Crisis In Universities Research Articles

The Crisis in Foundational Studies and the Necessity of a Liberal Arts and Sciences College(LASC)

This paper addresses the inherent contradiction in universities since their inception, which involves the harmonization of discourse between liberal arts and specialized education and the creation of intellectuals with a blend of both general and specialized knowledge. Instead of resorting to traditional liberal arts approaches, this paper proposes a solution to the crisis in foundational studies from the perspective of creating a new paradigm known as “New Liberal Arts,” overcoming the internal contradictions fundamentally present in universities. Alongside this perspective, this paper reexamines the importance of foundational studies in today's context, taking into consideration the current crisis in Korean universities. It acknowledges the harsh reality of university restructuring and seeks practical approaches that account for the interdependence between universities and businesses, proposing a university reform framework. The paper suggests the establishment of a liberal arts and sciences college (LASC) as a realistic solution to reconstruct the university ecosystem within a society. Within this academic structure, this paper outlines a three-stage curriculum involving the classical liberal arts, foundational convergence education curriculum, and New Liberal Arts.

사립대학 재정진단의 쟁점과 과제

The sharp decline in the school-age population is deepening the financial crisis in private universities, along with a tuition freeze that has lasted for over 15 years. To overcome this, legislative support is very important to improve the quality of Korean university education through financial diagnosis of private universities and structural improvement. In this context, this paper attempted to discuss the current issues and tasks of financial diagnosis on private universities. Firstly, the issues of financial diagnosis on private universities, the structure and progress of financial diagnosis on private universities, and the efforts to enact the ｢Act on Support for Structural Improvement of Private Universities｣ were summarized, and the issues and tasks of financial diagnosis on private universities were discussed based on this discussion. The methods of this study are literature and data analysis. However, regarding the issues, the opinions of five experts in charge of financial diagnosis at private universities were collected. Issues and tasks were discussed by dividing them into macro, micro, and legal dimensions. The main conclusion is as follows. First, it should not stop at classifying it as a business crisis university through a financial diagnosis of private universities, and various support is required. Second, above all, legislative support for improving the university structure is very important. Third, it is necessary to clarify the procedure for confirming the approval of the financial diagnosis by the university so that the reliability and procedural justification of the financial diagnosis results can be secured. Fourth, the results of the financial diagnosis of private universities should be notified to all private universities. Fifth, it is necessary to continuously determine whether private universities fall under the financial crisis so that the final decision can be made.

대학생의 지역사회 협력학습 인식 및 수요에 대한 사례 연구

Objectives The purpose of this study is to provide assistance to educators who wish to develop community collaborative classes by investigating and providing college students' perceptions and demands regarding this type of class.
 Methods A demand survey was conducted on 1,486 students at D University in the metropolitan area, participation in community cooperative learning, the expected effects of community cooperative learning, the demand for community cooperative learning, and the operation of community cooperative learning classes.
 Results The results showed high interest among college students in community cooperative learning. College students hope that community cooperation programs will be established in all types of classes, regardless of major or liberal arts, and appear to prefer community cooperation classes compared to general lecture classes.
 Conclusions In order to overcome the crisis in universities, classes in the form of community cooperative learning need to be actively developed and utilized. Now is the time when all universities must actively develop new classes linked to the local community and make efforts to apply new learning methods.

Data security crisis in universities: identification of key factors affecting data breach incidents

The extremely complex and dynamic digital environments of universities make them highly vulnerable to the risk of data breaches. This study empirically investigated the factors influencing data breach risks in the context of higher education, according to crime opportunity theory and routine activity theory. The data consisted of university samples from China and were collected mainly from the Chinese Education Industry Vulnerability Reporting Platform. After applying Poisson regression for the estimation, increased public disclosure of vulnerabilities was found to escalate the frequency of data breaches, whereas cross-border data flow decreased the number of data breaches. Furthermore, the mechanism by which academic strength affects data breaches was examined through the two mediators of cross-border data flow and vulnerability disclosure. In addition, cloud adoption reduced data breaches, and public clouds were determined to be relatively more secure than private clouds. Cloud adoption also acted as a moderator between the negative impact of vulnerabilities and the positive impact of cross-border data flow on data breaches. The estimation and robustness findings revealed the underlying mechanisms that impacted university data security, clarifying the understanding of data breaches and suggesting practical implications for universities and other institutes to improve information security. The findings of this study provide insights and directions for future research.

The Structure of Management Information System and its Impact on the Management of the Corona Crisis in Jordanian Universities

Purpose: This paper aims to identify the impact of structuring management information systems in managing the Corona crisis in Jordanian universities. Theoretical Framework: This paper discusses the impact of structuring management information systems in Jordanian universities in managing the Corona crisis. In addition, how has the organizational and administrative structure of Jordanian universities impacted the management of the Corona crisis? and the role of technical structuring in Jordanian university crisis management? Design/methodology/approach: The population of this study include all public and private Jordanian universities, and the sample consisted of (384) respondents from the deans of academic faculties, heads of departments, and members of the teaching staff in these universities, this paper considered one of the field research in which the researcher followed the descriptive analytical method, The data were analyzed using the statistical package for the social sciences program, and the hypotheses were tested using arithmetic means, standard deviation, and multiple and simple linear regression analysis. Findings: The results showed a statistically significant effect of the elements of the structuring of management information systems (organizational, administrative and technical structuring) in managing the Corona crisis in Jordanian universities, and it was found that the universities responded immediately to contain the Corona crisis by the way of distributing tasks in a short period when it occurs, and as periodic meetings were held to prepare to deal with the Corona crisis. Research, Practical & Social implications: The structuring of management information systems plays a major role in the growth and development of the global economy. Therefore, management information systems and its various tools have become the mainstay and technical base for advancement in the field of e-business, telecommunications, e-commerce, and e-government. Originality/value: This study sheds light on the degree to which Jordanian private universities (student community) keep up with contemporary administrative systems, concepts, and models, in particular with regard to the impact of structuring management information systems in managing the Corona crisis in Jordanian private universities, which are regarded as one of the interdisciplinary research centers in the world.

The Dilemma and Identification of College Students' Covert Psychological Crisis Intervention

The hidden psychological crisis brings great challenges to the mental health education in colleges and universities. This paper analyzes the reasons why the hidden psychological crisis of college students is difficult to find by sorting out and summarizing the cases of the crisis in colleges and universities, and the identification points of hidden psychological crisis of college students are put forward.

Renewing the Sydney undergraduate curriculum

A number of commentators have recently called for a re-examination of the purpose and value of undergraduate education, arguing that change is required if universities are to deliver the value in educational outcomes that students and communities now require for a changing and challenging world (for example, Aoun, 2017; Bok, 2020; Davidson, 2017; Fischman & Gardner, 2022). Indeed, some have argued that such change is necessary to stem an emerging crisis in universities’ ‘social license to operate’ (Bok, 2020). In this paper, we review the case for undergraduate curriculum change and present a case study of one Australian university’s engagement with this challenge, describing the reasons for change, the desired outcomes, and some early impacts on students’ study patterns. The change took place at the University of Sydney over the period from 2014 to 2021 with a new undergraduate curriculum introduced for commencing students from 2018. Intended to prepare students for a changing world, the new curriculum sought a balance between graduates’ expertise in a primary field of study and a set of broader capabilities that would support their capacity for future learning and for creative and effective engagement in life and career, including an understanding of broader intellectual landscapes; the skills for collaboration, invention, and influence; and the integration of knowledge with professional and personal ethics and values. The aspiration to develop such capabilities is shared with many universities around the world, and we describe here how the available evidence base was used to guide whole-of-University curriculum redesign in this case. We also identify areas where further research would be of value.

Evaluation of the online learning of veterinary anatomy education during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in Egypt: Students' perceptions.

ABSTRACTThe sudden shift of veterinary anatomy teaching from traditional to online mode during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid‐19) pandemic lockdown was a major challenge used for the first time in Egyptian veterinary medical schools. This study aimed to evaluate the students' perspectives regarding the shift of veterinary anatomy teaching to online mode during the lockdown in Egypt. A total of 502 students from all veterinary medical schools in Egypt (n = 17) answered the questionnaire. The results revealed that nearly two‐thirds of students felt enthusiastic about studying anatomy online during the pandemic. Moreover, approximately 63% of students were satisfied with the provided learning materials, 66% were able to understand anatomy using the online learning system during the lockdown period, 67% were comfortable with technological skills during their online study, and 47% believed that online learning of anatomy could replace face‐to‐face teaching. Therefore, despite the problems associated with the emergency switch to remote teaching, it appears to be a suitable alternative in teaching veterinary anatomy in Egyptian universities during this pandemic crisis in Egyptian universities. Moreover, the study provided several measurements to overcome the common problems associated with this challenging method for future application, such as providing three‐dimensional virtual tools and electronic devices with either free or low‐priced Internet packages, and measuring students' understanding before and after each lecture. This is the first study to solicit the early students' feedback regarding the emergency shift to online veterinary anatomy teaching which might help decision‐makers in Egypt for future implementation of online learning of veterinary anatomy.

COVID-19 and Technology Enhanced Teaching in Higher Education in sub-Saharan Africa: A Case of the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

This article aims to share an experience on the process taken by the University of Dar es Salaam to adopt and deliver technology-enhanced teaching and learning during the COVID-19 crisis. The university started by forming a team which conducted an audit to identify existing ICT infrastructure, skills gaps amongst instructors, and information systems that could be quickly adopted to deliver various courses during the COVID-19 crisis. The Moodle system, Zoom video conferencing system, and Postgraduate Information Management System were identified and recommended. After the audit, 340 instructors were trained on identified systems and 369 new courses were developed. Although face-to-face classes resumed a few months after the training and preparations, postgraduate courses continued to be offered via the blended mode with the Zoom and Moodle systems being used. The experience gathered from this study contributes towards knowledge of ICT integration in teaching and learning and can be integrated into teaching during the COVID-19 crisis in resource-constrained universities in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

Evaluating the management of the educational crisis in light of the Corona pandemic from the viewpoint of graduate students in Jordanian universities

هدفت الدراسة إلى الكشف عن تصورات طلبة الدراسات العليا لتقييم إدارة الأزمة التعليمية في الجامعات الحكومية الأردنية في ظل جائحة كورونا، والتعرف إلى دلالة الفروق في تصورات طلبة الدراسات العليا لتقييم إدارة الأزمة في الجامعات الأردنية وفقا لمتغير الجنس، تم تطبيق الدراسة في الفصل الدراسي الثاني 2020م، وقد تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، حيث تكون مجتمع الدراسة من طلبة الدراسات العليا في الجامعات الحكومية الأردنية، وتكونت عينة الدراسة من (198) طالباً وطالبة. وبلغ عدد أفراد العينة من الذكور (100)، كما بلغ عدد الإناث (98) تم اختيارهم بالطريقة العشوائية البسيطة، وخلصت الدراسة إلى النتائج الآتية: أن المتوسطات الحسابية والانحرافات المعيارية لتصورات طلبة الدراسات العليا لتقييم إدارة الأزمة التعليمية في الجامعات الأردنية والمتوسط ككل تراوحت بين (2.97-4.03) وجميعها بدرجات مرتفعة ومتوسطة، وبلغ المتوسط الحسابي ككل لتصورات طلبة الدراسات العليا لتقييم إدارة الأزمة التعليمية في الجامعات الأردنية (3.76) وبدرجة مرتفعة، عدم وجود فروق في تصورات أفراد العينة على متوسطات الأداة ككل وفقاً لمتغير الجنس (ذكور، اناث)، وفي ضوء النتائج قدم الباحث التوصيات الآتية: إجراء المزيد من الدراسات والأبحاث على عينات ومراحل مختلفة في ما يخص ادارة الازمة التعليمية، تقديم الدعم الكافي لوزارة التعليم العالي والبحث العلمي لمساعدتها في إنجاز التعليم عن بعد بشكل مستمر، عمل خطط مستقبلية فعالة تواكب الأزمات الطبيعية والكوارث المختلفة.

The study of the mutual effect between crisis strategies (Covid-19) and the organizational culture and organizational strategic orientation in private Jordanian universities

The research aims at studying the mutual effect between the crisis strategies (Corona), organizational strategies and organizational culture in private Jordanian universities. (384) questionnaires were distributed by email to faculty members who perform administrative works, like the Head of Department and the Faculty Dean. However, only (250) were returned. The research used Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) techniques. The results showed that the organizational strategic orientation was negatively affecting the crisis management strategies (Corona crisis). In addition, the result revealed a significant positive relationship between organizational strategic orientation and organizational culture. Moreover, organizational culture has a significant effect on the crisis management strategies (Corona crisis) in private universities. Furthermore, the results showed that organizational culture mediate the effect of organizational strategic orientation on crisis management strategies (Corona crisis).

The Challenges and Countermeasures of Public Relations Crisis in Colleges and Universities from the Perspective of Organizational Communication, Under the Background of New Media

At present, the frequent public opinion events caused by the public relations crisis of colleges and universities on the Internet reflect the disharmony between the internal and external communication environment of colleges and universities. Faced with various challenges brought by new media, colleges and universities need to actively reform the organizational structure, change the organizational communication mode, and improve the efficiency of organizational communication. This paper tries to summarize the challenges in the context of new media from the public relations crisis in colleges and universities, and gives some countermeasures from the perspective of organizational communication.

Humanidades: desencantamento e desafios

Esse ensaio parte do pressuposto de que existe uma crise institucional nas universidades globais, na qual a formação humanística tem sido desconsiderada no processo cada vez maior de valorização de um tipo de racionalidade técnico-científica. O ensaio, portanto, tem por objetivo apresentar uma discussão acerca desse tema num diálogo com os pressupostos teóricos que lidam com a racionalização da sociedade e os processos de desencantamento decorrentes da modernização. Assim, propõe um diálogo com autores e concepções que nos ajudam a refletir sobre o papel das humanidades no âmbito do fazer ciência e institucional das universidades. As reflexões apontam para novas racionalidades, e que tenham compromissos mais amplos com os conceitos de desenvolvimento e construção do conhecimento e para a necessidade das humanidades se reinventarem e se revitalizarem.

A Lecture Improvement Consulting Case Study for Lecture Undervalued Professors

이 연구는 강의평가가 낮은 교수자를 대상으로 교수학습지원센터에서 실시한 강의개선 컨설팅 사례를 분석하고 시사점을 도출하는 데 있다. 강의평가의 목적은 수업과 강의의 질을 향상시키는 것으로 오늘날은 강의평가 개념에 대한 확장성이 요구된다. 교수업적평가 등의 사후관리보다는 강의역량 향상을 위한 강의개선, 환류체계 등의 사전평가가 강조되고 있다. 이를 위해 다수의 대학들은 강의평가 문항의 타당성과 신뢰성 확보에 노력하고 있다. 특히 학령인구의 감소에 따른 입학자원의 감소와 재정확충의 어려움은 대학의 위기를 가져왔으며, 강의 평가가 낮은 교수자의 강의역량은 선택아 아닌 필수가 되었다. K대학교의 강의개선 컨설팅 사업은 2017년 2학기 시작 전부터 논의되어 41명의 교원을 선정하였다. 강의개선 컨설팅 절차는 대상자 선정, 강의개선 컨설팅, 교수자의 강의개선과 성찰, 평가 및 사후관리 단계로 걸쳐 진행되었다. 연구 결과는 첫째, K대학교의 강의개선 컨설팅의 특징이 확인되었다. 둘째, 강의개선 컨설팅의 통계적 효과가 검증되었다. 셋째, 사전조사 강의평가 점수보다 사후조사 강의평가 점수가 상당히 향상된 (최)우선지원교원의 성공사례가 확인되었다. 이 연구결과를 바탕으로 논의 및 이론적, 실천적 시사점과 연구의 한계점을 제시하였다.The purpose of this study is to analyze the case of lecture improvement consulting conducted by the Center for Teaching and Learning for professors with poor feedback, namely poor evaluation scores regarding their lectures and to draw implications. The purpose of lecture evaluation is to improve the quality of instruction and lectures. Nowadays extensive exploration and further research into the concept of lecture evaluation is required. Pre-evaluations, such as the improvement of lecture competency, are emphasized rather than post-management such as the evaluation of a professor’s achievements. To this end, many universities are trying to secure the validity and reliability of the lecture evaluation questions. In particular, the decrease in admission resources and the difficulty of financial expansion due to the decrease in the school age population has about a crisis in universities, and the teaching ability of professors with low lecture evaluations became essential rather than optional. The lecture improvement consulting project of K University was discussed before the start of the second semester in 2017 and 41 professors were selected. The lecture improvement consulting process was carried out through a selection of subjects, lecture improvement consulting, each professor’s lecture improvement and reflection, and evaluation coupled with follow-up management. The research results are as follows. First, the characteristics of K University s lecture improvement consulting were confirmed. Second, the statistical effect of lecture improvement consulting was verified. Third, the success cases of the (first) priority support professors were significantly improved, compared to the pre-test lecture evaluation scores. Based on the results of this study, discussions and theoretical and practical implications and limitations of the study were presented.

The Recent Crisis in South African Universities

South African higher education has experienced unprecedented unrest since 2015. This article examines the causes of the crisis across various campuses and their effects on the higher education system as a whole.

A LITERATURA NECESSÁRIA: LEITURA E FORMAÇÃO DO LEITOR

No presente ensaio, discuto a importância do texto literário nos dias de hoje. A questão que aqui se impõe é a da crise da leitura nas escolas e nas universidades. Sumariamente, explico por que classificar a literatura como ‘bem incompressível”. Segundo Antônio Cândido, aquilo de que uma sociedade não deveria jamais prescindir.

The crisis of research and global recognition in Arab universities

Scientific research is facing a critical situation in Arab nations. While international rankings have become the first priority of universities engaged in research across the world, most universities undertaking scientific research in the Arab region are occupied with other matters more vital to their survival. Given the current crisis in some universities in the Arab region, this study seeks to understand the factors responsible for the falling standards in scientific research and the lack of global recognition of these universities. Through interviews with university rectors or their designates along with three international experts on higher education policy, this investigation considers the social, economic, and political factors responsible for the crisis in some Arab universities that undertake scientific research. The investigation also probes the effect that political instability has on the Arab universities, particularly in light of the “Arab Spring” and how top administrators propose to improve research capabilities in their institutions. Thematic analysis of the interviews suggests lack of research infrastructure, funding and resources, and English publications, in addition to unmotivated faculty, as primary causes for the dilemma of Arab universities. The findings also indicate that in countries that are mired in political crises, lack of security is preventing higher education institutions from functioning and preserving their role in society as institutions of intellectual rigor and research. Although these Arab universities cannot control the political destiny of the country, international experts who were interviewed emphasized the importance of building a research infrastructure and an environment that motivates researchers. Furthermore, using English as the language of research and the emphasis of basic science are crucial elements to developing a sound research university.

The Humanities and Social Sciences in Asia: Endangered Species?

The humanities and to a lesser extent the social sciences are in crisis in many East Asian universities. Several key challenges are evident: to improve the image of the soft sciences at every university; to provide capacity in a country to educate scholars at a high level in the various soft science disciplines (all universities of course need not offer a full range of specialties); to integrate the humanities and social sciences into interdisciplinary programs in professional and other fields; and to have capacity in these fields to contribute to general education.

University Leadership in Crisis: The Need for Effective Leadership Positioning in Malaysia

This paper examines the nature of the leadership crisis in Malaysia's public universities. Our main concern is about the leadership at the top levels of university management, and the administrative hierarchy as perceived by both outsiders and insiders. Critics have lamented that Malaysia lacks people with international stature to lead its public universities to greater heights; however, they stop short of outlining good, feasible leadership plans for public universities. This paper contends that the primary reason for the malaise underlying the Malaysian university leadership crisis is that there is no proper system in place to appoint the most able, talented, authoritative and respected scholars to lead Malaysia's public universities. This paper also argues that the current provision in the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, regarding the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor, is obsolete and not aligned with the aspiration of treating universities as independent, trustworthy and autonomous entities. It is contrary to international best practices of selecting university leaders through an extremely competitive and rigorous search. Arguably, Malaysian universities need leaders — academics (in the first instance) cum administrators — who are inspirational, visionary, respected for their scholarship, and progressive in their approach. The leadership crisis in Malaysia's public universities is approaching such a critical stage that nothing less than a total reform has to be instituted, not only of the law in relation to appointments, but also of the practices and cultures, which currently do not promote meritocracy.

The Attrition Crisis in South African Universities. How to Keep Students on the Graduation Path

The attrition of students is a persistent and seemingly intractable problem of higher education in South Africa. Less than 15 percent of a cohort of matrics get into higher education where about 50 percent of students drop out of university in their first year and a mere 15 percent of them complete their degrees in the allotted time. Predictably the attrition of students from previously disadvantaged population groups may result in further racial and socioeconomic disparity in future generations – a concern to both education authorities and students. Using focus groups’ discussions, this study attempts to understand the perceptions of randomly selected education stakeholders of reasons for attrition of students particularly at the UKZN, South Africa. Exclusion on academic grounds and financial difficulties are not wholly to blame, other reasons including feeder high schools, life events, and a set of onset of youth sundry needs are equally considerable hurdles on the graduation path of students. A holistic approach in the educational policy making process run in parallel to appropriately targeted educational investments which should operate like the financial crisis bailout is imperative to keep students on the graduation path and reverse the trend of attrition.