Learning Resources

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: (Reprinted with permission from Business Officer Magazine, October 2005. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Universities worldwide are reconfiguring their campus environments to respond to the emerging pedagogy within higher education with its emphasis on self-directed, collaborative, and problem-solving approaches to learning. In particular, there is an emphasis on forming “learning communities.” In this context libraries are increasingly required to accommodate learning that is more active, collaborative, and that involves considerable use of communication and information technology (CIT) in spaces previously consigned to passive, individual learning. Drawing on the author's involvement as a member of the design team, this article examines the approach at one Australian university library to align its spaces and facilities to meet the emerging pedagogy within higher education.

Abstract: A national study on strategic planning in Portuguese higher education was conducted. The presidents or rectors of 61 public and private higher education institutions in Portugal responded regarding their knowledge of and involvement in strategic planning. The questionnaire addressed whether or not the institutions were using a planning process, what specific components of the process were being employed, institutional benefits and problems associated with the process, and personal benefits derived from the experience. A critical analysis of selected results is provided with comparisons to planning in the United States. Cultural differences and similarities related to the process of planning are noted, and projections on future directions for Portugal and the European Union with respect to strategic planning efforts are offered.