Higher Education Administrators Research Articles

UTILISATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE THEORIES AND EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONAL ADMINISTRATION IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA

This study examined the utilisation of administrative theories on effective institutional administration in Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). The study used correlational research design to investigate the utilisation of the bureaucratic and systems theories on the administration of FUNAAB. The population of the study was 1929 out of which 120 academic and non-academic staff of the University was sampled randomly. Administrative Theories and Effective Institutional Administration Questionnaire (ATEIAQ) was used to obtain data from respondents. Mean and standard deviations were analysed and used to answer the research questions, while Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation was used to test the hypotheses at p<0.05 significant level. The finding revealed that the level of effective institutional administration of FUNAB is low at 2.23 average mean. The bureaucratic theory and systems theory had significant influence on effective institutional administration in FUNAB. Recommendation was made that the government and other stakeholders of universities should provide adequate resources (human, material, financial) for the administration of universities. Other administrative theories, such as the contingency theory could be applied alongside with the systems theory and the bureaucratic theory, in the institutional administration of higher education, in order to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. The human relations/behaviourist theory, which emphasises that high institutional administrative productivity, is a result of acceptable staff welfare packages, job security and humane decision making, could be intensified in the administration of universities for improved effectiveness.

The rumor mill presents a challenge when addressing Title IX obligations

Institutions of higher education are rightly attuned to addressing information that may implicate their legal obligations under Title IX as well as their desire to ensure their campuses are free from sexual harassment. Higher education administrators can face a perplexing challenge when campus officials learn of “he/she/they said” information — amounting to rumors or chatter — about possible sexual harassment. A proper response requires a nuanced evaluation.

Administrative scale economies in public organisations: evidence from Australian public universities

ABSTRACT A voluminous empirical literature has examined scale economies in public organisations, particularly in local government. By contrast, little effort has been directed at the empirical investigation of economies of scale in higher education administration, including in Australian universities. To address this gap in the empirical literature, this paper examines administrative scale economies and task density in Australian public universities for the period 2009/10–2018/19 using a pooled data framework. We find that there are administrative scale economies in Australian universities and that task density is a key determinant of administrative intensity. In addition, regional universities exhibit a higher level of administrative intensity than their metropolitan counterparts. We conclude by canvassing some of the main public policy implications of our findings.

Establishing Guidelines for the Implementation of Quality Instructional Physical Activity Programs (IPAPS)

ABSTRACT Guidelines for the effective implementation of quality instructional physical activity programs (IPAPs) are essential to optimize both teaching and learning to meet the needs and interests of students in higher education (SHAPE America, 2022). These programs, also known as basic instruction programs, physical activity, and wellness programs, provide academic courses and resources that educate students on physical activity, sport, and fitness skills and knowledge that facilitates healthy, active lifestyles and fosters personal growth. This manuscript is valuable for faculty and administrators in higher education, introducing important new concepts that have emerged in the last decade for IPAPs in higher education and offering essential aspects to consider when evaluating IPAPs, including standards, values, technology, curriculum, and risk management.

Process governance and administration of in-service education in the national education system

The purpose of this research is to critically examine the consistency and inconsistency of laws and regulations regarding the administration of higher education in positions within the national education system. It identifies the input, process and output mechanisms of higher education in positions within the national education system with laws and regulations on the national education system. organize higher education in the national education system. The research was conducted at in-service universities. Data collection is done through literature study (normative law) and field research (empirical law). Normative legal research leads to descriptions in the form of exposure, comparison, and interpretation of applicable law or positive law, while empirical legal research (sociological law) was conducted through observation and in-depth interviews with competent sources related to the problem being studied (objects). studied) to obtain primary data. The data were analyzed qualitatively which was empirical (inductive) by conducting interviews, observations and documentation and combining primary and secondary data (deductive). The results of the study indicate several things including the input, process and output mechanisms which are a necessity in the higher education management function, need to be improved by implementing standards, processes, and education. Internal and external regulations have an impact on the management and delivery of education. Graduates must have differences in quality and quantity (output, outcome), compared to other universities so that collaboration with professional institutions can be established. Juridical, sociological, and philosophical governance in higher education in positions within a State Higher Education (PTN) system is a reform in higher education.

Institution of Higher Education Substance Use Amnesty Policies and Sexual Violence Reporting.

Sexual violence (SV) is common among college students, but the vast majority of these experiences are not formally reported to institutions of higher education (IHEs). While it is well known that alcohol and drug use is highly associated with SV, little is known about whether policies and procedures regarding substance use (SU) at IHEs may contribute to low rates of reporting. This study describes the association between SU violations and SV reporting at IHE campuses in the US and examines whether SU amnesty policies are associated with more SV reporting. Linear regression was used to estimate the association between SU violations and SV reporting and assess differences between IHE campuses by amnesty policy status. Around 50% of campuses between 2001 and 2018 document neither SV reports nor SU violations. IHE campuses with amnesty policies have more SV reports. On average, IHEs with amnesty policies have 2.7 SV reports per 1000 students and an additional 0.02 SV reports for each SU violation per 1000 students. Amnesty policies that reduce the potential costs of reporting like facing disciplinary action for alcohol or drug use are positively associated with both the level and rate of SV reporting. Institutions of higher education administrators interested in making reporting an option for more SV survivors should examine how their policies, especially those related to alcohol, may play in creating barriers to SV reporting.

Select Student Veterans’ Perceptions of Study Abroad Opportunities and Experiences: A Case Study

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of select student veterans on study abroad opportunities and experiences. How have student veterans navigated the path to study abroad and made meaning of their study abroad experiences? Findings indicate that student veterans were keenly aware of issues around their preparedness for study abroad, adjustment, identity as a student veteran, and support from their institution. Results from this case study may help inform study abroad professionals and higher education administrators on how to best work with student veterans interested in study abroad.

The Liminality of Multinational Muslim MotherScholaring during COVID-19: A Feminist Collaborative Autoethnography

ABSTRACT Current life in the US under the COVID-19 pandemic makes visible the fragility of supportive structures for academics with childcare responsibilities. Particularly academic mothers are left grappling with the impact of social and institutional shifts that took place due to the global pandemic. We, two early career multinational and Muslim MotherScholars, ask ourselves how these shifts are affecting our own entanglements of scholarship, job market navigation, motherhood, childcare responsibilities and routines, family traditions, and religious observation through feminist autoethnography. We used the concept of “liminal space” as our theoretical foundation. Data were collected through journal entries and analytic memos, and four vignettes were composed to (re)present the analysis. The vignettes display how Western dominant and nondominant spaces inform the ways in which the authors’ identities are interloped, muted, contested, and thrown into tension with changing social and institutional expectations during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research has implications for higher education administrators who wish to gain a glimpse into the lived experiences and barriers of their international, Muslim, mothering employees, and for MotherScholars who live through similar complex and shifting identities to see validation and representation.

Higher Education Administrators’ Perceived Politics of Education Control on Educational Development of Tertiary Institutions in Bauchi State, Nigeria

This paper focused on higher education administrators’ perceived impact of politics of control of education on educational development of tertiary institutions in Bauchi state, Nigeria. The study adopted qualitative research approach using case study design. Three specific objectives and three research questions were formulated to guide the study. The population consisted of senior higher education administrators from all the state’s tertiary institutions in the three geo-political zones of Bauchi state. The study had a sample of respondents drawn from the population using purposive sampling technique. The numbers that constituted the sample size were five and drawn from College of Education Azare, College for Legal and Islamic Studies Misau and College of Education Kangere within the three educational zone of Bauchi state. Area of the study is Bauchi state. Semi-structured interview, observation and document analysis were used for data collection. Data collected were analyzed using content and thematic analyses to answer the research questions of this study. Based on the findings, it was concluded that politics affects tertiary institutions positively via impact of control of education in Bauchi state. It was recommended among others that politics of education control should be done bearing in mind that, it should be intended to improved tertiary institution for sustainable development and not the other way round. It is hoped that the recommendations would serves as solutions towards the politics of education control on tertiary institutions for sustainable development in Bauchi state.

Youth entrepreneurial intentions: a cross-cultural comparison

PurposeThis paper aims to determine the antecedents that affect higher education students' entrepreneurial intention and awareness in two developing economies (Turkey and Poland) and one transition economy (Kosovo).Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a quantitative research approach based on a sample of 342 questionnaires. Using SPSS 23, AMOS and Process Hayes, this study tests research hypotheses using explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis and mediation analysis.FindingsThe findings show that personal attitudes (PA), perceived behavioural control (PBC) and need for achievement (NFA) variables affect students' entrepreneurial intentions and alertness (EIA) in Turkey, Poland, and Kosovo. PA and PBC mediate the impact of NFA on EIA. In addition, analyses show that the country variable does not have a moderator effect on EIA, PA, NFA and PBC variables. The findings reveal that students' perceptions of EIA differ by country.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample comes from a university in three countries; therefore, these results cannot be generalised to the entire population. In addition, the study was carried out with a cross-sectional study urging the need for a longitudinal analysis of the data, which may provide better results.Practical implicationsResults can benefit policymakers and higher education administrators for resource planning, organising educational curricula and strategic policy plans for building the entrepreneurial ecosystem.Originality/valueThe originality of this article is that it presents a model to reveal the effect of PA, PBC and NFA variables on EIA in three different countries.

Creating practices and strategies towards persistence for undeclared, Black males at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs)

AbstractThe majority of research on Black males highlights the problems or barriers faced by this demographic due to the low retention and completion rates. A factor that is often not discussed when students enter college is their decision around initially declaring a major and its future impact on their persistence and college completion. This chapter explores practices and strategies for senior administrators in higher education to assist undeclared, Black male students at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) toward persistence and ultimately college completion. The recommendations for practice in this chapter offer tangible tools to create a positive campus experience for Black male collegians, as well as educate and hold members of the campus community accountable.

Creating Identity Development Spaces for Leaders in Higher Education

The current research study seeks to explore leaders’ processes of identity making within a higher education context as well as identify salient features of a higher education context that can best support leadership development. It is framed with the premise that cultivating one’s professional identity as a leader is a developmental process that is integrally connected to the sociocultural context. Different organizational contexts vary in terms of the nature and scope of what they can offer leaders as they shape their professional identities. The participants were seven higher education administrators, ranging from assistant deans to deans, from four public midwestern universities. A grounded theory methodological approach was used through individual interviews with each participant to explore the following two research questions: 1) What are the core elements that higher education leaders consider to be central to their senses of leadership identity? and 2) What do higher education leaders believe are the qualities of an organizational context that stimulate and support identity work and professional development related to leadership? The study’s findings revealed that supporting and advocating for others, keeping core values and identity at the center of one’s work, and embracing vulnerability were key themes in the interviews. Implications for the professional development and training of leaders in higher education are discussed.

Examining 50 Years of Research on Administration in the Canadian Journal of Higher Education

As the Canadian Journal of Higher Education celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, this article takes the measure of the researchpublished so far on higher education administration and reflects on future work. The study examined the 38 articles on highereducation administration published by the Journal between 1971 and 2020 to characterize how administration has been investigated and theorized since the Journal’s inception. The article discusses the topics that have captured the attention of scholars and the frameworks and methods they selected for their investigations. Overall, the body of work published by the Journal in its first 50 years of existence paints a nuanced portrait of higher education administration where administrators appear simultaneously powerless and powerful. The article suggests promising areas of inquiry based on its findings and discusses implications for editors, reviewers, and authors.

Higher Education Study Programme Quality Assessment

Study programme quality assessment provides higher education quality which in its turn is an essential precondition for the successful national economy development. At the moment the society has a lot of discussion about what is higher education quality and how to assess it. The pragmatic approach makes us set criteria for study programme quality assessment. However, before doing that one must understand what higher education quality is. Developing over the years, higher education has created different quality understandings. The different quality understandings form the necessity of different quality assessment approaches. As the foundation of higher education quality assessment to create the methodological basis there are taken higher education quality assessment conceptions distinguished by R. Barnett: objective, subjective and development. Each of the conceptions intends to use different approaches for higher education assessment. The research approbates the usage of The Analytic Hierarchy process (AHP) method to detect the most significant study programme quality criteria and the most suitable way of assessment for them. AHP method is based on expert surveys, which were taken part by two most important interest groups interested in higher education: higher education administrative staff and students. Higher education administrators are represented by Higher Education Council representative, LU heads of administrative departments and leadership staff who are responsible for study quality and programme accreditation. In their turn, students are represented by members of Latvian Student Association, LU student council representatives and students from different LU faculties.

Students' Responses to Learning Management Systems in a Blended Learning Context

The purpose of this study is to examine first-year students’ behaviour towards learning management systems in a blended learning environment. The study employed a convenient sampling technique for data collection and SmartPLS3 was used to analyse the data. There were 671 first-year students from the University of Professional Studies Accra who participated in the survey. The findings of the study revealed that social influence, price value and anxiety significantly influence behavioural intention to use learning management systems (LMS). However, the relationship between anxiety and behavioural intention is inverse. Furthermore, anxiety significantly impacts effort expectancy, while effort expectancy also impacts satisfaction. Additionally, the results suggest that satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between effort expectancy and behavioural intention to use LMS. Administrators of higher education must ensure that the performance of the LMS exceeds the expectations of students so as to formulate the intention to use it for learning.

Role of Feedback on English Academic Writing Skills of Tertiary Level Iraqi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Students: A Review of Literature

Recent studies have shown that Iraqi English as a foreign language (EFL) students face many challenges when composing in an academic context, where they produce a wide range of errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar, and they have trouble writing coherent texts and managing their writing tasks (Alshujairi, 2017; Ahmed & Mohammed, 2015). One of the main reasons why Iraqi EFL students lack proficiency in their academic writing is that they do not receive the necessary feedback to improve their writing. The idea of feedback as a crucial aspect for improving teaching writing instruction and improving academic writing acquisition has not been given much attention in EFL Iraqi literature. This issue is quite problematic because mainstream EFL writing instructors need to equip themselves with effective instructional techniques and strategies to improve EFL student writers’ skills. Thus, this article reports on the review of studies on feedback for ESL Iraqi undergraduate students. This review sheds light on the relationship between providing feedback, improving academic writing skills and offering guidelines for writing instructors to help EFL Iraqi undergraduate students improve their academic writing. Furthermore, this review hopes to urge administrators in higher education to provide feedback courses to enhance writing instructors’ feedback knowledge. Finally, this literature review hopes to explore gaps in the Iraqi EFL literature context, which should be adequately addressed in future research studies.

EXPERT ACTIVITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION SPHERE: THE COMPETENCE DIMENSION

In the context of building state-public administration of higher education, when the state, society and the individual are equal subjects of the educational process, the problem of carrying out expert activities in higher education institutions by specialists who have the necessary level of knowledge, skills and general and special competencies. The purpose of the article is to study the competencies of experts in the field of higher education aimed at ensuring its quality. The author emphasizes the theoretical and practical aspects of the implementation of expert activities in the field of higher education and the requirements for the competencies of educational experts in higher education institutions. Competence is defined by the author as an integral characteristic of a person, which reflects his ability on the basis of a dynamic combination of knowledge, skills, personal traits and qualities, to conduct professional, educational and other activities that contribute to its development. Expertise in the field of higher education is considered in the article as a method of analysis and cognitive process aimed at finding out the cause-and-effect relationships. Educational expertise acts as a special mechanism for managing university education, when equal partners and participants in the educational process are jointly responsible for the quality of higher education, its monitoring and operation. Accordingly, expert activity in the field of higher education performs educational, methodological, consulting, recommendation, forecasting and innovation functions. It is emphasized that the implementation of expert activities in the higher education system requires from experts a wide range of general and professional competencies and soft skills for impartial assessment of the educational environment, quality of educational programs, management decisions and more. Educational analytics and consulting activities are aimed at directing the administration of higher education institutions and participants in the educational process to make optimal strategic decisions aimed at ensuring the quality of higher education.

The Use of Computers by Greek Educators. Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Change Anything?

Aim/Purpose: The goal of the study was to investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the educational process also affected the views, attitudes, and intentions of educators regarding the use of computers and their applications both for professional and personal purposes. Background: A model was developed and tested that included the factors present in the Technology Acceptance Model, together with self-efficacy, and the participant’s gender, age group, level of studies, and ICT training. The educators’ views were recorded twice: (i) before the lockdowns and (ii) after the lockdowns. The two resulting models were compared, so as to come to conclusions regarding possible changes. A model was developed and tested that included the factors present in the Technology Acceptance Model, together with self-efficacy, and the participant’s gender, age group, level of studies, and ICT training. The educators’ views were recorded twice: (i) before the lockdowns and (ii) after the lockdowns. The two resulting models were compared, so as to come to conclusions regarding possible changes. Methodology: The target group was Greek educators (i.e., individuals teaching in primary and secondary education). The study was conducted in two stages: (i) at the beginning of the first general lockdown (March 2020), and (ii) at the beginning of the 2021 school year (September 2021), when schools re-opened and resumed their normal operations. The final sample was 1,099 educators. A questionnaire was used having three sections: (i) four demographic questions, (ii) twenty-five items for recording the educators’ views, attitudes, and intentions, and (iii) two questions for recording how many hours per -typical day they use computers for professional and personal purposes. Contribution: The study contributes to the deeper understanding of educators’ views, attitudes, intentions, and actual use of computers and how and to what extent these changed after the period of the multiple lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: The study’s major findings were: • The lockdowns did not significantly affect the educators’ views, attitudes, and intention to use computers, but resulted in a more extensive use of computers for work than before. • The results oppose the basic assumption of TAM that the behavioral intention to use a technological tool translates into the actual use of this tool. • The perceived usefulness of computers shaped the educators’ behavioral intention to use them. • Computer self-efficacy shaped the attitude of educators toward computers. • After the pandemic, the educators’ age and gender no longer play a role in shaping their views. • The additional ICT training the educators received did not have an effect on any factor. Recommendations for Practitioners: Governments have to equip schools with computers and provide the framework that fosters their use. Strategies and support mechanisms that make educators more confident in the use of ICTs and also provide evidence for their usefulness should be implemented. The above will allow the educators’ behavioral intention to use ICTs to be translated into actual use. Administrators in higher education should consider the inclusion of more ICT-related courses in their undergraduate and postgraduate programs addressed to educators. Changes have to be made to the context and content of the in-service ICT training programs. Recommendation for Researchers: The inclusion of self-efficacy is recommended in future studies involving TAM. As deviations from the original TAM were noted, possible swifts in how educators’ views and intentions are shaped need to be further investigated. Impact on Society: The increased use of computers by educators might lead to a more intense use of ICTs in schools, resulting in an education better aligned with the needs of the digitalized society. Future Research: Comparative studies, targeting educators from other countries, will help to understand how the pandemic affected the educational systems worldwide. Studies are needed for verifying the model’s validity and applicability. Researchers can consider the inclusion of other factors that might have a significant effect. Qualitative data may offer an in-depth understanding of educators’ beliefs. Finally, longitudinal studies can help to understand whether the pandemic had a lasting effect on educators’ intention to use computers.

Advertising and PR in the State Sphere: Methodological Aspects of Teaching

The article deals with forming professional competencies among students who master the discipline of PR in public administration: understanding the specifics of communication with target audiences, the functions of public authorities, and forming a positive image of public administration through coverage of their activities. The main problems of teaching PR in public administration in higher education, related to the differences between the functioning of the public and commercial sectors, are presented.

Review: Queerly Centered: LGBTQIA Writing Center Directors Navigate the Workplace

Dr. Travis Webster’s monograph reports on qualitative research conducted into the working lives of 20 LGBTQIA-identifying writing center directors. From those interviews, Webster identifies three features of LGBTQIA writing center administrative labor: the unique capital with which their identities equip them, the activist labor that their identities call them to perform, and tensions between their labor and identities. He calls on writing center professionals and higher education administrators to become accomplices in the struggle against workplace injustices, moving beyond allyship that is all too often based in kind words rather than sustained action. The insights available in this book are valuable to anyone in higher education administration as they work to build more inclusive and welcoming spaces for LGBTQIA-identifying writing center professionals.