Assistant Dean Research Articles

Electronic governance and its role in promoting entrepreneurship - a survey study of a sample of colleges at Sulaimani Polytechnic University

This research aims to explain the role of electronic governance in its various dimensions in promoting entrepreneurship, by applying it in the colleges of Sulaimani Polytechnic University. To achieve the research objectives, the researcher collected data from various sources. The descriptive analytical approach was used to conduct the study, and the questionnaire was a main tool for collecting information. The research community consisted of college deans, assistant deans, department heads, department rapporteurs, division and unit officials, and professors. Their number reached 250 individuals, where 200 questionnaires were distributed and 49 questionnaires were returned. The total percentage of questionnaires received was 24.5%. SPSS program was used to analyze the data. The study reached a number of results, the most important of which is that the colleges of Sulaimani Polytechnic University give great importance to the variable of electronic governance in its various dimensions (Standards and applications, electronic participation, monitoring and evaluation, capabilities and human resources), and entrepreneurship in its various dimensions (creativity and innovation, initiative, take advantage of the opportunities, risk). The study found that there is a strong and direct correlation between electronic governance in its various dimensions and entrepreneurship. The research concluded that there is a need to activate the university’s great capabilities in implementing e-governance, through the presence of effective strategies to solve problems.

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.

6th Biennial Building Healthy Academic Communities National Summit: Abstracts from the Poster Winners

This Spring, the National Consortium for Building Health Academic Communities, in collaboration with the University of North Carolina Wilmington, hosted the sixth Biennial National Summit – Riding the Waves of Wellbeing. Attendees participated in a variety of workshops, breakout sessions, and wellness activities. Keynote speakers included Chris and Nik Nikic, authors of 1% Better: Reaching My Full Potential and How You Can Too. Plenary presentations were provided by Abdul El-Sayed, MD, Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation Policymaker in Residence, University of Michigan; Sheri Shaw, Assistant Dean for Student Success, University of North Carolina Wilmington; David Feldman, PhD, McCarthy Professor, Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University; and Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, The Ohio State University. In addition to these outstanding activities and presentations, the Biennial National Summit also included a judged poster session. BHAC is pleased to present the abstracts from the winning posters.

Gender trends in dentistry: Dental faculty and academic leadership.

Gender equality in the healthcare workforce has been a topic of discourse for many decades. In dental academia, women's representation of enrolled students and faculty has risen consistently since the 1980s. However, women in faculty leadership positions may still be lagging when compared to men. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the number of women who occupy the upper echelons of academic rank and title by analyzing cross-referenced data from the American Dental Association and the American Dental Education Association on women dental school graduates in relation to academic appointments. Gender distribution in rank, title, and appointments in the decade from 2011 to 2019, as well as percentage of women graduates over the same period, were collected for descriptive statistics. Multiple linear regression analysis, Cochran Armitage, and chi-square tests were conducted to examine trends over the years and to determine significant differences in overall percentages (p<0.05). The total women faculty percentages ranged from 36% to 40%. While the lower-level rank of instructor retained a higher representation of women (56%-65%), the higher rank of professor had disproportionately lower women percentages (18%-26%). Graduates, full-time faculty, lower-level academic ranks, and higher-level academic ranks for women followed similar upward trends that were statistically significant (p<0.05). When comparing the different groups against each other, the annual increase in women DMD/DDS graduate percentage was higher than women full-time faculty (0.28%), instructor rank (0.92%), professor rank (0.50%), and department chair appointments (0.49%). Our data show that women are still underrepresented at higher academic ranks. However, the upward trends for professors, assistant deans, and program chairs suggest that in recent years, more women faculty may have been encouraged, mentored, or offered higher administrative positions in academic institutions.

Prior Learning Assessment

Higher education continues to experience challenges arising from changing demographics and perceptions of the value of higher education. Prospective students want flexibility in how they pursue higher education. Programs must adapt to meet the changing needs and expectations of the audiences they serve. This is equally true for programs offered by library and information science schools. In an increasingly competitive educational environment where traditional student populations are shrinking, higher education institutions must be agile and proactive (Grawe, 2021).&#x0D; Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) or Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) recognize the students may bring knowledge and skills that are not documented as credit-bearing learning experiences from higher education institutions. The idea of PLA and CPL is not new. The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) (https://www.cael.org/) has advocated for PLA and CPL for more than 40 years. Learning can take place through nontraditional instructional outlets. Work-related and military experiences also provide learning opportunities for which evidence may be available. Central to PLA and CPL is rigorous assessment. This assessment can take multiple forms, including portfolio evaluation, examinations for learning achievement, or equivalency determination of non-credit learning experiences. A recent study on PLA for adult learners concluded that PLA is associated with better student outcomes, including higher credential completion, cost savings and time savings (Klein-Collins et al., 2020). The panel topic addresses the conference theme by focusing on learning, practice and competencies.&#x0D; Many students applying to undergraduate or graduate programs at LIS schools bring work or non-credit experiences in areas such as information technology, librarianship or archival studies that are germane to the areas they plan to study. Should these applicants be provided the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge they bring for admission consideration, course exemptions or credit recognition?&#x0D; The objective of this juried panel is to begin a dialogue on the place of PLA in library and information science programs. After a brief introduction to PLA concepts, the panelists will discuss PLA initiatives in their schools. This will be followed by a discussion with the audience during the second half of the panel on questions that arise when considering the adoption of PLA. These questions include:&#x0D; &#x0D; What are the potential benefits of, and concerns with, offering PLA options to prospective undergraduate and graduate students?&#x0D; Which programs offered by LIS schools lend themselves to PLA?&#x0D; How much credit should be provided to students for demonstrating prior learning?&#x0D; What are the most effective approaches for assessing prior learning?&#x0D; Can PLA make LIS programs more inclusive, and can it serve as an effective recruitment tool?&#x0D; &#x0D; The following presenters will participate on the panel:&#x0D; Dietmar Wolfram (Moderator), Head of School and Associate Dean, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Information Studies (SOIS) will provide a brief overview of PLA and methods of assessment.&#x0D; Louise Spiteri, Professor, School of Information Management, Dalhousie University will discuss how Dalhousie’s School of Information Management (SIM) moved from an ad hoc process to an official PLA process for admission assessment for their Master of Information (MI) program, and how this has allowed SIM to broaden the students entering the program. The presentation will also discuss the experience of students who have entered this way.&#x0D; Sarah Beth Nelson, Assistant Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has led the University of Wisconsin System School Library Education Consortium where students can submit a portfolio to demonstrate prior learning in order to be exempted from three of the courses required for school library licensure.&#x0D; Chad Zahrt, Assistant Dean, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will outline how SOIS has been providing elective credit for non-credit workshops in relevant information technology areas to incoming students in the Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Technology program.&#x0D; Tomas A. Lipinski, Professor, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will describe how SOIS is addressing the challenge of recognizing the knowledge of incoming MLIS students who bring substantial experience working in the field and how this may be assessed.

Physician Assistant Faculty Perceptions Regarding Ongoing Self-assessment and Accreditation.

While the processes of ongoing self-assessment and accreditation provide significant benefits to physician assistant (PA) programs, faculty members are often challenged by the required procedures and standards set by accreditation agencies. This study explored faculty perspectives regarding the processes of ongoing self-assessment and accreditation in PA programs. A qualitative research design centered around semistructured interviews was used. A total of 26 participants were recruited, including PA program directors, associate program directors, directors of assessment and accreditation, past Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant commissioners, accreditation consultants, deans, and PA Education Association leaders. Semistructured one-on-one interviews were conducted by 8 members of the research team through Zoom video conferencing. Data were collected until saturation was reached. The interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed independently by 3 researchers. The transcripts were imported into NVivo, a qualitative data analysis software, for coding and inductive thematic analysis. Six emergent themes were identified under 2 major categories: facilitators and challenges. Facilitators for conducting continuous programmatic review and analysis include it takes a village, internal and external support, and sustained faculty development, whereas challenges are lack of knowledge and time, unclear expectations, and inflexibility. The study highlights factors associated with facilitating the ongoing self-assessment process. However, a number of challenges were also identified. The study suggests opportunities for intervention at the program, institution, and profession level.

Restructuring the health education cluster in a public university

Research methodology This case was developed from the author’s personal experience as a participant in one of the health taskforce subcommittees. The author also sought the inputs of the Vice President of Health and Medical Education, the Dean of the Health Sciences College, the Student Affairs Assistant Dean of the Pharmacy College and the previous Vice President of Health and Medical Education. Moreover, secondary data were obtained from the office of the Vice President of Health and Medical Education at Qatar University (QU). Case overview/synopsis The government of Qatar has consistently provided generous funding for QU over the years. However, recent economic challenges, such as drops in oil prices, have had a negative impact on the country’s GDP and export revenue. In response, QU began to implement a new organizational structure. Specifically, the university proposed merging the three health-related colleges (health sciences, medicine and pharmacy) into a single cluster called the health education cluster. This decision was supported by a broad benchmark of approximately 40 universities worldwide, as well as input from various stakeholders within the university. Forming a cluster was expected to benefit the organization as a whole. However, the decision faced resistance and challenges that required investigation by top management. Would the new organizational structure be accepted by all? Was it feasible to have a single cluster that encompassed three distinct departments within the organization? These are examples of the questions that this case study addresses. Complexity academic level This compact case is suitable for a case study in basic undergraduate, postgraduate and advanced courses in Strategic Management at a business school. The case highlights the need to restructure an organization and the use of strategy formulation and implementation in the framework of management.

Advising Medical Students After the Dobbs Decision.

1Professor and assistant dean for faculty development, Department of Humanities, Health, and Society, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, Florida; email: [email protected] 2Associate professor and assistant dean for clinical education, Department of Humanities, Health and Society, Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, Florida. Funding/Support: None reported. Other disclosures: None reported. Ethical approval: Reported as not applicable. First published online.

Jaime E. Rodríguez O. (1940–2022)

Jaime E. Rodríguez O. (1940–2022)

Navigating the Path to Careers in Academic Pharmacy Administration

The purpose of this commentary is to discuss the qualifications, responsibilities, and keys to success for pharmacy faculty considering a department (or division) chair (head) or dean (including assistant or associate dean) position. The perspectives are those of a department chair, vice dean, and past dean of colleges of pharmacy with extensive experience in pharmacy administration. The qualifications for these administrative positions vary by institution, particularly with respect to the institution’s focus on research. Because the dean is the chief executive officer of a college of pharmacy, previous administrative experience is almost always a basic requirement for the position. For associate/assistant deans and department chairs, previous experience as a faculty member is a typical minimum requirement and may include experience as a department vice chair or director of a unit within the department or division. The dean has a fiduciary duty to university administration, as well as to other external and internal stakeholders, to educate and graduate competent pharmacists and to operate within budget. Associate/assistant deans often have responsibility for specific functions of the college, such as student or professional affairs, and it is common for deans to delegate authority, responsibility, and accountability to associate/assistant deans. Department chairs have a unique perspective with respect to college activities because they must not only think about the “big picture” when considering issues with other college administrators but must oversee the implementation and monitoring of strategic initiatives through the faculty and staff who report to them.

Innovative leadership and its influence on the creative behavior of academic leaders in Jordanian universities

The study identifies innovative leadership and its influence on the creative behavior of the communityacademic leaders in Jordanian universities. It uses the descriptive analytical approach. The nature of the community work is the following leadership positions: Vice President, Dean of Faculty, Vice Dean, and Head of Department, which numbered (1131) academic leaders, and consisted of (399) academic leaders.The study showed a statistically significant effect of innovative leadership in the creative behavior of academic leaders in Jordanian public universities with no such differences in the responses of the sample members in the level of innovative leadership and creative behavior attributed to gender variables, college specialization, academic rank and nature of work. Further, the responses are statistically differentin the creative behavior because ofthe nature of the work and in favor of the assistant dean. In this work, * indicates statistical significance at the significance level (α≤0.05) and ** is statistical significance at significance level (α≤0.01).

Exploring Subordinates' Perceptions and Experiences with Abusive Leaders in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study

Exploring Subordinates' Perceptions and Experiences with Abusive Leaders in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study

Building the Workforce:: A Collaborative Perioperative Academic Practice Model

The Center for Professional Development at the Rutgers University School of Nursing developed an academic partnership model for perioperative nursing, providing collaborative academic and experiential training for registered rurses new to perioperative practice. Experienced nurses are enrolled in a 10-week immersion program focused on perioperative education and training. The multi-faceted approach promotes the development of clinical skills and interdisciplinary teamwork required for a successful transition into the surgical environment. Learning outcomes focus on high-quality and patient-centered care as a cost-effective approach to training. The model’s standardized approach promotes recruitment and retention, enhances collaborative partnerships, and can potentially reduce organizational costs. The Center for Professional Development at the Rutgers University School of Nursing developed an academic partnership model for perioperative nursing, providing collaborative academic and experiential training for registered rurses new to perioperative practice. Experienced nurses are enrolled in a 10-week immersion program focused on perioperative education and training. The multi-faceted approach promotes the development of clinical skills and interdisciplinary teamwork required for a successful transition into the surgical environment. Learning outcomes focus on high-quality and patient-centered care as a cost-effective approach to training. The model’s standardized approach promotes recruitment and retention, enhances collaborative partnerships, and can potentially reduce organizational costs. Jeannette Manchester, DNP, MBA, RN, Assistant Professor, Assistant Dean, Center for Educational Research and Innovation, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Nursing, Newark, NJ. Email: [email protected] Susan Palma, DNP, MS, RN, LNHA, Adjunct Faculty, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Nursing, Newark, NJ. Mariely Rosario, BS, Program Assistant, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Nursing, Newark, NJ. Michele Livich Roberts EdD, RN, CNE, Assistant Professor & Clinical Educator, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Nursing, Newark, NJ. Karen Mansfield, MSN, RN, CNOR, CRNFA(e), Nurse Educator, Virtua Health System, Adjunct Faculty, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Nursing, Newark, NJ.

(Re)thinking English Language Teacher Education: Towards Contextualized and Coordinated Efforts for Enhancing Teacher Competencies

This paper explores issues around the implementation of English language teacher education programs in Nepal. It also presents the challenges facing teacher education and stakeholder opinions on future transformation of English language teacher education. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews with four teacher educators, four school heads, one assistant dean and 2 education officials. The analysis of the data adopted a grounded theory that enabled the author to build on themes emerging from the interview data, and the authors’ insider experience as an English language teacher educator further facilitated the contextual interpretation of the available data. The findings showed an existence of misalignment of the teacher education programs and contemporary market demands, thereby creating gaps between the graduates’ attributes and expectations of the schools. It further identified lack of coordination between school curriculum regulating agencies, teacher education institutions and the schools, that eventually led to the production of teaching human resources that lacked adequate competencies. This implies that English language teacher education programs needed reforms through competency-based framework. Findings further indicated a need for contextualization of current and prospective teachers’ professional development initiatives.

The Perspectives of Academic Leaders on Positioning Higher Education for the Knowledge Economy in Oman: Challenges and Opportunities

Oman Vision 2040 strives to continue shifting the country from an oil to a non-oil-based economy by emphasizing the value of diversification in HEIs. This study aims to provide in-depth insights into implementing the knowledge economy strategy in Oman&amp;#39;s higher education system and uses a case study methodology, draws on thematic analysis, and adopts an interpretive perspective employing semi-structured interviews conducted with the dean, assistant deans, and heads of academic departments. The study manifests a common sense among the academic leaders that espousing the policy of the KE in HE is agreed upon. This approbation of KE is ascribed to the discrepancy between developed and developing countries concerning the reality of the higher education systems and the embedded influence of neoliberalism. The study identifies the four fundamental pillars of KE in HE, whereby the study could interpret the existing educational leadership style undertaken and speculate on its future directions. The research indicates three obstacles facing educational leadership; challenges of practicing leadership, lack sustainable system (within the college), and external factors (beyond the college). It also unveils two significant benefits: preparing students for employment in the private sector will reduce the burden on the government to provide careers. Second, the potential reciprocal gains that are pursued in industry and HEIs through funding research, reviewing curriculum and learning outcomes together, and offering a hands-on approach to tackle challenges confronting the national labor market.

Student to Coordinator: My 20-year PLTL Journey

Peer-Led Team Learning has proven to be an inextricable part of my academic and professional journey. This essay describes my journey from a freshman chemistry major and workshop student to Assistant Dean and PLTL program coordinator, and the people who helped me along the way.

Community MH Must Include Care for Incarcerated Individuals, Released Prisoners

Community MH Must Include Care for Incarcerated Individuals, Released Prisoners

Does Conditioned Pain Modulation Predict Pain Outcomes?

Ms. Ward is a registered nurse at University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, and Dr. Starkweather is Chamings Professor & Assistant Dean for Research Development, Department of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, University of Florida College of Nursing, PO Box 100197, Gainesville, FL 32610; E-mail: [email protected]. All authors, faculty, and staff have no relevant financial relationship with any ineligible organizations regarding this educational activity. CME Accreditation Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. To earn CME credit, you must read the CME article and complete the quiz and evaluation assessment survey on the enclosed form, answering at least 70% of the quiz questions correctly. This CME activity expires on November 30, 2024. NCPD Accreditation Lippincott Professional Development is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Lippincott Professional Development will award 2.0 contact hours for this NCPD activity. This activity is also provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 11749 for 2.0 contact hours. Lippincott Professional Development is also an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the District of Columbia, Georgia, West Virginia, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Florida, CE Broker #50-1223. Your certificate is valid in all states. Instructions for earning ANCC contact hours are included on page 11 of the newsletter. This NCPD activity expires on December 5, 2025.

Contributor biographies

Contributor biographies

Equal Pay for Equal Work in the Dean Suite: Addressing Occupational Gender Segregation and Compensation Inequities Among Medical School Leadership.

In 2022, the Association of American Medical Colleges published data from its annual Dean's Office Staff Compensation and Dean's Compensation Surveys in a new report addressing salary equity among medical school leadership. These data, disaggregated by gender and race/ethnicity, represent earnings of the senior most leaders in the dean suite and have historically been shared only with medical school Deans and principal business officers. The report shows that the highest-ranking decanal positions in U.S. medical schools are filled along the lines of traditional gender stereotypes (with men in clinical affairs and research affairs deanships and women in admissions, diversity affairs, faculty affairs, and student affairs deanships) and that the roles held mostly by men carry grander titles (e.g., senior associate dean vs assistant dean) and significantly higher salaries than those typically held by women. Additionally, within the same decanal positions, women earn lower median compensation than men. In this commentary, the authors describe limited advancement and lower compensation as foregone conclusions for women in medicine and science due to a professional model that places a premium on activities traditionally pursued by men. They define and characterize the impact of this occupational gender segregation in the dean suite and offer a roadmap for an alternative value system that recognizes complementary leadership activities across the mission areas of academic medicine and ensures that the contributions of women in the profession are appropriately recognized, valued, and rewarded.