SCAN
Academic 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
External Mandates
Accreditation
• 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
External Mandates
Shared 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
External Mandates
Funding 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
Academic Trends K-16
• Strengthen K-16 connections in
assessment, accountability and
professional development
• Business community’s growing influence
in K-16 education
• Sixteen states on board through NASH
• Being driven by MHEC, MSDE and USM
Academic Trends K-16 Cont.
• Two year to four articulation proliferates
• Two year institutions given preprofessional degree programs
• Identification of Learning Outcomes for
Higher Education Institutions
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
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 institution’s general education
curriculum include global perspectives?
–Do collaborative activities with institutions
in other countries affect the experience of
undergraduates?
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?
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
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
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
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
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.
Academic Programming
Mission 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
Internships
• Employers highly value -- leading
recruiting tool; ¾ have internship
program
• Nearly all Universities have
internship programs; concentrated
in business, healthcare, and
education
Service Learning
community 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
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.
Undergraduate Research
– Growth on campuses -- more, larger, and
longer conferences, greater diversity of
disciplines participating.
– NSF program to encourage
Career Markets
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
Teachers:career/technology , computer
science, ESOL, German, Spanish, Math,
Chemistry, Physics, special ed., speech.
Who’s in Demand?
• Demand focuses on Technical degrees
at Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral
Electrical Engineering
Accounting
Mechanical Engineering
Management Information Systems
Marketing/marketing management
ALSO…
Nurses, pharmacist,teachers
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
Career Earnings by
Educational Attainment
o
o
o
o
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
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
Faculty Workload
• “No single formula for an equitable
faculty workload can be devised for all
of American higher education.”
• “Preferred Teaching Loads…For
undergraduate instruction, a teaching
load of nine hours per week.”
- AAUP Statement on Faculty Workload
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.
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 parttime faculty.
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.