SCAN Academic Trends

1
SCANAcademic Trends Career Markets

• External Mandates
• k-16
• Internationalization/Globalization
• Expand mission to include Continuing ed.,
  Professional development,
• certifications
• Experiential Learning
• Academic workload
• Faculty Demographics
• General Education

2
External MandatesAccreditation

• Growing number of programs face accreditation
  and/or external review
• Accreditation requirements for some programs
  impact all programs
• Growing costs associated with accreditation and
  program approval process

3
External MandatesShared Governance

• Mandated by USM 10/04/96
• amended 8/25/00
• Workload impact of mandate debated
• Policy requirement for proper level of resources
  for those involved

4
External MandatesFunding Sources

• Higher Education becoming more accountable to
  funding sources at time when funding is shrinking
• Self regulation vs. government regulation of
  Higher education
• Increased federal regulation
• Limited state resources
• Rising educational costs
• Growing demand for accessibility and equity

5
Academic Trends K-16

• Strengthen K-16 connections in assessment,
  accountability and professional development
• Business communitys growing influence in K-16
  education
• Sixteen states on board through NASH
• Being driven by MHEC, MSDE and USM

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Academic Trends K-16 Cont.

• Two year to four articulation proliferates
• Two year institutions given pre-professional
  degree programs
• Identification of Learning Outcomes for Higher
  Education Institutions

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Internationalization Globalization Efforts on
College Campuses

• Push/Pull of Globalization
• Strong public support and student interest in
  internationalization
• Discouraging picture of current
  internationalization ethos on campuses

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Questions that every campus should be asking

• To what extent is global learning articulated as
  a goal of undergraduate education at the
  institution?
• Does the institutions general education
  curriculum include global perspectives?
• Do collaborative activities with institutions in
  other countries affect the experience of
  undergraduates?

9
Continued Questioning

• Do the international activities of faculty
  members have an impact on undergraduates?
• How does the institution implicitly or explicitly
  encourage or discourage study abroad?
• To what extent do academic policies and
  practices, including promotion, tenure criteria
  and faculty development opportunities, emphasize
  and reward teaching and learning with a global
  focus?

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Best Practices Case Studies

• Appalachian State University
• Expanded short-term Study Abroad
• Encouraged semester and academic year aboard
• Increased international student exchange for one
  semester with partner institutions

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Best Practices Case Studies

• Arcadia University
• Identified internationalization as key focus in
  reaccredidation in 1999 five goals
• Expanded well-known London Preview Program
• Required freshmen interdisciplinary course,
  Justice and Multicultural Interpretation
• Set foreign language requirement
• Set study abroad opportunities as component of
  each academic department description

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Best Practices Case Studies

• -SUNY Binghamton
• Set internationalization as one of three
  overarching institutional priorities
• Developed campus-wide vision with set of specific
  action objectives
• Developed two new curricular programs
• International Studies Certificate Program
  program of language study, cross-cultural
  courses, experience learning, and independent
  study capstone project taken parallel with major
• Global Studies Integrated Curriculum 40 credit
  concentration

13
Best Practices Case Studies

• -Indiana University (Bloomington)
• Has had a reputation as an international
  university for more than 50 years
• Instituted new strategic directions charter
  with one plank dedicated to strengthening
  international programs in teaching and research
• Supported implementation of internationalized
  curricula in new fields
• Established international studies summer
  institute for high school students
• Improved contact and programming for
  international alumni

14
A few universities offer academic credit to Peace
Corps volunteers

• At Humboldt State University, program is part of
  TESOL degree in which students take most of
  required courses on campus, and then earn
  remaining credits applying their knowledge as
  volunteer.
• Peace Corp is trying to forge more links with
  higher education institutions especially in
  areas of master degrees in international
  programs, and in medicine, technology, and
  agriculture.

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Academic ProgrammingMission Issues for
Comprehensive Institutions

• Carnegie Classifications significance
• Character of State Colleges -- not so hot/hot
• New academic programs/focus in demand and/or
  need
• Ethnic-studies programs
• Climate science

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Internships

• Employers highly value -- leading recruiting
  tool ¾ have internship program
• Nearly all Universities have internship programs
  concentrated in business, healthcare, and
  education

17
Service Learningcommunity volunteering

• Student involvement 28 growing at 68
  schools, Liberal Arts
• Faculty involvement 13,
• obstacles - teaching load lack time
• Institutional Support SL courses,
  centers,directors, work study
• Common issues tutoring (esp. reading),
  mentoring, housing / homelessness, environment,
  hunger, health, voter issues
• Populations served low-income, youth, minority
  groups, homeless, elderly, non-English speaking

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Civic Engagement

• Teach civic skills to participate in a democratic
  society
• (critical thinking, public deliberation,
  involvement, tolerance, collective action, etc.)
• Fluid concept Growth on campuses
• Main activities thus far
• Undergrad ed. reform, student service learning
  exposure to diversity/multicultural issues,
  leadership development
• University-Community partnerships, esp. K-12
• Public policy development faculty development
• Missing emphasis -- Increased citizens activism
  w/ Governments.
• Trend issue Translating service learning into
  real civic engagement, civic skills, and interest
  in politics.

19
Undergraduate Research

• Growth on campuses -- more, larger, and longer
  conferences, greater diversity of disciplines
  participating.
• NSF program to encourage

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Career Markets
21
Fastest Growing Occupations

• Computer Software engineer, applications
• Computer Software, systems software
• Network computer systems administrator
• Network systems data communications analyst
• Database Administrator
• Computer System analyst
• Physician Assistant
• Teacherscareer/technology , computer science,
  ESOL, German, Spanish, Math, Chemistry, Physics,
  special ed., speech.

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Whos in Demand?  

• Demand focuses on Technical degrees
• at Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral
• Electrical EngineeringAccountingMechanical
  EngineeringManagement Information
  SystemsMarketing/marketing management
• ALSO
• Nurses, pharmacist,teachers

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Skills Employers Seek

• Communications
• Skills (verbal written)
• Honesty/integrity
• Teamwork
• Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)
• Strong work ethic

• Motivation initiative
• Flexibility adaptability
• Analytical skills
• Computer Skills
• Organizational Skills

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Career Earnings by Educational Attainment

• No high school-16,053
• HS-23,594
• Bachelors-43,782
• Advanced Degree-64,473
• The earnings of those with advanced degrees have
  skyrocketed, growing by 28 in inflation-adjusted
  dollars

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General Education Trends

• Developmental model that is integrated throughout
  the the entire education process
• Outsiders look at Gen. Ed. as part of the
  accrediting process and assessment

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Faculty Workload

• No single formula for an equitable faculty
  workload can be devised for all of American
  higher education.
• Preferred Teaching LoadsFor undergraduate
  instruction, a teaching load of nine hours per
  week.
• - AAUP Statement on Faculty Workload

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Faculty Workload

• Increasingly legislators view higher education as
  unproductive and unaccountable, and do not
  understand or are unsympathetic to what faculty
  do outside of the classroom.
• Many states attempt to link allocations
• to faculty workload and productivity.
• Despite working long hours (faculty average
  52-hour work weeks), there is increasing pressure
  to be more productive, not just from legislators,
  but also in order to achieve tenure.

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Faculty Hiring

• Huge dependence on part-time
• nontenure-track faculty
• from 1976 to 1995, total faculty in US increased
  by 47, but part-time faculty increased by 91,
  whereas full-time faculty increased by 27.
• According to Dept of Education, in 1987 11 of
  full-time faculty members were nontenure track
• in 1998, the number was 18.
• According to 1998 study, nearly all colleges
  contribute to benefits for full-time faculty.
• 53 of institutions contribute to benefits for
  part-time faculty.

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Faculty Hiring

• Nearly a third of faculty
• members are 55 or older compared to a quarter 10
  years ago.
• We should expect lots of retirements, thus
  serious competition for new faculty (perhaps at
  time of budget constraints and hiring
  restrictions).
• Hard to predict when faculty will retire, though.