University Decision Makers Research Articles

Continuous briefing for the future university campus: an evidence-based approach to match spatial supply and demand

PurposeTo plan the future university campus, campus executives need decision-making support from theory and practice. Matching the static campus (supply) with the dynamic (demand) - while safeguarding spatial quality and sustainability - requires management information from similar organizations. This study presents an evidence-based briefing approach to support decision-makers of individual universities with management information when making decisions for their future campus.Design/methodology/approachFor the proposed evidence-based briefing approach, the continuous Designing an Accommodation Strategy (DAS) framework is used in a mixed-method research design to evaluate the past to plan for the future. Five campus themes and three campus models (solid, liquid, and gas) are introduced to describe the development and diversification of university campuses and their impact across different university building types. Based on this theoretical framework, first, qualitative interview data are analyzed to understand which standards campus managers expect; second, a quantitative project database is used to demonstrate what is actually realized.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that remote working and online education will become more common. Academic workplaces and learning environments are more adaptive to changes than laboratory spaces. The analyses reveal different effective space use strategies to meet the current demand: they include space-efficient mixed-use buildings, and mono-functional generic educational and office spaces. These results show that operationalized evidence-based briefing can help design the future campus.Originality/valueThe study adds knowledge during a critical (post-COVID) period when decision-makers need evidence from others to adapt their campus management strategies to hybrid and sustainable ambitions.

Navigating techniques in job recommender systems on internship profile matching: a systematic review

PurposeThis review article is focused on the following research questions: RQ1: What are the methods used by authors to collect data in order to evaluate one's profile? RQ2: What are the classification algorithms and ranking metrics used to give suggestions to users? RQ3: How effective are these algorithms and metrics identified in RQ2?Design/methodology/approachThere are four major systematic review phases being carried out in this survey, namely the formulation of research questions, conducting the review, which includes the selection of articles and appraising evidence quality, data extraction and narrative data synthesis.FindingsCollecting from primary sources is more personalized and relevant. Embedded skill sets that have a considerable impact on one’s career aspirations could be mined from secondary sources. A hybrid recommender system helped mitigate the limitations of both. The effectiveness of the models depends not only rely on the filtering techniques used but also on the metrics used to measure similarity and the frequency of words or phrases used in a document.Research limitations/implicationsThe study benefits internship program coordinators of a university aiming to develop a recommender or matching system platform for their students. The content of the study may shed a light on how university decision-makers can explore options on what are the techniques or algorithms to be integrated. One of the advantages of internship or industrial training programs is that they would help students align them with their career goals. Research studies have discussed other RS filtering techniques apart from the three major filtering techniques.Practical implicationsThe outcome of the study, which is a recommendation system to match a student's profile with the knowledge and skills being sought by organizations, may help ease the challenges encountered by both parties. The study benefits internship coordinators of a university who are planning to create a recommendation system, an innovative project to be used in teaching and learning.Social implicationsInternship programs can help a student grow personally and professionally. A university student looking for internship opportunities can find it a daunting task to undertake, as there is a vast pool of opportunities offered in the market. The confidence levels needed to match their knowledge, skills and career goals with the job descriptions (JDs) could be challenging. The same holds with companies, as finding the right people for the right job is a tough endeavor. The main objective of conducting this study is to identify models implemented in recommendation systems to give and/or rank suggestions given to users.Originality/valueWhile surveys regarding recommender systems (RS) exist, there are gaps in the presentation of various data collection methods and the comparison of recommendation filtering techniques used for both primary and secondary sources of data. Most recommendation systems for internship programs are intended for European universities and not much for Southeast Asia. There are also a limited number of comparative studies or systematic review articles related to recommendation systems for internship programs offered in an Southeast Asian landscape. Systematic reviews on the usability of the proposed recommendation systems are also limited. The study presents reviews of articles, from data collection and techniques used to the usability of the proposed recommendation systems, which were presented in the articles being studied.

Influence of Risky Internet Use on Physical Activity and Academic Burnout among Undergraduate Students

Objectives: In this study, we investigate the correlations between Internet use risk, physical activity, and academic burnout among undergraduate students. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 620 participants using tools like the Problematic and Risky Internet Usage Scale, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory Student version, and the Baecke tool. Results: Over two-thirds of participants had high risky Internet use, while about half had severe academic burnout. Most students had low physical activity levels, and males had a greater predisposition to the risk resulting from Internet addiction. There was a significant difference in academic burnout according to gender, with more academic burnout among males. Whereas both males and females had low physical activity levels, there was a statistically significant difference between their levels of physical activity. Conclusion: We recommend university decision-makers organize regular physical activities to prevent academic burnout and conduct workshops and lectures to highlight the value of physical activity.

University Extension and Social Responsibility: Synergies and Discourses Around University Educational Policies

Objective: The objective of this article is to show the relationship between university social responsibility and educational policies and management from the scenarios of university extension and social projection. Theoretical Framework: The topics of university extension, university social responsibility, stakeholders in the framework of institutional governance are highlighted, which provide a solid basis for understanding the context of the research. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprises a qualitative study of documentary analysis at international, Latin American and local level of normative documents, with emphasis on higher education institutions attached to the state university system (SUE). Data collection was carried out with the support of the Atlas Ti. 23 tool. Results and Discussion: Among the most important findings is that public universities have included university social responsibility (RSU) in the framework of extension and social projection policies, through the incorporation of management practices linked to their mission areas. Research Implications: It is concluded that it is important to permeate the internationalization processes, continuing education and educational quality, as well as academic and administrative management. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature because it presents strategies to support university decision-making in relation to society. The relevance and value of this research is evidenced in the possibility of modifying and permeating aspects that are immersed in such diverse aspects as educational quality, internationalization, design of indicators, continuing education, etc.

How Should a Virtual University Be Managed? A Theoretical Approach

Abstract The concept of a virtual university (VU) has grown in popularity among academics. It has been adopted by numerous traditional universities (TU) that got familiar with virtual education since spring 2020, triggered by the pandemic context. Today, university decision-makers should see VU as more than just an anchor, a mechanism to ensure the continuity of the educational process in grave conditions, or a model for distance online education through intense use of information technology (IT). This paper's research shows that a conceptual model of a virtual university (MVU) should be seen as a complex organization with a structure of roles held by people who interact in processes to provide products and services to students, researchers, and other learners in a virtual environment, supported by IT resources. The study aims to highlight management process (MP) on MVU. It analyzes and interprets the MP for an organization, followed by universities. This theoretical approach can address university's tactical management needs from the perspective of transition or adoption of MVU and understanding what it means to manage a VU. The presented way of managing VUs offers unique support for decisions of acceptance within the academic and administrative community in Romania to integrate and offer virtual education.

Design of Fast Mining Algorithm for Educational Sport Course Data Based on Cluster Analysis

In this age of big data, education researchers are reconceptualizing and re-evaluating the value of education data. Therefore, we need to use educational data mining methods for data analysis to better guide teaching. The informatization level of colleges and universities is improving year by year, and the entire training data of students from enrollment to graduation is stored. These datasets are collected, stored, and kept by different departments, contain a large amount of regular and relevant information, and truly record the growth footprint of students. Traditional educational decision-making has not yet fully explored and used the valuable information hidden in data resources. Although some scholars have carried out research related to campus data mining at this stage, there are still many problems that have not yet been solved in the application of decision-making in colleges and universities. This paper is based on the idea of data-driven decision-making, combined with the data characteristics of campus big data, and establishes a model solution for student behavior analysis and behavior prediction by applying multiple machine learning algorithms. On the basis of the analysis of students’ academic behavior performance in the context of multi-category educational data, we proposed a cluster analysis framework for processing multi-type campus big data, and described the group characteristics of the clustering results. By introducing the K-prototype algorithm, we effectively solved the multi-category problem where traditional clustering algorithms (such as K-Means, etc.) cannot adapt to the attributes of educational data. The research results show that innovative educational decision-making models and methods are based on the idea of “data-prediction-decision”, which promotes the application research of big data science in the area of education.

Applying a democratic evidence-based decision-making model: a case illustration of policy development at an Arab University

ABSTRACT This case study explores the potential for democratic governance in state-regulated Arab higher education systems focusing on institutional committee members’ adoption of deliberative, empowered and participatory evidence-based decision-making practices while engaged in university policy development. Amidst a landscape characterised by the forces of globalisation and internationalisation, coupled with an intensifying focus on quality assurance and accreditation that increasingly shape governance structures, this research examines decision-making at the practical micro-level within an Arab State institution. This university, mirroring others in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, functions within a largely centralised political system where government bodies exert substantial influence. By presenting an illustrative case of grassroots democratic evidence-based decision-making during committee members’ formulation of a new institution-wide policy, this study aims to partially bridge the conceptual and applied research void. It delves into the opportunities and challenges of practicing shared, evidence-based decision-making in multiplex universities operating within characteristically state-regulated, management-centric political contexts.

Bagaimana Mempertahankan Karyawan Berketerampilan Tinggi? Studi Ekstrapolasi Faktor-Faktor Yang Menyebabkan Dosen Meninggalkan Organisasinya

Research aim: This paper discusses the factors that cause lecturers to resign based on an extrapolation study at a private corporate University located in South Tangerang, Banten region, Indonesia owned by a big business group in Jakarta. Methods: The research was conducted using the data from exit interviews that were done by the HR for people who had left the university during 2020-2021 with a total of 25 respondents and the engagement survey result done for people who were still working in 2022 with a total of 109 respondents. Finding: The results showed that the top three main driving factors for lecturer turnover are remuneration, recognition, and work-life balance. Theoretical contribution/Originality: These findings provide an important contribution in the context of human resource management in higher education, refer to Maslow's needs theory, and emphasize the need to pay attention to these factors. Practitioner/Policy implication: The results of the study provide input for decision-makers in universities on how to improve employee engagement that will reduce lecturer turnover. Research limitation: The research is limited due to the scope and information gathered only focusing on University X and it does not take into account the individual situation and consideration.

Editor-in-Chief: A Brief Reflection and a New Home

The Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (JUTLP) has had quite the adventure since it began in 2004. The editorial team has evolved significantly in the past five years to better reflect the developing post-COVID-19 environment, alongside the elevation in expected quality of manuscripts. This Editorial provides a brief account of almost five years as an editor in JUTLP and documents key information ready for a move out of the current system and into an Open Access Publishing Association-funded instance of Open Journal Systems. The purpose of this Editorial is to serve as a notice for our readers, authors, and community of our new home, but also to provide stock of the achievements and records of the Journal in years gone by to accompany the notes made by Percy and colleagues (2021). We remain excited about our future, and of the possibilities a new home affords. We encourage you to remain part of our journey in promoting and engaging with practice-led research in the university sector; an area that seems to be incredibly important for future university decision-making.

A Transcendental Phenomenological Exploration of Undergraduate University Students’ Lived Experiences with Spiritual Leadership

This article presents findings from a recent study conducted at a Christian university exploring the spiritual leadership encounters undergraduate students described having with faculty and staff members. University students today face a myriad of challenges ranging from aspects of mental health to finding purpose and meaning in life. As a result, many university decision-makers are seeking ways to improve campus experiences that help meet the needs of their students and increase student engagement, retention, and graduation rates. Spiritual leadership theory is a relatively new theory in leadership studies that has been validated in several studies in various fields. However, there is limited research exploring spiritual leadership in a university context. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological research study was to explore the lived experience of undergraduate university students with spiritual leadership encounters while attending a university. The data revealed that the spiritual leadership encounters students in this study had with faculty and staff members resulted in several positive experiences, including feelings of being cared for, feeling supported, developing a sense of community, and increased academic motivation. Recommendations for the future include encouraging university decision-makers to explore the potential benefits of integrating the spiritual leadership framework into current pedagogical practices. The information presented here may help practitioners of the spiritual leadership model in classrooms, residential halls, and other university settings to potentially experience similar benefits with the undergraduate students they teach and lead.

University Teachers’ Agency in Relation to Technology Use in Teaching: A Quantitative Investigation

This study investigates Danish university teachers’ agency in using digital technologies in teaching. Furthermore, it explores how teachers’ conduct and experienced constraints are connected to different dimensions of teachers’ agency.
 The paper is based on survey responses from 344 teachers about their agentic will and power to influence aspects of technology usage in teaching. Using an exploratory factor analysis, we identify three distinct factors and their relations: 1) wanting to control digital data and having the power to do so is distinct from 2) teachers’ power and will to control the technologies adopted and 3) how technologies are applied in teaching. Furthermore, all factors correlate with the teachers’ conduct (extent to which technology facilitates education interactions), while there are factor-specific patterns to the constraints (e.g., time, experience).
 The results provide a basis for revisiting teachers’ role in university decision-making. We include a discussion on the entangledness of agency across institutional levels.

Research on the Development Strategy of Ideological and Political Education in Chinese Universities based on SWOT Analysis

Based on the method of SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, this paper aims to explore the current development situation of ideological and political education in Chinese colleges and universities, and to study in-depth the development strategy of ideological and political education in Chinese colleges and universities. Through a comprehensive assessment of internal and external factors of ideological and political education in Chinese colleges and universities, it will reveal the current problems and challenges and propose innovative strategic solutions to better meet the needs of contemporary Chinese society and students. The study will highlight key strategies for optimizing existing strengths, compensating for weaknesses, seizing opportunities, and responding to threats, so as to provide actionable guidance for decision-makers in Chinese universities as well as frontline student workers, and to promote the sustainable development of ideological and political education in China.

Obstacles of Diversifying Funding Sources at Najran University and Proposals for its Development According to the New Universities System

Purpose: The objective of the current study is to investigate the obstacles of diversifying funding sources at Najran University in the light of Universities System No. 27 of 1441 from perspectives of academic and administrative leaders. Theoretical framework: The importance of diversifying sources of funding for higher education is evident from its role in the quality of education, meeting the requirements for accreditation of programs and activities, and its effective presence in international classifications. Its multiple sources also help in relieving the burden on the state, in addition to preparing for local, national and regional development, in addition to its contribution to refining talents, unleashing youth energies, and providing them with life skills, through early training in practicing activity with the world of commerce and industry during university. In preparation for adopting their own projects. Projeto/Metodologia/Abordagem: The researchers used the analytical descriptive method, and the tool consisted of a questionnaire of 40 phrases that were distributed to an intentional stratified sample of (90) of the leaders at the University of Najran. Resultados: The results showed that the degree of obstacles of diversifying funding sources at Najran University, internal and external, is large; with an average of (3.77). The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the sample’s response according to the variables (type of job, level of employment, years of experience), while differences were found in favor of theoretical colleges in their response to external obstacles and the questionnaire as a whole. And differences were found in favor of the PhD qualification in their answers to the internal and external obstacles and the questionnaire as a whole. Social applications, applications, and research: This research is useful in enhancing directions related to modernizing the university’s financial, administrative, and academic regulations; In accordance with the University Regulations No. 27 of 2019, enriching alternatives to diversify sources of self-financing for Saudi universities, especially Najran University, and raising the relationship between the university and its environment to the level of partnership. Authenticity/valor: Based on the results, the researchers presented a brief vision of diversifying funding sources at Najran University; In order to ensure the interest of all parties, and to exploit the youthful energies of university students; To enable them to become entrepreneurs, realize themselves, contribute to the development of their universities and communities, and enhance governance; Involving relevant authorities in university decision-making.

A Study on Strategies for Improving English Application Ability of Chinese College Students

With the deepening of exchanges between China and other countries around the world, high English application ability, namely the comprehensive development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills has increasingly become an inevitable requirement for talents by the country and society. This article first analyzes the current situation of Chinese college students’ English application ability, and then examines the importance of improving Chinese college students’ English application ability. Furthermore, it proposes strategies for improving Chinese college students’ English application ability, with the aim of providing some inspiration and assistance for education authorities, university decision-makers, and English teachers in cultivating Chinese college students’ English application ability.

Defining an effective approach to blended learning in higher education: A systematic review

Blended learning has enjoyed wide acceptance as a teaching and learning approach in higher education, but its use and understanding commonly fail to extend across all levels of blending. At the institutional level, challenges still exist in aligning a blended learning approach with core university priorities. Often, there is a focus on the provisions of technology tools and associated training; however, there is less emphasis on the development of frameworks that support an institutional-level approach to blended teaching and learning and ways that these can be effectively measured. This paper analyses previous work undertaken in the field of blended learning and looks to build on the literature by defining an effective approach to adoption using conceptual clarity, blended frameworks and institutional-level implementation of blended learning as a framework to describe effective use within higher education. Implications for practice or policy: University decision makers should define an institutional approach to blended learning and foster a common understanding of what success will look like. Institutional strategy must carefully consider the multifaceted roles of students, academics and administrators within blended learning. Blended learning adoption should be measured using criteria and descriptive standards to evaluate framework implementation.

An innovation maturity assessment framework for universities with an integrated ANP approach

PurposeIdentifying the criteria that effectively drive innovation in universities is critical to assessing their innovation maturity level, and hence, planning for the improvements required to reach a target level. This paper aims to propose a three-phase approach to develop a multidimensional maturity assessment framework used by university decision-makers to determine their level of innovation readiness.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a systematic collection of evaluation criteria from the literature is conducted. The results are mapped into different categories in a hierarchical and multidimensional way, and validated by experts. The second phase aims to identify the critical factors and their priorities, which are determined using analytic network process (ANP). To facilitate that, a panel of thirteen experts is formed and questionnaires are sent to rank the importance of the criteria and their elements. Finally, a maturity assessment tool is developed to complement the framework, allowing decision-makers to determine the level of innovation maturity with respect to each dimension and the overall position.FindingsResults revealed three clusters, eight criteria and 26 subcriteria related to innovation in universities. The findings about the relative importance of the various attributes are reflected in the developed assessment tool and taken into consideration in the maturity indices computation approach.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to develop a comprehensive list of innovation success drivers in universities and to use this list to design an innovation maturity assessment framework

An Empirical Investigation into Students’ Actual Use of MOOCs in Saudi Arabia Higher Education

Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, are a type of educational innovation where enrollment in the courses given is free and available online. The MOOCs course selection is extensive and may accommodate hundreds or thousands of students at once. The current study, however, aims to look into how the academic self-efficacy of real MOOC users affects learning engagement and perseverance in higher education in Saudi Arabia. This study added the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to social cognitive theory. Therefore, the primary goal is to create a new model by examining the variables that affect the perceived utility and perceived service quality, as well as the students’ general perceptions of MOOCs that are really used. Therefore, this research used a quantitative approach and distributed the questionnaire online through a Google Form. It collected data from 276 King Saud University students and used it to test the hypothesized correlations using structural equation modeling (SEM-PLS). The study’s findings showed that perceptions of perceived benefits and service quality consistently had a significant influence on social interaction, influence, networks of support, and social identity. A further finding was that reported utility and perceived service quality have always been significantly influenced by academic self-efficacy in actual MOOC use. Because of this, learning engagement and perseverance in Saudi Arabian higher education are significantly impacted by the academic self-efficacy of real MOOC users. According to the findings, MOOC programs generally have a positive influence on the kingdom’s higher education system. As a result, it is almost certain that this research model will assist university decision-makers in determining whether or not MOOC usage is prevalent at Saudi educational institutions.

The effect of the application of balanced performance measurement dimensions in strategic decisions in government universities

A balanced scorecard (BSC) with strategic decisions plays a vital role in achieving the effectiveness of business organizations. However, this paper aims to determine the impact of implementing the dimensions of the BSC on strategic decision-making in Jordanian universities. The study population included all Jordanian universities, while the sample consisted of 218 respondents from all managers working at administrative levels. The research concluded that there is a statistically significant effect on the dimensions of the BSC with its four axes (the financial axis, the beneficiaries’ axis (students, the local community), the growth and learning axis, and the internal operations axis) in making strategic decisions in Jordanian universities, where Al-Jubouri (2018), Tomizh et al. (2022) and Mazzuto et al. (2022) supported this finding. It is recommended to apply the BSC axes correctly and accurately during application in a way that clearly and comprehensively improves the strategic decision-making process.

Criteria for Decision-Making in Universities Stated in Institutional Documents

This article identifies the most relevant criteria used by private universities in Bogota for strategic decision-making. For it, the Institutional Development Plans (IDP) and the Institutional Educational Projects (IEP) of 10 of the 16 universities with high-quality institutional accreditation in Bogota, Colombia, were reviewed. In addition, a qualitative content analysis study was carried out, and the Atlas ti software was used to identify and classify the textual information into three categories ("decision-making criteria", "Institutional Educational Project and decision-making", and "Decision-making policies". This analysis offers two proposals for essential criteria for strategic decision-making within universities, presented in the document's results section.

Analysis of publications on decision-making strategies in higher education institutions

Purpose: The aim of this article is to present analysis literature interested in decision-making strategies in higher education institutions. Author keywords contained in the publications were analysed to show links between them and present recent interested areas of strategies in higher education. Design/methodology/approach: Analysis based on bibliometric data of world literature published in Web of Science and Scopus. The study included a quantitative analysis of publications. The results are presented in tables, graphs and figures. Findings: The successive part of the publication analyses the 4125 documents in Web of Science and Scopus. Based on the 2886 documents searched in Scopus, author keywords were analysed and connections between them were visualised (software support visualisations). The study identified an increase in interest in topics such as “sustainability”, “instructional strategies”. The analysis of publications interested in strategies, higher education institutions and decision-making showed that 57 publications met the defined search criteria. Only 12 of these were published up to 2012, while the remaining 46 were published in the last 10 years. Recurring author keywords in recent publications are: "strategic management", "strategic decision-making", "strategic decisions". Earlier publications have also included such keywords as “innovation”, “sustainabililty”, “information systems”, “knowledge management”. Research limitations/implications: Research based on two literature bases, limited to English language. Next step of research can be made in all languages ang more publication bases. The study focuses on quantitative analysis of publications based on author keywords. The research should be expanded of a detailed and qualitative analysis of the publications found and their evaluation in terms of strategies in university decision-making. It would be reasonable in the analysis and interpretation of the results obtained to group or standardize the keywords used in publications, e.g. “decision making” and “decision-making”. Originality/value: Paper presents bibliometric analysis of publication interested on strategies in higher education institutions decision-making. The analysis has made it possible to identify trends in the literature based on author keywords. The results of the survey shows the growing interest strategies in decision-making in higher education institutions. Keywords: Decision-making, strategies, higher education institutions, universities. Category of the paper: Literature review.