Education Commons^™

November Agenda, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting agenda including October 8 meeting minutes; graduate enrollment reports; Graduate Council Curriculum report tracking; report from Graduate School; thesis, specialist project & dissertation guidelines; and Council of Graduate Schools resolution.

October Agenda, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting agenda including September 10 meeting minutes, graduate enrollment reports, Graduate School Policy revisions and Graduate Council Curriculum report tracking.

September Agenda, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting agenda including August 20 meeting minutes, graduate enrollment reports, Graduate Council Curriculum Report tracking and RCAP Return on Investment by College.

August Agenda, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting agenda including May 7 meeting minutes and Graduate Council Curriculum Report tracking.

May Agenda, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Meeting agenda.

The Impact Of Teacher Methodology Training For Higher Education Faculty Members, Nicole R. Baker

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Many college programs are designed to graduate individuals who are experts in their field of study, but not necessarily individuals who are trained in how to teach. This quantitative, quasi-experiment study examined college faculty member’s level of training in the area of teaching practices and methodology. The relation to student satisfaction, current course performance, attendance, the belief in the need for training, and faculty member’s sense of efficacy in teaching was explored. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to organize the data using a one-way ANCOVA to analyze the impact the level of training had on …

Associations Of Preschoolers' Screen Time, Vocabulary, And Fine Motor, Barbara A. Dolan

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Technology use by preschoolers aged three to five is prevalent today. Parents and educators find conflicting benefits and concerns about the use of technology by preschoolers. By looking at three particular preschool skills of pincer grasp, wrist strength, and receptive vocabulary, this researcher hoped to provide some answers for parents and educators. This non-experimental multiple regression research analyzed two fine motor skills of 53 preschoolers and their receptive vocabulary and compared them to minutes of screen time use each day. Preschoolers were from two middle class, Midwestern private preschools. Parents completed a ten-question survey that provided a measure of the …

Cultural Diversity Awareness: Perceptions Of Community Residents And Police Personnel, Vickie Minnifield Greene

Scholar Week 2016 - present

This study examined the difference in self-reported perceptions of cultural diversity awareness between two specific groups, community residents and police personnel, within a Midwestern city’s community and police department. This study also measured how their attitudes related to their likelihood to assist in enhancing the goals of community policing, which includes the prevention of crime. Literature cited demonstrates that social injustice toward African Americans and Latinos, cultural diversity ignorance, miscommunication, and lack of trust between community residents and police personnel are indicators that their relationships require positive solutions toward repairing a historically strained relationship. The Miami University Diversity Awareness Scale …

What Services And Products A Scholarly Communications Department May Offer Your Department/College, Kris S. Helge

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

The presenter and the participants will discuss what faculty needs may be met by the services offered by members of a Scholarly Communications Department. Some of these needs may include citation counts, publishing needs, scholarship dissemination and preservation, assistance with intellectual property conundrums, and help with open educational resources.

Leading Through Change : 2020, Domenick J. Pinto

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Having served as department chair and school director for 31 years, I have witnessed a tremendous evolution in the role of chair as economic, social and student climates have changed. My session will summarize collected data from chairs of departments of various sizes and types in order to discuss and understand better our ever changing role as we see responsibilities of delegating, leading change, creative budgeting and fundraising, grant writing and managing conflict become vital to our positions

An Ounce Of Prevention: Conducting Effective Candidate Background Checks, Jonathan Kremser

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This session will address the often-overlooked component of the faculty search: effective background screening of short-listed applicants. Case studies of insufficient background checks will be discussed, and practical resources will be provided to participants that will help them avoid the endless energy draining task of managing conflict.

Publishing For The Chair By The Chair, Trey Guinn

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Many argue that publishing likely suffers and creativity may be stifled during an administrative appointment, such as serving in the role of Academic Chair. But this does not need to be the case. In this discussion-based lunch, we look at how to capitalize on new opportunities for creative work and publishing. Join for lunch, learn some ideas, share some ideas too!

Strategies For Increasing Cultural Communication Competence, Anne Mattina

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This interactive session will answer the questions: “what happens when we communicate with someone who has a different cultural background than our own?” and, “what can we do to improve the outcomes of those interactions?” Through facilitated discussion and a small group problem-solving exercise, participants will have the opportunity to enhance their current level of cultural awareness, recognize the impact this has on communication competency and improve skills in these areas.

Square Pegs In Round Holes: Evaluating Online Delivery For Course Quality, Krystal L. Brue Ph.D., Dana Hilbert Ed.D., Stephanie Boss Ed.D., Mary Dzindolet Ph.D., Jennifer Dennis Ph.D

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

With the expansion of online education, chairs and deans must formulate new strategies for evaluating online course development and instructional delivery. Four chairs (of Business, Education, Sports & Exercise Science, and Psychology Departments), and their dean, will share quality strategies for defining course criteria, developing quality course design, and delivering valued instruction.

Continuing The Conversation On Collegiality, Angela Walters, Stacey Smith, Melissa Hunsicker-Walburn, Brooke Moore

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Are you interested in measuring and incentivizing collegiality? Do you have concerns with using collegiality for faculty development, merit, or tenure? Bring your experiences and perspectives to the table as three department chairs and their college dean (a lawyer) facilitate a healthy discussion on the measurement tools, legal landscape, and business case for collegiality.

Building Bridges To Enhance Degree And Career Opportunities, Deborah A. Greenawald Ph.D., Rn, Karen S. Thacker Ph.D, Rn, Samuel M. Bradley Dba, Thomas Franek Ph.D, Atc, Thomas Porrazzo Ph.D., Atc, Christopher Wise Dpt, Ph.D (C), Pt

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

External pressures on higher education are challenging universities to focus on preparing graduates with more broadly designed curricula that contain translatable skills and include interdisciplinary knowledge. In this presentation, the process of identifying and creating new academic programs based on unique student goals and contemporary employment needs will be discussed.

Building Faculty Community Via Oer, Jorg Waltje, Amanda Zerangue

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This presentation will delineate ways for chairs and college administrators to encourage faculty to explore better and less costly ways to deliver instructional content to their students. It will highlight how to reward and recognize these efforts, while at the same time creating excellent opportunities for faculty collaborations and community building.

Administrative Best Practices For Engaging New Faculty, Michael G. Strawser, Russell Carpenter, Shanti Bruce, Kevin Dvorak

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Presenters and participants will discuss how Millennial faculty may a) change the higher education system; b) adapt their own internal wiring to fit higher education; and c) relate to faculty/staff of other generations. Participants will also address issues related to millennial faculty engagement and professional development, expectations of communication, and responses to campus sexual harassment.

New Chairs Boot Camp, Margaret A. Thomas-Evans, Chera A. Laforge, Katie Chaney

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Many chairs take on their role without any formal training, which leads to frustration and dissatisfaction. We developed a boot camp to provide initial onboarding and orientation for new chairs. In this session, we provide an overview of our program, which focused on strategic enrollment management and department administration.

Work-Life Balance For Department Chairs, Jeff Buller

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Many chairs feel that the responsibility of the job has completely consumed their lives. Their leadership and management duties leave them with far less time to conduct research, engage with members of their families to the extent they desire, plan their courses, and just sit, think, and catch their breaths. This practical and interactive workshop will explore proven techniques that chairs can use to restore the degree of work-life balance they desire.

The Joy Of Annual Reviews, Sheryl Barringer

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Annual reviews of faculty and staff are a valuable tool to inspire and learn more about the amazing people you supervise. They are also a critical time to enforce expectations and consequences. We will discuss subtle ways to increase productivity as well as the steps when termination is warranted.

Re-Casting The Annual Faculty Review, Mark Urtel

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This session will highlight how one department chair flipped the annual faculty review from a top-down administrative process focused on merit pay to a faculty-centered process focused on professional development and advancement. Following will be discussion on the results of the anonymous survey distributed to faculty from this new process.

Cultivating The Mental Wellness Of Faculty, Staff, And Chairs, Jeffrey Reber

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Presenters and participants will discuss emerging strategies and best practices available to chairs to support the mental health and wellbeing of faculty, staff, and the department chair within the unique context of higher education and given the work-life needs of faculty and staff.

The Introvert's Guide To Chairing The Department, Jeff Buller

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Most training for department chairs is based on the assumption that the best leaders are extraverts: They have good social skills, love to keep an open-door policy, and are available 24/7. But a surprising percentage of academics, including many department chairs, are actually introverts. How can they become effective leaders? This workshop provides practical training.

Managing Course Consistency Across Multi-Campus, Multi-Modal Systems, David A. Line, Stephen Pyle

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Course standardization within multi-campus systems and between online and on-campus courses is critical for educational consistency, continual improvement, management of curricula and accreditation. This best practice presentation will review two calibration efforts undertaken by the authors at their respective Universities. Methodologies incorporated, systems developed and issues encountered will be discussed.

Alternative Chairing; Academic Chair Conference Presentations From The Fringe, David A. Line, Stephen Pyle, Jeffery Youngquist

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Expectations of Department Chairs focus on managerial functions often at the expense of creativity. However, leadership expectations often require creative responses. This workshop explores the benefits of (and resistance to) creative chairing, and invites the audience to help generate and explore new and creative approaches to being an academic chair.

Leadership Tips For Department Chairs: From Theory To (Best) Practice, John Griffith

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This presentation will discuss tips and best practices that effective leaders use in working with and motivating faculty and staff. Good leaders are rare but most of us can lead effectively if we understand how to negotiate the mission/people balance in our organization.

Leadership Development Experiences Of Department Chairs At A Canadian University, Leda Stawnychko

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

I will present the preliminary findings of a doctoral research study that explores the leadership development experiences of department chairs at a West Canadian university. The literature review, document analysis and themes emerging from semi-structured interviews with chairs of departments of diverse disciplines and sizes will also be explored.

Executive Presence For The Academic Chair, Trey Guinn

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

Interactive session emphasizing how communication skills enhance executive presence and shape effectiveness from campus to home. Bring a positive attitude; be ready to learn while having a little fun. Leave with a fresh perspective on how to be a more clear, concise, compelling and confident communicator ready for and more capable of achieving effective executive presence.

What I Wish I Knew: A Reflection Of A First-Year Chairperson, Tim Channell

Academic Chairpersons Conference Proceedings

This session will provide the “top 10” list of things I wish I knew before becoming chairman. Valuable tips will be offered on time management, positive faculty interactions, working with shared governance to achieve more, overcoming imposters syndrome, understanding inter-office politics, and dealing with the onslaught of email.