Learning Resources

Abstract: Elon University is presented as an exemplar of how administrative, student services, and faculty support are needed for the appropriate planning and implementation of collaborative service-learning.

Abstract: The University of Houston-Victoria’s (UHV) approach to addressing salary equity, which has been successfully implemented for a decade, employs a methodology that derives salary targets by field, rank, and seniority from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) national salary survey. Based primarily on a model developed (and still employed) at Frostburg State University and published in the Journal of Higher Education in the fall of 1996, this approach could also work for similar institutions in search of a proven model.

Abstract: The idea that the physical design and configuration of a campus can elicit and support studying behavior has important ramifications, as all academic institutions underscore learning in their mission statements. This article evaluates the learning value, or ability of a campus space to support studying behavior, through the use of a post-occupancy evaluation. The findings suggest that specific physical design configurations and landscape elements may be influential factors in supporting studying within campus spaces. The results of this study indicate that campus designers and university officials should further examine the relationship between campus design and studying behavior to increase the learning value of campus spaces everywhere.

Abstract: The demand for interdisciplinary teaching and research suggests the need to understand how universities are undertaking and fostering interdisciplinarity. Through an examination of strategic and master plans at 21 research universities, this article explores how institutions plan and foster interdisciplinary engagement through the use of space on campus. The construction of such space acknowledges that the discrete functions of the university, frequently attributed to the disciplines and departments, are not generally conducive to interdisciplinary engagement. Physical space is a necessary component for successful interdisciplinary initiatives both functionally and symbolically.

Abstract: Global job shifts will affect the future form and function of U.S. higher education. To respond effectively to 21st-century realities, U.S. colleges and universities must diversify their curricula and research, becoming nimbler and more entrepreneurial agents for change.

Abstract: The study presented in this article focuses on strategic planning in developing countries, drawing on the author’s experiences in a dozen developing countries in Asia and Africa and focus groups in three of those countries: Afghanistan, Madagascar, and South Africa. It looks at the special challenges faced by planners in developing countries and the strategies used to respond. The enormity of the problems, the magnitude of the needs, and the difficult economic environment found in developing countries posed major obstacles. What is striking in a review of these cases is what can be done through careful strategic and budget planning. The creativity, resilience, and genius of many of those involved were remarkable. For most of these nations, strategic planning was a critical catalyst for change.

Abstract: The higher education literature continues to highlight difficulties with efforts to implement and sustain institutional effectiveness activities. This article describes an implementation effectiveness model from the field of organizational management and applies it to the implementation of institutional effectiveness initiatives in higher education. As a predictive or evaluative tool regarding implementation success, the model can assist administrators, faculty and staff in developing targeted approaches to institutional effectiveness work within any institution of higher education. The authors share their experiences at the University of New England, illustrating the importance of key variables in the model.

Abstract: What is the capacity of online programs? Can these types of programs enroll more students than their face-to-face counterparts or not? This article looks at research on achieving cost-efficiencies through online learning, identifies the parts of an online program that can be changed to increase enrollments, and discusses whether a program’s capacity can be conceptualized as limited, static, elastic, or infinite. Misconceptions that plague thinking about capacity issues are identified and a process for calculating program capacity is outlined.