University System Research Articles

“I Don’t Think the System Will Ever be the Same”: Distance Education Leaders’ Predictions and Recommendations for the Use of Online Learning in Community Colleges Post-COVID

ABSTRACT While the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the short-term use of online courses, colleges’ experiences with COVID-era online course delivery may also affect the way that they offer and approach online courses going forward. We draw on interviews with 35 distance education leaders from the California Community Colleges system to provide insights into how the use of online education may change in the system going forward. Leaders predicted that post-pandemic, colleges would increase their online course offerings, and that many instructional innovations to online courses from the pandemic—such as the use of synchronous courses—would persist. We discuss implications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.

The blocking and transmission effects of lower level system in patent transaction - evidence from Chinese colleges and universities

Conflicts and contradictions within the legal system may affect the effectiveness of law enforcement, but scholars have not conducted sufficient empirical research on the mechanism. Based on three periods of mixed cross-sectional data in 2015 and 2019 when the reform of patent transaction system in colleges and universities, which represents a quasi-natural experiment, has been carried out, this study adopted a difference-in-difference (DID) model to empirically analyze the efficiency of patent transactions. It was found that if the lower level system was not removed or revised in time when the higher level law had been revised, it would have a blocking effect on the implementation of the higher level law and thus make patent transaction less efficient. Furthermore, when the lower level system was revised accordingly, it would have a transmission effect on the implementation of the higher level law, which could promote its implementation. This basic conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests and can provide useful lessons for the systemic revision and organizing of laws, as well as the reform of the economic and social systems.

SMART CAMPUS BOT

A chat-bots aims to make a conversation between both human and machine.The machine has been embedded knowledge to identify the sentences and making a decision itself as a response to answer a question. Chat-bots will becompletely based on a text-based user interface, allowing the user to type commands and receive text as well as text to speech response.Chat-bots are usually stateful services, remembering previous commands in order to provide functionality. It can be utilized securely by an even largeraudience when chat-bots technology is integrated with popular web services. The college inquiry chat-bots will be built using artificial algorithms that analyze user's queries and understand user's message.The response principle is matching the input sentence from a user. The User can ask the question any college-related activities through the chat-bot without physically available to the college for inquiry. The System analyses the question and then answers to the user. With the help of artificial intelligence, the system answers the query asked by the students. The system replies using an effective Graphical User Interface as if a real person is talking to the user. The user just has to register himself to the system and has to login to the system. The chatbots consists of core and interface that is accessing in the Telegram by Ngrok. Natural language processing technologies are used for parsing, tokenizing, stemming and filtering the content of the complaint. Keywords— “Anaconda Prompt”,“College System,“Placement Information”, “Python”, “Rasa”, “Telegram User Interface”

The galaxy of the ‘silent majority’: committees, public figures and ideas of order in Italy from 1968 into the 1970s

ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to set in international context the deployment of the idea of ‘silent majority’ as a rhetorical weapon and form of political mobilization in Italy. Starting from the first and best-known case in Milan in 1971, the article maps a network of grass-roots committees and public figures who used this label to delegitimize and oppose left-wing protest movements. This article draws on sources from the archives of the Ministry of the Interior, the press, and memoirs to analyse a political phenomenon of public opinion that was nationwide in scope and would extend from 1968 into the 1970s, and which cannot be reduced simply to neo-fascism and subversive motives even though it has been commonly associated with these terms in Italy. Fear of Communism and intolerance for street demonstrations by students and workers overlapped with the defence of morality and urban decorum, while demands for security in response to what were claimed to be rampant crime were interwoven with the calls for moderate reforms in the university system. By investigating these multiple demands for the restoration of the established order, this article opens the way for transnational comparisons with other Western countries in ways that may help overcoming the difficulties of defining a conservative and right-wing sphere of influence in Republican Italy.

Benchmarking the university campus food environment and exploring student perspectives about food insecurity and healthy eating: a case study from Australia

ObjectiveTo benchmark the university food environment and explore students’ experiences with food insecurity and healthy eating in order to inform interventions to improve access and affordability of healthy foods for university students.DesignA food environment audit was conducted on the university campus using the Uni-Food tool from April to May 2022 and was comprised of three main components, university systems and governance, campus facilities and environment, and food retail outlets. A qualitative study design was also used to conduct focus groups and semi-structured interviews with students to explore key themes regarding their experiences with food insecurity and healthy eating.SettingMacquarie University, Australia.ParticipantsFor the food environment audit 24 retail outlets on campus and for the qualitative component 29 domestic and international students enrolled at Macquarie University.ResultsThe university only scored 27% in total for all components in the food environment audit. The results showed the need for better governance and leadership of the food environment. The qualitative component suggested that the main barriers to accessing healthy foods were related to availability, pricing, and knowledge of healthy foods. Future intervention ideas included free fruits and vegetables, food relief, discounts, improved self-catering facilities, education, and increased healthy food outlets.ConclusionsImproving governance measures related to healthy eating on campus are a core priority to strengthen the food environment and students identified pricing and availability as key issues. These findings will inform effective and feasible interventions to improve food security and healthy eating on campus.

Relationship of knowledge sharing and innovation intention on the continuous quality improvement in university setting

This study assessed the changed knowledge sharing system and innovative intention towards continuous quality improvement in one university system in the Philippines. This descriptive study was participated by 261 faculty members of five schools of a university system. It made use of a modified questionnaire as its primary data gathering instrument, having an excellent remark of its 0.925 Cronbach’s Alpha. The data were encoded, tallied and interpreted using different statistical tools such as frequency distribution, ranking, weighted mean and F-Test, Shapiro-Wilk Test, Spearman rho, and were further analyzed and interpreted through PASW version 26 using 0.05 alpha levels. From the results, it was concluded that there has been a strong response of the university towards knowledge sharing system and its teachers possess a strong innovative intention. Further, there is a strong positive presence of continuous quality improvement practices regarding the different processes of the university system. Moreover, there is a high relationship regarding knowledge sharing system, innovative intention, and continuous quality improvement. The results of the study imply a need to develop a continuous quality improvement plan.

Implementation of Digital Policy Experimental Analysis in Higher Education on The Level of Graduates' Absorption in Industry

This research aims to analyze the impact of deregulation of the university system on the labor market. We used a sample of 100 people in this research. The research results indicate that without deregulation, most individuals who access university studies would likely only pursue their education. This study uses the year or birth cohort as an exogenous characteristic to implement the instrumental variable strategy. This makes it possible to estimate the causal impact of university education on several employment outcomes, especially wages and labor informality. An admitted university estimates that each year of study will increase the salary. We estimate the cumulative impact of access to university studies. However, the effect of university education on wages turns out to be heterogeneous, depending on individual socio-economic characteristics. The effect tends to be higher in women and individuals in the highest family income quintile. The evidence aligns with other international research regarding the salary premium of university education and its impact on human capital. The results show that for each year of university study, the probability of informality in employment decreases, notably reducing the probability of not having an employment contract. However, we found no significant impact on the probability of not having a pension fund affiliation, suggesting a structural dimension of informality in the labor market that may not be dependent on workers' education level.

A Scoping Review of Mental Health Needs and Challenges among Medical Students within South African Universities

The mental health of medical students is a growing concern worldwide, with studies indicating high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among this population. In a South African context, this review aims to review the existing literature on mental health needs and challenges among medical students in South Africa. The rationale for this review is crucial to identify gaps, understand unique contextual factors, and inform the development of targeted interventions and support tailored to the specific needs of South African medical students. This review followed a scoping review framework by Arksey and O’Malley which consists of five stages. The review was initiated in December 2023. The search process was conducted on the following electronic databases: PubMed, Psych-info, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. The search terms of this review were “Medical students” OR “Mental health”, OR “Challenges”, OR “South Africa”, OR “Universities” OR “Needs”, OR “Support systems”, OR “Mental health interventions”. This study included articles published in English between 2010 and 2023. After a thorough review of the literature, only eight articles met the inclusion criteria. This study excluded articles that were not published in English, articles published before 2010, full-text articles that could not be retrieved, and studies that did not address the mental health needs and challenges faced by medical students and risk factors contributing to mental issues among South African medical students. The review yielded only three themes utilizing Creswell’s Tesch method of data analysis. (1) Prevalence of mental health disorders, (2) risk factors contributing to poor mental health, and (3) available university support systems and interventions. Therefore, the unique aspect of our review lies in shedding light on the underexplored intersections between mental health and the unique context of medical education in South Africa. This includes examining the impact of historical, cultural, and institutional factors on the mental health and well-being of medical students, which has not been comprehensively addressed in previous literature in terms of the South African context. The findings of this review highlight the importance of implementing comprehensive mental health support programs within medical education institutions to address the needs of students and promote their well-being.

Disentangling the secondary school effects in the assessment of university inefficiencies

ABSTRACT The inefficacy of the Italian university system has been discussed in the relevant scientific literature, mainly using data from single universities or survey data. This paper uses the data provided by the National Student Archive related to eight cohorts of first-year students who enrolled in Italian universities between 2010 and 2018 to study the risk of dropout and churn during the 1st year. Revisiting the model of Tinto, to include in the analysis the possible effect of university services and linking each student to the high school attended before enrolment, the work has two primary aims: (i) to investigate the determinants of university failure, focusing on how strategic factors – such as students’ mobility choices, previous educational background, and university policies addressed to improve digital communication and services – affect the probability of experiencing churn or dropout; (ii) to disentangle the secondary school effect on these two outcomes by adopting a two steps procedure which relays on multilevel logistic models. Results allowed us to estimate adjusted indicators of inefficiency, which are suitable for comparisons across universities that offer degree programmes in the same disciplinary field and provide evidence on the role played by the secondary school attended in determining substantial inequalities at entrance.

Application Big Data and Intelligent Optimization Algorithms on Teaching Evaluation Method for Higher Vocational Institutions

INTRODUCTION: The optimization of the teaching evaluation system, as an essential part of teaching reform in higher vocational colleges and universities, is conducive to the development of higher vocational colleges and universities' disciplines, making the existing teaching more standardized.OBJECTIVES: Aiming at the problems of inefficiency, incomplete index system, and low assessment accuracy in evaluation methods of higher vocational colleges and universities.METHODS: Proposes a teaching evaluation method for higher vocational colleges and universities with a big data mining algorithm and an intelligent optimization algorithm. Firstly, the teaching evaluation index system of higher vocational colleges and universities is downgraded and analyzed by using principal component analysis; then, the random forest hyperparameters are optimized by the grey wolf optimization algorithm, and the teaching evaluation model of higher vocational colleges and universities is constructed; finally, the validity and stability of the proposed method is verified by simulation experimental analysis.RESULTS: The results show that the proposed method improves the accuracy of the evaluation model.CONCLUSION: Solves the problems of low evaluation accuracy, incomplete system, and low efficiency of teaching evaluation methods in higher vocational colleges.

The effects of placement method on multilingual learner success in higher education

AbstractIn the United States, many actors are pushing for the use of grade point average (GPA) as the main placement tool for gatekeeper math and English courses for community college students (Quarles, 2022; Scott‐Clayton, 2018; Turk, 2017). One community college system (pseudonymously, SXCC) in a New England state has begun placing students in initial math and English classes based on self‐reported GPA. There have been studies on the effects of placement changes of this type (Belfield & Crosta, 2012; Hodara & Cox, 2016; Ngo & Kwon, 2014; Scott‐Clayton, 2012). However, studies have not included the effects of these changes on multilingual learners (MLLs).Using a census of every MLL placed in SXCC in the summer and fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021 (N = 12,603), a MANOVA found that MLL students in the SXCC system who were placed using previous placement methods had a higher overall GPA than students placed using self‐reported GPA (M = 3.32, SD = 0.740; M = 2.01, SD = 1.27, respectively) and had higher satisfactory academic progress (SAP) (M = 102.98, SD = 51.52; M = 57.66, SD = 55.53, respectively), and took longer to enroll in English 101 (M = 5.11, SD = 3.55; M = 2.36, SD = 1.76, respectively).

Unethical Behaviour and Corporate Performance in University System: A study of Nigerian Private Universities

The study investigated whether there exists a relationship between unethical behaviour and corporate performance in the university system, and hence determined the impact of unethical behavior on corporate performance in the Nigerian university system with private universities as reference. A survey design was employed with a questionnaire instrument administered to 250 university staff drawn from four private universities in South-west, Nigeria, using a combination of purposive and random sampling techniques. The response data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential analysis.  The descriptive analysis showed that unethical behaviour exists in Nigerian private universities. A multivariate Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was used for the inferential analysis and to specify the relationships among the construct variables in the study. The bootstrapping technique of the PLS-SEM was used to estimate the parameters in the model, with the aid of the Smart-3 software. The result of the factor loadings, reliability test, convergent and discriminant validity revealed that the construct variables are fit for the PLS-SEM. The path analysis revealed that financial malpractices are a major unethical behavior affecting corporate performance adversely. Furthermore, unethical behaviours from university staff and university administration have significant negative influence on corporate performance. The study concludes that unethical behaviour is a key driver of poor corporate performance in the Nigerian university system. Therefore, it is recommended that policy makers in the university should adopt a holistic approach to ethical management that is oriented toward zero tolerance for unethical behavior in the university system 

Design of College Educational Management System Based on CS and BS Hybrid Architecture

In order to improve the efficiency of the educational administration system in colleges and universities, a technology based on the hybrid architecture of C/S and B/S is proposed. Based on the development experience of previous information management systems, this method analyzes and compares the commonly used C/S architecture and B/S architecture. From the perspective of software engineering, the design idea of genetic algorithm course scheduling management system based on C/S and B/S cross-parallel mode is proposed. The experimental results show that the course goodness analysis method in the class schedule arrangement scheme using genetic algorithm shows that the average course goodness value is 3.2, which is not greater than the weighted total goodness value of 0.4. The feasibility of the design idea of the genetic algorithm class scheduling management system based on the C/S and B/S cross-parallel mode is effectively proved. It is concluded that it is proved that the technology research based on the hybrid architecture of C/S and B/S can effectively improve the effect of the educational administration system in colleges and universities.

Appraisal System and Employee Performance: A Qualitative Study in The Education Sector

Higher education institutions offer the advanced training required for a wide range of professions, including educators, physicians, nurses, engineers, humanists, business owners, and social scientists. In addition, HEIs also provide the high-level skills required for every labor market. Faculty members in HEIs are the source of delivering better education. Hence, the study aims to increase faculty members' performance in HEIs. This study uses the qualitative research approach to investigate the relationship between performance appraisal and faculty members' performance in higher education institutions (HEIs). The research data is collected from the faculty members of the HEIs, and the content analysis of the interviews is utilized as the primary data analysis method. The study's findings indicate the positive effects of the performance appraisal system in universities on the performance of faculty members and universities. The research highlights the importance of implementing an effective performance appraisal system that promotes faculty members' professional growth and contributes to the institution's overall success.

Reengineering the Electrical Wiring System of Cebu Technological University,Tuburan Campus

Reengineering the Electrical Wiring System of Cebu Technological University,Tuburan Campus

Correlation between Scientific and Technological Achievements of Universities and Regional Innovation System in Ensuring Sustainable Economic Development at the Meso Level

The transformation of scientific and technological achievements of universities is of great importance for regional economic development and the development of scientific and technological innovation. Based on three aspects — the input of innovative resources, the output of scientific and technological achievements and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements — this study selected 13 indicators, such as scientific and technical expenditures, the number of scientific and technical personnel, the results of publication activities, intellectual activity, patents, contracts and income from the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, to build an indicator system for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of colleges and universities; at the same time 7 indicators were selected, such as the number of scientific and technological personnel, funding, the number of patents and scientific and technological business-incubators, to build a regional system for assessing scientific and technical potential, a system for assessing regional scientific and technical innovation potential. Based on the factor analysis method, the transformation scores of scientific and technological achievements of universities and regional scientific and technological innovations in each region of China in 2019–2021 were calculated; secondly, using the Coupling coordination degree model, the degree of relationship and coordination between the university system of transformation of scientific and technological achievements and the regional scientific and technological innovation system in different regions of China was calculated. The study showed that the level of scientific and technological achievements is uneven and not high; points of innovative development of Chinese regions have been identified. Thus, the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of universities is a necessary path for the scientific, technological and economic development of regions, when it is necessary to combine the needs of regional development, take measures to strengthen support for scientific and technological personnel, create platforms for sharing resources, and improve policies in the field of intellectual property in order to promote the industrialization of scientific and technological achievements, promote regional scientific and technological innovations and develop regional industry.

Teaching Management Coordination Work and Function of Teaching Secretary in Colleges and Universities

With the higher requirements put forward for colleges and universities to carry out education management, the assistant work of a teaching secretary is an important foundation for colleges and universities to carry out teaching management, by realizing the interoperability and communication between teachers, students, and educational affairs. Along with the continuous reform and optimization of the teaching system in colleges and universities in China, various teaching management issues are increasingly becoming prominent. So the continuous coordination of teaching secretaries can indeed lay the foundation for the smooth development of teaching. Therefore, colleges and universities should fully realize the importance of the work of teaching secretaries, and take effective measures to encourage them to play their coordinating role, which can ultimately promote the long-term development of colleges and universities. Based on this, this paper puts forward the main contents of the coordination work of teaching secretaries in colleges and universities, analyzes their main features, responsibilities, and functions, and introduces the present situation and countermeasures of the teaching management work of teaching secretaries in colleges and universities in China in the hope of promoting the rapid development of college education in the country.

Regulating campus speech: Student ideology and support for free speech in a conservative university system

ABSTRACT What are undergraduate students’ preferences and knowledge regarding free speech on college campuses? Using an original survey of college students in a conservative Upper-Midwestern state, we gather responses across six key areas of speech controversy. Student ideology predictably and significantly divides student support for speech regulation. Compared to liberals, conservative students are more supportive of free expression in the context of potential bias incidents, such as hate speech. Meanwhile, liberal students are more supportive where traditional values are potentially challenged, such as unpatriotic speech. We further find that what students believe about the legal ability to punish or prevent speech on campus mostly aligns with their preferences. However, regardless of ideology, our respondents also show broad support for hate speech regulation, and most believe incorrectly that public institutions are legally empowered to punish or prevent it. The results of this analysis are informative for the growing debate about campus life involving students, faculty, administrators, and spectators alike.

Analysis of the Construction of Ideological and Political Education Management Systems in Colleges and Universities under the New Media

With the continuous development and popularization of new media, the management system of ideological and political education in colleges and universities is also facing major changes. The emergence of new media has triggered a complete change in the concept, method, and content of ideological and political education in colleges and universities, which has brought far-reaching influence to the management system. Traditional ideological and political education can no longer meet the needs of contemporary college students and there are also a series of challenges and problems. Therefore, the importance of new media to the construction of ideological and political education management systems in colleges and universities must be realized to actively respond to related challenges. Only by making full use of the advantages of new media and formulating corresponding management strategies and measures can the organic integration of ideological and political education management systems be achieved to improve the quality and effect of ideological and political education.

Prospects for the Formation of an Educational Ecosystem

During the period of higher education reform, there is an increasing need to identify new approaches and develop the discussed models of interaction between the university and students, employers and authorities, which makes it relevant to study the prospects of university structures from the perspective of the ecosystem approach. The purpose of this study is to determine the main characteristics of the ecosystem as a socio-economic phenomenon, the projection of which onto the higher education system gives an idea of the strategically significant directions of its development. Among the research methods, content analysis of scientific publications, methods of paired comparisons and aggregation of keywords for constructing verbal models, as well as methods of logical analysis and synthesis of information within the subject area of research were used. The work identifies the main parameters of educational ecosystems in terms of prospects for the development of higher education in modern Russian conditions. As a result, an integral definition of such a concept as “ecosystem” is given, and in relation to the higher education system, the possibility of building a network structure of a university system using innovative platforms aimed at realizing synergistic effects for all participants in the educational ecosystem being formed is shown.