Learning Resources

Abstract: This article focuses on the future physical layout of the university in view of the profound social and cultural changes of our time that are affecting the structure of higher education in general and universities in particular. We suggest that the basic architectural prototypes of university design should be re-examined in view of these changes. The main issues related to the characteristics of contemporary (current) society are identified, and their implications on the institutional and spatial structure of the university are analyzed. The article concludes with a methodological generation of alternative scenarios for the physical structure of the university of the future.

Abstract: Born out of a belief that higher education must improve its delivery of service, the School of Education and Human Services at Oakland University initiated and implemented a quality system. To better respond to market need, this initiative focused on current behavior and the future needs of the students, faculty, and school-at-large. This article reports the steps taken, lessons learned, and recommendations developed for implementing a quality initiative process successfully within a university culture. The outcome of this process was the creation of a template that can be used by other units in higher education.

Abstract: This companion piece to Campus Heritage is published by SCUP and the Association of University Architects (AUA). It describes the forms, fame, and fate of Old Main, arguably higher education's iconic architecture. These edifices came into being as intentional examples of institutional aspirations and accomplishments, track stories of neglect and renewal, illustrate how some lost through human and natural disasters are now remembered with inspiring campus designs, offer reasons why Old Main and comparable buildings and landscapes deserve a prominent place in comprehensive campus plans, and outline workable methods to achieve that objective. The accompanying graphics, including a visually delightful collection of historic picture post cards, help support the premise that a rounded view of America's collegiate enterprises would be incomplete without understanding and acknowledging the contributions these magnificent masterworks have made to campus development.

Abstract: This article presents findings from a national study of Chief Academic Officers (CAOs) of four-year institutions on the effect of policy efforts that encourage multiple forms of scholarship on faculty involvement and satisfaction. Findings show that institutions that initiated reforms were significantly more likely than their counterparts to have CAOs report (1) an increase in faculty involvement in the scholarships of application, teaching, and integration, (2) an increase in overall faculty satisfaction with roles and rewards, and (3) that their institution's efforts directly and positively influenced faculty involvement in the scholarships of teaching, integration and application, service-learning, external funding, faculty presentations, student contact, and overall faculty satisfaction over the last decade.

Abstract: This book provides insight on the higher education assessment process with an emphasis on planning and metrics. Using their extensive experience on the University of Delaware campus, the authors give numerous examples of the integrated nature of planning. Intended for anyone on campus who is involved with the planning or accrediting process.

Abstract: This article explores a major opportunity that universities have to capitalize on their existing property portfolio to both earn additional revenue and enhance the quality of the student and staff experience: the creation of university-linked retirement communities. We examine this opportunity in the context of demographic and educational trends in the United States and United Kingdom and identify the factors that act as catalysts for universities to create these communities. We then describe a conceptual framework for university-linked retirement communities that categorizes communities in terms of the level of university involvement in the community and the level of care provided to the residents. We next place university-linked retirement communities in a broader context of social housing trends in Europe and suggest that it may also be possible to create more socially inclusive university-linked learning-centered communities that provide additional opportunities for universities to capitalize on their resources and expertise while contributing to the surrounding community.

Abstract: Over the past dozen years, the switch from paper to electronic sources of information has been all encompassing. How can technology support the efforts of scholars to find and evaluate information? General-purpose search engines use an obscure mix of advanced algorithms to index, search, match, and rank results. Metasearch software extends the reach of ordinary searches. Web directories aid searching by grouping topics, lists, and indices. But for all the information readily accessible on the Web, much more is locked up in databases only available to paying customers. Scholarly research today begins with the Web but quickly branches into wider and deeper domains of information. (Reprinted with permission from University Business, www.universitybusiness.com, August 2005. All rights reserved)

Abstract: A fatal flaw in accountability programs is that they leave academic departments-the units most responsible for results-out of the performance loop. This article ties together institutional priorities and departmental performance through a limited list of common departmental indicators. It also links institutional aims and departmental aspirations through a planning process using institutional and departmental feedback loops, which convey performance information but also create new knowledge through dialogue on performance. This planning approach fixes a fatal flaw in accountability programs; a similar process at Florida International University shows it works in practice.

Abstract: Many sectors in American postsecondary education are experiencing rapid growth, largely due to the maintained and increased need for educational services, research capabilities, and public outreach, community service, and civic engagement opportunities. The factors shaping the institutional responses include demographic changes, pressure for increased accountability, higher expectations, and greater competition. These factors, among others, compel institutions to rethink their present structures and activities and to envision a future designed to meet the demands of an increasingly heterogeneous group of stakeholders. This article discusses how these changes are causing academic and institutional planners to reconsider the traditional perspectives in the face of emerging concepts in the delivery of educational services. Particular attention is paid to three topics that are key to the rethinking of service delivery. First, students should be considered learners who participate actively in their own learning. This, in turn, implies that teaching practices must be reconceptualized as learning processes. In addition, educational goals must be reconceptualized to meet the needs of individual and professional goals. The implications of these emerging views for strategies for institutional planning are discussed.