Development Of Institutional Policies Research Articles

The intersection of promotion policies, research habitus, and capital distribution: a qualitative case study of two higher education contexts in the United Arab Emirates

IntroductionCareer advancement must be based on merit, according to the universal norm. However, faculty members continue to express their dissatisfaction with the existing promotion policies and practices, highlighting issues like ambiguity, lack of transparency, inconsistent implementation, and the overall fairness of the evaluation process. This study aimed to explore the intersections of promotion policies with the research habitus and the distribution of different forms of capital in two higher education institutes in the United Arab Emirates.MethodsData were gathered from a purposively selected sample of faculty members using semi-structured interviews in addition to key policy documents at both institutes.Results and discussionUsing Bourdieu’s notion of habitus, capital, and field, the study identified key characteristics of the research habitus and how it shapes perceptions towards aspects of competitiveness and collegiality as practiced in the research world. The study also examined potential relationships between research habitus and promotion policies. Finally, the study explored capital distribution in the research field and identified some of the undisclosed aspects of the promotion world, highlighting areas like prior education, affiliations, professional experience, cultural background, ethnicity, and social networks as some of the factors that may play a role in the promotion outcomes. The findings of the study can be used to offer an additional layer of understanding some hidden rules of academic research fields and capital distribution in light of institutional policy development and enactment. Such understanding can be used to make recommendations on how existing challenges can be addressed to improve perceptions of the clarity and fairness of faculty promotion policies and encourage more transparent practices.

The Equitable Benefit Approach to guide the assessment of medical and psychosocial factors in liver transplant candidacy.

Lack of available organs poses a significant challenge in meeting the needs of patients with life-threatening liver disease who could benefit from liver transplantation (LT). Psychosocial vulnerability markers have been linked to post-transplant outcomes, raising questions about their use in patient selection. However, their incorporation into selection criteria raises concerns about health equity and potential discrimination. As a result, there is a pressing need to refine fair allocation systems that consider both clinical and psychosocial factors to ensure equitable access and optimize post-transplant outcomes. The Equitable Benefit Approach (EBA) proposed in this paper by the multidisciplinary group of clinical experts in LT from the Italian Society for the Study of the Liver seeks to address these concerns. It presents four procedural principles, the two allocative principles usually applied in transplantation (urgency and utility) and introduces a new one, the principle of health equity. The EBA aims to prioritize patients with the highest transplant benefit while addressing health inequalities. It emphasizes evidence-based decision-making and standardized assessment tools to reliably evaluate psychosocial risk factors. Implementing the EBA involves a multi-step process, including stakeholder engagement, prospective studies to validate its efficacy, development of institutional policies and algorithms, and ongoing monitoring and revision. By following these steps, health care providers can ensure that LT allocation decisions are transparent and responsive to evolving clinical and social contexts. Ultimately, the EBA should offer a comprehensive framework for fair patient selection in LT, considering both biomedical and psychosocial aspects.

Scientific integrity in biomedical research is a global problem

Science contributes to globalization by creating new knowledge and technologies that can be shared and applied across different regions and cultures. The Regional Cooperation for Health, Science and Technology (RECOOP HST) Association combines the scientific output of partner organizations at the local and regional levels and uses it at the global level to prevent and eliminate major public health problems. Since research integrity (RI) varies among participating research organizations from the U.S.A. to Ukraine, RECOOP HST recognizes that high-quality research and outcomes, as measured by published papers, require a common understanding of scientific integrity and bioethics. During the last 15 years, RECOOP HST has organized workshops to educate scientists about the most devastating forms of research dishonesty: fabrication, falsification or plagiarism, which destroy trust and respect among scientists. Different types of research misconduct require different methods of detection and investigation. Now, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI), various plagiarism-checking software has appeared. However, detecting fabrication and falsification is not so easy. In addition, AI should not be used to replace human reviewers, as there is currently insufficient evidence to support AI application in peer review. Two main approaches that RECOOP HST has taken to prevent misconduct and promote RI are evidence-based education and mentoring of students. Mentoring should take the form of informal discussions with students about responsible conduct of research and serving as a role model. Key strategies for promoting integrity include the development of institutional policies and the monitoring of activities with appropriate auditing of data. Keywords: fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, scientific and research integrity

Inclusive education in higher education institution: Are Ukrainian faculty members’ ready for it?

Quality higher education involves making it accessible to students with special needs and disabilities. Therefore, the implementation of inclusive education is a certain indicator of quality among higher education institutions (HEIs). At the same time, faculty members play a fundamental role in promoting inclusive learning environments working with students with disabilities. The aim of research is to determine the readiness of faculty members to implement an inclusive education in Ukrainian HEIs, because their willingness to work defines the practical implementation of legislative and regulatory initiatives regarding the organization of inclusive education in the actual educational practice. For this, we conducted a survey among 186 faculty members with different age, teaching experience, and professional category. The results confirm that the faculty of HEI are primarily focused on working with students with normative development and almost do not take into account the characteristics of educational difficulties of students with disabilities. In addition, their level of knowledge about basic legal and regulatory documents, elements of an inclusive learning environment, and typical problems of implementing an inclusive approach in the educational process of HEI are not uniform. But faculty members showed their readiness to master the practices of implementing an inclusive learning environment in higher education institutions. The results obtained can be useful for the development of institutional policies for the implementation of inclusive education in HEIs.

Mixed methods study on foreign early career academics' sense of knowledge and intellectual development

AbstractEmployees' sense of development is an essential component of their well‐being that enhances their work performance. In the Japanese higher education sector, the number of foreign academics has increased considerably due to the strong backing of government initiatives. Although studies have unpacked foreign academics' intercultural challenges and marginalisation experiences, their developmental experiences in host countries have been under‐researched. Thus, this mixed‐methods study examined what explains foreign early career academics' sense of knowledge and intellectual development and how. Both the quantitative and qualitative results indicated collegiality's key role in their development, while the discrepancies between them suggest that their development is better explained by how knowledge is transmitted via three key conditions—access, interpersonal matters and sources—than workplace conditions. Foreign academics' perspectives can contribute to institutional policy development, because they may be aware of the status quo to which locals feel resigned.

PRESCRIPTION PATTERN OF PROPHYLACTIC ANTIEMETICS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS: A RETROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Objective: The aim of the study was to study the prescription pattern of prophylactic antiemetics in breast cancer patients. Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out. Over a period of 3 months, all chemotherapy order sheets of breast cancer patients were collected and evaluated for prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). We compared each antiemetic drug used for CINV prophylaxis with international antiemetic guidelines, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Results: A total of 103 breast cancer patients were included in the study, for which 141 chemotherapy physician prescriptions included antiemetic drugs. Approximately 51.06% of anticancer agents had high emetic risk, 2.13% had moderate emetic risk, and 43.26% and 3.55% of anticancer agents had low and minimal emetic risk, respectively. Most frequently prescribed anticancer drug was paclitaxel 49 (34.75%). About 43.97% of the antiemetic regimen were found following NCCN guidelines. Conclusion: The development of institutional policy for assessment and guidance of the chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting prophylaxis may improve the consistency between antiemetic prescribing and guidelines.

From inequity to access: Evidence-based institutional practices to enhance care for individuals with disabilities.

People with disabilities experience barriers to care in all facets of health care, from engaging with the provider in a clinical setting (attitudinal and communication barriers) to navigating a large institution in a complex health care environment (organizational and environmental barriers), culminating in significant health care disparities. Institutional policy, culture, and physical layout may be inadvertently fostering ableism, which can perpetuate health care inaccessibility and health disparities in the disability community. Here, we present evidence-based interventions at the provider and institutional levels to accommodate patients with hearing, vision, and intellectual disabilities. Institutional barriers can be met with strategies of universal design (i.e., accessible exam rooms and emergency alerts), maximizing electronic medical record accessibility/visibility, and institutional policy development to recognize and reduce discrimination. Barriers at the provider level can be met with dedicated training on care of patients with disabilities and implicit bias training specific to the surrounding patient demographics. Such efforts are crucial to ensuring equitable access to quality care for these patients.

Critical Review of the Policy Framework for Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa

In 2019, the South African government approved the Department of Higher Education and Training's (DHET) Policy Framework for Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa. The framework provides policy guidelines universities will need to follow when developing institutional internationalisation policies. Using critical discourse analysis, this review posits that the DHET missed an opportunity to rethink internationalisation in line with critical debates and scholarship on transformation and decolonisation of knowledge. Instead of aligning internationalisation of higher education in South Africa with progressive visions of contextually relevant and decolonised education, the framework reflects dominant Eurocentric approaches, practices and definitions of internationalisation. As such, DHET’s framework fails to provide a much-needed guide for development of institutional policies that can contribute to higher education internationalisation in South Africa becoming more authentically international and embracing a more representative set of global knowledges and ways of knowing in a horizontal, pluralistic and non-hegemonic way.

Assessment of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Human Rights Development Program (HRDP) in Protecting the Community from Abuse in Tabaco City, Albay, Philippines

Enforcing the law serves as the key function of the police officer to maintain peace and order, thus, ensuring strict conformance with human rights. This study was conducted to assess the implementation of the PNP Human Rights Development Program in Tabaco City, Albay, Philippines, along with Institutional policy development, capability building on human rights protection, prevention and control measures on abuse of human rights, and strengthening of partnership and cooperation with multi-sectoral organizations for human rights compliance. It also identified the problems encountered and formulated an action plan that aims to further enhance the implementation of the program. The personnel assigned at the PNP Human Rights Development Program in Tabaco City selected Community Officials, and members of the community were the respondents of the study. Hence, the study revealed that the community and other partner stakeholders have understood and accepted the principles of the programs implemented. Therefore, the primary objectives of the PNP in gaining the trust and confidence of the community were achieved. The study recommends the sustainability of the program through inculcating greater social responsibility, intervening appropriately, and acquiring useful and timely information for implementation of anti-human rights abuse programs which shall be continuously participated by the community with enhanced multi-sectoral collaboration to achieve a safer community free from abuse.

Practitioner’s Perspectives on a National South African Higher Education Institution Policy Framework Mitigating Gender-Based Violence at a South African University

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a crime that violates the right to life, equality, human dignity, freedom and security of a person (South African Constitution, Act No 108 of 1996). The prevention and management of GBV is a critical transformation imperative and has in recent years (2014 to 2021) come under the spotlight at South African universities. The National Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) developed a policy framework to guide post-school education and training institutions to address GBV in 2020. This article is a practitioner’s assessment and reflection of how the DHET policy framework on GBV can be implemented at Stellenbosch University, a public higher education institution (HEI) in South Africa. We look at how to integrate recommendations made in the GBV policy framework at South African universities and what are the current constraints that throttle GBV interventions. We reflect on existing mechanisms and policy recommendations that still need to be operationalised to effectively respond to GBV at universities. This article further assesses how institutional policy development, professional administrative and support services, and senior leadership structures can be leveraged to include, and efficiently implement, some of the GBV policy framework recommendations to address GBV at HEIs and in South Africa more broadly.

Systematic Collaboration to Promote Academic Integrity During Emergency Crisis

Increasing emphasis on proactive approaches to academic integrity in institutional strategies and policies can be seen as a response to both the challenges of on-line learning and a search for more effective educational models in promoting fundamental values of academic integrity for higher education institutions globally. Thus, towards the end of 2020 the European Network for Academic Integrity established the “Academic Integrity Policies Working Group”. The working group aims to collect examples of effective policies to serve as practical recommendations for educational institutions developing proactive institutional policies towards the establishment of a culture of academic integrity. To achieve this purpose, the WG members are 10 academics from 7 different countries spread over 3 continents who are collaborating on a voluntary basis. The working group facilitates international collaboration on research and development of institutional policies, addressing the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders including pedagogical aspects and assessment design. Within the last six months, the WG has held several virtual meetings during which each of the members presented their achievements in this field, to reach a common understanding. The WG decided to begin by reviewing the relevant literature to identify potential gaps and categorize existing sources in terms of the approaches proposed or adopted and underlying strategic objectives. We aim to reveal how the occurring shift from a punitive to an educative approach to academic misconduct is reflected at different levels of strategies, policies and procedures within the matrix of five indices of consistency, accountability, fairness, proportionality, and clarity of definitions. The multi-country collaborative notion of the WG brings different perspectives to the analyses, adding value to the experiences of the members. Considering the digitalization of education as an emergency reaction to COVID-19, the relevance and importance of academic integrity values has been elevated due to increased concerns of academic misconduct in emergency remote teaching (Eaton, 2020; Khan et al., in press; Razi & Sahan, 2020). Unreadiness and unfamiliarity with on-line learning resulted in many institutions failing to adequately guide lecturers to design appropriate educational models for effective delivery. Implementing effective solutions to meet these challenges has proved difficult for some institutions. The working group is very new and still establishing its identity and direction. In this presentation we will share our experiences about collaborating virtually as a multi-national, trans-continental team to achieve a common goal focused on academic integrity policy. We will also highlight integrity issues faced by the academic communities during COVID-19 and provide some examples of pro-/re-active measures taken in some institutions to address the post-Covid integrity challenges. The presentation to the conference audience will provide an opportunity for the WG members to present their initial ideas and get feedback from interested participants. We are also happy to welcome new members who share an interest in this important subject.

Facing Racism and Sexism in Science by Fighting Against Social Implicit Bias: A Latina and Black Woman's Perspective.

The editors of several major journals have recently asserted the importance of combating racism and sexism in science. This is especially relevant now, as the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to a widening of the gender and racial/ethnicity gaps. Implicit bias is a crucial component in this fight. Negative stereotypes that are socially constructed in a given culture are frequently associated with implicit bias (which is unconscious or not perceived). In the present article, we point to scientific evidence that shows the presence of implicit bias in the academic community, contributing to strongly damaging unconscious evaluations and judgments of individuals or groups. Additionally, we suggest several actions aimed at (1) editors and reviewers of scientific journals (2) people in positions of power within funding agencies and research institutions, and (3) members of selection committees to mitigate this effect. These recommendations are based on the experience of a group of Latinx American scientists comprising Black and Latina women, teachers, and undergraduate students who participate in women in science working group at universities in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With this article, we hope to contribute to reflections, actions, and the development of institutional policies that enable and consolidate diversity in science and reduce disparities based on gender and race/ethnicity.

Procedure for the elaboration of institutional policies on University social responsibility

It is essential to make knowledge explicit in a clear way so that it can last and be passed on for the benefit of future generations. In reference to the establishment of institutional policies on University Social Responsibility (USR) in the institution under study, there are still areas of opportunity, which is why the objective of this work was established as a clear procedure for creating institutional public policies on USR, which will serve to detect needs and propose appropriate policies that will influence or contribute to the development of the various dimensions of USR in the institution. A mixed type of research was used, gathering information from various bibliographical sources and from teachers from different faculties that allowed to validate that the proposed procedure is correct, the approach was qualitative, and observation and dialectics were used as a research technique. The study was carried out by proposing the procedure derived from documentary research, own experience and discussion with teachers who participated in the exercise of drawing up proposals for institutional public policies using the procedure in question to corroborate its effectiveness. The main result of the work was to establish the procedure for the development of institutional policies on USR with their respective techniques and instruments, which will help to develop institutional policies and contribute to the implementation of USR in the institution under study, and in the medium term, to obtain distinctions from national and international organizations in this area.

Recommendations for procedural sedation in infants, children, and adolescents.

Many paediatric patients require sedation and analgesia for diagnostic testing and therapeutic procedures outside the operating room. This statement reviews the literature on procedural sedation, focusing on the prevention of adverse events through the selection of appropriate patients, advance preparation for emergency situations, and adequate monitoring during and after the administration of pharmacologic agents. Procedural sedation should only be performed by clinicians who are competent in airway management and resuscitation, as part of a hospital program with active and engaged quality assurance and safety initiatives. Recommendations include the development of institutional policies and procedures for the safe delivery of procedural sedation in infants, children, and adolescents.

The Factors Significant to the Introduction of Institutional Open Access Policies: Two Case Studies of R-1 Universities

INTRODUCTION US universities are increasingly unable to afford research journal subscriptions due to the rising prices charged by for-profit academic publishers. Open access (OA) appears to be the most backed option to disrupt the current publishing model. The purpose of this study is to understand the factors significant to the introduction of institutional OA policies at selected United States R-1 universities. METHODS An in-depth qualitative study, including interviews with stakeholders, was conducted on two R-1universities with OA policies that have been implemented for at least five years. results The results of this study reveal that while the perceived sustainability of the scholarly communication business model was an initial driver, open dissemination of knowledge was the primary factor for the development of institutional policies. discussion Open dissemination of knowledge aligns with the mission of both institutions. Interviewees believe that a wider and more open dissemination of the institution’s research cost could positively affect their faculty’s research impact, which could then affect the institution’s reputation, rankings, classifications and funding. CONCLUSION While the initial driver for exploring OA scholarly communication for both institutions was the perceived unsustainability of the scholarly communication model, the most important factor that led to the creation of their policies was the desire to disseminate the faculty’s scholarship.

Medical Errors Disclosure Practices, Barriers and Motivations to Disclosures Among Physicians in Tertiary and Secondary Health Facilities in Abuja Nigeria

The disclosure of medical errors is very important in ensuring the quality of patient care and safety. However, the disclosure practices by physicians are not well documented in this setting. The objective of this study is to compare the disclosure practices as well as the motivations and barriers to disclosure of these errors among physicians in government secondary and tertiary health facilities in Abuja, Nigeria. A cross sectional survey of physicians working in six out of fourteen government hospitals was conducted. A cluster sampling technique of the hospitals as the clusters was employed to obtain the total sample size of 402 physicians, 201 for each level. A semi structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data on near misses, mistakes, slips or lapses and technical errors. Data was analysed using SPSS version 15.0 and summarised as proportions. Chi-square test was used to assess associations between variables at a significance level of 5%. Also logistic regression analyses were used to determine the significant predictors of medical error occurrences and disclosures. Some 255 physicians i.e. (52.6%) from the tertiary level and 230 (47.4%) from the secondary level were interviewed. Both the tertiary and the secondary levels had very poor medical errors disclosure practices, with disclosure of errors that caused patient’s death or disability (3.9 vs. 8.3%, p=0.023); or disclosure of errors that caused discomfort or prolonged treatment to patients (33.2% vs. 21.3%, p=0.026). The major barriers to error disclosures at the tertiary and the secondary health facilities were: lack of malpractice insurance (69.4% vs. 48.2%, p=0.000); lack of policies for disclosing errors (62.4% vs. 55.4%, p=0.119); and the fear of negative patient reactions (56.7% vs. 51.3%, p=0.233). The major motivations to errors disclosure were receiving a positive feedback from the institution (65.1% vs. 56.3%, p=0.048) and the support and understanding of colleagues (50.2% vs. 48.7%, p=0.74). This study suggests poor medical errors disclosure practices. In this study setting, the development of institutional policies on disclosure will motivate physicians’ disclosure of medical errors and this should be encouraged. Such policies should include institutionally administered malpractice insurance for the physicians.

A Pediatric Hospital Policy for Medical Marijuana Use.

Most US states have now legalized medical marijuana (MMJ) use, giving new hope to families dealing with chronic illness, despite only limited data showing efficacy. Access to MMJ has presented several challenges for patients and families, providers, and pediatric hospitals, including the discrepancy between state and federal law, potential patient safety issues, and drug interaction concerns. Colorado was one of the first states to legalize MMJ and has remained at the forefront in addressing these challenges. Children's Hospital Colorado has created and evolved its MMJ inpatient use policy and has developed a unique consultative service consisting of a clinical pharmacist and social worker. This service supports patients and families and primary clinical services in situations in which MMJ is actively being used or considered by a pediatric patient. The first 50 patients seen by this consultative service are reported. Eighty percent of patients seen had an oncologic diagnosis. Symptoms to be ameliorated by active or potential MMJ use included nausea and vomiting, appetite stimulation, seizures, and pain. In 64% of patients, MMJ use was determined to be potentially unsafe, most often because of potential drug-drug interactions. In 68% of patients, a recommendation was made to either avoid MMJ use or adjust its administration schedule. As pediatric hospitals address the topic of MMJ use in their patients, development of institutional policy and clinical support services with specific expertise in MMJ is a recommended step to support patient and families and hospital team members.

Internationalization of higher education in Brazil: advances, obstacles, and challenges

Abstract In recent years, in Brazil, the theme of the internationalization of universities has become part of the agenda of academic leaders, main funding agencies and representative entities of public and private HEIs. This article aims to analyze the experience of HEIs and funding agencies in Brazil regarding the issue of internationalization. Starting from the process of traditional international academic cooperation, we seek to observe advances of Brazilian universities towards the definition of broader and more complex institutional strategies and objectives regarding internationalization. Drawing on concepts of the internationalization process, we briefly depict the main features of the Brazilian higher education and postgraduate system, analyzing cooperation and international influences within it. Then, we discuss the internationalization policies implemented by central government agencies and the involvement of HEIs in institutional internationalization actions. It is observed that the internationalization of Brazilian higher education system is still incipient and that HEIs are scarcely proactive in the development of institutional policies to receive and in leveraging the opportunities offered in the process.

A GeoHealth Response to a Geoscience Community Climate Change Position Statement.

The American Geophysical Union (AGU) issues position statements reflecting the state of the science and scientific consensus. AGU position statements can be used to support public and institutional policy development, conversations with peers and policymakers, and formal and informal education. The recent climate change position statement, “Society Must Address the Growing Climate Crisis now,” provides important baseline information but lacks detail on critical climate and health impacts and actions for AGU and members. This commentary shares feedback from the AGU's GeoHealth Section and encourages members to use the AGU statement and engage in the comment process for other statements.

International Federations and National Governing Bodies: The Historical Development of Institutional Policies in Response to Challenging Issues in Sport

International Federations and National Governing Bodies: The Historical Development of Institutional Policies in Response to Challenging Issues in Sport