This chapter examines how the scholarship of practice is being used within applied disciplines and offers recommendations for colleges and universities regarding the implementation of the scholarship of practice for the discipline of higher education.

In fall 1989, 88 doctoral programs in higher education offered 124 different courses, a body of knowledge that offers great potential for improving and professionalizing higher education administration. The field appears to be evolving from a generalized area of inquiry into a curriculum of professional specialization. (Author/MSE)

Historically, higher education administrators have advanced through faculty ranks. In recent years, higher education as a field of study has developed significantly, but its potential for improving the profession is underutilized. A growing group of administrators needs formal training to meet the needs of more sophisticated and complex…

The higher education doctorate is a probable path to administrative advancement, but not a guarantee. Faculty may be skeptical of this credential unless it is combined with a doctorate in an academic discipline. However, it is likely that there will be an increase in higher education doctorates in the future. (Author/MSE)

From 1893 to 1960, the study of higher education evolved from an apprenticeship method to a professional field of study, with the expansion of administrative functions, progressive demand for change, and growth of junior colleges. The origins, programs, and purposes in the field have focused predominantly on administration. (MSE)

Discussion of the research/practice gap in higher education suggests the importance of considering the forces influencing new faculty and researchers, including tenure and promotion policies and practices, institutional socialization, disciplinary culture, journal editors, and senior scholars. Offers suggestions for bridging the gap between new…

Suggests a new role for researchers in higher education, a teaching role requiring the researcher to make findings relevant, useful, and understandable to practitioners. Considers the educational role of individual researchers, educational accountability of the research community, and accountability measures for educational research. (Author/DB)

This introductory monograph in this volume on research and practice in higher education reports a study that examined perspectives (shared, differing, or divergent) of practitioners and researchers on higher education literature. The study found these groups had noticeably different viewpoints. However, results suggest that both researchers and…

Discusses the value of institutional reading groups as vehicles for engaging faculty in the body of higher education literature and encouraging the use of research in decision making. Suggests these groups are an effective and efficient strategy for assimilating large amounts of complex information, fostering new knowledge, and sparking campus-…

A national survey of 75 directors of doctoral programs in higher education found that program missions are greatly affected by their reputation, governance, and organizational structure. High-reputation programs are distinctive in a variety of ways. Less prestigious programs may be able to capitalize best on local and regional missions.…

If doctoral programs in higher education are to prepare practitioners for leadership in colleges and universities and scholars for the field of study, the future social roles of higher education institutions must be analyzed to determine the skills their leaders will need. A variety of program models may be useful. (MSE)

Reviews the history of higher education as both a professional field and a disciplinary field in light of the current relationship between researchers and practitioners. Suggests that it is necessary to balance the competing interests of theory and research with the practical requirements of practice and policy. Suggests a focus on integration for…

After reviewing suggestions offered in the other papers in this volume for addressing the research/practice gap in higher education, this final paper discusses how national organizations and professional associations can serve as change agents in building bridges between researchers and practitioners. (DB)

The president of the University of Vermont discusses the relationship between higher education research and practice from an administrative viewpoint. She suggests that good campus decision making begins with a base of scholarly knowledge that is generated by higher education researchers and is ideally modeled by higher education leaders who…

A variety of leadership and development programs for professionals in higher education administration are described. They include programs focusing on general administration, institutional advancement, admissions, student personnel services, and academic administration. The programs respond to the less traditional career paths of many of today's…