Education Commons^™

Me And The Devil Was Walkin' Side-By-Side: Demythologizing (And Reviewing) The Cambridge Handbook Of Service Learning And Community Engagement, Dan W. Sarofian-Butin

Education Faculty Publications

Review essay of The Cambridge Handbook of Service Learning and Community Engagement, Corey W. Dolgon, Tania D. Mitchell, & Timothy K. Eatman (Eds.)
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2017.

Phoning It In? Examining Pre-Employment Phone Interview Procedure In Higher Education, Paul J. Antonellis Jr., Danielle Flam

Organization Studies and Analytics Faculty Publications

In the United States, the employment screening process for hiring full-time faculty in higher education involves the vetting of curricula vitae, phone interview(s), and/or campus visits (Cardeiro, 2010; Shively, Woodward, & Stanly, 1999). The purpose of this research was to examine the phone interview procedure at one institute of higher education, and from there, formulate a systematic phone interviewing procedure that could be put to use at this particular university.

After conducting a review of relevant literature, the researchers engaged in action research that utilized qualitative data of 10 participants who took part in the pre-interview, professional development intervention, and …

First Year Experience: How We Can Better Assist First-Year International Students In Higher Education?, Zi Yan, Patricia Sendall

Organization Studies and Analytics Faculty Publications

While many American colleges and universities are providing a First Year Experience (FYE) course or program for their first year students, those programs are not often customized to take into account international students’ (IS) unique challenges. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, this study evaluated a FYE course that was customized for IS in a college setting. Nineteen IS and eight domestic students (DS) who attended FYE classes completed a survey; 18 of the 19 IS were interviewed. Overall, the FYE class was successful in terms of helping IS to familiarize themselves with academic resources and expectations, understanding American culture, making …

Public Debate Format For The Development Of Soft Skill Competency In Computer Science Curricula, Christopher S. Stuetzle

Computer Science Faculty Publications

We present a method for incorporating soft skill development into a traditional computer science curriculum through the use of a public debate format. The debate format forces participants to practice public speaking, active listening, teamwork, research and preparation, and critical thinking, as well as having the less obvious benefit of contextualizing the material taught in the classroom by introducing contemporary, real-world debate topics. This work presents an example of the incorporation of public debates in an upper-level human-computer interaction class, including a discussion of student feedback, and suggestions for adopting the debate format to other upper-level courses and its perceived …

“Can I Major In Service-Learning?” An Empirical Analysis Of Certificates, Minors, And Majors, Dan W. Butin

Education Faculty Publications

This article examines the rise of programs in higher education that award certificates, minors, and/or majors in service-learning. Using Vaughn and Seifer (2008) as a foundation, this study documented and analyzed a total of 31 academic programs that had service-learning at its academic core. Findings from this study suggest that there is indeed a coherent (though far from stable) “field” of service-learning. Moreover, the findings suggest that the strength and structure of a program is strongly dependent on its status; that is, there is a deep dividing line between certificate programs and minors and majors. This has implications for how …

Dynamic Diversity In A Catholic Augustinian College, Joseph T. Kelley

Religious & Theological Studies Faculty Publications

This article shows how Merrimack College’s Catholic heritage and Augustinian tradition provide intellectual and spiritual resources for the college to fulfill its educational responsibility to prepare students for virtuous citizenship in a religiously and culturally pluralistic society. It uses four major Vatican documents and several foundational Augustinian ideas to elaborate principles useful for the guidance of Merrimack’s academic community and the direction of its campus culture. The article concludes with Merrimack’s “Statement of Augustinian Values for Higher Education” as an expression of its distinctive mission in American higher education.

Book Review: Negotiating Social Contexts: Identities Of Biracial College Women By Andra M. Basu, Susan B. Marine

Education Faculty Publications

Review of Andra M. Basu's Negotiating Social Contexts: Identities of Biracial College Women. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing, 2007.

Book Review: Challenged By Coeducation: Women's Colleges Since The 1960s By Leslie Miller-Bernal & Susan L. Poulson, Susan B. Marine

Education Faculty Publications

Review of Leslie Miller-Bernal & Susan L. Poulson's Challenged by Coeducation: Women's Colleges Since the 1960s. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2006

Casting A Critical Glance At Teaching “Critical Thinking”, Michael Decesare

Sociology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Saving The University On His Own Time: Stanley Fish, Service-Learning, And Knowledge Legitimation In The Academy, Dan W. Butin

Education Faculty Publications

Review Essay of Stanley's Fish's book Save the World on Your Own Time,
NewYork, NY: Oxford University Press, 2008

The Limits Of Service-Learning In Higher Education, Dan W. Butin

Education Faculty Publications

This article takes a critical look at the attempted institutionalization of service-learning in higher education. It asks whether service-learning can become deeply embedded within the academy; and if so, what exactly is becoming embedded. Specifically, this article suggests that there are substantial pedagogical, political, and institutional limits to service-learning across the academy. These limits, moreover, are shown to be inherent to the service-learning movement as contemporarily theorized and enacted. The article concludes by reframing some of the grounding assumptions of service-learning to position it as a disciplinary field more suited for becoming genuinely embedded within higher education.

Disciplining Service Learning: Institutionalization And The Case For Community Studies, Dan W. Butin

Education Faculty Publications

This article argues that the service-learning field has been pursuing the wrong revolution. Namely, service learning has been envisioned as a transformative pedagogical practice and philosophical orientation that would change the fundamental policies and practices of the academy. However, its attempted institutionalization faces substantial barriers and positions service learning in an uncomfortable double-bind that ultimately co-opts and neutralizes its agenda. This article argues that a truly transformative agenda may be to create a parallel movement to develop an “academic home” for service learning within academic “community studies” programs. This “disciplining” of service learning is the truly revolutionary potential of institutionalizing …

Special Issue: Introduction Future Directions For Service Learning In Higher Education, Dan W. Butin

Education Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.