Academic Directors Research Articles

Perspectives and needs of neonatology division directors regarding gender equity.

Gender inequities in pediatrics are extensively documented despite women predominating the workforce. As a landscape assessment of gender equity in university-based neonatology divisions in the United States, we collected gender equity measures from academic neonatology division directors; 83% (n = 106) participated. The majority recognized addressing gender inequity was a middle-to-top priority, though they reported minimal gender inequities in their division. Most division directors are men and a higher proportion of full professors are men, but they reported minimal differences in time to promotion, leadership positions, and awards. Half of centers analyzed compensation by gender; all reported no gender difference. The existence of gender-equity-promoting strategies was variable and uncertain by many directors. They reported lack of bandwidth, personnel, and resources as the largest barriers to tracking and addressing gender inequities. These perceived minimal gender inequities diverge from published objective data and highlight the need to track and report metrics accurately and systematically.

Improving the clarity of doctoral admissions webpage information: a UK institutional case study

ABSTRACT This paper explores data from an institutional case study on doctoral admissions at one UK university. Using a multi-part design, this paper first shares the results of a desk review of institutional webpages, and then reports on empirical research with academic directors of postgraduate research (n = 12), doctoral programme officers (n = 8), doctoral supervisors (n = 19), and doctoral researchers (n = 15) on their perceptions of, and interactions with, doctoral admissions webpage information. The webpage review identified seven categories of information departmental doctoral admissions webpages typically convey. The study reveals that doctoral admissions webpages have complex functions and diverse intended audiences. We document the key activity of webpage work and how this is divided. We also highlight potential information gaps for certain audiences. Our paper aims to contribute insights to create more transparent and accessible doctoral admissions information for all potential applicants. We conclude by sharing recommendations to enhance the quality of such information.

Corporate governance and financial performance: the case of English NHS hospitals

PurposeHospitals’ corporate governance (CG) mechanisms oversee critical operational issues and evaluate the outcomes. This paper investigates the impact of CG (i.e. board size, board independence, board expertise, board meetings, board gender diversity, CEO gender, and academic directors) on the financial performance of English National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and separately by hospital type (i.e. trusts and foundation trusts).Design/methodology/approachThe sample includes 128 NHS hospitals. The data were collected through document analysis and archival work from annual hospital reports from 2014 to 2018.FindingsThe findings indicate that board expertise, board meetings, board diversity, CEO gender, and academic directors significantly and negatively affect NHS hospitals’ financial performance. For NHS trusts, the results reveal that board expertise, board diversity, and CEO gender have a significant negative effect, while for NHS foundation trusts, only CEO gender has a significant negative impact.Originality/valueOverall, this study contributes to the literature on the healthcare system. It holds significant practical implications for hospital governance and has important implications for theories.

Neonatal cardiac POCUS-a survey of academic neonatal centers in the United States.

To investigate the current state of clinical practice and training regarding the use of cardiac point of care ultrasound (cPOCUS) in neonatal intensive care units. An online survey was disseminated through the Association of Academic Directors of Neonatology to appraise clinical usage, infrastructure, and training for cPOCUS. A single response per center was obtained. Overall survey response rate was 51% (48/94). Of respondents [40/48 (83%)] who reported having a POCUS program, 19/40 (47%) reported performing cPOCUS. In 74% of centers, <10 cPOCUS studies are performed monthly. Only 16% (3/19) of centers had standardized imaging protocols. The most common indication for cPOCUS was central line evaluation. Only 9 (19%) programs reported cPOCUS training, of whom 4 had a formalized process of ongoing competency assessment. Although use of cPOCUS is increasing, program infrastructure and governance, training, and evaluation vary markedly between institutions and are missing in many. There is an urgent need to develop consensus standards regarding clinical practice and training.

Onboarding Students at Scale: A New Student Orientation Course that Prepares Students to Succeed in their Online Degree Programs

A new online orientation course equips students with the tools and skills to thrive in online programs. It welcomes them to the university, introduces the learning management system, fosters peer connection, and locates essential resources. Additionally, it teaches valuable strategies for time management, motivation, and success in online learning. This adaptable base course caters to the university’s diverse online programs while maintaining a core structure. Designed for efficient facilitation by Academic Directors, it also allows for a personalized touch. Surveys indicate the course effectively prepares students for their first online course. Notably, completing the orientation has become the strongest predictor of student retention and academic success. This award-winning approach serves as a valuable example for designing online student orientation programs.

Physician workload and practice management in pediatric gastroenterology.

The pediatric gastroenterology workforce has grown in the last few decades. The North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) formed a task force to understand current pediatric gastroenterology organizations' practicestructures. 19-item electronic survey was distributed to NASPGHAN members who were clinical or academic division directors. 30% responded to the survey, all directors of academic practices. The median number of clinical sessions per week was seven sessions, and the median individual work relative value unit(wRVU) target for practices was 4000-4500. Healthcare team ratios compared to provider clinical full-time equivalentwere reported as the following: Nursing 0.80, medical assistant 0.29, dietitian 0.29, social worker 0.14, and psychologist 0.13. Regarding compensation, 68.0% were salaried with bonus based on billing or director decision, 28.0% were salaried with no incentive pay, and 4.0% were salaried with a portion at risk if the target was not met, and a bonus was given if the target was met. Most practices participated in a wellness activity with the most common strategies being didactic lectures about physician burnout (80%), annual burnout check-ins (68%), and/or after-hours social activities(60%). Pediatric gastroenterology practices vary regarding clinical sessions per week and annual wRVU targets with the median at sevensessions per week and an annual goal of 4000-4500 wRVUs, similar to reported national benchmark goals at the 50th percentile. Healthcare teams, including nursing, medical assistants, dietitians, social workers, and psychologists, had similar ratios of staff to providers for all sizes and types of practices. Most practices are engaging in wellness initiatives.

Textbook and Board Exam Prep Resource Trends in Academic Health Sciences Libraries Serving College of Osteopathic Medicine Programs

Objective This study collected and analyzed data on the required and recommended textbooks and board exam prep resources in academic health sciences libraries that serve accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine (COM) programs in the United States. Methods The study consisted of locating, compiling, and analyzing data on the required and recommended texts and board exam prep resources through the COM libraries’ public-facing websites. Results The investigators compiled the required or recommended texts and the board exam prep resources used within the COM curricula from 38 COM libraries. Conclusion The study results provide information for medical school administrators, especially within the academic affairs department and library directors, to help identify trends across U.S. osteopathic medical schools to justify the need for additional resources and services. These results can assist medical and library leadership in COM schools in planning for their future academic health sciences libraries and COM programs. Finally, the findings could assist programs in library and information sciences in redesigning their curriculum and students who seek future careers in academic health sciences libraries.

Revolutionizing green business: The power of academic directors in accelerating eco‐innovation and sustainable transformation in China

AbstractThis study investigates the relationship between academic directors and corporate eco‐innovation in Chinese A‐listed firms in the context of the growing urgency of climate change. Based on the argument that academic directors bring advanced knowledge, skills, experience, and expertise to a corporate board and are more socially responsible and ethical, we hypothesized that academic directors would have a positive influence on corporate eco‐innovation. We also examine how this nexus is moderated by pollutant firms and firms having qualified foreign institutional investors (QFIIs). Our results suggest that academic directors have a positive and significant impact on corporate eco‐innovation. The findings remain robust even after employing alternate proxies for both independent and dependent variables, minimizing reverse causality and endogeneity concerns, and addressing self‐selection bias through the entropy balancing method. Additionally, our study reveals that the positive nexus between academic directors and eco‐innovation is more pronounced in pollutant firms and firms having QFIIs. This study contributes to the literature on corporate governance, eco‐innovation, and emerging markets by providing evidence of the positive influence of academic directors on eco‐innovation, highlighting the importance of their contribution to enhancing corporate governance mechanisms to promote environmentally friendly activities and sustainability practices. Furthermore, our findings offer insight into the role of QFIIs in strengthening the positive association between academic directors and eco‐innovation, suggesting that foreign investors can support and encourage firms to adopt environmentally friendly practices for long‐term benefits.

Association of Academic Physiatrists Residency and Fellowship Program Directors' Resident Recruitment Subcouncil Position Paper on Residency Recruitment.

Residency recruitment practices have undergone significant changes in the last several years. Interviews are now conducted fully virtually leading to both positive and negative downstream effects, including decreased cost to applicants and programs, decreased time away from clinical activities, flexibility in scheduling, and increased applications for applicants and program directors. In response to these changes, the Association of Academic Physiatrists Residency and Fellowship Program Directors Council convened a workgroup consisting of program directors, program coordinators, residents, and medical students who reviewed the available literature to provide an evidence-based set of best practices for program leaders and applicants. Available data from the Association of American Medical Colleges and its relevance to future recruitment cycles are also discussed.

Leading beyond the Script: A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring Preparedness of Pharmacy Academic Administrators.

Limited research exists on the preparedness of pharmacy academic administrators for their roles. This cross-sectional survey aimed to explore the self-perceptions of pharmacy academic administrators, including deans, associate deans, assistant deans, department chairs, and directors, within United States-based Colleges or Schools of Pharmacy. Participants answered questions regarding their demographics, self-perceived readiness for administrative roles, self-perceived leadership skills, and strategies used to develop these skills. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and subgroup comparisons were made using Student's t-test for normally distributed continuous variables, Mann-Whitney tests for ordinal variables or non-normally distributed continuous variables, and Chi-squared tests for nominal variables. A total of 193 responses were analyzed. Respondents reported feeling least prepared in two areas: entrepreneurial revenue and handling grievances and appeals. There were gender differences noted in preparedness to conduct performance reviews, manage unit finances, and develop entrepreneurial revenue, with men rating themselves significantly higher than women in all three areas. Despite high self-ratings of leadership skills in the overall cohort, significant gender differences were noted in micromanagement with men rating themselves lower than women. Seeking advice from senior colleagues was the most used development strategy, and women showed a significantly higher preference for programs facilitated by professional organizations. This study contributes valuable insights into the preparedness of pharmacy academic administrators to inform future strategies that better support individuals to be successful in their roles.

Do academic directors matter? Evidence from Taiwan equity market

AbstractIn this study, we investigate the impact of academic directors on a firm's performance and decisions in the Taiwan equity market. We find that firms with more independent directors and board size are more likely to appoint academic directors, and academic directors can improve firm performance. The presence of academic directors positively affects firm performance through channels like more capital expenditure and larger R&amp;D expenses. Academic directors with finance and technology backgrounds positively correlate with both Tobin's Q and ROA. Moreover, the appropriate match of expertise between firms and their academic directors contributes to a better performance. However, corporations with academic directors have a higher compensation gap between top managers and employees.

The Situations Faced by Curriculum Leaders in the Process of Developing and Implementing School-Based Curriculum: The Voice of Academic Affairs Directors in Junior High Schools

The Situations Faced by Curriculum Leaders in the Process of Developing and Implementing School-Based Curriculum: The Voice of Academic Affairs Directors in Junior High Schools

PRIMIJENJENI TEATAR U BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI STRATEŠKI RAZVOJ I PRIMJENA U DRUŠTVENOJ ZAJEDNICI / APPLIED THEATER IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION IN THE SOCIAL COMMUNITY

The primary goal of this paper is to examine the potential possibilities of applied theater in the social community in BiH. Applied theater projects can create a range of impacts: moments of happiness, a growing sense of recognition and emotional well-being to increased awareness of the social situation in the community. Applied theater is aimed at an individual who is not a theater professional of all ages, but is led by professionals, because, using the basic features of acting / drama studied at the Academy of Performing Arts, such as: action, situation, character, conflicted the relationship helps to identify participants with a focused problem of a specific target group and leads to communication about the problem and playing different potential solutions to the conflict. Applied theater is an interactive theatrical form that seeks an engaged spectator, not a passive observer, and deinstitutionalizes theater and leads to an audience that is not primarily theatrical. Forms of applied theater that are used experimentally and occasionally in pedagogical and educational work in BiH are mostly supported by the non-governmental sector, but there is no strategic engagement and development of professional academic staff, graduates, directors, playwrights and orchestrations with other university units. The paper will also present different forms / types / styles of applied theater, as well as documentary and documentary character and the possibility of different aesthetics, but also the synergy between forms and methodologies. The paper will analyze practical experiences and suggest platforms for scientific research and artistic research dedicated to drama as therapy as a dynamic force aimed at correcting social change.

Measurement of the management skills of academic directors in a higher education institution

The evaluation and the teaching practice are subjects of great importance in the educational field, and objects of study of research centers and higher education institutions. In this sense, this article shows some reflections as a product of the first phase of research, currently under development, about teacher evaluation in higher education, closely linked to the practices developed by academic staff at this level. educational. The first point that we present is made up of the latest reforms to Article 3 of the Constitution, the maximum normative reference for education in Mexico. Next, a brief overview of the recent history of the evaluation of education is made and its relationship with the much-touted quality is analyzed. A third section is made up of a series of discussions and analysis on teacher evaluation, opening the debate about whether it is worth reconsidering the concept, given that the original purpose of this has been perverted, as we establish in the following subtopic. The conclusive lines call for the urgency of recovering the essence of evaluation, as a means for the improvement and transformation of ourselves, as educators, and of our world, based on our contexts. We accept that if, as a result of the improvement of our practices, we achieve a salary or ladder promotion, welcome; but we make a call to uphold the original meaning of the evaluation.

Exploring the Value of Educational Options in Marketing

Marketing educators have long been interested in the value of the education they provide, and the importance of educational value has accelerated in an age of increasing educational options, rising college tuition and residential costs, and rapidly changing market needs. The present study surveys marketing managers and utilizes Thurstone pairwise comparisons, a methodology that has previously been overlooked in this context, to estimate the dollar value of several components of marketing education. These components include types of undergraduate and graduate degrees, industry certifications, internships, graduate academic certificates, additional undergraduate coursework, and written communication and Excel skills training. We provide recommendations concerning how marketing academic program directors can modify their programs to increase the return on investment for their students.

Interdisciplinary communicative competence: From conceptualising to operationalising

Introduction. Communication complexities which often occur in interdisciplinary work gave rise to the studies on teaching interdisciplinary communication. A growing need to provide pedagogical solutions to facilitate teaching interdisciplinary communication stimulated the research into language as a social practice to better understand communication process for interdisciplinary purposes.Aim. This exploratory study investigates the concept of interdisciplinary communicative competence and proposes a framework of interdisciplinary communicative competence with the focus on three underlying components: knowledge, skills, and personal attributes of interdisciplinary team members.Methodology and research methods. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used. The data obtained from 24 in-depth semi-structured interviews with five groups of higher education stakeholders (employers, academic directors of the programmes, professors, students, and alumni) revealed the existing interdisciplinary practices in the university and cross-functional practices in the companies. The proposed framework was empirically tested using an online survey with 139 responses from professors, students, and employers. The data processing techniques included the use of Kendall’s concordance coefficient, Cronbach’s alpha, and the principal component analysis.Results. The study presents the authors’ conceptualisation of interdisciplinary communicative competence and its framework as the result of the literature analysis and the empirical research. The findings provided evidence on the importance of language skills for effective interdisciplinary communication as perceived by 5 groups of respondents. The choice of language skills as a basic component of interdisciplinary communicative competence is justified.Scientific novelty. The study contributes to the conceptualisation of a framework of interdisciplinary communicative competence. The elements of the framework are identified and their relevance is empirically tested.Practical significance. The results of the empirical part of the study can be applied in the design of interdisciplinary learning process in higher education, for example, in the design of interdisciplinary courses, and teaching materials.

Impact of professor‐directors on Chinese firms' environmental performance

AbstractThis study investigates the impact of academic professor‐directors on Chinese firms' environmental performance. We find that the presence of board directors who are also professors has a positive impact on firms' environmental protection performance, and the result is robust after controlling for the potential endogeneity of professor‐directors. This is consistent with the notion that professor board directors are perceived to take more social responsibility and are more likely to advocate for sustainability. However, this positive impact is mitigated significantly by the presence of professor board directors with administrative titles. Moreover, the above results are mainly driven by non‐state‐owned enterprises, firms with less powerful CEOs, firms with better analyst coverage, and firms with less financial distress. Our study highlights the importance of academic directors for firms' environmental performance.

Academic Directors Facing Internet Addictions, Learning and Health Promotion

The result that is presented is expressed from a bibliographic review of works published during the last two years 2020-2022 and, through which it was possible to verify the relationships that are established between the work of the Academic Directors, before the latent challenge and visible that is the crossroads of Internet addictions, by university students, increased in the stage already overcome of social isolation imposed by Covid 19 but, with emphasis on the achievement of learning at this high educational level, its risks and consequent decreases in the attacks that occur as a result of procrastination. All associated with the addictive phenomenon, in a projection of health promotion that the current, humanistic, modern and developing university should not give up in any way, being precisely in this direction an unavoidable pillar of social development, which lies precisely in the high professional qualification. of the new generations committed to a prosperous and sustainable social change.&#x0D; &#x0D; Received: 8 January 2023 / Accepted: 28 February 2023 / Published: 5 March 2023

Does the academic profession really matter in board monitoring? Evidence from individual director voting

ABSTRACT This study examines the voting behaviour of independent directors from academia based on manually collected voting data. We find that academic independent directors are less likely to dissent on board proposals than other independent directors, especially the directors who have fewer industry-specific experiences or have a relatively higher pay from the focal firm. The academic directors are also more likely to lose board seats after dissension, consistent with their concern of less job security as they are easily replaced. Lastly, although academic directors generally have weaker incentives to vote against insiders, they are more likely to dissent on proposals concerning related-party transactions. Overall, our study sheds new light on the role of academic independent directors in board monitoring effectiveness.

How attractive are internship advertisements to prospective applicants? A mixed-method examination through the lens of employer branding

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate attractiveness of internship advertisements to the prospective applicants through the lens of employer branding. By giving attention to internship attractiveness, universities and companies expand current collaborations around internship provision to enhance student internship experiences, satisfaction and employment prospects and to foster long-term sustainability of internship programs.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a mixed-methods design employing a concurrent triangulation strategy. The authors conducted a content analysis of 94 internship listings published in the largest Russian job portal, HeadHunter, and collected surveys from 274 prospective interns.FindingsThe study shows a mismatch between employer branding strategies and prospective interns' perceptions of employer attractiveness. Companies emphasize economic value and visual identity as well as functional attributes, while prospective interns prioritize development value and symbolic attributes. The findings suggest internship advertisements do not appeal to potential applicants.Research limitations/implicationsThe results are limited to business students from specific universities in Russia, so further research is needed to include students with different majors and from other countries. The study is also limited to advertisements available via a large online job portal. A comparative analysis of effectiveness of various communication channels for internship promotion could yield useful results.Practical implicationsCareer center advisors, academic program directors and internship coordinators should work with company leaders, human resources and marketing decision-makers, and recruitment specialists to better understand interns' drivers of attraction and audit the internship advertisements. Employers could use the study results to strengthen recruiting messages and, hence, attractiveness of the employer brand to potential interns.Originality/valueThe study contributes by applying the employer branding theory to an understudied population of interns, hence providing new insights into internships as collaboration between universities and companies. By focusing on internship positions, which differ from full-time permanent positions across many aspects, including the positions' duration, pay, supervision and purpose, the study assists in understanding the distinct drivers of attraction of interns, which are missing from published research on the topic.