Higher Education Administrators Research Articles

The Effects of Burnout in Female Higher Education Administrators

This research explored the phenomenon of femaleness and how it impacts the experiences of women in higher education administration, specifically in colleges of agriculture, and how these experiences contributed to burnout, compassion fatigue, and job satisfaction. Despite representing more than half of the college-educated workforce, women are not represented equally within leadership positions in higher education. In academia, women faculty numbers have improved over the past several decades, representing 52.9% of assistant professor positions (Women in Academia: Quick Take, 2020). Higher education was initially intended only for men (Bystydzienski & Bird, 2006) and therefore valued men in higher-level positions (Bird, 2011; Trower, 2012). This has led to the creation of a culture where women and minorities are underrepresented and face multiple barriers (Bird, 2011). Having an inequitable distribution of power not only in organizations but within society suggests that women will need to traverse a different, more challenging path than their male counterparts to arrive at the same tier of status. Keywords: burnout, compassion fatigue, higher education, women administrators, women leaders in agriculture, stress, gender roles, coping with stress

‘Hidden assets’ in higher education administration: the structures and lived experience of ‘organisational power’ among associate deans at US universities

ABSTRACT This study uses the concept of ‘organisational power’ – control over the environments in which others interact – to investigate the structures and lived experience of power among academic associate deans at public, research-intensive universities in the US. Previous research claims that the associate dean role lacks ‘legitimate power.’ Through in-depth analysis of semi-structured interview data, this study shows that the associate dean role requires a strategic mode of power that is not socially recognised in universities. Associate deans therefore must manage perceptions of power in order to be effective in an environment that does not acknowledge such power. It is argued that higher education’s failure to legitimise organisational power obscures the role and limits leadership capacities. Empowering academic and administrative staff with knowledge regarding power and power practices in academic middle management through continued research is essential to safeguarding collegial processes and ensuring the longevity and vitality of the university.

The ‘woeful’ state of administrative support for online programmes: A critical discourse analysis

AbstractThis study used critical discourse analysis to explore how higher education administrators in the United States talk about how they assess and support online programmes. Specifically, we hoped to analyse administrators' perceptions of their responsibilities over online programmes, faculty and students, to attain where they may need more training. Therefore, we explored the perspectives of 11 administrators at both the mid‐level administrative and campus senior administrative levels who oversee online programmes in U.S. higher education. Our findings suggest that mid‐level administrators hold pivotal roles in communicating needs, administrators are not viewing their online faculty holistically, current online programmes assessment is insufficient and concern for student engagement is often neglected. Implications for research and practice include additional investigation of the online faculty experience and the development of administrative training specifically focused on the needs of online programming and online faculty support.

Training and development impact on job satisfaction, loyalty and retention among academics

Orientation: Extreme competition among institutions of higher learning was one of the difficulties that universities of technology (UoTs) had to overcome in order to enter the higher education system. This study examined the influence of training and development on job satisfaction, loyalty and retention among academic staff at a selected university of technology.Research purpose: The study investigated how training and development impact job satisfaction, loyalty and retention among academics.Motivation for the study: The competitive nature of the academic sector inspired universities to strive to attract and retain talented faculty members. Training and development programmes are considered potential tools to enhance job satisfaction, loyalty and retention, but empirical evidence is needed to support this relationship.Research approach/design and method: This study used a quantitative research methodology with a non-probability convenience sample (n = 270) of academics within the selected university utilising self-administered structured questionnaires to collect data.Main findings: The regression analysis revealed positive significant predictive relationships between training and development programmes and job satisfaction, loyalty and retention among academic staff.Practical/managerial implications: Findings imply that universities should prioritise the development of tailored training initiatives that address the specific needs and aspirations of their academic staff. Training interventions can foster a positive work environment and enhance staff members’ commitment and long-term engagement, ultimately improving the overall quality and reputation of the institution.Contribution/value-add: The study provided evidence-based insights to inform policies related to training and development programmes for both academics and institutions of higher education administrators.

A scoping functionalist reflections on the implementation of affirmative action in Higher Education Institutions in South Africa

<p>The scoping review was carried out to investigate the functionalist perspective on affirmative action for women in the workplace in the Eastern Cape Province’s selected South African universities. Given that university-specific information is available on affirmative action for women in the workplace, this scoping review employed a systematic review to investigate the implementation of the legislative framework for affirmative action policy in African-selected universities and ways to make improvements. Purposive sampling was used to select four higher education institutions (HEIs), in which there were two historically black and two historically white institutions, for representativeness. Evidently, affirmative action is indeed an existing policy in the selected institutions to redress the exclusion of women in senior positions in the past. While this review revealed the heightened visibility of women in executive positions in the four universities, women tend to be represented more than men in some executive categories. This demonstrates that the implementation of affirmative action for women has largely been successful in the country. Although with some challenges, the inclusion of women, without gender discrimination and biases, is a necessary ingredient for the sustainability of higher education administration in the country from a functionalist perspective.</p>

Home visitor preparation in higher education

ABSTRACT Although home visiting is growing as a service for families with young children, the field does not adequately prepare the home visiting workforce, and higher education courses on home visiting are rare. Many home visitors are prepared through higher education as teachers, social workers, or nurses, which provides knowledge but few of the skills needed to collaborate with families to support their children’s development, revealing a need for focused pre-service preparation for home visiting. We conducted a qualitative study to (1) describe the present state of preparation in higher education and (2) propose recommendations for strengthening home visitor preparation via higher education. Focus groups (N = 43) were conducted at conferences that included some focus on early childhood home visiting. Individual interviews (N = 11) were conducted parallel to focus groups. Participants were faculty and administrators in higher education or home visiting related professionals. Using thematic analysis, three major themes surfaced: (1) learning, training, and awareness in higher education; (2) blending of a myriad of skills in home visiting; and (3) unification and support needs. Our findings emphasize the need for higher education to provide professional preparation for careers in home visiting. We offer recommendations to meet this need.

Exploring the application of college student role models in service-learning pedagogy

PurposeService-learning (SL) is a widely accepted pedagogy that can enrich the learning experience for students in higher education while they apply their skills in a meaningful community service. This research is part of a larger project that aimed to motivate educational achievement among youths living in a priority neighborhood through SL. Toward this goal, this study investigated the impact of SL on the college students from a college information technology programmer-analyst (ITPA) program, who were deployed as role models to youths in a priority neighborhood on the east coast of Canada.Design/methodology/approachThe overall project used the design-based methodology. Seven college students were deployed in two phases to a community center as role models for the delivery of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (or STEAM) programs to youths living in a priority neighborhood. Data were collected using open-ended survey, journal entries and focus groups and was qualitatively analyzed by drawing on two frameworks: the experiential-learning framework by Kolb (1984) and the conceptual SL framework by Ash and Clayton (2009).FindingsThe findings describe the outcome of the college students' experiences in SL with respect to the development of skills and capacities needed by employers. Specifically, their experiences mirrored all aspects of the two frameworks applied. Therefore, the study validates the use of SL pedagogy in higher education. In addition, the study identified the role of SL as an integration strategy for international students. While the research contributes to the wider SL conversation for policymakers, faculty and administrators of higher education, it also promotes development opportunities for college students.Originality/valueThe integration of SL pedagogy is widespread among programs in higher education. However, there are no common SL frameworks used in literature. The study is novel in that it combines two theoretical frameworks – Kolb (1984) and Ash and Clayton (2009) in explaining the outcomes. In addition, it uses two high-impact educational practices – SL and role modeling to improve educational attainment for college students.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Administration of Higher Education in China

Challenges and Opportunities in the Administration of Higher Education in China

Формы и методы осуществления исполнительной власти в сфере высшего образования

Introduction. The article provides a general description and analysis of the forms and methods of implementing managerial functions by state higher education management bodies. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the conclusion that the choice of forms and methods of public administration of higher education is determined by the federal level of authority of state higher education management bodies, taking into account the autonomy and industry affiliation granted to educational organizations of higher education. Methodology. In the course of the research, general scientific methods were used to achieve this goal: methods of scientific analysis and synthesis, the system-structural method, as well as special methods: comparative legal and formal legal methods. Results. The author considers the forms and methods of managerial activity used by state bodies in the field of higher education. The basis of their activities are law-making forms of management aimed at creating new legal norms in order to fully regulate the activities of educational institutions of higher education. In the conditions of incompleteness of legal regulation, the publication of methodological recommendations by the state body performing control and supervisory functions is in fact a form of law-making, although not completely legal. In the field of higher education, law enforcement forms are used to implement the administrative and legal status of citizens and organizations, restore their violated rights and legitimate interests, bring violators to legal responsibility and include: issuing individual legal acts, control and supervision, bringing perpetrators to administrative responsibility, and performing other legal actions. There are also non-legal (organizational) forms of governance that are not related to the implementation of state-governmental powers of the executive and do not entail legal consequences, but are only an auxiliary tool for preparing for the subsequent implementation of the functions of public administration in legal forms. At the same time, the state bodies that manage higher education have different methods and different degrees of control influence, depending on their legal status and the level of public administration. Conclusion. Methods and forms of state administration of higher education are determined by the subordination of most educational institutions of higher education to executive authorities at the federal level, which determines the use of mainly methods of direct administrative influence with mandatory consideration of the autonomy provided by law to educational organizations of higher education. The set of tools (methods) of public administration depends, among other things, on industry affiliation, and the decision on their choice is made by the sole head of the state body, taking into account the opinion of collegial advisory bodies. At the same time, the substitution of legal forms of management with non-legal ones is unacceptable, even in order to increase the efficiency of management.

Pandora's Can of Worms: A Year of Generative AI in Higher Education

abstract: In the year since ChatGPT was released by OpenAI, librarians, instructors, and higher education administrators have grappled with generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for teaching, learning, research, and writing. Drawn from informal conversations, professional observations, discussion groups, and professional development events, this article reports on the experience of learning about generative AI at one university. This article considers ways that educators may use AI tools and reasons to resist adopting generative AI tools, situating uses on a spectrum of acceptability.

Sustainable Learning Environment Amidst the Pandemic: An Adoption of Mobile Learning Readiness Among Undergraduate Students in Malaysia's Higher Institutions

Aim/Purpose: The present study explores the key determinants that influence the intention of public higher education institutions in Malaysia to utilize mobile learning. Furthermore, this study investigates the correlation between these attributes and the components that affect the sustainability viability of mobile learning. Background: The proliferation of mobile devices and the impact of COVID-19 have both played a role in the exponential growth of mobile learning. Mobile learning has emerged as an essential instrument and principal approach to student education within the higher education system amidst the pandemic. Nevertheless, research concerning the sustainability of mobile learning is still in its nascent phases in the post-pandemic period. Methodology: Structural equation modeling is utilized to analyze the gathered data and validate the hypotheses in this study, which comprises an online survey of 280 undergraduate students attending public higher education institutions in Malaysia. Contribution: This mobile learning research on the sustainability of learning environments during COVID-19 adds to the educational literature. This study reconstructs the antecedent factors of three fundamental constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain the features of mobile learning sustainability. This research provides a theoretical framework for mobile learning sustainability. Findings: Based on the empirical evidence, the intention to adopt mobile learning in Malaysian higher education institutions is notably and directly influenced by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Additionally, the core constructs of TPB are significantly impacted by perceived usefulness, instructor readiness, student readiness, perceived self-efficacy, and learning autonomy. Nevertheless, in Malaysian higher education institutions, the intention to adopt mobile learning is not significantly affected by the perceived ease of use. Recommendations for Practitioners: Mobile learning providers should work on enhancing the performance of this technology to improve content appropriateness and support. Higher education administrators should improve faculty readiness to strengthen the sustainability and efficacy of mobile learning. Improving students’ self-discipline in mobile learning and their perceived preparedness and self-efficacy is critical. Recommendation for Researchers: This study provides future researchers with a comprehensive perspective on mobile learning, which should be studied regarding technology acceptance, self-perception, and external influences, as well as a holistic research framework that combines internal and external aspects to explain mobile learning adoption behavior. Furthermore, future researchers should broaden their study horizons to include other educational institutions and populations and identify disparities to encourage broader use of mobile learning. Impact on Society: COVID-19 has profoundly impacted educational quality and the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study demonstrates how mobile learning gives a unique chance for students to continue their learning journey from the comfort of their homes, lessening the disruption caused by pandemics and contributing to the progress of excellent education globally. Future Research: Based on the findings, future research should broaden the study’s scope to include selecting students (undergraduate and postgraduate) and instructors from multiple universities in various states of Malaysia, collecting data and examining the differences between them, and providing an overall view of mobile learning adoption behaviors (intention to adopt and actual usage) from the perspective of both interactions.

Strategies and Practices in Building an Informationized Ecological System for Higher Education Administrative Management

Strategies and Practices in Building an Informationized Ecological System for Higher Education Administrative Management

Where Do Amateurs Go to Become Pros? A Comparison of the Current Competition Systems in Collegiate Esports to Traditional Collegiate Sport Environments

Researchers are interested in how the collegiate esports model can follow that of the traditional sports talent pipelines. This piece seeks to conceptualize the manifestations of collegiate esports unique from traditional sports, as it integrates into the higher education model. In the current esports ecosystem, game developers own all intellectual property associated with the games and thus run the operations of leagues and/or tournaments themselves. Because of this, the pipeline seen in traditional sports is not transferrable or mimicked in the collegiate esports realm. The result is unique considerations for higher education administrators and coordinators regarding the retention of players and their recruitment from other institutions and professional circles. This line of research will lay the foundation for future studies in collegiate esports and assist in building the literature on the esports ecosystem.

A Study of Administrative Data Security Operation Strategies in Higher Education

Abstract Good data security management is the foundation and prerequisite for data-enabled higher education and improving the modernized governance capacity and governance level of higher education. Accordingly, the study proposes a data security management system based on a blockchain scenario as a data security operation strategy for higher education administration. The FAHP-FCE model for evaluating the level of data security is constructed based on fuzzy hierarchical analysis and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation. The system of this paper is applied to University Z for administrative data security operation and comprehensive evaluation. The comprehensive evaluation score of administrative data security management of the university is 82.542, and the evaluation result is five levels, which is good, and verifies that the data security management system based on blockchain technology can manage the administrative data of the university securely.

Development of the conceptual framework of public administration in higher education in the field of physical culture and sports

In the article, on the basis of the development of normative and legal provisions on issues of higher education andphysical culture and sports and numerous specialized literary sources, the definition of the concepts «system of highereducation in the field of physical culture and sports», «institution of higher education in the field of physical cultureand sports» was formed , «state management of higher education in the field of physical culture and sports», as wellas the goals of the latter. Amplification of the categorical apparatus of state management of higher education in thefield of physical culture and sports made it possible to clearly form not only its thesaurus, but also its goals and to givefurther research an institutional and purposeful character. This approach will ensure consideration of all managementrequests of all institutes of the higher education system in the field of physical culture and sports, and therefore increasethe efficiency of state management of higher education in the field of physical culture and sports.

Organizational Commitment Among Employees: A Case Study of Private Higher Education Administrative Staff

Organizational Commitment is considered as one of the most important factors that emotionally attach employees into organization. Such commitment is needed to reach organizational goals. This study aims at exploring and analyzing the Organizational Commitment among administrative staff at private higher education in Jakarta, one of the biggest cities in Indonesia, that consists of thousands of higher education Institutions. The mothod used in this study is descriptive qualitative. The data was gathered using questionnaire that consist statements represent three types of Organizational Commitment, which are affective, continuance and normative. The results of this research reveal several facts about the organizational commitment of administrative employees. The first fact shows that the organizational commitment of employees who have worked at private higher education for a long time is higher compared to employees who have worked for less. This shows that emotional bonding between employees and the organization are formed over time. This fact is also supported by data that employees who have a longer work period have stronger emotional bonding than employees who have a shorter work period. However, another fact has been revealed is that the work period doesn’t prevent employees to move to other organizations that provide better opportunities and advantages for them.

Review recent rulings involving racial, national origin discrimination

An overview of the key topics faced by higher education administrators with citations to noteworthy cases, statutes, regulations, and additional sources.

Management strategies for effective administration of higher education in Nigeria in the 21st century

Management strategies are tactics usually employed by administrators in order to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the organization. Just as each organization is unique in its own way, every administrator needs to understand his or her organization in order to determine which strategies to adopt. This paper, therefore, focuses on management strategies for effective administration of higher education in Nigeria in the 21st century. First of all, the meaning of higher education and its goals were examined. This work also discussed in detail key management strategies that higher education administrators can make do with so as to have effective management of higher education. Those strategies basically discussed herein were: strategic planning, committee system, effective communication, constant supervision, application of emotional and social intelligence, organizing, application of information and communication technology, staff training and retraining, staff induction, adequate funding, evaluation, and injection of motivation. The paper concluded that in order to ensure that the goals of higher education are effectively realized, there must be proper administration of this level of education. And for proper administration of higher education, it is necessary for the administrators to have good knowledge of management strategies and apply them sagaciously.

Storying Our Mourning and Resistance Through Teaching: Black Women Surviving (and Thriving In) White Spaces

This critical duoethnography explores the experiences of two pre-tenured Black women faculty navigating their varied emotions teaching cultural awareness-building courses at predominantly White institutions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial violence. The authors draw upon Dillard and Bell’s (2011) nkwaethnography to share the stories of ‘we’ instead of the ‘singular self’ and present the data as two composite narratives. Authors use Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 1989, 1990) to make-meaning of their experiences and they highlight two themes: (1) teaching and mourning at the margins and (2) calculated resistance. Implications for Black women faculty who teach cultural awareness-building courses and higher education administration are provided.

You’re Not Burnt Out: They are Setting You on Fire: Addressing Institutional Responses to the Duel American Pandemics

This themed issue presents a collection of novel scholarship centering Black womxn academics who navigate the pressure of the academy amidst institutional racism compounded by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, this issue provides cutting-edge research to assist higher education administrators and university stakeholders to understand how to support Black womxn in their quest to continue thriving and surviving in the academy. Our overall goal is to help our academic sisters realize that we are not burned out, that we are being set on fire by institutional forces; and to find ways to become flame resistant.