Higher Education Associations Research Articles

Disparities in DMT treatment: Demographic and neurocognitive differences between MS patients currently treated versus not treated with disease-modifying therapies

BackgroundCurrent treatment guidelines recommend consideration of disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for all multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, but barriers to access have begun to be identified. In particular, prior studies have found that people with higher education have better access to DMTs, perhaps explained by the association of higher education with higher income. And while the majority of people with MS are women, being male is also associated with higher income. These factors argue for the need to better understand whether there are differences in DMT uptake based on sex and education. Finally, in addition to well-documented benefits of DMTs for slowing disease progression, there is growing evidence to suggest benefits of DMTs for cognitive functioning. ObjectiveDetermine whether rates of DMT treatment differ based on education and sex. Secondarily, we investigate whether neurocognitive test performance differs in treated versus not treated groups. MethodsIn cross-sectional data, mixed effects linear regression evaluated differences in education and sex of those treated versus not treated with DMTs. Models included the following predictors: age, disease duration, MS subtype, sex/education, disability, atrophy, and T2 lesion volume. Propensity score weights were extracted to obtain unbiased estimates of the relationship between DMT status and each outcome of interest. The same models evaluated performance differences between groups on an iPad-based processing speed test (PST) and manual dexterity test (MDT). ResultsControlling for covariates, individuals with less education (OR=1.09, 95 % CI=[1.03, 1.14], p = 0.003) and women (OR=0.80, 95 % CI=[0.72, 0.90], p < 0.001) were less likely to be currently treated with DMTs. Small effect size association was shown for DMT treatment with better performance on PST (beta=0.09, CI=[0.06, 0.13], p < 0.001) and MDT (beta=0.05, CI=[0.01,0.08], p = 0.011). ConclusionsWomen and people with lower education had a lower likelihood of being currently treated with DMTs. After controlling for all relevant variables, an independent (small) association of DMT treatment to better performance on tests of processing speed and fine motor dexterity was found. Reasons for disparities remain to be investigated in future work, and may include employment status, health insurance coverage, or sex differences in risk tolerance.

Perspectives from the South America Region

AbstractWriters of this article share their seminal work of creating the Latin American Region (LAC) as part of the United States NASPA‐Student Affairs Administration in the Higher Education Association's Global Division. Webinars, exchanges, conferences, some research initiatives, and a new student affairs administration minor as part of a higher education master's degree are beginning to shape the work of student affairs in South America.

Competing, Coordinating, or Collaborating: Perspectives on the Community College Baccalaureate Within the Context of Mission Differentiation

ABSTRACT Today, half of all states authorize at least one community college to offer bachelor’s degree programs. In the past five years alone, eight states have authorized community colleges to offer baccalaureate programs. Given the momentum behind this movement, we sought to qualitatively explore higher education leaders’ perceptions of the role of community college baccalaureate (CCB) programs in the U.S. system of higher education. To do this, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 senior leaders at community colleges, state higher education agencies, and higher education associations. Our sample also included leaders in locations that currently authorize CCB programs and those that do not. We asked leaders to share their perspectives on the mission and role of community colleges and public universities, and to reflect on how CCB programs complement or complicate these missions and roles. While leaders offered differing views on CCB programs, what they shared were insights into the blurring of a once sharp dividing line between community colleges and public universities. Emerging from the interviews were interesting perspectives on inter-institutional collaboration, coordination, and competition in the era of the CCB. We conclude our study with recommendations for policy and practice.

Younger Than Ever? Subjective Age Is Becoming Younger and Remains More Stable in Middle-Age and Older Adults Today

Little is known about historical shifts in subjective age (i.e., how old individuals feel). Moving beyond the very few time-lagged cross-sectional cohort comparisons, we examined historical shifts in within-person trajectories of subjective age from midlife to advanced old age. We used cohort-comparative longitudinal data from middle-age and older adults in the German Ageing Survey (N = 14,928; ~50% female) who lived in Germany and were between 40 and 85 years old when entering the study. They provided up to seven observations over 24 years. Results revealed that being born later in historical time is associated with feeling younger by 2% every birth-year decade and with less intraindividual change toward an older subjective age. Women reported feeling younger than men; this gender gap widened across cohorts. The association of higher education with younger subjective age became weaker across cohorts. Potential reasons for the subjective-rejuvenation effect across cohorts are discussed.

Consider effective ways to communicate with faculty members about extended time

Sometimes faculty members resist the accommodation of extended time. A design thinking approach can help disability services providers discuss the issue, said Nicole S. Ofiesh, Ph.D., Co‐Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Potentia Institute 21. She spoke at the Association for Higher Education And Disability annual conference.

Be proactive in addressing physical access to make campus more inclusive with fewer accommodations

BOSTON — Taking a proactive approach to access can mean students need fewer accommodations, and they feel welcomed on campus. Gabriel Merrell, Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator at Oregon State University, explained what his institution has done to increase access at a session at the Association for Higher Education And Disability annual conference.

Flint, Michigan Through Children's Eyes: Using a Teaching Circle and Projects to Re-envision a City

The city of Flint, Michigan switched its water source in April, 2014, and, to reduce costs, anti-corrosion agents were omitted from water treatment. Consequently, lead leached into pipes, contaminating the water supply and exposing Flint’s children to lead well beyond safety standards. The event became known as the Water Crisis, and now dominates Flint’s public image. This paper portrays a project that arose out of one community response to the situation in Flint, the provision of quality child-care to families living in the affected areas by the University of Michigan-Flint. As part of this effort, a group of Early Childhood faculty and center head teachers participated in a Teaching Circle (Hutchings in Making teaching community property, American Association of Higher Education, Washington, DC, 1996), in which we read and studied the book, Reggio tutta: A guide to the city by the children (Reggio Children, Reggio Emilia, 2000) and teachers were inspired to share questions with their classes. Our analysis of the Teaching Circle and those projects uses children’s perspectives and interpretations of campus and the city to focus on the beauty and resourcefulness of the Flint community. Seeing the city of Flint through the children’s eyes is a remarkably joyful and uplifting experience.

Mission Animation: Christian Higher Education, the Common Good, and Community Engagement

Christian institutions are founded on a diverse set of historical and theological backgrounds and strive to integrate faith, learning, and living in a way that not only educates and develops students, but also responds to the Christian call of service. Community engagement, therefore, becomes a way for Christian institutions to achieve said goals—fostering authentic partnerships, responding to the needs of communities and individuals, and encouraging student learning and development. This article maps the landscape of community engagement in Christian higher education by exploring its history as well as its philosophical, theological, and theoretical foundations. In addition, practical expressions of community engagement are addressed through a review of two national Christian higher education associations—the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities—as well as a consideration of programmatic exemplars at evangelical Christian and Catholic institutions and an accounting of CCCU and ACCU members receiving the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement. The article concludes with a consideration of how community engagement represents a critical dimension of Christian mission in action for evangelical and Catholic colleges and universities.

Meet the needs of disability services coordinators for better student services, staff retention

BOSTON — Being a disability services coordinator is a demanding job. As a supervisor, consider what you can do to support your DS coordinators. Kathy Loder‐Murphy, M.A., Assistant Director of the Office of Disability Services at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, gave tips for supporting these members of your team at a session at the Association for Higher Education And Disability annual conference.

Addressing contemporary challenges in the Unified Code of Ethics for Health Educators

Background: The Unified Code of Ethics (COE) for Health Educators adopted in 1999 was developed in the USA from the 1983 Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) COE and the 1993 American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) COE. While the Unified COE was intended to function as a living document, designed to mature as the needs of the health education professionals changed, it has only been updated once (in 2011) since its adoption in 1999. In addition, despite its commitment to keep up with advances in the field, the current COE does not explicitly address the need for ethical building blocks in health education curricula, or the reinforcement of ethical standards during the certification and recertification of health educators. It also fails to address challenges such as identifying and monitoring unethical practices in online education, and how health outcomes are affected by health literacy, cultural competency and cultural humility among other factors. Consequently, the health education profession requires an updated COE that addresses these gaps. Discussion: An updated COE holds potential to alter the way in which health education ethics are taught and practised. This re-evaluation can contribute to an overall change in health education practice, research and academic training, which can allow health educators to better meet the needs of the diverse communities they serve in an equitable and just manner. This article outlines some of the contemporary challenges health educators face in practice, training and research, and suggests ways in which the updated unified COE can address these challenges, help improve health outcomes and promote health equity.

Know how to comply with legal guidance for accommodating pregnant, parenting students

BOSTON — Pregnancy itself is not a disability. But even temporary limitations can trigger the need to provide accommodations, said Ida Dilwood, Director of the Office of Disability Services and the University Test Center at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Dilwood, along with Amanda Allee, Director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator, also at UCCS, explained best practices for accommodating pregnant and parenting students at the Association for Higher Education And Disability annual conference.

Provide training to students with disabilities to support academic success

ALBUQUERQUE — Strategies for addressing academic challenges can help students with disabilities succeed. Officials at the University of North Florida provide training on specific topics of concern to students registered with the Disability Resource Center. Tara Rowe, Ed.D., assistant director of THRIVE at UNF; and Kiersten Washell, a UNF graduate student, explained how the ACCESS Academy helps students succeed at a session at the Association for Higher Education And Disability annual conference.

Build transformative resilience across your unit

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — When Elizabeth Harrison, director of the Office of Learning Resources and associate director of the Ryan C. Harris Learning Teaching Center at the University of Dayton, noticed that students seemed more fragile than they used to be, she started looking for ways to help them. Harrison spoke at a session at the Association for Higher Education And Disability annual conference.

Build transformative resilience across your unit

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — When Elizabeth Harrison, director of the Office of Learning Resources and associate director of the Ryan C. Harris Learning Teaching Center at the University of Dayton, noticed that students seemed more fragile than they used to be, she started looking for ways to help them. Harrison spoke at a session at the Association for Higher Education And Disability annual conference.

The 30th anniversary of the Educational and method-ological associations of higher educational institutions of the country

The role of Educational and methodological associations, established in 1987 on the basis of an order of the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR, in an improvement of higher education in the country is shown. The activity of the educational and methodological committee on a specialty «Automotive and tractor industry» of the Educational and methodological association of higher education institutions in the field of education of transport vehicles and technological transport complexes in a development and an improvement of the educational process in the higher education institutions that train skilled personnel for the automotive and tractor industries has been described and analyzed. The periods of historical transformations of the collective of the educational and methodological committees and the main activities in which the members of the educational and methodological committee took an active participation are shown. A brief description of the qualification level of the heads of the departments and leading professors of the departments which is part of the educational and methodological committee is given. The contents of the orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation on the formation of new Federal educational and methodological associations and Federal educational and methodological associations in the system of higher education on the enlarged groups of specialties and training’s directions, including, in the direction of training 23.00.00 Land transport processes and technology are briefly discussed. Excerpts from the provisions on the activities of the Coordinating council of the Federal educational and methodological associations and the Council of federal educational and methodological associations on a large group of specialties and orientations of training and tasks to be addressed by them in their work. On the basis of the conducted analysis of the long-term activity of the educational and methodological committee, it is proposed to use the rich practical experience accumulated by its members for an improvement of the educational process of the automotive and tractor departments of technical higher education institutions of the country in modern conditions. It was proposed about the expediency of participation the members of the educational and methodological committee in the work of the Federal educational and methodological association of higher education «Land transport processes and technology» as members of the Councils in the direction of the training of «Ground transportation and technological complexes» and the Council on the specialty «Ground transport and technological vehicles».

The History of a Professional Organization: NAPEHE/NAKPEHE/NAKHE–Perspectives from Long-Standing Members

ABSTRACTIn 1978, the National College Physical Education Association for Men (NCPEAM) and the National Association for Physical Education College Women (NAPECW), two national professional physical education higher education associations, merged to form the National Association for Physical Education in Higher Education (NAPEHE). In an effort to better understand the perspectives of the two national associations and their philosophical underpinnings, a short history of each is provided as described in the first volume of Quest in 1963, a perspective 15 years prior to the merger.

The High Profile of Trade in Higher Education Services

Proponents of free trade in higher education services present legitimate and convincing arguments to include higher education in major international trade agreements like the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Increasing access for American providers to foreign markets, providing services to willing education consumers abroad, and expanding educational opportunities in countries with less broadly developed systems of higher education are some of the perceived benefits of removing trade barriers to higher education providers. Indeed, free-trade supporters enjoy advocates in high places, including the U.S. Office of the Trade Representative (USTR), who promote such benefits of free trade for American higher education interests overseas. The protrade position, however, lacks a developed perspective on the implications of free trade for domestic higher education. A few informed representatives at national higher education associations have produced the only localized response from American higher education to the issue of including higher education in any trade agreements. Thus far, however, the issues raised locally have not led to a more broadly informed debate about the topic. It may be useful to present a “worst-case scenario” to showcase some of the ways in which trade liberalization could adversely impact American higher education through GATS and other international trade agreements.

Higher education students registered with disability services and practice educators: issues and concerns for professional placements

Introduction: The number of students with disabilities accessing Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including professional courses, has increased substantially within the Republic of Ireland over the past 10 years [AHEAD (Association of Higher Education, Access, and Disability) 2012. “Survey on the Participation Rates of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education for the Academic Year 2011/2012.” http://www.ahead.ie/userfiles/file/PR_2012.pdf]. In one HEI in the Republic of Ireland, it was noticed that there was a large increase in students with disabilities, from 67 in 2006 to 259 in 2013 on professional courses. The aim of this study was to identify the issues and concerns of practice educators (PEs) in both supporting students with disabilities and exploring the concerns for students with disabilities on professional courses. Methods: A survey design was employed to meet the aims of this study and ethical permission was granted from the Faculty of Health Science Ethics Committee. Results: Respondents included 68 PEs and 63 students with disabilities. PEs were found to be concerned with students reaching the required standard of proficiency on placement, and how to support students in this. Students on the other hand identified stigma and disclosure of a disability as a concern. Conclusion: This study highlighted a difference in perceptive between PEs and students with disabilities in relation to disclosure and support needs for their disabilities.

Developments in Transnational Research Linkages: Evidence from U.S. Higher-education Activity

Abstract In our knowledge-driven era, multiple and mutual benefits accrue from transnational research linkages. The article identifies important directions in transnational research collaborations involving U.S. universities revealed by key dimensions of 369 projects profiled on a U.S. higher-education association’s database. Project initiators, principal research fields, regional and country distributions, and the sources and amounts of funding for different types of transnational research activity are selected for analysis. The balanced total portfolio of reported current research projects by region suggests that U.S. university principal investigators increasingly recognize the value of collaborative knowledge generation in the Global South as well as in other OECD countries. The data also show concentrations in the distribution of transnational research projects by principal field of activity that could exacerbate intra-regional asymmetries. The multi-institutional data draw attention to the often unnoticed, but vital, role that higher-education institutions play in supporting transnational research endeavors that address issues of current and future global concern. The conclusion considers wider implications for higher-education involvement in transnational knowledge generation and calls for increased symmetry in collaborative research ventures.

NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE: Q&amp;A WITH NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND &amp; ASSOCIATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND DISABILITY

Student success for online students with disabilities requires an institutional commitment to accessibility. It also requires an understanding of the benefits and opportunities as well challenges and barriers related to online learning. This question and answer session provides a national perspective from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the Association of Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) on online learning, accessibility, and students success. Organizational representatives for this session include Mark Riccobono, the Director of the Jernigan Institute, NFB, and Kelly Hermann, Chairs of AHEAD's Special Interest Group on Online and Distance Learning.