Purpose: In the USA, as elsewhere, there is an ongoing need to improve quality in higher education. Quality improvement models from business have not been widely embraced, and many other approaches to accountability seem to induce minimal compliance. This paper aims to contend that learning communities represent a viable alternative in the quest…

The community college is one of the most diverse institutions of higher learning in regards to the make-up of its student population. However, with such a large representation of diversity within its student population, the community college has not been as successful in diversifying the community college presidency. The purpose of this…

Interdisciplinarity has become the model of scholarly inquiry generally espoused by many who seek federal research funding. Interdisciplinary research centers pose challenges to academic settings and to investigators. In a conference of directors of diverse research centers at a single research university we found that the challenges facing…

This article describes the research capacity building efforts of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto over the past 12 years. It identifies the role of strategic planning, the process of change, and the key practices, in terms of personnel, resources, research center development, and strategic community…

Introduction: There are many theories and frameworks for achieving knowledge translation, and the assortment can be confusing to those responsible for planning, evaluation, or policymaking in knowledge translation. A conceptual framework developed by Graham and colleagues provides an approach that builds on the commonalities found in an assessment…

Staffing the nation's community colleges with qualified faculty is an emerging problem. The problem results from massive retirements among members of the post-WW II "baby boom" generation and intense competition from other sectors of the economy for scarce human talent. This study was a faculty-recruitment simulation designed to investigate the…

In Mexico there is no policy of lifelong learning; however, the idea of focusing on students and learning--especially on appropriate knowledge-acquisition skills at various points in one's life--is spreading through post-secondary education. Since about ten years ago, institutions of higher learning, mostly universities, have initiated…

High-quality sports facilities are an essential tool in recruiting top collegiate athletes and coaches. They enhance the school's competitiveness and enable expansion of the school's sports programs. In choosing schools, top athletes and coaches assess the quality of the stadium, playing fields, track and courts. But they also will be looking at…

The unequal status of women professors, compared to their male counterparts, is not staggering news. While women constitute approximately sixty percent of the undergraduate population and earn more than half the doctorates in the United States, women professors continue to number fewer than men. The American Association of University Professors…

This paper addresses recruitment of Health Information faculty for community and technical colleges, an issue of crucial importance because many faculty hired during the enrollment boom of the 1960s are retiring. The design for this research was a factorial experiment, involving a two-way analysis of variance. The participants (N = 194) were…

Spousal hiring in higher education institutions is becoming a common practice in this day and age. Sought-after faculty members often base their decisions as to whether or not to accept a position at a certain college or university on whether or not their spouse or partner can be accommodated at the same institution. Colleges and…

The paper commences with a brief summary of the literature on the quality assurance process in e-Learning in higher education. This is followed by an overview of the U21Global quality assurance framework. Within this framework there is particular emphasis on the process governing the appointment (and re-appointment) of adjunct faculty; a process…

In this article, the authors highlight an issue in science education facing many university and college science departments: hiring faculty who can bring to the department specialized expertise in science education. To begin to address this issue, a collaborative team of tenure-track faculty--all of whom are primarily trained in science and have…

Ten years ago higher education scholars predicted a major faculty turnover in the late 1990s and into the twenty-first century--a prediction based on demographic data on an aging faculty. The turnover is under way, accelerated by early retirement policies. Currently blocks of faculty positions are opening up at regional colleges and universities,…

This article describes the results of a workshop that was held in Valencia during the annual conference of SEFI in 2004. The authors give remarks on the results supported by relevant and recent research. In the workshop, where about 35 participants were present, the following questions were discussed and answered: Which factors indicate that an…