March 2005

Academic Leader March 2005 full issue PDF
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Myths, Realities, and Secrets of Academic Administration
By A.C. “Buddy” Himes, Ph.D.
"The next time a situation like this comes up, I'm going to handle things differently." How often have department chairs and deans made this statement to themselves? What if they could understand the true realities and handle things "differently" in the first place? This article provides experiential research and documented citations to reveal the myths, realities, and secrets for two common administrative scenarios.

Coach Faculty on Handling Parents
When faculty members receive phone calls from parents about their children’s academic work, the response is often, “Our contract is with the students, not the parents,” says Marjorie Savage, parent program director at the University of Minnesota.

Resolving Academic Dishonesty Through Facilitated Discussion
The University of Georgia’s process for addressing student violations of academic honesty policies was “awful” before it was revised in 2000, says Debbie Bell, coordinator for academic honesty. “It was a miserable process. Professors would call me and get ready to report student cheating, and then when I would explain the process and what the possible outcomes would be, they would say, ‘Forget I called. I don’t have that much time’ or ‘I didn’t want to ruin this student’s life. I just wanted to teach him a lesson.’”

Encouraging, Supporting Learning Communities
Learning communities, an approach to curriculum design that links two or more courses, can improve student success and retention and help students develop effective learning habits. Learning communities also can improve the instructors’ teaching by exposing them to new teaching techniques and exploring connections between disciplines they might not have considered. However, to be successful, they require more planning and coordination than traditional courses, which requires a systematic approach to faculty development and support.

Bates’ Workload Changes Improve Efficiency, Recognize Importance of Faculty Roles Outside Class
Widespread complaints from Bates College faculty about their teaching loads prompted administrators to investigate the issue and ultimately devise a plan that would — for most faculty members — significantly reduce their teaching loads without the need for additional resources.

Reacting to Competition From Other Institutions: An Interview With Katrina Meyer
In a recent issue of Planning for Higher Education, Katrina Meyer, associate professor of higher and adult education at the University of Memphis, wrote about the effects of competition on academic programs. She wrote, “The role of leaders in an organization facing competition is to enhance positive responses to competition and minimize, modify, or shape negative ones.” Academic Leader recently spoke with Meyer about what academic leaders can do in the face of competition.