Education Commons^™

The Enactment Of Quality Assurance Policies In Ecuadorian Higher Education: A Case Study In The Public Universities In The Province Of Manabí, Diego R. Sornoza Parrales

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigates how the administrators in the research and quality assurance offices in the regional universities in Ecuador enact the national research quality assurance policy. The massification and diversification of higher education and the internationalization, as well as globalization of higher education institutions create an increasingly competitive environment. Given this competition, resources are scarce, resulting in more frequent and more aggressive budgetary constraints. Government and national funding agencies are including the notion of “quality” in their policies to measure the performance and efficiency of universities and determine budget allocation, demanding universities to “prove their value” to remain operational. In …

Steering At A Distance: A Qualitative Case Study Of Institutional Autonomy At A Vietnamese Public University, Anh Thi Hoai Le

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In 2012, the Vietnamese government enacted the Higher Education Law to give public universities institutional autonomy. Since the passage of the law, the term institutional autonomy has become contested; different interpretations have arisen among different actors concerned with implementing the policy. In a qualitative case study, I explore the meaning of autonomy in the context of Vietnamese higher education where the legacy of centralized governance is strong. To understand what autonomy means in this context, I use thematic analysis and interpretive policy analysis and draw on state steering theory (Wright, 2019b) as a theoretical framework through which to gain insight …

Performance Funding And Stakeholder Perceptions: The Rise And Fall Of The Louisiana Grad Act, William D. Owens

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Performance based funding ideology creates a disconnect in communication ranging from state coordinating officials to academics responsible for the actual education to the students (Shin, 2010). The purpose of this dissertation was to analyze higher education stakeholders’ perceptions of performance funding by examining the development, design, implementation, and execution of the Louisiana Granting Resources and Autonomies for Diplomas Act (GRAD Act) and offer potential solutions based on the findings. A qualitative study using phenomenological methodology, and theoretical perspectives in the literature, was conducted amongst higher education participants involved with the GRAD Act at the state and campus levels in Louisiana. …

Answering The “More And Cheaper ” Push Of The Completion Agenda: What Does It Cost An Illinois Public University To Deliver A Bachelor’S Degree?, Melissa R. Pitcock

Theses and Dissertations

Using readily available data, this study estimated the costs incurred by an Illinois public university to deliver a bachelor’s degree. Building on previous scholarship, the study used the transcript (based on the graduate’s path to the degree) and catalog (based on the major’s requirements listed in the university catalog) approaches to estimate costs, from three administrative purviews, for native and transfer students graduating from six different academic areas in fiscal 2015. Costs per credit hour were gathered from data prepared annually by the university for the state’s board of higher education.

A primary finding of this study was that costs …

Faculty Perceptions On The Student Learning Accountability Movement, Tara Rose

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Literature examining the impact of the student learning accountability movement on faculty perspectives is insufficient, as little is known about how faculty perceive the requirements related to federal, state, and institutional accountability initiatives. This case study investigated the threat posed by the accountability movement on the stability of faculty engagement, while exploring how faculty perceptions of the movement will impact institutional and state policy. Using Levin's system of accountability as the framework for this study, the central research question explored how understanding faculty perspectives on the student learning accountability movement could promote policy within an institution. Data were gathered via …

Perceptions Of Political, Academic, And Corporate Leaders: Higher Education Accountability In Georgia, Leslie Gene Fout

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine Georgia political, academic, and corporate leaders’ perceptions of higher education accountability. A case study design was used to gain in-depth information. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 23 participants.

The findings of the study included the following:

1. Nearly every participant believed the mission and purpose higher education involved providing students with the skills and abilities needed to obtain gainful employment, and thereby make a positive impact on the economic development of the state of Georgia.
2. Approximately half of the participants believed higher education should cultivate an engaged citizenry.
3. No consensus was …

Corporate, Political, And Academic Perspectives On Tennessee Higher Education Accountability Policy, Andrew Quentin Morse

Masters Theses

The purposes of the research are (1) to identify the similarities and differences among corporate, political, and academic leaders in Tennessee on postsecondary education accountability policy and (2) to investigate ways for improving accountability policy as evidenced by the various stakeholders. The two following research questions will be adapted from the larger, ongoing study by Bogue et al. (2009) on accountability:

· What differences and similarities exist among corporate, political, and academic stakeholders on the issues of collegiate mission and issues of accountability definition and evidence?

· What are the most important steps that institutions of higher education can take …