Investing in Human and Institutional Capital through Building Higher Education: An Analysis of United States Assistance to Higher Education in Developing Countries from 2013-2015 and the Relationship with U.S. Universities

The purpose of this study was to explore United States (U.S) government investments through its foreign assistance to higher education in order to inform policy and identify the relationship between these investments and the U.S. higher education community. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach to address the objectives: (1) to compile data from existing data sources in order to categorize and describe selected characteristics of U.S. foreign assistance to higher education, and (2) to document the role that U.S. universities play in the delivery of U.S. higher education development assistance. It was concluded that less than one percent of the foreign assistance budget is spent on higher education development assistance. Three agencies, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and Inter-American Foundation (IAF) have assistance tagged as higher education. Of the 400 unique awards in the Foreign Assistance Dashboard tagged as higher education from 2013-2015, only 277 were determined to fit the higher education definition. More awards (89) were implemented by NGOs than any other implementer type; however, U.S. universities received a higher dollar total than any other implementer type. Study participants identified many benefits and challenges to higher education development assistance. Benefits included diplomacy and a greater understanding of the United States, higher education as a driver of economic growth and workforce development, and development of both human and institutional capacity. Challenges to higher education included the difficulty of quantifying results, lack of reliable measurements of higher education impacts, and higher education being perceived as an investment for the elite. A number of benefits and challenges in terms of working directly with U.S. universities as implementers of higher education development assistance were also identified. Benefits included universities’ inherent knowledge of higher education systems, similarities of challenges shared by host-country and U.S. universities, and a history of continued relationships beyond the life of the award. Challenges identified included high overhead costs of working with U.S. universities, a lack of understanding of how the agency (USAID) operates, and dealing with multiple bureaucracies. Investments in higher education, as well as in primary and secondary education, are investments in human capital. A well-functioning higher education system needs primary and secondary systems that prepare students to be successful in a global, knowledge-driven economy. More balanced investments are needed across all levels of education to derive economic and social benefits for all

2022 NSU Fact Book

The 30th edition of the Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Fact Book provides perspective on the university’s character, growth, and accomplishments. The 2022 Fact Book includes narrative, numeric, and graphic representation of the university, including history, characteristics, and development of the institution. Data are presented in both tabular and graphic formats to provide pertinent detail, and general trends are highlighted. Like all previous editions of the Fact Book, this edition is a snapshot of the university during the academic year that concludes in the year of its publication. Therefore, the 2022 Fact Book represents NSU from fall 2021 through spring 2022, unless otherwise noted.https://nsuworks.nova.edu/nsudigital_factbook/1031/thumbnail.jp

The Current State of Evidence-Based Practices with Classroom Management

Education has been calling for evidence-based practices to help validate it as a bona fide profession (Gable, Tonelson, Sheth, Wilson, & Park, 2012). Lack of evidence-based practices presents an unusual irony in education since the literature has been addressing this research-to-practice gap for years. In particular, evidence based practices in classroom management and discipline have been nearly absent. Skinner noted as far back as 1968 (Skinner, 1968) that most teachers simply incorporate personal experiences into classroom practices rather than embracing science-based methods

The Current State of Evidence-Based Practices with Classroom Management

Education has been calling for evidence-based practices to help validate it as a bona fide profession (Gable, Tonelson, Sheth, Wilson, & Park, 2012). Lack of evidence-based practices presents an unusual irony in education since the literature has been addressing this research-to-practice gap for years. In particular, evidence based practices in classroom management and discipline have been nearly absent. Skinner noted as far back as 1968 (Skinner, 1968) that most teachers simply incorporate personal experiences into classroom practices rather than embracing science-based methods

Asylum migration of Afghans and Syrians to Germany : opportunities and challenges during transit and integration

Refugee migration continues to receive considerable attention in the literature, primarily due to its escalating importance. According to the United Nations (UN), forced displacements in 2021 are the highest ever recorded. Since 2015, Afghans and Syrians have been the two largest internationally displaced populations, not only globally, but also within the European Union (EU). In the last seven years, the number of Afghans applying for asylum in Europe has continued to rise despite the EUs efforts to discourage them. There are major knowledge gaps in the literature with regard to the experiences of migration from the perspective of the refugees themselves and about the driving factors and actors behind fragmented migration journeys. There is also limited literature on Afghan refugees, even though they constitute the second-largest nationality in asylum migration to Europe. Moreover, there are knowledge gaps on the role that different actors, particularly private companies, play for refugees integration in the receiving societies. Addressing these knowledge gaps, the research objectives of this thesis were (1) to explore the trajectories of fragmented migration undertaken by Afghan and Syrian refugees to Germany; (2) to better understand the opportunities and challenges of their adaptation to new societies; and (3) to explore the role of private companies in integrating refugees into the labour market. This dissertation uses a qualitative case study design, with individual in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions with newly arrived Afghans and Syrians, experts from the public sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), social workers, volunteers, translators/interpreters and private companies. In total, 91 refugees and 69 respondents from the public and private sector and civil society organizations participated in this research. The findings on the first objective showed that three-quarters of Afghan respondents did not plan to travel to Germany before their departure; in contrast, the majority of Syrian respondents did have Germany as a destination in mind when departing from their origin or a transit country. There were different factors behind origin migration (i.e. direct migration from the country of origin to the country of destination) and transit migration (i.e. migration with extended stays in other countries before reaching the destination country). The majority of the respondents migrating directly from Afghanistan and Syria left their countries of origin mainly due to political prosecution, violent conflict, personal security, and socio-economic pressure. The major reasons that led to the departure from transit countries were lack of prospects, lack of legal residence permits, fear of deportation, barriers to education and employment, exploitation of their labour, explicit racism, and ethnic and racial discrimination. Moreover, there were some temporary factors such as the so-called opening of borders to Europe in 2015 and expectations for the protection of Syrians in Germany that were seen as an opportunity for both transit and origin migration to Europe. Smugglers, other asylum seekers in transit, and social media contacts were the most influential actors and played very important roles at the beginning, transit, and endpoints of refugees journeys. To address the root causes of migration, European countries including Germany could facilitate regular migration pathways. Moreover, with regard to transit migration, Germany and other European countries could support improving the conditions of refugees in the first countries of refuge, e.g., by creating more favourable reception and living conditions there, improving access to residence and work permits as well as opportunities for employment and education. The findings of the interviews suggest that this may change the decisions of many about undergoing the risky onward migration to Europe. The findings with regard to the second research objective show interesting differences in the integration of the two nationalities included in the study. Syrians were found to be better integrated into their communities as compared to Afghans. The study showed that the shorter the asylum application process is and the more secure the residency status is (which is typically the case for Syrians), the faster refugees gained access to language and integration courses, which gave them a better opportunity to get integrated into the labour market, to find housing and to make better connections to the receiving society. Among the challenges faced by Afghan refugees were the lengthy asylum application process, the difficulty in securing housing, and the long-term residence in reception centres, which caused considerable stress and hardship for the refugees. The opportunities for refugees adaptation into the new societies were facilitated by diverse volunteer services, social and cultural events, and labour market integration services besides the government-provided German language integration courses. Although Stuttgart was found to be a pioneering city in terms of integration facilities for refugees, there is still room for improvements, such as timely accommodation of refugees outside of refuge centres, better coordination of integration offers, and systematic employment of volunteer services for social and labour market integration purposes. Regarding the third objective, the study showed that the engagement of private companies in the labour market integration of refugees increased with the larger arrival of refugees during 2015/2016. This was due to several factors, including the following: the discursive environment; the government call to private sector participation; corporate social responsibility of large-scale international companies; and shortages of skilled workers for small and medium-sized businesses, specifically in the care and service sector. However, the findings indicate that bureaucratic administrative employment procedures, challenges related to cooperation with the public sector, and lack of secure work permits have not only discouraged companies from engagement but also decreased the effectiveness of their engagement.Die zunehmende Fluchtmigration findet in der wissenschaftlichen Literatur weiterhin große Aufmerksamkeit. Die Vereinten Nationen wiesen 2021 die höchste jemals in der Welt registrierte Zahl an Zwangsvertreibungen aus. Afghan*innen und Syrer*innen sind die beiden größten internationalen Flüchtlingsgruppen, nicht nur weltweit, sondern auch in der Europäischen Union. In den letzten sieben Jahren ist die Zahl der Afghan*innen, die in Europa Asyl beantragen, weiter angestiegen, trotz der Bemühungen der EU sie davon abzuhalten. In der Literatur bestehen Forschungslücken bezüglich der Migrationserfahrung der Flüchtenden sowie der Triebkräfte für fragmentierte Fluchtmigration, d.h. Fluchtmigration durch mehrere Länder/Regionen in separaten Phasen ohne ein klar definiertes Ziel. Forschungslücken bestehen auch im Hinblick auf afghanische Geflüchtete, obwohl sie die zweitgrößte Gruppe der Geflüchteten darstellen. Zudem gibt es nur eine begrenzte Literatur zur Rolle der Privatwirtschaft für die Integration von Geflüchteten. Vor diesem Hintergrund verfolgt die vorliegende Dissertation die folgenden drei Forschungsziele: (1) den Verlauf der fragmentierten Migration von afghanischen und syrischen Geflüchteten nach Deutschland zu untersuchen; (2) die Chancen und Herausforderungen ihrer Integration in die neue Gesellschaft zu verstehen; und (3) die Rolle privater Unternehmen bei der Arbeitsmarktintegration von Geflüchteten zu untersuchen. Die Dissertation verwendet einen qualitativen Fallstudienansatz. Als wesentliche Datenerhebungsmethoden wurden Einzelinterviews und Fokusgruppendiskussionen durchgeführt. Insgesamt wurden 91 neu angekommene Afghan*innen und Syrer*innen befragt. Zusätzlich wurden 69 Personen befragt, darunter Expert*innen aus dem öffentlichen Sektor, Vertreter*innen von Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen (NGOs), Sozialarbeiter*innen, Ehrenamtliche, Übersetzer*innen/Dolmetscher*innen und Vertreter*innen von privaten Unternehmen. Die Ergebnisse zum ersten Forschungsziel zeigen, dass drei Viertel der befragten Afghan*innen vor ihrer Abreise nicht geplant hatten, nach Deutschland zu reisen, während die Mehrheit der befragten Syrer*innen bei ihrer Abreise aus dem Herkunfts- oder Transitland Deutschland als Ziel ins Auge fasste. Für die Herkunfts- und Transitmigration wurden verschiedene Gründe genannt. Diejenigen, die direkt aus Afghanistan und Syrien zugewandert sind, sind häufig aufgrund politischer Verfolgung, gewaltsamen Konflikten, wegen mangelnder persönlicher Sicherheit und unter sozioökonomischem Druck geflohen. Die wichtigsten Faktoren für die Transitmigration waren Perspektivlosigkeit, fehlende legale Aufenthaltsgenehmigungen, Angst vor Abschiebung, Hindernisse für Bildung und Beschäftigung, Ausbeutung ihrer Arbeitskraft, offener Rassismus sowie ethnische und rassistische Diskriminierung. Darüber hinaus gab es einige temporäre Faktoren: Die sogenannte "Öffnung der Grenzen zu Europa" im Jahr 2015 und die Erwartung von Syrer*innen, in Deutschland Schutz bekommen, wurden zeitweise als Chance für die Migration nach Europa gesehen. Schmuggler, andere Asylsuchende im Transit, Kontakte bei Sozialen Medien und Helfer*innen haben eine wichtige Rolle bei Beginn, Transit und Endpunkt der Reise gespielt. Die Studie legt nahe, dass Aufnahmeländer wie Deutschland die Bedingungen für reguläre Migration verbessern könnten und insbesondere auch zur Verbesserung der Lebensbedingungen in den Erstzufluchtsländern beitragen könnten. Dabei wäre es hilfreich, die Ankommenden im Erstzufluchtsland besser zu unterstützen, dort günstigere Aufnahmebedingungen zu schaffen und den Zugang zu Aufenthalts- und Arbeitserlaubnissen sowie zu Beschäftigungs- und Bildungsmöglichkeiten zu erleichtern. Dies könnte die Entscheidung vieler Geflüchteter beeinflussen, das Erstzufluchtsland zu verlassen und die riskante Weiterreise nach Europa anzutreten. Die Ergebnisse zum zweiten Forschungsziel, die Chancen und Herausforderungen der Integration in vergleichender Perspektive zu analysieren, zeigen wesentliche Unterschiede bei der Integration der beiden untersuchten Nationalitäten. Die Analyse zeigte, dass Syrer*innen im Vergleich zu Afghan*innen aus verschiedenen Gründen besser integriert sind. Je kürzer das Asylantragsverfahren und je sicherer der Aufenthaltsstatus, desto schneller hatten die Geflüchteten Zugang zu Sprach- und Integrationskursen, die sie besser auf die Integration in den Arbeitsmarkt und die Unterbringung vorbereiteten und bessere Verbindungen zur Aufnahmegesellschaft ermöglichten. Zu den Herausforderungen der afghanischen Geflüchteten zählten das langwierige Asylantragsverfahren, der fehlende Zugang zu Wohnraum und der langfristige Aufenthalt in Aufnahmeeinrichtungen, der zu einer staken Belastung der Geflüchteten führte. Als förderlich für die Integration wurden neben den von der Regierung angebotenen Deutsch-Integrationskursen folgende Faktoren ermittelt: ehrenamtliche Dienste, soziale und kulturelle Veranstaltungen und Arbeitsmarktintegrationsdienste. Obwohl Stuttgart eine Pionierstadt in Bezug auf Integrationseinrichtungen ist, gibt es noch Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten, insbesondere eine rechtzeitige Unterbringung von Geflüchteten außerhalb von Flüchtlingsunterkünften und der systematische Einsatz von Freiwilligendiensten zur gesellschaftlichen und Arbeitsmarktintegration. In Bezug auf das dritte Forschungsziel, die Rolle des Privatsektors für die Integration zu untersuchen, zeigte sich, dass sich das Engagement privater Unternehmen mit dem Anstieg der Geflüchteten in den Jahren 2015/2016 verstärkte. Dies wurde durch folgende Faktoren begünstigt: das diskursive Umfeld, der Regierungsaufruf zur Mitwirkung der Privatwirtschaft, die soziale Verantwortung (Corporate Social Responsibility) von großen internationalen Unternehmen und der Fachkräftemangel bei kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen, insbesondere im Pflege- und Dienstleistungssektor. Die bürokratischen Verwaltungsverfahren für die Beschäftigung von Geflüchteten, die Herausforderungen bei der Zusammenarbeit mit dem öffentlichen Sektor und das Fehlen einer sicheren Arbeitserlaubnis haben jedoch nicht nur Unternehmen von einem Engagement abgehalten, sondern auch die Wirksamkeit des Engagements von Unternehmen verringert

The PEEC Experiment: Native Hawaiian and Native American Engineering Education

PART I: Context 1. Engineering for Native nations: Origins and goals of the Pre-Engineering Education Collaboratives (PEECs)PART II: Culture matters 2. Recognizing history: Indigeneity matters 3. Moving beyond cultural sensitivity: Developing culturally responsive programs for and with Native engineers 4. Invoking cultural relevance at tribal colleges: Grandmother’s way is important5. Discovering what works: STEM pedagogy and curriculum development for Native Americans6. Exploring indigenous science and engineering: Projects with indigenous rootsPART III: Providing support for Natives in Engineering7. Finding an Engineering identity: A Native American PEEC leader’s experience8. Outreaching to K-12 and tribal schools in PEEC9. Establishing who leads: Hawaiian-serving community colleges or tribal colleges as leaders10. Discovering how and how well Native-Hawaiian community colleges work with a mainstream university in Hawai‘i11. Assembling interconnected networks for advancement in engineering: Champions and community12. Increasing enrollment and graduation through teaching and learning strategies: Experiential learningPART IV: Transforming institutional politics13. Transforming through institutionalization and replicability of PEEC14. Obtaining permission to work on reservations: About IRB/RRB regulations15. Involving STEM teachers with tribal faculty in PEEC: Joining forces to serve undergraduatesPART V: Learning from experience16. Joining forces with unexpected PEEC-enhancing projects along the way: Unforeseen alliances in South Dakota 17. Promoting Native women: An underutilized resource 18. Succeeding with students: PEEC student stories19. Measuring outcomes20. Implementing through low-cost solutions21. Useful references22. Contributors23. Epiloguehttps://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cvlee_book/1000/thumbnail.jp

Getting from crisis to systems change: Advice for leaders in the time of COVID

The report recognises that we are in a crisis so deep that only far-reaching systems change can get us out of it and on a path towards a just, inclusive and sustainably prosperous world. It contains dozens of ideas across 14 key issues that are continually being fine-tuned. The report also mentions cross-cutting proposals for giving social entrepreneurs a seat at the table when world leaders meet to make decisions that will impact billions of people. This will help to break down silos impeding holistic approaches and to make it easier for social entrepreneurs to contact and collaborate with other key institutions in the ecosystem for delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, from multilateral institutions and national governments to businesses and philanthropies.

Chairs of Excellence Annual Report 2017

https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/govpubs-tn-higher-education-commission-academic-programs-workforce-reports/1023/thumbnail.jp

Annual Diversity Report, February 3, 2011

This report consists of three sections – the Annual Affirmative Action Report, the Annual Report on the Regents Minority and Women Educators Enhancement Program, and the Affirmative Action Cost report. All three reports are required by the Iowa Code