Learning Resources

Abstract: This article explains the various steps taken by Cornell University to create a Freshmen Campus on their North Campus. It first explores the reasoning about the decision to create a Freshmen Campus and then explains the process whereby the plan was developed. It compares the developed new physical plan to other campuses as well. Within the article are planning guidelines for designing new freshmen residence halls and dining facilities.

Abstract: The Oregon University System has developed a resource allocation model intended to equitably distribute state funding based on university mission and enrollments by level of instruction. The methodology is grounded on identifying and achieving the median of peer university funding. A primary feature of the model is that dollars (general fund and tuition and fees) follow the student to his or her enrolling university and are not redistributed to other system programs and universities. The model rewards campuses for meeting or exceeding system and university objectives. Accountability for achieving key indicators and stimulating resident participation is the key ingredient of budget decision making. Ultimately, the peer-based methodology has provided significant latitude to the universities in planning their enrollment and program strategies but within a framework of board, gubernatorial, and legislative anticipation and expectation.

Abstract: This article presents the outcomes of two areas of research conducted at UNITEC Institute of Technology, New Zealand, that support the development of a new and distinctive “university of technology” within a relatively traditional national higher education system. The first involved a survey of staff opinion on the organizational development aspects of this new kind of institution. The second related to curriculum development and the nature of professional education central to a university of technology. The collective findings of these research projects support an integrated understanding of the various dimensions of professional education and the incorporation of this understanding into an educational institution’s strategic vision. This has created an identity distinctive from those of the existing universities and polytechnics in New Zealand but one that is not yet formally recognized by the New Zealand government.

Abstract: This paper describes the status of Latino students in higher education, identifies the barriers to access and persistence, and discusses the challenges this rising population presents. The article also highlights campus programs around the country that are currently addressing the needs of Latino students and provides recommendations for academic and university planners on how to become a catalyst for positive institutional change by creating a campus-wide program that helps all students persist through graduation.

Abstract: Colleges and universities need to identify the “core” which defines them as an institution. They need to find and declare their niche within state systems, and then build a budget around that core, that niche. Across the nation, public institutions are wrestling with declining state budget resources and increased demand for services. Traditional budgetary approaches could result in wholesale across-the-board reductions or program eliminations. What is needed is recognition of the situation, acceptance that these down cycles occur and re-occur, and a new approach to funding requests. If funding is not available for all programs, fund and preserve the core.

Abstract: Although some educators think that e-learning is a transient fad, we argue that, far from disappearing, it has gone mainstream, and is quickly becoming part of the everyday fabric of traditional higher education institutions. However, contrary to another widely-held view, e-learning is not just fully online education, but rather encompasses a large set of teaching options that institutions must adopt and adapt. A successful venture into e-learning, therefore, should begin not with technology decisions, but with a strategic planning process that allows an institution to choose the e-learning alternatives that best meet their vision and business goals.