March, 2007

Academic Leader - March, 2007 - Full Issue PDF
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Academic Intrapreneurs: Key Players in Finding New Funding Sources
By Bob Smith, PhD
We are all aware of entrepreneurs—people who assume risk in new business ventures. In contrast, an “intrapreneur” is one who works creatively within an institution to develop new associations and opportunities to advance institutional and individual professional development goals. The “academic intrapreneur” can be an administrator, faculty member, or staff person who seeks new resources and development opportunities to address the fiscal challenges faced by many higher education institutions.

University of Phoenix Taps into Associate Degree Market
The University of Phoenix is making inroads into the community college market by offering six online associate degree programs—accounting, business, criminal justice, general studies, health administration, and information technology—through its Axia College. Established in 2004, Axia College of the University of Phoenix is intended to meet the needs of a growing segment of the higher education market that lacks preparation for college.

Departmental Culture Change
By Dave Frock
The challenge of change. It is an issue we face regularly with varying levels of drama. Am I ready to change careers, start a diet, buy a house, or try a new vacation spot? Many profess the concept that change is good and brings the excitement of new opportunities. In the workplace, however, change is often met with skepticism, rolled eyes, and the all-too-familiar “here we go again …”

How to Develop and Manage Effective Service Learning Opportunities
By Kevin Christophersen, MA
As a marketing communication faculty member at Columbia College Chicago, I have assembled structured service learning opportunities with various classes and select not-for-profit organizations. Businesses I have partnered with include a community life enrichment center in the Midwest that serves people of all ages with developmental disabilities, a not-for-profit AIDS service organization that combines direct services and prevention programs, and, finally, an all-volunteer not-for-profit corporation that donates all proceeds to select gay and lesbian and HIV/AIDS service organizations.

Evaluating Faculty with Specific Concerns: What, Why, and How
By A. C. “Buddy” Himes, PhD
Evaluations mandated by institutions generally assess application of faculty expertise to teaching, research, and service. But as Keig (1994) states in Collaborative Peer Review, “Clearly, there is more to teaching than having a command of the subject matter, as essential as that is.” How can objective data be gathered on faculty issues unrelated to expertise that may be affecting the unit?

Parting Shot: Rethinking Scholarly Publication for Tenure
By Thomas R. McDaniel, PhD
Well, here we go again. The Daily Princetonian reports on its Web news page a story about the Modern Language Association’s task force recommendation regarding “ways in which universities should rethink how they ‘admit’ professors and later decide on their tenure.” Rosemary Feal, executive director of the MLA, said, “We wanted data that we could analyze in light of the changes in the scholarly community.”