Education Commons^™

For Such A Time And Place As This: Christian Higher Education For The Common Good, Cynthia Wells

Higher Education Faculty Scholarship

One might argue that this is not a wise time to raise queries of the common good for Christian higher education. Our in-boxes and newsfeeds provide persistent reminders of the crises facing higher education today, many of which uniquely impact Christian colleges and universities. A crisis of the humanities, as students turn away from areas of study traditionally associated with the liberal arts. A crisis of cost, as independent colleges wrestle with an unsustainable financial model and an increasingly skeptical constituency. An enrollment crisis amid declines in the number of high school graduates, especially in the northeast and midwest. Colleges …

Constructing A Prototype: Realizing A Scholarship Of Practice In General Education, Cynthia Wells

Higher Education Faculty Scholarship

Why a scholarship of practice? Toward what end do we assess the merits of such a concept? John Braxton (2003) recommends a scholarship of practice as a means to enhance the utility of empirical research by developing and refining knowledge that improves institutional policy and practice in higher education. In essence, a scholarship of practice turns the scholarly assets of the academy on the work of the academy itself.

Realizing General Education: Reconsidering Conceptions And Renewing Practice, Cynthia Wells

Higher Education Faculty Scholarship

General Education is widely touted as an enduring distinctive of higher education in the United States (Association of American Colleges and Universities, [11]; Boyer, [37]; Gaston, [86]; Zakaria, [202]). The notion that undergraduate education demands wide‐ranging knowledge is a hallmark of U.S. college graduates that international educators emulate (Blumenstyk, [25]; Rhodes, [158]; Tsui, [181]). The veracity of this distinct educational vision is supported by the fact that approximately one third of the typically 120 credits required for the bachelor's degree in the United States consist of general education courses (Lattuca & Stark, [120]). Realizing a general education has been understood …

Renewing Our Shared Purpose: Considering Ernest L. Boyer’S General Education Vision For Christian Colleges And Universities, Cynthia Wells

Higher Education Faculty Scholarship

This article considers the significance of Boyer's work on general education for Christian colleges and universities. After beginning with a synthesis and analysis of Boyer's vast body of work on general education, this article then identifies the challenges facing those concerned with renewing the general education program in Christian colleges and universities. This piece concludes by illustrating how Boyer's ideals for general education relate to the educational aims of Christian colleges and universities and also provides concrete examples of how Boyer's ideals are evident in Christian higher education today. This article argues that Boyer's vision for general education is fully …

Outcomes For Students Of Student Affairs-Academic Affairs Partnership Programs, Cynthia Wells

Higher Education Faculty Scholarship

Although academic and student affairs partnership programs have been cited as potential means to create seamless learning environments for undergraduate students, little research exists on the outcomes of such programs for students. The Boyer Partnership Assessment Project examined the outcomes for students participating in academic and student affairs partnership programs at 18 institutions. Four categories of student outcomes were identified: acclimation to the institution, engagement, student learning, and academic and career decisions. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

At the beginning of the 21st century, higher education in the United States faces many challenges, including changing student demographics, …

“Principles Of Good Practice” For Academic And Student Affairs Partnership Programs, Cynthia Wells, Elizabeth Whitt, Angela Kellogg, Becki Nesheim, William Mcdonald, Melanie Guentzel

Higher Education Faculty Scholarship

While academic and student affairs partnership programs have been championed as a means to enhance undergraduate education, research documenting the characteristics of effective part-nership programs is sparse. The Boyer Partnership Assessment Project is a qualitative examination of academic and student affairs partnership programs at 18, diverse institutions. This article identifies seven principles of good practice for creating and sustaining effective partnerships, and discusses the implications of these principles for higher education research and practice.