Institutional Commitment Research Articles

Collaborating With Service Users to Select Psychiatry Residents Committed to Health Equity and Social Justice.

Advocates have called for health services to be delivered equitably to all. Academic psychiatry must play a role in this work, given its history of creating and perpetuating the marginalization of people experiencing mental health issues. While medical educators have started teaching concepts such as structural competency and cultural safety, careful consideration of who enters the medical workforce and what values they bring is also important. The authors report on the first 5 years (2016-2021) of a collaboration with individuals who have used mental health or addiction services or identify as having lived experiences of mental health and/or substance use issues (i.e., service users) to select residents to the general adult psychiatry residency program at the University of Toronto who are committed to working toward health equity and social justice and who bring diverse personal, academic, and community-based experiences. Starting in 2016, a working group of service users and faculty iteratively refined the selection process to add personal letter and interview day writing sample prompts centered on social justice and advocacy. The working group, coled by service users since 2019, defined the problem (lack of attention to health equity and social justice in resident selection) and codesigned the solution by revising writing prompts used in the selection process and their assessment rubrics to emphasize these missing areas. Further, service users directly participated in the implementation by reviewing candidates' personal letters and interview day writing samples alongside faculty and residents. This work serves as an example of meaningful service user engagement in action. To ensure the needs of service users are prioritized, future work must aim for long-term institutional commitment to strengthen service user involvement and power sharing with service user communities in resident selection and at other points along the medical education pathway.

The Role and Impact of Employee Resource Groups in Higher Education

Montgomery College (MC) is an educational institution known for its diverse student body and broad range of programs. Established in 1946 in Montgomery County, Maryland, MC is home to over 50,000 credit and noncredit students from more than 155 countries. Alongside its student body, MC prides itself on its highly dedicated faculty and staff, over 3,500 in total, who are instrumental in driving the college’s commitment to academic excellence and inclusivity.
 Workplace belonging is a cornerstone for a productive, positive, and cohesive work environment. Studies have shown that feelings of belonging can directly contribute to increased job satisfaction, happiness at work, and reduced chances of burnout (Black et al., 2019). These feelings also foster institutional commitment and stability and spur creativity and innovation, elements crucial for the continued success of an educational institution (Zambrana, 2018). MC is no different and has emphasized fostering a strong sense of community within its ranks.
 One of the ways MC achieves this is through the Montgomery College Rising Professionals Association (MCRPA). Established in 2011, MCRPA is an employee resource group (ERG) developed for employees by employees, and it seeks to empower its members and support them in their professional journey. The association nurtures a sense of belonging for employees and promotes collegiality, community engagement, and collaboration and, through these efforts, promotes and contributes to student success and productivity.

The State of Geriatric and Gerontology Education in Ghana: A Literature Review

The rise in older population in Ghana is accompanied by challenges that may require trained professionals with specialized knowledge in geriatrics and gerontology to help address. Research, however, points to an existing shortage of geriatric-trained professionals in Ghana; a problem that can be addressed with the education and training of students with interest in aging. This paper offers a review of the state of geriatric and gerontology education in Ghana. The paper specifically examines current geriatric-focused training programs in public universities, and existing national aging policies with implications for the development and implementation of aging education in institutions of higher learning in Ghana. The review findings point to an urgent need for governmental and institutional commitment to promote aging studies as a component of health professions curricula in Ghana. Critical steps to prioritizing and forging a path to instituting geriatric and gerontology education in Ghana are discussed.

African identity and curriculum transformation at universities in South Africa

This paper argues for the notion of African identity to be placed at the centre of creating a new African university as part of the education decolonisation project. Defining the African university does not mean a total negation of Western ideas and epistemologies, but rather the foregrounding of African identity, traditions and culture. The paper recognises that Africa is part of a global economy, hence African university curricula must (among other phenomena) be responsive to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), pandemics and climate change. Drawing on recent African identity-driven curriculum transformation developments at four South African universities, the paper recognises differences in institutional initiatives, some with detailed curriculum transformation plans and others with no clear plans. Based on a literature review and document analysis methods, the results suggest that progress in curriculum transformation is mediated by context and history, as well as differences in institutional commitment to the decolonisation education project. The authors suggest that – with support from government and policymakers – a clear and detailed programme of curriculum transformation is needed, underpinned by a moral imperative to foreground African identity in the transition to the new African university.

Academic Migration and Epistemological Value: Exploring the Experience of Migrant Academics in Portugal

The internationalisation of higher education (IoHE) has become a prominent topic in higher education research. While there is increasing institutional and governmental commitment to IoHE, it is important to consider the actual outcomes of these processes critically. Despite the significant issues raised by the academic migration of professors, researchers, and post-docs regarding migratory trajectories and epistemological aspects of scholarly work, this area of research remains understudied. This article adopted a qualitative approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews with migrant scholars pursuing academic careers in Portugal. Our findings suggest that a complex interplay of factors influences the pursuit of an academic career by migrants, including the influence of institutional and governmental policies regarding science and the impact of marketisation of higher education institutions that have jeopardised academic career possibilities. Moreover, science and academic-related work seem to be the main drivers in pursuing an academic career for migrant scholars rather than primarily career-focused and economic strategies. Notwithstanding, our study highlighted the challenges that migrant academics face at the epistemological level, pointing out that their experiences are embedded in neocolonial logics that are further aggravated by current unequal societal arrangements related to what constitutes valid and legitimate knowledge and the power relations therein.

Financial Attitude, Trust, and ROSCAs' Member Commitment: Social Relations as Mediating Factor

Purpose: This research examines the function of social relationships in the association between financial attitudes and trusts toward member commitment of informal financial institutions, notably the rotating savings and credit association in Indonesia.
 Design/methodology/approach: The study consisted of 207 female participants, and a partial least square structural equation modelling was utilized to test the hypotheses. All items' validity and reliability were confirmed through inner and outer model testing.
 Findings: The study found that financial attitudes and trust did not significantly affect commitment but positively influenced social relations. Additionally, social relations impacted commitment and mediated the relationship between financial attitudes, trust, and commitment.
 Research limitations/implications: Therefore, the study underscores the need to prioritize women and social relationships in informal financial institutions to enhance informal financial inclusion from the grassroots level.
 Originality/value: These findings highlight the critical role of social cohesion in financial activities and emphasize the potential of informal financial institutions to alleviate short-term liquidity pressures.

Driving Diversity and Inclusion in Cancer Drug Development - Industry and Regulatory Perspectives, Current Practices, Opportunities, and Challenges.

In April 2022, the FDA issued draft guidance to help industry develop strategies to improve diversity in clinical trials. Historically, clinical trial sponsors have not systematically incorporated efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), particularly during the early design stages of clinical development plans and operational strategies. Unfortunately, a retrospective approach to DEI often results in clinical trial participants not being reflective of the diversity of patients intended to be treated with new therapies. A shift to prospective, intentional DEI strategies for clinical trials, including long-term engagement with diverse patients and communities throughout the development life cycle, is necessary to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of new drugs and devices for all patients. Sponsors' current practices and opportunities for improving DEI address four major topics: institutional commitment, culture change, and governance; clinical development strategy; setting enrollment goals to ensure trial participant diversity; and development and implementation of the operational strategy. As DEI practices gain wider adoption in clinical trials, shared learning and collaboration among stakeholders on an ongoing and noncompetitive basis will lead to sustainable change. Prioritization of enrollment of diverse populations as an integral part of study start-up planning, clinical trial design, and recruitment capabilities will enhance the clinical development process for oncology therapies. Importantly, these efforts will help provide equitable access to clinical trials and innovative cancer therapies.

The Determination of State Budget Governance of Indonesian Public Higher Education Institutions Post COVID-19 Pandemic

The communication and information openness era, which has become increasingly massive after the COVID-19 Pandemic, has encouraged open relations between the community and state universities in education programs, especially budget management. This study aims to analyze the determination of state university budget management in terms of budget realization, the role of technology, and public information disclosure. This study raises the dimensions of the variable position of technology, perceptions of budget realization, public information disclosure, principles of general financial management, transparency, and accountability concerning managing state finances in universities. Convenience sampling became the technique chosen for sampling and was further analyzed with the SEM-PLS procedure through the SmartPLS application with 237 respondents. This study found the effect of budget realization and public information disclosure in fulfilling the principles of positive public financial management. However, this study does not support the role of technology in supporting the principles of public financial management. This study also notes the positive influence of public financial management principles on state universities' transparency and accountability. This study highlights the maximum future strengthening of higher education budget management with the organizational commitment of higher education institutions under the strict supervision of the government and the community indirectly. Technology does not support it, but it impacts the public in tracing information on Higher Education budget management according to the mandate of various parties, including the Indonesian Supreme Audit Institution.

Professed Student Satisfaction on Scholarship Services and its Relation to College Persistence in One State University in Laguna

Lack of studies linking student support services and financial assistance, particularly the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) undergraduate scholarship, to college outcomes such as persistence has been one of the issues in STEM education in the Philippines. Even though previous findings have shown the clear impact of financial support on student success, local researchers have only focused on student satisfaction with the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and persistence. This is why the researchers decided to determine the relationship between the satisfaction of scholarship services provided by the DOST in terms of scholarship updates, support for scholars’ organizations and activities, staff assistance, support for scholarship-related problems, and scholarship benefits and college persistence components, namely: academic integration, social integration, support service satisfaction, degree commitment, institutional commitment, and academic conscientiousness. A descriptive-correlational design was utilized with a convenience sampling technique to select 67 DOST scholars as respondents. Self-reported assessments were used to measure the variables. The results show that the students were very satisfied with the scholarship services, and they are highly persistent in all indicators except academic conscientiousness. However, there is no significant relationship between satisfaction with scholarship services and college persistence. Studying other potential variables related to scholarship services and implementing policies to improve college persistence is recommended.

Designing for epistemic justice: Epistemic apprenticeship as an institutional commitment

This paper develops the concept of epistemic apprenticeship as a response to failures among privileged social actors to perceive the knowledge bases of unjustly marginalised groups as sources of valuable insight. Inspired by Elizabeth Spelman’s reflections on apprenticeship and intersectional feminism, an epistemic apprenticeship represents an obverse form of apprenticeship; one in which socially privileged knowers become apprentices to those who do not enjoy equivalent power and privilege. This paper critiques and extends Spelman’s account of apprenticeship by focussing on how the institutional sedimentation of dominant social imaginaries works against the volitional and virtuous practice of apprenticeship, and by exploring what a commitment to epistemic apprenticeship demands at the level of institutional practice. As part of this discussion, I scrutinise the conditions under which institutionalised apprenticeships may fall short of their meliorative potential, and may obstruct rather than aid efforts to achieve greater epistemic justice.

Reimagining Community College Math Reform Amid COVID-19

Objective: In Spring 2020 when COVID-19 hit, community colleges moved almost all classes online. This disruption impacts recent math reforms, including contextualization, raising concerns about sustained faculty and institutional leadership commitment. This study investigated how community college faculty teaching contextualized math courses adapted their instruction in response to COVID-19-related disruptions and how community college and instructional leadership addressed math contextualization efforts in response to COVID-19. Methods: Using multiple case studies, we conducted interviews with faculty and institutional leaders from two large community colleges in a Midwestern state. We also integrated field notes, observations, lesson plans, project documentation, and other contextual information as complementary data. Results: Three themes revealed how faculty and institutional leaders navigated the process of adapting contextualization efforts throughout the pandemic: reaching out to create community remotely, reimagining contextualization or pushing the pause button, and skilling up to persist through and toward change. Contribution: This study provides insight into the unique challenges and innovations due to sudden yet enduring disruptions that impact instruction, faculty development, and institutional support around instructional reform in the community college. This research informs faculty and institutional leaders navigating sustained efforts around math reform to identify actions to help institutions and their faculty continue advancing high-impact approaches and initiatives to math instruction in any environment.

Overview of policy and market dynamics for the deployment of renewable energy sources in Italy: Current status and future prospects

In recent years, the international community has been strongly committed to promoting energy transition due to the various challenges presented by the global energy market. In this context, renewable sources have increasingly assumed a significant role, representing a viable solution to accelerate decarbonization and promote diversification of energy mix. This paper examines Italian energy profile, its status, and future prospects. Policies and incentives on a European and national scale have been analysed to observe the commitment of institutions in promoting energy transition. Policies and incentives on a European and national scale have been analysed to observe the commitment of institutions in promoting energy transition. Projections on future investments (2030) and economic and employment implications have also been provided. The analysis shows that shared investments are essential to achieve climate goals in the short term and that existing plants need to be converted through the use of new, more effective, cost-efficient technologies. Thus, innovation and investments in research and development are key drivers of energy transition, and with proper management, climate change mitigation can be ensured. The analysis provides some useful implications for policymakers who should ensure tax incentives, feed-in tariffs, and clear regulation at the national and regional levels that do not hinder the deployment of renewable energy infrastructure.

Farmers’ behaviour in the use of integrated pest management (IPM) practices: perspectives through the social practice theory

For many years, official agricultural policy efforts in Iran have focused on promoting the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices among farmers. Despite the major advantages of this system for human health and the environment, the adoption rate and implementation of IPM practices at the farm level has been slow. This study explores factors influencing farmers’ behaviour in the use of IPM practices, based on an expanded version of the Social Practice Theory (SPT). A sample of 325 tomato farmers in 30 villages of Golestan province in northeastern Iran participated in the study. The adoption of IPM practices among tomato farmers was less than average. The most common IPM practices adopted by the farmers were some simple and well-known practices such as collection and removal of contaminated parts of the plant and using resistant cultivars. Using factor analysis, four large groups of items were identified as key SPT constructs, i.e. materials (tools, technologies and infrastructure), competences (knowledge, skills, and abilities), meanings (values and commitments) and institutional support (support from government, local institution and market supply chain) for the use of IPM practices. Multiple linear analysis showed that the total effects of materials (β = 0.190), competences (β = 0.214), institutional supports (β = 0.324), education (β = 0.258) and tomato growing income (β=-0.102) on the use of IPM practices were significant. Thus, the SPT framework was found to be a useful tool for explaining farmers’ adoption of IPM practices. Further design of IPM development programs should be based on a holistic approach, which must supply materials, enhance competence and improve commitment of local and national institutions to provide requirements for use of IPM practices at farm level.

Assessing the fairness of the EU Council qualified majority voting. A voting power critical perspective of the liberal intergovernmentalist accounts

The Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) used by the Council of the European Union developed to a high degree of complexity from one modifying treaty to another, until the latest definition stipulated in the Treaty of Lisbon. This paper analyses this EU intra-institutional voting method using a rational choice approach and emphasizes that there are situations when not even the institutions, as rational actors, can avoid a collective irrational outcome even when they are addressing subjects such as voting power distribution. It also addresses several shortcomings of the Liberal Intergovernmentalist explanatory framework focusing on the insufficiently developed level of credible institutional commitments. The core part of the article consists in investigating several types of EU Council internal decision-making options, proposing how they can be designed to be considered in the same time fair and efficient, and in analysing how close this voting power ideal type configuration is to the current decisional system.

Dynamics between universities and social entrepreneurs: Insights from a multi‐country project in Latin America

AbstractResearch has stressed the importance of universities in developing entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) and their possible social and economic impacts on society. Concerning this commitment, social entrepreneurs (SEs) favor university actions that facilitate the improvement of their individual capital. However, research on this topic has received little attention. This study investigated how universities contribute to the advancement of EEs. It also examines the mechanisms that universities employ to support SEs. Two survey instruments were administered: one to 418 SEs, and the other to 494 people affiliated with universities. The results indicate that universities can be key actors in EEs because they can mobilize resources aligned with their institutional commitments, including training, facilities, and contact with several stakeholders. Additionally, SEs rely on training opportunities and connections with other stakeholders to implement entrepreneurial initiatives. Accordingly, our study highlights the critical role universities play in the development and survival of SEs.

A decade of grassroots pathway programming: Saturday Academy at New York University College of Dentistry.

Successful pathway programs require early and sustained support of student participants. We present the history and outcomes of a successful decade of continuous, grassroots, pathway programming at an individual dental institution. Programmatic data were used to evaluate information on program participant demographics, academic pursuits, and career interests. Descriptive analyses were used to report on program enrollment as well as alumni academic and career outcomes. Between the years of 2013 and 2022, 346 high-school students participated in Saturday Academy at NYU Dentistry. Of the 240 college-aged and older program alumni, 72% (n=172) have shared their academic and career plans after high-school. At the time of publication, 78% (134/172) of alumni that have maintained contact with Saturday Academy and have expressed interest in pursuing a career in the health professions. Of the 172 alumni, 14% (n=24) have enrolled in or graduated from a health professional program (dental hygiene, nursing, accelerated dental or medical program, dental or medical school, or other health professional program). Of these alumni (24/172), half (n=12) have pursued education in the dental professions, specifically. Saturday Academy at NYU Dentistry is an example of a sustainable and impactful pathway program in dental education and its outcomes support the merit of calls for increased institutional commitment and support of similar initiatives.

A cross-sectional study to assess faculty and student knowledge of climate change and health: Readiness for curricular integration.

To examine the perceived knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding climate change and health of academic faculty and students in programmes for health professionals and to identify barriers/facilitators to and resources required for curriculum integration. Cross-sectional survey eliciting quantitative and open-ended responses. A 22-question survey to assess climate-health knowledge/attitudes/beliefs was distributed to all students and faculty (n = 224) at one academic institution in the United States. Open-ended questions addressed barriers, facilitators and required resources. Descriptive statistics are reported, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes from open-ended responses. Response rate was 15%. Most respondents (76%) were between 20 and 34 years old. The majority were from nursing (39%), occupational therapy (13%) and communication speech disorders (12.5%). Most respondents perceived climate change as relevant to direct patient care (78%) and believed that it is impacting the health of individuals (86%) and should be integrated into curricula (89%). Yet, most (60%) reported modest to no knowledge about the health impacts. Faculty reported little to no comfort teaching climate change and health concepts (76%). Open-ended responses identified student/faculty receptivity and professional/clinical relevance as important facilitators of successful integration. Barriers included intensity of programmes; time and competing curricular priorities; and a lack of faculty expertise, resources, institutional and professional commitment. Most health professions students and faculty indicated that educating future health professionals about climate change and health is important, but existing barriers must be addressed. This study addressed student and faculty perceptions of integrating climate change and health into health professions curricula. Discipline-specific and interprofessional educational approaches are necessary to optimize future health professionals' efforts to prevent and mitigate climate change impacts for at-risk patients, communities and populations.

Designing a Road Map for Action to Address Bias and Racism Within a Large Academic Medical Center.

The convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the public anguish and outrage resulting from the murder of George Floyd in 2020 intensified the commitment of many health care institutions to pursue racial and social justice and achieve health equity. The authors describe the Road Map for Action to Address Racism, which was developed to unify and systematize antiracism efforts across the Mount Sinai Health System. A 51-member Task Force to Address Racism, comprising faculty, staff, students, alumni, health system leaders, and trustees, developed recommendations to achieve the goal of becoming an antiracist and equitable health care and learning institution by intentionally addressing all forms of racism and promoting greater diversity, inclusion, and equity for its workforce and community. Grounded in the principles of Collective Impact, the Task Force developed a set of 11 key strategies to effect systemwide change. The strategies affected all aspects of the organization: business systems and financial operations, delivery of care, workforce development and training, leadership development, medical education, and community engagement. The authors describe Road Map implementation, currently in process, including the appointment of strategy leaders, evolution of a governance structure integrating stakeholders from across the health system, development of an evaluation framework, communication and engagement efforts, and process measures and progress to date. Lessons learned include the importance of recognizing the work of dismantling racism as integral to, not apart from, the institution's day-to-day work, and the need for specialized expertise and a significant investment of time to coordinate Road Map implementation. Going forward, rigorous assessment of quantitative and qualitative outcomes and a commitment to sharing successes and challenges will be critical to eradicating systems that have perpetuated inequities in the biomedical sciences and medicine and in the delivery of health care.

Examining the Effectiveness of Financial Protection Schemes in Reducing Health Inequality.

Health protection schemes such as health insurance and financial assistance provide immense help and support to access health care services, especially to the poor and marginalized section of society. India is witness to low health-related expenditure, and the society's socioeconomic and demographic structure further drops health care access to the new bottom. Consequently, inequality in health care access is highly observed across many socioeconomic attributes. The condition of Bihar, the poorest state of India, is more alarming. The analysis suggests that financial support in terms of universal health insurance coverage considerably reduces out-of-pocket expenditure and thus health inequality. Further, the low health insurance coverage is not solely due to a lack of institutional commitment and implementation process; the cognitive behavior and attitude of people are equally responsible for low health care access. An intensive awareness program to show the benefit of the health insurance scheme and sensitization of people against the social stigma is important to provide better health care access and reduce health inequality.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Academic Success Program: Showcasing the Importance of Theory to Practice

To provide an example of outcomes assessment that aligns with student affairs standards (Finney & Horst, 2019a), we share our process of assessing a mandated eight-week program for students on academic probation. Furthermore, our process highlights the value of using existing theory and research to inform assessment and program redesign efforts (Pope et al., 2019). Using a high-quality theory-based measure, we assessed several student learning and development outcomes (e.g., institutional commitment, academic self-efficacy) that theory and research indicated are necessary for students to achieve academic success. Based on the outcomes assessment results, we identified which aspects of the program seemed to be working and which aspects needed improvement. Finally, we close by providing recommendations for other professionals seeking to build and assess high-quality student affairs programs informed by theory and research.