Strategy to Improve Quality of Higher Education Institution Based on AUN-QA Standard

Purpose – The objectives of this research are (1) to describe and analyze the gap between Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) academic and management resource and ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) standard; (2) to describe and analyze the strategy of quality improvement of Universitas Negeri Semarang based on AUN-QA Criteria. Methodology – This research is conducted with qualitative approach combine with statistical analysis. The respondent in this paper is management positions at UNNES. Data were collected by interview, observation, documents study and questionnaire. Data analysis was performed with interactive analysis model and descriptive statistical analysis. Findings – The results revealed that the academic and management resources at Semarang State University are good and potential to become a world class university. Quality culture in the implementation of tridharma (education, research and community service) that developed at Semarang State University has been oriented to higher education continuous quality improvement. Therefore, several strategies for improving the quality of higher education that must be implemented in order to achieve AUN-QA certification are: (1) changing mindset and work culture towards international standard, (2) re-structuring of human resource management through education and training, (3) re-structuring of university governance system, (4) strengthening regional and international networking, and (5) strengthening internal controls mechanism. Significance – These findings can contribute to universities that are preparing to become a world class university to develop a holistic quality assurance system by using the AUN-QA framework reference

Information support for the sense-making activities of managers

This thesis addresses the problem of how computer technologies and associated systems can be used effectively to provide information, in particular organisational performance information, to support managers in their strategic activities, with particular reference to managers in public, professional bureaucracies such as universities. The objective of the thesis is to answer the following questions: 1. What do different disciplines and bodies of knowledge cwrently say about this problem? 2. Is there a theoretical approach that can provide a holistic, contextual and dynamic understanding of this problem? 3. Can this theory be used to develop a holistic, contextual and dynamic model of the problem? 4. Can the model provide guidelines or methodologies that can be of general use to real organisations faced with this problem? The approach taken is one of a qualitative, interpretive epistemology and the theoretical basis is that of the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) based on the work of the Russian psychologists Vygotsky (1978) and Leontiev (1981). Following a review of the literature, a study was conducted of five projects aimed at the provision of information to management at a single site. This study used the historical research methodology of Mason et al (1997). From this study a new holistic model was developed of the use of computer technologies and associated systems in providing information to support managers in their strategic activities. This model is contrasted with a model of the same problem based on the current literature. A framework, derived from the model, is presented. The new model and framework were applied to a project concerning the creation of a prototype enterprise information system for research output performance in a university. This project, guided by the model, captured the imagination of management and is a significant improvement on previous attempts, thus verifying the validity of the model and the CHAT approach

Experiences of senior administrators in creating performance excellence in Thailand\u27s private universities

Higher education in Thailand is challenged with increasing pressures. Like other kinds of organizations, universities have been challenged by external, uncontrollable forces. The increased challenges in Thailand\u27s higher education have prompted senior institutional administrators to understand the nature of higher education institutional affairs, and to articulate new solutions and adapt the business world\u27s operational paradigm in quality management to direct their institutions in allocating their limited resources. The purpose of the study was to discover and make meaning of institutional administrative affairs in private universities in Bangkok, Thailand, as perceived by senior level administrators. A case study methodology with constructivist epistemology was employed for the study. Eight university administrators in four institutions in Bangkok, Thailand were invited to join the individual interviews and focus group. Findings were discovered how institution has addressed and moved on improving excellence in administrative performance. Utilizing Baldrige and ONESQA for their performance excellence development provided a detailed snapshot of the institutional system. Thailand\u27s universities using the quality frameworks to transform their business start with an assessment. Universities need a new understanding of the nature of their quality initiatives system, and a measurement of their improvement. All participants recognized and understood the benefits of the quality frameworks assessment. As a result of the implementation of the SAR reports, universities can produce a roadmap for continuous improvement, and also validate key performance areas, and set a process for improvement

Balanced scorecard model for Paulinian educational institutions

The researcher aimed to come up with a mission-centered strategic management system for Paulinian schools using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) approach. To achieve this project, a consensus was derived from 39 schools in the Philippines run by the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC) using the Delphi technique. The resulting BSC model included five perspectives, namely, spirituality, internal processes, learner and external community, learning organization, and fiscal resources perspectives. Strategic objectives with the corresponding key performance indicators (KPIs) were identified. Unique to the resulting BSC model is the inclusion of spirituality perspective which ensures the conscious infusion of long-lasting values in all aspects of the school

Advising Assessment Practices of Advising Professionals at an Accredited United Kingdom Urban Career-Focused Higher Education Institution: A Replicated Quantitative, Descriptive Analysis

The Problem As the world has flattened, the globalization and quality education movement surrounding higher education worldwide has led to the accountability of all stakeholders regarding student success in and beyond the classroom. Student mobility continues to impact tertiary enrollments as families and students consider the proliferated traditional and non-traditional enrollment alternatives along with prospective lower tertiary debt options. Although assessment, an accountability tool, in co-curricular areas such as advising has been overlooked by leaders, advising is not impervious to accountability consequences. The problem is that assessment of advising, if performed, is oftentimes implemented informally, without a well-defined framework or the utilization of sophisticated measures, consequently advancing uninformed decisions that may have adverse effects on student success. This study examined the advising assessment practices (identify SLOs, determine assessment method(s) used, and utilize assessment data) of an accredited urban careerfocused university with a student body comprised of over 30% non-natives representing 65 countries and located in the United Kingdom; a country identified as the second most popular tertiary mobile student enrollment destination, in a time when tertiary student success is under intense scrutiny. Method An online, validated, cross-sectional National Survey on Assessment of Academic Advising instrument was slightly revised and used for this replicated study to gain a fundamental cross-cultural understanding of advising assessment practices from the viewpoint of advising professionals having responsibilities associated with undergraduate advising at one U.K. university. Three of the four research questions focused on advising assessment practices and included: 1. What are the advising student learning outcomes identified at the participating U.K. university? 2. What are the advising methods utilized to conduct assessment of advising SLOs at the participating U.K. university? and 3. How are the advising assessment data used for advising co-curricular improvement(s) at the participating U.K. university? The fourth question focused on the advising professional’s assessment perceptions and included: 4. What elements are viewed as supporting the assessment of advising at the participating U.K. university? All response data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The nominally measured independent variables included the three recognized assessment practices of: 1) identifying advising SLOs, 2) employing assessment method(s), and 3) utilizing advising assessment data. The 26 pre-defined advising student learning outcomes that articulate what students are expected to know (cognitive learning), do (behavioral learning), and value (affective learning) were the nominally measured dependent variables (Powers, 2012, p. 15). Findings The findings indicated that the European university informally assessed advising through the three observed advising assessment practices. The sample reporting described cognitive learning outcomes as the most identified advising learning outcomes; focused on what students should know as a result of advising (Powers, 2012, p. 40). The data also revealed that surveys/questionnaires were the advising assessment method identified with the highest frequency within all the advising student learning outcomes, and the main use for advising assessment data for both cognitive and behavioral advising student learning outcomes was to improve advising process/delivery, whereas the primary assessment data use for affective student learning outcomes was to improve advising curriculum. Furthermore, the results suggested the four main elements perceived as important in supporting advising assessment were: advisors needed to believe that advising assessment was a worthwhile endeavor, advisors need to know how to conduct assessment of advising, advisors need to feel confident in their abilities to properly conduct assessment of advising, and that advisors need more information about what similar universities are doing to assess advising. Whereas, respondents indicated the most neutral view of the element: advisors need to be rewarded for assessment of advising activities, and interestingly, revealed that advisors need to enjoy the assessment of advising process as unimportant in supporting the assessment of advising (Powers, 2012). Conclusions The research data suggests that the university informally exercised the steps identified as best practices in measuring the effect of advising on student learning. Moreover, with approximately 85% of respondents indicating the 7 cognitive, 11 behavioral and 8 affective learning outcomes were informally assessed implying an opportunity to formalize a culture of advising assessment. Additionally, the data suggests the leading perceptions of advisors needing to believe that advising assessment was a worthwhile endeavor, advisors needing to know how to conduct assessment of advising, advisors needing to feel confident in their abilities to properly conduct assessment of advising, and advisors needing more information about what similar universities are doing to assess advising as important factors in supporting advising assessment (Powers, 2012). This would involve a need for an internal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of administration\u27s current support for advising assessment practices (Hladchenko, 2014). Furthermore, as the first study to examine the advising assessment practices of one European university, this study begins to addresses the current gap in published research regarding co-curricular assessment practices that creates a hindrance in replicating applicable cross-cultural advising assessment practices by seeking to establish commonalities between cultures yet also seeking to identify areas of difference within the global higher education community in support of student success (Newell, 1998, p. 359)

Exploring the Influence of ACBSP Accreditation on the Value Proposition of NC Business Schools

National accreditation agencies, such as the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, offer accreditation opportunities to provide external validation of continuous improvement processes implemented within the business schools’ programs of study. The requirements for obtaining and maintaining the most popular national business program accreditations are resource consuming and do not yet have a documented level of influence on the business schools’ value propositions associated with the accreditation process or accreditation status. The current study is necessary to explore the influence accreditation has on the value proposition presented to the marketplace, which is an essential component of the marketing strategy formation for both the business schools and the accrediting organizations. This research study explored the influence of ACBSP accreditation on the value proposition for a business school’s programs of study

Rethinking institutional excellence in Ethiopia: adapting and adopting the balanced scorecard (BSC) model

This paper intends to outline an academic scorecard that serves as a strategic framework for measuring institutional performance in Ethiopia. It gives major emphasis for producing initial portfolio of key performance indicators that will serve as a springboard for measuring performance in academic institutions. The study relied on meta-analysis of existing BSC-related literature in business and mission-driven organizations across the globe with an intention of benchmarking the best practices in the area. A comprehensive analysis and synthesis of an extant literature resulted in an architectural blueprint of BSC for academic institutions operating in Ethiopia. This has been built around five strategic themes that serve as pillars of excellence for HEIs (viz., academic excellence, diversity of student community, outreach and engagement, resource management, and networking and partnership) and four perspectives, which are different views of what drives the institution and those which provide a framework for measurement of its performance. The identified perspectives include the stakeholders, the internal business process, financial stewardships, and learning, innovation and development (LID). A number of strategic objectives and measurement metrics have been forwarded under each perspective in line with the HEI’s mission. The researcher expects that such BSC framework will arouse a great deal of interest in opening discussions and debates among academics, HEIs officials, policy makers, reform consultants and others in a way they serve as a good ground for developing common understanding and outlining a skeleton of academic scorecard to be standardized for more or less uniform application in the Ethiopian HEIs. Keywords: Balanced Score card (BSC), Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions, excellence in service provision

Risk management and calculative cultures

Enterprise risk management (ERM) has recently emerged as a widespread practice in financial institutions. It has been increasingly codified and encrypted into regulatory, corporate governance and organisational management blueprints. A burgeoning literature of regulatory and practitioner texts is indicative of the apparent diversity of ambitions, objectives and techniques that constitute the ERM agenda. Making sense of these developments is a challenge. This paper presents field-based evidence from two large banking organisations suggesting that systematic variations in ERM practices exist in the financial services industry. The cases illustrate four risk management ideal types and show how they form the 'risk management mix' in a given organisation. Further, drawing on the literature of the roles and uses of management control systems (MCS), the paper explores how ERM achieved organisational significance in the studied settings. The findings are indicative of the current co-existence of alternative models of ERM. In particular, two types of ERM models are postulated: one driven by a strong shareholder value imperative (ERM by the numbers), the other corresponding to the demands of the risk-based internal control imperative (holistic ERM). This paper explains the differences in the two risk management mixes pointing towards alternative logics of calculation (Power, 2007), which I conceptualise and describe as different calculative cultures. The study suggests that calculative cultures, which in these cases shaped managerial predilections towards ERM practices, are relevant, albeit so far neglected, constituents of the fit between MCS and organizational contexts