Learning Resources

Abstract: Private higher education institutions are those entities owned and operated by the private sector, while public institutions are those established, supported, and controlled by a governmental agency, most often a state. Key differences exist between private and public institutions that affect budgeting in critical ways. Such differences include governance, governmental support, student tuition and fees, student financial aid, constituent support, and accounting regulations.However, when all is said and done, both public and private institutions must be careful to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities because higher education overall is essential to the public interest.

Abstract: The eight chapters in this book reflect Richard Dober’s categories of the elements of campus image and design. Within each chapter, each page displays two campus scenes, chosen for thought-provoking comparison—and a brief comment from Dober regarding each.

Richard Dober (1928–2014) was a planning and design advisor to more than 450 colleges, universities, and cultural institutions worldwide, as well as to foundations and government agencies, the World Bank, and UNESCO. He wrote nine books and numerous articles on planning and design and was a founder of the Society for College and University Planning. He led consulting firms since the early 1960s, including most recently, Dober Lidsky Mathey, a firm specializing in campus planning and facility planning services.

Abstract: University strategic planning is typically well structured with attention to both process and outcomes. However, plans are frequently not implemented in an equally process-driven manner. As a result, the product of planning efforts may not lead to the anticipated change or may even remain “on the shelf.” This article describes how Philadelphia University is using “action research” during strategic plan implementation in order to optimize campus commitment, facilitate organizational learning, and support the sustainability of change.

Abstract: While mentoring increasingly has taken center stage in national conversations about education, additional research is needed to understand the impact of mentorship on the senior party in the relationship. Mentorship is conventionally understood as a process bestowing significant benefits on the junior party (mentee); recent studies, however, suggest that mentors also benefit from developmental relationships. In this article, we analyze and present selections of qualitative narratives from81 graduate-student mentors participating in the Intellectual Entrepreneurship (IE) Pre-Graduate School Internship at The University of Texas at Austin. These narratives explore the benefits of participating in the program and working with undergraduate mentees.Because of its integration of academic and community engagement, UT-Austin’sIE Consortium offers a promising innovation in higher education worthy of close investigation. Findings suggest that, in addition to personal gains, mentorship can promote four major outcomes related to mentors’ professional lives:a deeper perspective both on themselves and their academic disciplines; the development of advising and mentoring skills; the opportunity to contribute to the diversity of their field by assisting emerging scholars from underrepresented populations; and the knowledge that mentoring can assist both mentees and mentors in reaching their goals.

Abstract: Monica Ponce de Leon, dean of A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan, puts forth her concerns about material consumption and limitations in green building by offering ideas toward a more sustainable future in the world of building design and construction. Through her own work as well as various examples of real-world architectural issues, she illustrates the importance of implementing legislative mandates, increasing the presence of digital technology, and updating old models in construction practices in order to ensure a fundamental transformation of the industry.

Abstract: This article applies Clayton Christensen’s definition of disruptive technologies in business to the question of whether online learning is a disruptive technology in higher education. Four examples are discussed that focus on the higher education market, learning object repositories, course redesign, and course management systems, and each is evaluated for evidence of disruption. Tentative support for disruption was found in the marketplace and course redesign, but other factors (such as faculty time, institutional resources, and choice of pedagogy) are proposed as reasons for why online learning may not disrupt as proposed.

Abstract: The study presented in this article examines human walking capacities to better understand how design of the physical environment affects the experiential quality along campus walks. The study centers on the idea of a quarter-mile (10-minute) walking radius, the variables encountered, and how these affect the perception of time and experiential quality. Data collected from 48undergraduate students who participated in six quarter-mile walks on the campus of The University of Georgia suggest that there is a positive correlation between experiential quality, the perception of time, and campus design.