Higher Education Commons^™

Editor's Comments, Michael T. Miller

Journal of Research on the College President

We are pleased to present Volume 7 of the Journal of Research on the College President. In the pages that follow, you will find a variety of research methods exploring the incredibly complex world of the contemporary college president. Wepner, Henk, and Broege explore a model for understanding how a president can survive in the presidential role, Ruch, Coll, and Ruch discuss presidents and college student success, and Jack offers a profile of Black women serving in presidential roles. In total, we have five original research articles included in this volume of the journal.

Profile Of Black Women Presidents At Four-Year Colleges And Universities, L. Hazel Jack

Journal of Research on the College President

While women represent the majority of college students, they are underrepresented in positions of leadership in higher education. The presence of Black women in positions of leadership is even less. This article sought to identify how many Black women are presidents of four-year colleges and universities, what types of institutions these women lead, and their path to the presidency. This research identified 83 Black women college presidents, 55 of which represent some type of first for their institution and, in some cases, even the system or state. Their pathway to the presidency was consistent with the literature finding that women’s …

A Conceptual Framework For Understanding Presidential Longevity, Shelley B. Wepner, William A. Henk, Nora C. R. Broege

Journal of Research on the College President

High turnover rates with college and university presidents make longevity an important matter for higher education. This paper provides a conceptual framework that identifies factors affecting presidents’ ability to stay in their positions, especially when their longevity is desirable. The framework builds upon 26 years of previous work involving the leadership practices, characteristics, and longevity of education deans, academic deans, and Chief Academic Officers. Four major categorical factors, both internal and external to self, are described that contribute reciprocally to presidents’ ability to last on the job. These four factors—personal identity, professional identity, professional capacities, and professional environment—are connected with …

Presidents And Student Success: Repositioning To A Student-Centered Institution, Charles P. Ruch, Kenneth M. Coll, Cathleen B. Ruch

Journal of Research on the College President

Now reopened following the pandemic, each institution is in the process of assessing its impact and adjusting its institutional model to assure sustainability in the future. Returning totally to the ‘status quo ante’ is not a viable option as some repositioning is required. This study highlights three critical elements that inform this process from the perspective of the presidency. First, significant environmental trends and their impact are presented. Upon analysis, improved student success emerges as a critical driving force in repositioning. Second, an overview of successful institutional programs and initiatives that foster a student-centered institution are examined concluding with a …

Exploring Non-Traditional Presidents In Higher Education, Susan L. Gorman, David C. Hood, Tania C. Reis

Journal of Research on the College President

Higher educational institutions (HIEDs) are complex organizations at a pivotal moment in history (Bourgeois, 2016; Guskin & Marcy, 2002; McGee, 2015). This qualitative study sought to understand the leadership traits of nontraditional college presidents, particularly those with business management backgrounds, to determine whether HIEDs could benefit from hiring them to help face challenges today. Results of the study were based on data collected from eight current college presidents collected April–August 2022. Three major findings and several subthemes emerged. Two major findings were expected: college presidents with business management experience are business driven and turnaround driven. A third major finding was …

Leading For What, Leading For Who? An International Comparative Analysis Of University Presidents’ Leadership Amid Covid-19, Santiago Castiello-Gutiérrez, Jon Mcnaughtan, Sarah Maria Schiffecker, Hugo A. García

Journal of Research on the College President

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique shared challenge for all HEIs leaders around the world. Besides balancing institutional tasks and ensuring the health and safety of the campus community, university presidents were challenged with promoting equity and showing empathy in their leadership. Framed by Henry Mintzberg’s (1973) theory on managerial roles, this study uses in-depth interviews of 14 university presidents in eight countries, to understand how they enacted different roles in leading their institutions through a global crisis. Despite differences among presidential leadership styles in diverse contexts, findings from the study show that leadership roles shifted from securing their institution’s …

December 19, 2023 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter

No abstract provided.

University Faculty Perceptions Of Professional Development: Impact And Effectiveness, Claudia Vela, Velma D. Menchaca, Hilda Silva

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The purpose of this study was to examine faculty perceptions of the effectiveness and impact of professional development programs and activities in the areas of teaching, research, and service. This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted in a four-year Hispanic-serving institution in South Texas. It focused on exploring tenured and tenure-track faculty perceptions and experiences of their participation in professional development to help them meet tenure and promotion expectations. Analysis of data showed that faculty had mixed feelings about the workshops and training sessions that were offered on campus. However, networking, collaboration, and access to resources and technology were practices that …

Conflict And Choice Of Study At University Level: Evidence From Pakistan, Abbas Ali Gillani, Xiaocheng Hu

Peace and Conflict Studies

Conflict, and violence related events have been found to have significant effects on the cognitive thinking and mental well-being of individuals. Although there is ample evidence suggesting negative association of conflict with schooling outcomes, there is non-existent research on how violence can impact degree choices made by students at the university level. By using university level admissions data between 2014 and 2016 from Pakistan, this paper examines the differential in preference for degree choices of students who live in conflict-affected areas compared to students who live in conflict-free areas. The results show that students exposed to violence were less likely …

Influence Of Personality On Ethical Decision-Making In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Jennifer K. Binkley, Terry W. Baggs

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: A relationship between personality and ethical decision-making has been demonstrated in professions both within and outside of healthcare. However, this relationship has not been examined in the rehabilitation therapies, including speech-language pathology (SLP). Given the ethical dilemmas faced by therapists, it is important to assess this relationship and to modify ethical training when warranted. Methods: A total of 175 undergraduate communication sciences and disorders students participated in completing the Kiersey Temperament Sorter II and the Defining Issues Test-2. Scores were statistically compared to determine the relationship between the two assessments. Results: Based on a model of moral reasoning development, …

”Either Or, Not As A Whole:” Challenges Of Multiracial Student Placemaking And Belonging In Sorority And Fraternity Chapters, Pietro A. Sasso, Kim E. Bullington

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

This qualitative narrative inquiry study explored how Multiracial members negotiate multiple racial identities and locations to find a sense of belonging within sorority and fraternity environments. Participants eventually found a sense of belonging within their chapters through peers who they educated about their multiraciality. Their placemaking was fraught with experiences of monoracism, colorism, and relationships, which positioned them to serve as racial buffers and cultural translators for their monoracial chapter peers. The tenets of interest convergence and monoracism of Multiracial critical theory are used to interrogate these findings. Implications are provided to help campus-based professionals engage in identity advocacy and …

December 15, 2023 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter

No abstract provided.

A Descriptive Analysis Of Risk Management Revenue And Expenditure Trends For Historically White Men’S College Social Fraternities, Ashley Tull, Zhan Shi, Dani Myers, Carson Flynn

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

Historically White men’s social fraternities are at the center of college and university life on many campuses. They have also been a place for high-risk activities such as alcohol consumption, hazing, sexual misconduct, and other health, safety, and wellness issues. Current risk management mitigation activities are addressed in the literature review that follows. This descriptive study examined the rising costs associated with insuring against high-risk issues for 32 historically White inter/ national fraternities. Results indicated a 7.2% year-over-year average annual percentage increase for each organization in the study and a 72% average annual percentage increase for the period studied (2010-2018). …

Stepping Across The Divide: Exploring How Culturally Based Fraternities And Sororities Influence African-Born Members’ Navigation Of U.S. Higher Education, Race, And Racism, Jakia Marie, Nuri Thompson

Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice

In this study, we explored African-born students’ lived experiences in culturally based fraternities and sororities in the United States (U.S.), particularly the reasons they joined their organizations and the ways their articulated involvement influenced their college experiences and awareness of race and racism. Using a descriptive phenomenological research design, ten participants reflected on their lived experiences. Four emergent themes—Why I Joined, Cultural Acceptance, My College Experience, and Learning Race and Racism— describe the essence of the participants’ experiences. We close with recommendations for practice and future research.

Investigating Faculty Perceptions Of Information Literacy And Instructional Collaboration, Angie Cox, Amandajean Nolte, Angela L. Pratesi

Communications in Information Literacy

This exploratory mixed-methods study investigates faculty perceptions of information literacy (IL), its instruction, and librarian collaboration teaching IL since the adoption of the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education at the authors’ institution. Many previous studies examining these questions were completed when the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education was the guiding document for the profession. Like earlier studies, findings from this study clearly demonstrate that faculty value IL and that collaborations occur in differing and inconsistent forms. However, at the authors’ institution, there is a misalignment between faculty and librarians in what IL is and …

Engaging Graduate Medical And Health Sciences Students In Scholarly Communication: The Des Moines University Library’S Research & Scholarly Communication Peer Associate Program, Gina Schlesselman-Tarango, Jill Edgerton, Elizabeth Pryor, Rainie Valencia

Communications in Information Literacy

This piece introduces the Des Moines University Library’s Research and Scholarly Communication Peer Associate Program, focusing on the curriculum of a five-day summer institute developed for graduate medical and health sciences students and rooted in a critical information literacy framework. The authors outline the institute’s philosophy and approach and provide readers with key content areas, materials, activities, and homework prompts. Initial program assessment is discussed, and the authors share their thoughts on how the program might continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of students. The article concludes with reflections from two peer associates who participated in the program …

Information Literacy In English-Language Higher Education Teaching Journals: A Review, Jennifer Masunaga, Lanyi Peng, Tiffanie Ford-Baxter, Kendall Faulkner

Communications in Information Literacy

Wider visibility of information literacy (IL) outside of the library and information science (LIS) field is important to the success of IL instruction, learning, and research. The development and major updates of several information literacy documents in the past decade evidence the changing landscape of IL research, but how these changes have impacted other disciplines remains to be seen. To aid in this discussion, this article examines a wide range of higher education teaching journals to expand on Badke's (2011) work, “Why Information Literacy is Invisible.” Specifically, this study examines articles published in 30 general higher education and 32 …

Quality Matters: Using A Peer-Review Process To Create A Cohesive Multi-Campus Library Online Instruction Program, Stephanie Jacobs, Maryellen Nash, Theresa Burress, Kaya Van Beynen

Communications in Information Literacy

Librarians within a newly combined, multi-campus research and instruction department undertook a large-scale peer review of their online instruction program and materials. This collaborative assessment project sought to unite three library departments with a cohesive vision for self-guided online library instruction while establishing consistent quality standards and building a shared sense of ownership and accomplishment. These goals were achieved through a collaborative assessment of online instructional modules that included the development of a novel rubric based on the Quality Matters Course Design Standards. This article reports on that ongoing journey, as well as the goals, challenges, and outcomes of the …

Dwindling Trust In Experts: A Starting Point For Information Literacy, Mark N. Lenker Iii

Communications in Information Literacy

Librarians and teachers encourage students to include expert perspectives in their research, but recent public discourse includes high-profile examples of experts being inconsistent or wrong, and recent studies suggest that public trust in experts is declining. Waning trust makes it difficult to teach information literacy: I can push students to find high-quality research sources, but what if these sources turn out to be yet another example of experts getting it wrong? After a period of living with this worry, I found a way to move forward by centering class discussion on the public’s dwindling trust in experts. Part of this …

Critical Online Library Instruction: Opportunities And Challenges, Tessa Withorn

Communications in Information Literacy

Although critical information literacy, critical pedagogy, and online library instruction are commonly discussed in the library and information science literature, they are rarely discussed together. This qualitative interview study with academic librarians conducted in 2022 identifies opportunities and challenges of teaching critical information literacy online. Findings suggest that critical information literacy and critical pedagogy can be integrated into online library instruction through online workshops, digital learning objects, and online credit-bearing courses. However, librarians face challenges implementing critical pedagogy online related to the lack of dialogue and co-creation of knowledge between students and instructors, limitations of the one-shot model of library …

Truth Or Consequences: Academic Instruction Librarians As Information Literacy And Critical Thinking Activists, Laureen P. Cantwell-Jurkovic, Heather F. Ball

Communications in Information Literacy

The graphic edition of Snyder’s On Tyranny (2021) states "truth dies in four modes," which is a contemporary synthesis connected to Klemperer's Language of the Third Reich (1957). The researchers connected these four modes to information literacy (IL) instruction—but would others? The researchers surveyed academic librarians engaged in IL instruction on whether they felt they addressed any of the modes in their work. The researchers also asked whether they believe the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education works to circumvent any of the four modes. Nearly 150 librarians responded and, while most respondents were unfamiliar with the two …

Impact Of Library Instruction Tutorial Format On Student Preference And Performance In First-Year Chemistry, Tara Stieglitz, Lindsey Whitson

Communications in Information Literacy

This research study investigates the effects of library instruction tutorial format (written versus video) on student preference and performance in chemistry education. The authors assessed the format of tutorials used to provide library instruction in an introductory chemistry course by observing 27 student participants as they took in instructions in either a video or a written format and then completed two chemistry information tasks. While participants expressed strong preferences for particular formats, neither the video tutorials nor the written instructions significantly improved task completion speed or performance. Rather, the authors determined that student preference alone is enough to justify the …

Expanding On The Frames: Making A Case For Algorithmic Literacy, Susan G. Archambault

Communications in Information Literacy

Traditional information literacy skills (e.g., effectively finding and evaluating information) need to be updated due to the rapidly changing information ecosystem and the growing dominance of online platforms that use algorithms to control and shape information. This article proposes additions to the current ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education that relate to algorithmic literacy. The “Authority is Constructed and Contextual” frame can be applied to recognizing the need to question algorithmic authority (including algorithmic bias), the Information Has Value” frame can be used to acknowledge online platforms’ use of proprietary algorithms allowing third parties to access personal data, …

Working Conditions Are Learning Conditions: Understanding Information Literacy Instruction Through Neoliberal Capitalism, Romel Espinel, Eamon Tewell

Communications in Information Literacy

Neoliberal capitalism’s demands for efficiency and innovation have greatly impacted North American academic libraries and the work conducted in them, including information literacy instruction. The divisive forces of neoliberalism must be met with resistance, and libraries hold the potential for generating an information literacy praxis where learners engage information with a critical consciousness instead of a consumerist one. Using library labor conditions and the contradictions between innovation and student learning as focal points, we argue that academic library workers should seek to center attention to inequities and injustices in the information economy and scholarly information systems in their instruction, identify …

Review Of Leading Dynamic Information Literacy Programs: Best Practices And Stories From Instruction Coordinators, Edited By Anne C. Behler, Amanda Dinscore

Communications in Information Literacy

Review of Behler, A. C. (Ed.). (2023). Leading dynamic information literacy programs: Best practices and stories from instruction coordinators. Routledge.

Our Community Chimes In, Corinne Bishop

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Welcome! The Journal of Graduate Librarianship’s Practitioner Panel allows us to hear directly from the graduate librarian community via social media, where we regularly post questions and invite your comments on practical issues relating to graduate librarianship. To join the conversation and share your comments about community topics, please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or X (formerly Twitter)—or keep an eye on the JGL website, where we also post all Practitioner Panel questions.

Hosting An International Graduate Student Orientation, Liza Weisbrod, Juliet T. Rumble, Adelia Grabowsky, Isabel Altamirano, Emily Sahib

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

In Fall 2022, Auburn University Libraries faculty and staff hosted an orientation event for newly arrived international graduate students. Highlights of the event included tours of major library service points, a shared meal, and a meet and greet for graduate students and subject librarians. A key takeaway for both groups was an increased awareness of the differences that exist between U.S. academic libraries and those in other countries. The authors discuss elements of the library orientation that worked well, and address lessons learned that will be used to improve future events.

Graduate Librarian At A Small University: What I’Ve Learned So Far, Christina R. Hillman

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Learning to be a graduate librarian is an ongoing process. Read about one librarian’s journey from early to mid-career graduate librarian. Lessons learned include understanding technology challenges faced by graduate students, what embedded librarianship looks like at the graduate level, and even when to break patron privacy.

Serving Graduate Students At A Community College Library, Daniel K. Blewett

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

Even though a community college library rarely attempts to offer the same depth of support found at a university, it can still serve the needs of local graduate students in two ways: through the library’s core collection of print and electronic resources, and through its on-site services, spaces, and librarian expertise. Graduate students need to know that these resources are available to them. The knowledge and ability of the librarian is key to supporting this patron group. This article is informed by the author’s experiences at the College of DuPage, a large comprehensive community college in northeastern Illinois.

Leveraging Existing Services To Support Evidence Synthesis Researchers Outside Of The Health Sciences, Elizabeth Kline

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

The author presents a case study for the development of an evidence synthesis service serving researchers outside of the health sciences at a large academic library. The purpose of this project was to highlight the importance of integrating existing core services and workflows that create seamless delivery of evidence synthesis support and yield quality service. The paper provides decisions that university libraries must consider as they are planning the implementation of these services.

The research-intensive nature of evidence synthesis projects provides liaison librarians with a perfect entry to deliver high-quality and relevant services, especially to graduate students and researchers. Through …