，以提升受赠效率和质量为目标，强化效果反馈和过程透明，打造标准化、易复制、可操作的认捐系统和实施方案，形成多方共赢的公益生态，是图书馆认捐受赠创新的方向和路径。     

公益事业捐赠政策的变迁及其原因

我国公益捐赠政策经历了曲折的发展历程。20世纪80年代主要是关于境外和华侨、港澳台同胞的捐赠政策,90年代主要是以救灾济困为主的捐赠政策;到21世纪,争取更大的税收优惠是其重要特征。公益事业捐赠政策变迁的原因主要有:由外部压力到内部需求、社会风险增加、社会贫富差距显著扩大、非营利组织的发展等。     

Once the Capacity Development Initiative is Over: Using Communities of Practice Theory to Transform Individual into Social Learning

Abstract

Purpose: Capacity development for agricultural research and development is missing an opportunity. Initiatives tend to focus on developing capacity of individuals and even when the ultimate aim is social change leave the transformation of individual into social learning largely to chance. I use the lens of social learning systems, particularly concepts from Community of Practice theory, to explore how that theory can provide practical insights into transforming individual into social learning and the design considerations that would support this.

Design/methodology/approach: Using as a case study a professional development programme, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), I conducted a use-oriented systemic inquiry among 26 AWARD participants, with myself as informed investigator within the system of inquiry. Data from interviews and questionnaires were subjected to qualitative analysis using analytic induction with sensitizing concepts from Community of Practice theory.

Practical implications: I identify strengths and challenges, and provide five design considerations that might enable the individuals participating in a capacity development programme to continue to engage after the programme ends and self-organize for concerted action.

Originality/value: The originality of this research article is the use of the three central Community of Practice concepts of domain, community and practice as analytical tools for understanding individual and social learning among the alumni of a professional capacity development programme. This has value for designers of capacity development initiatives.     

Body donation in India: social awareness, willingness, and associated factors

With the attendant rise of the number of medical colleges in India over past few decades, the demand for cadavers used in medical education and research is growing. However, there is an insufficient supply of donated cadavers available for dissection. This study was undertaken to assess the general population's awareness of body donation programs and willingness to donate in the State of Maharashtra, India. The willingness of participants to donate was compared with age, gender, and education of the respondents. A total of 625 adult individuals from the State of Maharashtra participated in a survey composed of questions about age, sex, education, awareness of body donation programs, and willingness to donate. It was found that 90.9% of the medical colleges surveyed reported an inadequate supply of cadavers. Of the general population, 32.1% of respondents were aware of body donation, compared to 95.83% of health care professionals. However, only 19.5% of the general population and 44.9% of health care professionals were willing to donate their bodies for anatomical education. Younger age groups, males, graduates, and postgraduates were found more willing to donate their bodies. Organ donation was preferred over body donation. A lack of awareness about body donation was the main factor responsible for respondents' "no body donation" response in the general population, along with firm religious beliefs and customs, the fear that the donated body will not be treated with respect and dignity, and the unacceptability of the dissection of one's own body. To overcome the current shortage of donated cadavers, efforts should be undertaken to change the mindset of the wider Indian society toward body donation. The authors believe this is possible through awareness campaigns and that prospective donors' concerns should be addressed appropriately. Proper guidance and assistance regarding body donation should be easily available for potential donors.     

公共图书馆图书捐赠工作探讨

接受捐赠是公共图书馆馆藏资源建设的重要渠道之一。目前,公共图书馆接受社会各界赠书工作普遍存在着无章可循或制度不健全等问题。本文拟对天津泰达图书馆图书捐赠工作进行分析,与同仁共同探讨建立适合公共图书馆的图书捐赠体系,确保接受赠书工作的正常开展。     

美国公共图书馆应对预算削减的启示

2008年爆发的全球金融危机让美国公共图书馆预算面临不同程度的削减。在合理有效利用有限的预算经费的同时,美国公共图书馆界发扬优良的社会筹款机制来弥补预算的不足。公共图书馆不能只依赖于行政拨款作为运营预算的保证,而是应广开门路筹集社会资金。     

高校图书馆图书捐赠信息服务问题及对策研究

接受捐赠是高校图书馆丰富自身馆藏资源、缓解图书供求矛盾、节省资金的重要途径。我国高校图书馆网站主页存在图书捐赠信息揭示意识薄弱、图书捐赠信息不够明确、图书捐赠信息公示不够完善、捐赠内容和形式缺乏多样性等问题。因此,我国高校图书馆应注重图书捐赠的宣传与推广,加强图书捐赠后的信息公示,优化捐赠者的个性化服务,丰富图书捐赠的内容和形式,以推动我国高校图书馆图书捐赠工作的开展。