Higher Education Landscape Research Articles

Balancing the art and science of fundraising: An artistic approach to establishing and maintaining successful relationships with donors

This paper discusses the shift in the higher education landscape which has placed an increased emphasis on philanthropy to fill the gap left from decreased state appropriations and fewer tuition dollars. The paper discusses how, in order to maximise fundraising outcomes, institutions must invest in their advancement operations and ensure they are appropriately staffed to raise major gifts, with a key focus on hiring and retaining front-line gift officers. Accomplished fundraisers can effectively balance the art and science of the profession. They utilise scientific research and data-driven analytics to drive strategy and prioritise donors as a basis to artfully navigate conversations with donors. This paper emphasises the importance of establishing and maintaining relationships with donors in order to optimise fundraising outcomes, successful fundraising professionals apply the artistic elements of emotional intelligence, versatile communication, listening and planning in their personal interactions.

Research and Development Transformation in Central Asia: University-led Research Consortiums

The growth of knowledge-intensive societies has brought dramatic changes to the higher education landscape, changing the role of universities as well as academiaindustry relationship models. The changing roles of universities in teaching, innovation and entrepreneurial enthusiasm impact the national innovation systems of many developed and developing countries. This paper attempts to study existing models of university-industry collaboration in Central Asia, using structured interviews to provide analytical and practically applicable strategies to address various issues in higher education.

Stories Untold: Counter-Narratives to Anti-Blackness and Deficit-Oriented Discourse Concerning HBCUs

Although there is empirical evidence concerning the value of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), broader narratives about these institutions too often overemphasize challenges and depict them from a deficit perspective. We argue that such depictions elide the benefits of HBCUs within the higher education landscape and are rooted in a form of institutional anti-blackness—persistent imagery and discourse that construct Black colleges and universities as institutions devoid of value. In response to such silencing, this study employs counter-narratives rooted in a critical race methodology to illuminate the modern contributions of HBCUs as told by their chief executive officers—HBCU presidents. These contributions include transforming today’s learners into tomorrow’s leaders, a commitment to serving low-income students that is unencumbered by their financial strains, and tapping the potential of students who were marginalized in prior academic environments.

International alumni affairs and an emerging trans-national public service landscape

ABSTRACT International alumni affairs is a relatively new addition to the landscape of higher education, particularly outside the elite sphere of the Ivy League and Oxbridge. These privileged institutions have seen comparatively high numbers of international students enrol for many years and have gradually developed a formalised alumni presence in any number of countries worldwide. This paper analyses the current public or community service operations of international alumni clubs representing American colleges and universities. An exploratory document analysis will produce an initial typology of service-oriented activity, and in select institutional cases will also evaluate to what extent the priorities of independent alumni clubs align with the institutional priorities of the home institution. Attention is paid to the sustainability of these service-oriented efforts, relevance to the local environment, and direct support of university faculty, staff and students.

Putting the learner at the heart of student experience: The role of the University Library in a seven-year journey of superconvergence at Northumbria University, UK

Higher Education in the UK is experiencing a level of change unprecedented in the last twenty-five years. Coupled with global drivers and disruptors, from technology to generational differences, the new higher education landscape that is emerging is presenting academic libraries with a series of new and extreme strategic challenges and opportunities. Putting students at the heart of learning, by aligning with and influencing university strategy, creating new and more integrated learning environments, and designing support with student outcomes in mind, are rapidly becoming business critical.In this article, we describe the experience of the directorate of Student and Library Services at Northumbria University, in which the University Library has played a pivotal role driving a broad, deep, and sustainable superconvergence while transforming in its own right to deliver innovative new services and successful performance. In so doing, we discuss the evolution of the superconvergence portfolio, how structure and roles were arrived at, what phases of change and stages of convergence we passed through, and how we have adopted a new support framework to integrate distinct services, and physical and virtual spaces, while retaining the quality of our broad professional expertise. We provide several examples of how the new service is operating and specifically how the University Library works in this wider context. We conclude with a reflective discussion on the outcomes and impact our approach has afforded, and what may follow.

“Putting Food back on the table”: Decolonising towards a Sustainable University that Feeds Us in South Africa

The higher education landscape in South African (SA) has recently experienced a wave of student movement organised under the #MustFall campaign, where students demanded quality and accessible higher education. This movement spoke against the colonial character of the curriculum, demographic representation, institutional cultures, and architecture of the university in South Africa today, which excludes the majority of the students who cannot access higher education in South Africa. It is in this context that the high cost of higher education was questioned, with some questioning the very “idea of the university”, and the role of the university in a society contending with income inequalities, unemployment, and poverty. This article seeks to position food at the centre of decolonising tools towards a sustainable African university of the future. Looking at growing levels of hunger, and the lack of access to food among our students, I argue that in putting food at the centre, regarding our understanding of the curriculum, shape, size, and future of the university in South Africa, we might begin to transform the exclusivist, uncaring and elitist spaces that define a university. In trying to rethink the ‘‘idea of the university’’ in South Africa I look at one of the enduring institutions of knowledge in African societies—uMakhulu (“Senior Mother/Grandmother”) as a body that can reconnect the African university to its matriarchal heritage, in order to define a university that can feed itself beyond the narrow neoliberal understanding of sustainability.

Contribution of New Technologies in the Relationship Between the Governance and the Social Responsibility at the Moroccan University

This article describes how the landscape of higher education in Morocco has undergone several changes in its organization; hence universities are called upon to strengthen their modes of governance by using new technologies as communication management devices. At the same time, and in a national context of sustainable development, universities are encouraged to adopt a culture of social responsibility like companies and other organizations to promote the notion of citizenship. This article aims to show that the Moroccan university can adopt a sustainable management practice through the establishment of an Information System to ensure and strengthen its governance. The authors focus on the experience of the Moroccan universities in the implementation of the MISSION project which aims at improving the governance of the Moroccan university from a technological point of view.

Precarious, always-on and flexible: A case study of academics as information workers

The higher education landscape has changed in the past decades. The neoliberal restructuring of universities has led to transformations such as reducing public expenditure, allocating resources based on competition and quasi-market disciplines. These structural transformations have also an effect on the working conditions, practices and relations of subjects within universities. Questions that need to be addressed: How do different working contexts and conditions in the academia shape feelings of autonomy, flexibility and reputation on one hand and precariousness, overwork and dissatisfaction on the other? What are the broader political realities and potentials in terms of solidarity, participation and democracy at universities? I address these questions based on a theoretical analysis and qualitative interviews with precariously employed academics.

The differential predictive validity of a test of academic literacy for students from different English language school backgrounds

In the past decade, testing for academic readiness has become common practice across the South African higher education landscape. The aim of this assessment is to identify students who might not be ready for academic education and to put support programmes in place to help bridge this gap. Given the implied contribution that these programmes are expected to make towards higher graduation rates, it is important that the tests used for identifying those who need the support are valid for all students regardless of background. The aim of this study was to investigate the differential predictive validity of a test of academic literacy for two groups of students; those who took English at Home Language level and those who took it as First Additional Language at school. A regression analysis of a total of 564 scores obtained by the two groups on the Test of Academic Literacy Levels (TALL) as a predictor of their end of first-year average scores was carried out to determine this. The results show that although the Home Language group performed better than their counterpart on the test on average, the test predicted the outcome variable marginally better for the First Additional Language group than it did for their counterpart. This difference was too negligible, however, for one to conclude that the test was predictively biased against any of the two groups.

Toward a New Model of College “choice” For a Twenty-first-century Context

The past two decades have seen massive changes in the higher education landscape, including the heightened participation of post-traditional students, high reentry and mobility of students within and across sectors, and the increased visibility of open admissions institutions, such as community colleges and for-profit colleges. Despite these radical shifts, the most commonly used college choice frameworks still focus on the decisions of students who fit a stereotypical profile and are entering traditional institutions of higher learning for the first time. In this article, Constance Iloh argues for the necessity of a new conceptual approach and offers a three-component ecological model of college-going decisions and trajectories that incorporates the pressing conditions and shifting contexts of twenty-first-century postsecondary education. In doing so, Iloh also asserts that the concept of “choice” may be a limited and problematic way of understanding present-day college-going.ErrataThe Editorial Board of the Harvard Educational Review is issuing an errata statement in conjunction with “Toward a New Model of College ‘Choice’ for a Twenty-First-Century Context” (Volume 88, Number 2, pages 227-244, doi:10.17763/1943-5045-88.2.227), by Constance Iloh, due to multiple instances in which the author incompletely attributed previously published material in the introduction and literature review. Given these extensive citation errors, the Editorial Board felt it important to correct the scholarly record. Pages 228-232 of the published article contain the following incompletely attributed materials: Excerpt lacking quotation marks from Heil, S., Reisel, L., & Attewell, P. (2014). College selectivity and degree completion. American Educational Research Journal, 51(5), 913-935. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831214544298Excerpt lacking quotation marks from Cabrera, A. F., & La Nasa, S. M. (2002). Understanding the college-choice process. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2000(107), 5-22. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ir.10701Two excerpts lacking quotation marks from Niu, S. X., Tienda, M., & Cortes, K. (2006). College selectivity and the Texas top 10% law. Economics of Education Review, 25(3), 259-272. doi:10.1016/j.econedurev.2005.02.006Excerpt lacking quotation marks from Cabrera, A. F., & La Nasa, S. M. (2000). Understanding the college-choice process. In A. F. Cabrera & S. M. La Nasa (Eds.), Understanding the college choice of disadvantaged students: New directions for institutional research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Excerpt lacking quotation marks from Chen, J. C. (2017). Nontraditional adult learners. SAGE Open, 7(1). doi:10.1177/2158244017697161Quote lacking quotation marks and citation from Robert Hansen, CEO of University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) as reported in Inside Track. (2015). National study of non-first-time students shows full-time enrollment may not be appropriate for all. Retrieved from https://www.insidetrack.com/national-study-of-non-first-time-students-shows-full-time-enrollment-may-not-be-appropriate-for-all/Excerpt lacking quotation marks and citation from Bidwell, A. (2014, July 29). 31 million in higher education limbo: Some college, no degree. US News & World Report. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/07/29/31-million-in-higher-education-limbo-some-college-no-degreeExcerpt lacking quotation marks from Tudge, J. R. H. (2008). The everyday lives of young children: Culture, class, and child rearing in diverse societies. New York: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/ CBO9780511499890

Fiscal Equity and America’s Community Colleges

ABSTRACTCommunity colleges play an increasingly important role in the higher education landscape. Yet, what is unclear is whether existing models for funding community colleges are up to the task of preserving, or even expanding, access to postsecondary education, particularly among groups historically underrepresented in higher education. Of particular concern has been whether existing resources are distributed among colleges in a fair and efficient manner. In this article, we use frameworks and policy templates from K-12 education finance to better understand differences in resources available to community colleges nationwide, prior to and after the 2008 recession. Specifically, we evaluate the extent of variation in per pupil spending within states; the extent to which variation is associated with community wealth, a proxy for student need; and whether state appropriations, as a share of total revenue, substantively impact fiscal equity. Taken together, we find substantial differences in spending among community colleges within states; evidence that spending differences may be related to proxies for student need; and that changes in state appropriations impact fiscal equity across community colleges.

Students as Change Partners in the School of English Language and Literature at the University of Reading.

The pedagogic landscape in Higher Education has certainly witnessed change in recent years and involving students as partners in aspects of degree-programme development is part of that change. Darling-Hammond (2009) described how educational systems internationally are changing priorities to enable students to "cope with complexity, use new technologies, and work cooperatively to frame and solve novel problems" (p. 45). Zhao (2011) asserts that it is vital to engage students as partners in change, giving them an active hand in programme design, to enable students to develop into creative individuals who leave education with much more than just an academic qualification; it is an "authentic way to develop professional skills" (Giles et al., 2004, p. 681) as well as an opportunity to develop a positive and autonomous approach to lifelong learning. The case study which follows involved students' working cooperatively with each other and with staff in a school of English language and literature. Together, we redesigned a new module aimed at: developing students’ understanding of the demands of university-level study and writing; supporting them in their transition from sixth form to higher education.

Criticality in international higher education research: a critical discourse analysis of higher education journals

The purpose of this study is to critically and systematically examine current discourse within scholarship on the internationalization of higher education. Our study engages critical discourse analysis to review articles from four top-tier higher education academic journals published between 2000 and 2016. Findings across journals/articles demonstrate the absence of a clear definition of the concept of internationalization, a strong Western focus, and often inexplicit recommendations for practical application of research findings. Through critical discourse analysis, we explore the orientation of higher education research towards equity and inclusivity and challenge the perception of international higher education research and its distribution through academic journals as value-neutral. By continuing to recognize, articulate, and critique biases in research development and dissemination, higher education researchers and discourse may become more accountable and continue to develop a more critical lens for promoting globally inclusive scholarship. This study contributes to the ways in which discourse both shapes and is shaped by knowledge production in the higher education landscape, and future directions for this field.

Where next for mathematics education in higher education? A one-day meeting in honour of Professor John Blake

On the 10 June 2016 Professor John Blake, known to many readers of MSOR Connections for his leadership of the Maths, Stats & OR Network and his passionate support for mathematics education, passed away peacefully following a short illness. He was 69. In recognition of John’s work, a number of his friends and colleagues came together to organise a one-day education meeting in his honour that comprised part of a larger event celebrating his many achievements in applied mathematics. The meeting was held in July 2017 at the University of Birmingham, a place where John spent many years of his career and established a legacy for teaching and learning from which many now benefit today. John was a man for action and the purpose of this one-day meeting was to explore the current needs and priorities of the mathematical sciences community and identify mechanisms by which we can continue to work together in a changed, and changing, higher education landscape: this article comprises a record of the thoughts and ideas of those who presented in honour of John’s legacy.

Biologist unveils China's first private research university.

Venture aims to fill gap in higher education landscape.

Equity, Inclusion, and Beyond: Today’s Urban Chief Diversity Officer

This paper, based primarily on the author’s perspective as president of SUNY Empire State College, will explore the need for and means of leveraging the chief diversity officer’s role in creating an equitable and inclusive environment within the distributed world that is Empire State College’s “campus” and, specifically, within SUNY Empire’s urban environments. Empire State College fills a unique role in today’s higher-education landscape. It was founded in 1971 by Ernest Boyer, then the chancellor of the State University of New York, to make education accessible outside the confines of traditional curricular and delivery structures, and to better meet the needs of New Yorkers with locations, academic programming, and student services responsive to diverse communities and learners. Today, Empire State College continues to embrace and fulfill that mission, with individualized education as its cornerstone and nearly 18,000 undergraduate and graduate students in 34 academic centers around the state of New York, in several countries overseas and online around the world. The vast majority of its undergraduate students have attended at least one previous institution, are employed, and are likely to have family and dependent-care obligations. The college is purposefully nonresidential, designed to be where our students live and work. Students can choose structured or individualized academic programs, depending on discipline, and have the options of classroom-based, online, or independent study, as well as weekend residencies, or a hybrid of education delivery via these modes.

Angels falling from grace? The rectification experiences of middle-class community-college students in Hong Kong

ABSTRACTAgainst an expanded sector of higher education, inadequate empirical effort has been made to examine the experiences of middle-class students who fail to get straight into university rectify their situation. Such experiences, as well as their psychic/emotional aspects, are of increasing relevance to understanding the operation of class against a changing landscape of higher education and thus explaining the persistence of a class gap despite continuous educational expansion. In filling this empirical gap, this article examines the educational experiences of 16 middle-class community-college students in seeking a second chance in Hong Kong, and discusses how far the students could be seen as ‘angels falling from grace’. Their educational experiences showed that they were advantaged like ‘angels’ receiving an abundance of parental support in seeking this second chance; but, feeling negatively about community college, they saw themselves as ‘angels falling from grace’. Despite this, they finally successfully steered themselves to university.

Decolonising Universities in South Africa: Rigged Spaces?

This article provides a broad overview of the necessity for and challenges of decolonising universities in South Africa. It situates the student protests for the decolonisation of knowledge within the debates on the African Higher Education landscape, the ideology of Pan-Africanism, and calls for an African Renaissance. The article highlights the context in which the Fallist Movement emerged in South Africa and the demands it articulated. This article questions whether or not the decolonisation of knowledge, and the broader university system, can truly materialise, given the inherent nature and functioning of these institutions and the current practices of decolonising universities. The article argues that to date the decolonisation of universities has largely been ad-hoc, performative, and technical, rather than the sustainable and substantive transformative processes that should be at the heart of any decolonisation project. Furthermore, the article asserts that the universities that we are trying to decolonise are rigged spaces as they have been fashioned in the image of western universities and align with their norms, values, and epistemologies. To break this foundational epistemological and cultural bedrock requires a complete overhaul of the structure, ideology, and functioning of the universities. Without major shifts in the power relations, orientation and forms of knowledge production at these universities, there can be no decolonisation.

(Re)Positioning Humanities in the Malaysian Higher Education Landscape

(Re)Positioning Humanities in the Malaysian Higher Education Landscape

From me to we: embracing coperformative witnessing and critical love in the classroom

Swartz and Ware McGuffey's essay in this issue offer an overview of the current landscape in higher education and, in particular, the challenges immigrant students face, historically and in the pre...