Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Higher Education Administration Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 335

Full-Text Articles in Higher Education Administration

From Concept To Community: Building And Sustaining Communication Research Labs, America L. Edwards, Matthew J. A. Craig, Hannah E. Jones, Chad Edwards, Autumn P. Edwards Dec 2025

From Concept To Community: Building And Sustaining Communication Research Labs, America L. Edwards, Matthew J. A. Craig, Hannah E. Jones, Chad Edwards, Autumn P. Edwards

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This essay explores the conceptual, practical, and relational foundations of building and sustaining communication research labs. Drawing on early models of research teams, we argue that contemporary labs function as living systems that integrate research, teaching, mentorship, and community engagement. The essay outlines practical considerations for creating and maintaining labs, including recruitment, infrastructure, leadership succession, and digital presence, while emphasizing the importance of flexibility and autonomy. Rather than viewing labs as static organizational units, we position them as relational ecosystems that evolve through connection, shared purpose, and adaptability across time and institutions. Ultimately, this work encourages scholars to view lab-building …


Making The Invisible Visible: Cultivating Contexts For Equitable Workloads, Andrea Carlile Dec 2025

Making The Invisible Visible: Cultivating Contexts For Equitable Workloads, Andrea Carlile

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Women make up the majority of degree earners and most of those teaching at higher education institutions. Yet, women are not advancing to the highest ranks. How female faculty receive credit for their work may account for the discrepancy in women advancing to the highest ranks. This single-institution case study explored institutional practices and policies as they related to workload satisfaction and rewards for female faculty. Following the framework from the Faculty Workload and Rewards Project, FWRP, the case used the constructs of equity-minded faculty workloads to shape the analysis. Three themes emerged in the analysis: context matters, transparency practices, …


Complete Volume 42 Dec 2025

Complete Volume 42

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete Volume 42 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.


Lobbying As A Means For Expanding The Communication Instructional Base In Higher Education Iii, Craig Newburger, Patricia L. Donat, Sherwyn P. Morreale Jan 2024

Lobbying As A Means For Expanding The Communication Instructional Base In Higher Education Iii, Craig Newburger, Patricia L. Donat, Sherwyn P. Morreale

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Based on several national mandates, this essay examines the support for and importance of active advocacy among our discipline members in framing the conversation about oral communication proficiency, leading instructional design, and assessing student learning on our campuses. Recommended action involves the development and implementation of a coordinated strategy for engaging both institutional accreditors and those charged with the development and modification of individual campus general education requirements regarding the importance of communication scholars and instructors as principal designers of learning goals, subsequent learning activities, and the corresponding assessment of oral communication instruction on college campuses.


Journal Of The Association For Communication Administration: Complete Volume 41 Jan 2024

Journal Of The Association For Communication Administration: Complete Volume 41

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete volume of JACA Volume 41.


Navigating And Thriving In Leadership: Practical Advice For Elected And Appointed Association Leaders, Tiffany R. Wang Jan 2024

Navigating And Thriving In Leadership: Practical Advice For Elected And Appointed Association Leaders, Tiffany R. Wang

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Elected and appointed association leaders face circumstances that can make professional service challenging. This essay offers practical advice for how association leaders can navigate and thrive in leadership roles as they fulfill their duties and responsibilities. Current and past association leaders offer observations and recommendations for success.


Effective Communication For Department Chairs: Thinking Like A Leader, Acting As A Colleague, Mark Hickson Iii Jan 2024

Effective Communication For Department Chairs: Thinking Like A Leader, Acting As A Colleague, Mark Hickson Iii

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the third essay in a three-part series that the author has been working on. The first and second parts appear in earlier volumes of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.


Student Engagement In The Communication Classroom: An Intervention To Encourage Student Success, Jay Baglia, Elissa Foster, Kendra Knight, Stephanie Grau Jan 2024

Student Engagement In The Communication Classroom: An Intervention To Encourage Student Success, Jay Baglia, Elissa Foster, Kendra Knight, Stephanie Grau

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Universities implement a variety of interventions to address student engagement and retention. This is especially true post-pandemic as faculty attempt to return to a pre-pandemic structure. Emerging adulthood aligns with the personal responsibility demanded of college students as well as changes in personal growth. In the current climate, stress has been shown to negatively impact executive functioning, the cognitive processes necessary for academic success. This essay describes an intervention encouraging student self-reflexivity around processes for engagement, academic success, and retention. Communication Fundamentals for College Success—a 5-week, two-credit workshop—was developed and delivered by the authors. Curriculum focused on time management, study …


Mapping The Ferment: Mediated Communication Research In Cios-Indexed Journals From 1970-2020, David J. Atkin, Kenneth A. Lachlan, Timothy D. Stephen, Carolyn Lagoe Jan 2024

Mapping The Ferment: Mediated Communication Research In Cios-Indexed Journals From 1970-2020, David J. Atkin, Kenneth A. Lachlan, Timothy D. Stephen, Carolyn Lagoe

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This study profiles scholarly publishing in the domain of mediated communication, based on an analysis of media-themed communication journals—as indexed in the CIOS’s ComAbstracts database—from 1970–2020. Analysis of 22,300 articles from media-themed scholarly journals paints a portrait of scholarly publishing configurations across the domains of Journalism and Communication. Criterion articles were subjected to cluster analysis that yielded a comprehensive unified field portrait of interlinkages among topical pairings encompassing 58 topical categories. Results suggest that just 7 of our 37 criterion journal outlets date to the 1970s, 6 additional titles were launched in the 1980s, 10 more in the 1990s, and …


Communication Scholarship And The Quest For Open Access, Preston Carmack, Michael R. Kearney, Abbey Mccann Jan 2023

Communication Scholarship And The Quest For Open Access, Preston Carmack, Michael R. Kearney, Abbey Mccann

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

The advent of black, green, and gold open access publication models poses unique questions for scholars of communication. Plato’s (1956) classic critique of writing in the legend of Theuth and Thamus warned that the printed word “rolls about all over the place, falling into the hands of those who have no concern with it” (pp. 69–70). More than two 2 millennia later, scholars and administrators at all levels of the discipline face just such a phenomenon. As scholars of cyberspace debate whether “information wants to be free” (Levy, 2014), a communication perspective involves consideration of the importance of authorship and …


Open, Organized, And Onerous: Understanding And Recognizing The Labors Of Open Science, Nick Bowman, Patric R. Spence, Lindsay Hahn Jan 2023

Open, Organized, And Onerous: Understanding And Recognizing The Labors Of Open Science, Nick Bowman, Patric R. Spence, Lindsay Hahn

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

In the face of high-profile cases of scientific fraud, there has been a renewed call among scholars to reconsider current best practices in academic publishing. Prominent in these discussions is a set of open science practices that ask scholars to “publish more” of their research—not in terms of manuscripts, but in terms of supplemental materials to the scientific enterprise. Through creating, curating, and publishing artifacts such as study materials (experimental stimuli, survey texts, etc.), datasets and analysis code, and other content, the scientific process is made more transparent for readers. However, such practices involve a substantial labor cost to researchers …


Learning To Think Like A Leader, Mark Hickson Iii Jan 2023

Learning To Think Like A Leader, Mark Hickson Iii

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the second in a three-part series that the author has been working on. The first part was included in an earlier issue of this journal.


A Typology Of Perceived Negative Course Evaluations, Heather Carmack, Leah E. Lefebvre Jan 2023

A Typology Of Perceived Negative Course Evaluations, Heather Carmack, Leah E. Lefebvre

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Instructors and administrators continue to debate the merit and value of using course evaluations to assess instructor effectiveness and course outcomes, especially when students see course evaluations as satisfaction surveys where they can unload negative and/or hurtful comments directed at instructors. Little is known about instructors’ perceptions of negative course evaluations. This study qualitatively examined faculty’s (N = 90) perceptions of negative course evaluation qualitative comments. Using a grounded analyst-constructed typologies approach, three types of negative course evaluation comments were identified: professional, personal, and performance. These types of negative comments call into question the disconnection between what students and instructors …


The Impact Of Student Motivation, Preparation, And Learned Helplessness On Undergraduate Students’ Communication With Advisors, Heather Carmack Jan 2023

The Impact Of Student Motivation, Preparation, And Learned Helplessness On Undergraduate Students’ Communication With Advisors, Heather Carmack

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine communication factors that influence students’ academic advising appointments, including predictors of scheduling future advising appointments. Undergraduate students’ motivation and feelings of learned helplessness were related to their advising meeting preparation and their communication involvement during advising meetings. Students who reported high levels of motivation and low levels of learned helplessness were more likely to prepare for advising meetings and be communicative during meetings. Students with immediate advisors were more likely to communicate with their advisors during meetings. Advising meeting preparation, motivation, and learned helplessness were significant factors in future advising appointments.


“A Cog In A Wheel That Gets It Done”: A Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of Faculty Seeking Administrator Support, Lakesha Anderson, Mattea A. Garcia Jan 2023

“A Cog In A Wheel That Gets It Done”: A Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of Faculty Seeking Administrator Support, Lakesha Anderson, Mattea A. Garcia

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This qualitative study sought to determine the stressors that motivate faculty to seek administrator support and examined faculty experiences of administrator support. Participants were 27 full- and part-time faculty members who completed a seven-item online questionnaire. Findings show that many participants felt unsupported by their administrator while navigating the stressful situations for which they sought help. This lack of support led to negative departmental cultures and faculty feeling insecure, undervalued, and isolated. This study highlights the need for policies and practices designed to build relationships between faculty and administrators. Efforts to improve the faculty-–administrator relationship can lead to increased understanding, …


Journal Of The Association For Communication Administration: Complete Volume 40 Jan 2023

Journal Of The Association For Communication Administration: Complete Volume 40

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete volume of JACA Volume 40.


Just Showing Up Can Make A Difference: A History Of The Association For Communication Administration, Christopher Lynch Jan 2020

Just Showing Up Can Make A Difference: A History Of The Association For Communication Administration, Christopher Lynch

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

The Association for Communication Administration (ACA), founded in Chicago in 1972, claimed a membership of one hundred and two departments. It was an independent organization but shared resources with what is now the National Communication Association. Initial membership included theatre and broadcast programs under the umbrella of communication. These programs would create their own independent associations. ACA’s mission was to promote the role of communication administrators, chairpersons to university presidents, in academia. It has weathered the ebbs and flows of any organization as it moves towards its fiftieth anniversary. A newsletter to the membership led to the creation of JACA …


Speech Communication At Iowa State University: A Departmental History And Aftermath, Luke Lefebvre Jan 2020

Speech Communication At Iowa State University: A Departmental History And Aftermath, Luke Lefebvre

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

In 1903 at Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, a Public Speaking department emerged. This transition occurred over a decade prior to public speaking teachers seceding from English. Members of the department played foundational roles in establishing the national association and moving the discipline toward research-driven initiatives in order to secure legitimacy across academic landscapes. Surviving two World Wars, the Great Depression and title merger with English, the department again emerged as an independent academic unit prior to the 1970s. The department included faculty from areas of speech, drama, telecommunicative arts, and speech disorders, which progressed until its …


A Social Media Strategy For An Academic Department, Stephanie Buermann, Heidi Everett, R. Jeffrey Ringer, Traci Anderson, Alex Davenport, Eddah Mutua Jan 2020

A Social Media Strategy For An Academic Department, Stephanie Buermann, Heidi Everett, R. Jeffrey Ringer, Traci Anderson, Alex Davenport, Eddah Mutua

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This essay describes the process one communication studies department used to develop a social media strategy. That process involved identifying the audiences to be reached, establishing goals and objectives, conducting an audit to identify possible message posts, and selecting posts to reach our goals and objectives. The resulting strategy involves posting messages two to three times per week targeted toward specific audiences and reflecting twelve objectives. A calendar was created to guide the posts. Future research will assess the effectiveness of the strategy.


Complete Issue, Volume 39, Issue 2 Jan 2020

Complete Issue, Volume 39, Issue 2

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete issue for Volume 39, Issue 2 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.


Demonstration Policies At Private Universities: A Case Study And Analysis, Bastiaan Vanacker Jan 2019

Demonstration Policies At Private Universities: A Case Study And Analysis, Bastiaan Vanacker

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Unlike public universities, private universities are not bound by the First Amendment when regulating students’ on-campus speech. This has provided administrators at private universities with great leeway in putting restrictions on student demonstrations. This article starts out with a case analysis of Loyola University Chicago, where the demonstration policy was loosened after pressure from the university community. This example frames the research questions of this study, analyzing the prevalence and nature of demonstration policies at private universities. Compared to public universities, private universities are less likely to have a demonstration policy, and the language and procedures contained in these policies …


Editor's Note, Janie M. H. Fritz Jan 2019

Editor's Note, Janie M. H. Fritz

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the Editor’s Note to Volume 38, Issue 2 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.


“Let Me Walk With You”: Communicative Coaching And Communication Administration At The Crossroads, Craig T. Maier Jan 2019

“Let Me Walk With You”: Communicative Coaching And Communication Administration At The Crossroads, Craig T. Maier

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Communication administration today is at a crossroads, contending with an unprecedented set of pressures and challenges. This essay explores how the emerging field of coaching might speak to this time. Drawing from the practices and standards of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the coaching literature, and communication ethics scholarship, this essay frames a uniquely communicative approach to coaching practice. After describing communicative coaching in terms of the goods that it protects and promotes (Arnett, Fritz, & Bell, 2009), it discusses how communicative coaching can sustain the goods of productivity, place, persons, and professionalism (Fritz, 2013) within the context of the …


Crisis Communication In Context: History And Publication Trends, Kenneth A. Lachlan, Patric R. Spence, Matt Seeger, Christine Gilbert, Xialing Lin Jan 2019

Crisis Communication In Context: History And Publication Trends, Kenneth A. Lachlan, Patric R. Spence, Matt Seeger, Christine Gilbert, Xialing Lin

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This study aims to describe the development of crisis communication as a subfield of Communication Studies, through an analysis of data taken from journal publications. By tracing the origins of crisis communication, this study identifies some of the primary forces that have influenced its development. Next, the results of an analysis of crisis communication articles drawn from twelve periodicals over nineteen years within the larger communication discipline are offered. The results suggest that Journal of Applied Communication Research has been the most common outlet for this subdiscipline, human subjects data accounts for less than half of the published research, and …


Editor's Note, Janie Harden Fritz Jan 2019

Editor's Note, Janie Harden Fritz

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the Editor’s Note to Volume 38, Issue 1 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.


New Jersey Communication Association’S Adjunct/Contingent Faculty Certification Program: What Makes A Communication Classroom?, Christopher Lynch, Anita Foeman, Theresa Nance Jan 2019

New Jersey Communication Association’S Adjunct/Contingent Faculty Certification Program: What Makes A Communication Classroom?, Christopher Lynch, Anita Foeman, Theresa Nance

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

The New Jersey Communication Association’s Adjunct/ Contingent Faculty Certification program provides a place of reflection for potential adjunct or contingent faculty and prepares them for teaching in a communication classroom. New Jersey state law requires an oral communication course for every college student. Disciplinary departments who may not have a direct connection with the field of communication often sponsor and teach these classes. Recruiting potential candidates to teach a communication class raises challenges for administrators and department chairs especially when many sections of the course are needed. The perception of non-communication administrators is sometimes that anyone can teach this core …


Complete Issue, Volume 38, Issue 1 Jan 2019

Complete Issue, Volume 38, Issue 1

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete issue for Volume 38, Issue 1 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.


Jmc Deans Of Color Lead With A Purpose: A Qualitative Study, Keonte C. Coleman, Laura M. Gonzalez Jan 2019

Jmc Deans Of Color Lead With A Purpose: A Qualitative Study, Keonte C. Coleman, Laura M. Gonzalez

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This qualitative study contextualized the leadership experiences of journalism and mass communication (JMC) deans who self-identified as persons of color. While anonymously participating in a virtual focus group, these deans expressed bringing a higher purpose to leading their programs. This study aims to elucidate the benefits of increasing the diversity of JMC leadership and illuminate the need to improve the working environment for current and future JMC leaders of color.


Complete Issue, Volume 38, Issue 2 Jan 2019

Complete Issue, Volume 38, Issue 2

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete issue for Volume 38, Issue 2 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.


Complete Issue, Volume 37, Issue 1 Jan 2018

Complete Issue, Volume 37, Issue 1

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete issue for Volume 37, Issue 1 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.