A cross-cultural leadership challenge : university-sponsored observatory on sacred Apache site

In the early 2000s, the University of Minnesota received a grant to buy a share in a telescope to be installed on the site of Mount Graham International Observatory. Located in an area known for some of the clearest skies of the world, the mountain is also one of the four holiest sites of the Western Apache, and construction of the observatory was opposed by numerous Native American groups arguing that the ground is desecrated by the research facilities. Leadership of a University known for its commitment to intercultural dialogue was faced with a choice between two sets of values rooted in dissimilar cultures. On the one hand were the resources available to win a signicant research advantage for university scientists. On the other, an indigenous community claimed the location as a sacred site. This paper examines the leadership challenge faced by the leaders of the University, analyzes the cultural dimensions underlying the con ict of values, and critiques the ultimate response of University leadership as a violation of the principles of ethical leadership in service to the greater good

Strategic instrument or social institution : rationalized myths of the university in stakeholder perceptions of higher education reform in Poland

European universities have come under reform pressures to make them instruments of social and economic development, compromising their earlier status as socially buffered institutions. The aim of this paper was to investigate the hypothesis that tensions and inconsistencies in recent higher education reforms in Poland trace back to a fundamental conflict between institutional and instrumental visions of the university. Findings suggest an intersection of "rationalized myths" that locks the university sector in a "corset" experienced by stakeholders more like a return to the Soviet past than the way of a better future. Seen through the lens of second-order systems theory, these findings problematize the assumption that the historically grounded institution of the university can be re-oriented as an instrument for achieving state priorities with a mere balance of carrots and state-of-the-art sticks

A Pilot Study Of The Impact Of An Intergenerational Program For Socially Isolated Seniors: Examining LINKages

An increasing number of elderly people are remaining at home long into their senior years. This is a highly vulnerable population, at risk of loneliness, isolation, depression and associated adverse health outcomes. Intergenerational social programs are intended to enable social contact, promote active participation and sharing, as well as provide a sense of meaning for seniors. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine social and health outcomes of long-term senior participants at the intergenerational organization, LINKages. Twenty-one participants completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Engagement in Meaningful Activities Scale, MOS Social Support Survey, the Short Form Health Survey and participated in a semi-structured interview. Results indicate that intergenerational programs do target lonely seniors, who have an average sense of engagement in meaningful activities compared with standardized norms. A stronger bond with a younger volunteer was associated an increased sense of social support. Finally, decreased loneliness, engagement in meaningful activities and sense of social support were all related to increased vitality. The study findings indicate that intergenerational programming is successful in targeting lonely older adults and that improvements in the social outcomes, such as loneliness, support and sense of meaning are associated with better health

Humboldt is (not) dead : a social systems perspective on reforming European universities

This paper investigates the qualities of the Humboldtian reform that rendered it profoundly effective in its own time, arguing that Wilhelm Von Humboldt’s accomplishment consisted in the naming and application of an institutional identity that has had been long present before. That identity still persists in European universities to this day, and once again requires to be named and applied

Impacts of globalisation on the academic profession : emerging corruption risks in higher education

In recent decades universities around the world have become the focus of intense political interest as drivers of global and national economies. The mission of the modern university was historically defi ned as social and cultural as well as economic. The balance of priorities has been undergoing a major shift, however, as higher education is increasingly being recognised as a driver of the new ‘knowledge economy’. In an environment in which higher education is treated as an aspect of economic policy, universities are coming under increasing pressure from governments and transnational institutions to become more entrepreneurial and responsive to the market. This new order of academic work has been described as ‘academic capitalism’, and its demands often clash with the traditional structures and values of the university. Researchers and policy-makers are only beginning to understand how the clash of old and new in the academic workplace affects corruption risks. While evidence of corruption is diffi cult to collect, much is known about the structural factors that tend to increase its likelihood. Five key structural changes in twenty-first-century academia, outlined below, are known in social science research to be linked with dishonest and corrupt behaviour. These emerging corruption risks require further empirical study to understand how the changing structure of universities might affect the ethical behaviour of academics and university administrators

Journals : at the front lines of integrity in academic research

Editors of journals are the gatekeepers and arbiters of the scientific record. They grant legitimacy to research, which, in turn, shapes public policy, influences the direction of future research and informs professional choices, from medical treatments to business strategies. Publication in academic journals can result in financial rewards and personal accolades for authors. It is crucial for professional advancement within academia, offering a quantifiable, widely accepted and easily interpreted indication of scholarly accomplishment. Given the significant powers that accompany their position, journal editors must put themselves at the front lines of defence against academic misconduct, including undue influence, fraud, fabrication and plagiarism in research. There is no doubt that the majority of editors take these responsibilities very seriously. Nevertheless, it bears examining how editors can ensure that they are working to the highest ethical standards, neither abusing their positions for personal or professional gain nor shirking from their duties of holding authors, peer reviewers and publishers to high standards of integrity in research

Formative journeys of first-year college students : tensions and intersections with intercultural theory

Development of intercultural skills is recognized as an essential outcome of a college education, but in order to facilitate students' growth effectively, we must understand the points of the developmental journey at which students enter the college classroom. This study tests four hypotheses developed on the basis of leading models of intercultural development in relation to first-year students' levels of maturity, attitudes toward difference, capacity for productive interaction and emotions experienced in the face of difference. To test the hypotheses, we collected written narratives on a formative encounter with difference from 414 incoming students at the University of Minnesota. Each narrative was coded for an initial, intermediate or advanced stage of intercultural development, as well as for the outcomes of the interaction and emotions experienced in the course of the encounter. Findings indicate that: (1) only 21% of respondents display evidence of ethnorelative thinking; (2) the majority report very positive attitudes toward difference, but show evidence of veiled detachment and minimization; (3) there is no difference in reports of productive interaction between those who do and do not display mindfulness and (4) the emotions experienced at various stages of intercultural maturity do not yield a pattern of increasing comfort. We conclude that the points at which our students begin their intercultural journey may differ slightly from what is suggested by leading developmental models, and recommend adjusting the starting point of programming aimed at supporting intercultural competence development in college

Idolatry of reason : Descartes' error in the training of leaders

Drawing on contemporary research in neurobiology, the author of this article questions the Enlightenment notion of a separation between emotions and the intellect, investigating the implications of research findings for the training of educational leaders. The author analyzes three influential metaphors of the human mind as a chariot, car and rider of an undomesticated elephant, setting them side by side with current knowledge of the brain as a synchronized whole devoid of a central processor. Instinctual aspects of human functioning are presented as biological algorithms responsible for the success of Homo Sapiens as species, but also for behaviors in the current civilizational context that run counter to human well-being. The understanding and regulation of emotional aspects of human functioning are key challenges for the future of the human species on earth. The author contends that liberation from the illusion of rationality can and should begin with educational leaders

Leczenie gorsze od choroby? Diagnoza kondycji polskiego szkolnictwa wyższego na podstawie badań elit polskich uczelni publicznych

The public system of higher education in Poland is widely seen as “ill” – incompatible with the aims assumed by its stakeholders. There is agreement as to the existence of the problem, but no agreement on the diagnosis or courses of treatment. The diagnosis presented in this article is based on a two-year study of higher education elites – academic leaders and government policymakers. The author proposes that a possible cause of the “illness” can be understood through the medical term of polypragmasia – a situation when a sick patient consults different doctors who provide different diagnoses and prescribe different medications that produce undesirable interactions. The university is “sick” because the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and academic leaders give it different “diagnoses” and prescribe different “medications.” While academic leaders emphasize the role of the university in pursuing truth, policymakers see it primarily as an engine of economic growth. In effect, the aims pursued by academic leaders differ from those assumed in recent Polish legislation, and stimuli stemming from political channels encourage behaviors incompatible with the academic ethos. Research findings suggest three areas of potential synergy that could become turning points towards a self-transformation of Polish higher education: elite education, merit-based funding of academic research, and “soft skills.”Finansowany z publicznych pieniedzy system szkolnictwa wyższego w Polsce jest szeroko postrzegany jako „chory” – niesprzyjający celom, jakie stawiają mu różne grupy społeczne. Istnieje zgoda co do istnienia tego problemu, nie ma natomiast zgody co do diagnozy i metod leczenia. Diagnoza przedstawiona w artykule oparta jest na dwuletnich badaniach elit szkolnictwa wyższego – władz uczelni i przedstawicieli rządu. Według autorki jedną z możliwych przyczyn „choroby” jest polipragmazja – jak w medycynie określa się sytuację, gdy chory konsultuje się jednocześnie z kilkoma lekarzami, którzy stawiają różne diagnozy i przepisują różne leki, mogące wchodzić ze sobą w niepożądane interakcje. Uniwersytet „choruje”, ponieważ ministerstwo i władze akademickie aplikują mu odmienne „lekarstwa”. Podczas gdy władze akademickie podkreślają rolę uniwersytetu w dochodzeniu do prawdy, twórcy polityki naukowej widzą go przede wszystkim jako koło zamachowe gospodarki. Presja ze strony rządu wywołuje zachowania kompensacyjne środowisk akademickich polegające na obchodzeniu przepisów i tworzeniu pozorów. W efekcie cele realizowane przez władze uczelni odbiegają od tych zakładanych w najnowszym polskim prawodawstwie, a bodźce płynące z instytucji politycznych zachęcają do zachowań sprzecznych z etosem akademickim. Z badań wynika jednak, że istnieją trzy obszary potencjalnej synergii, które mogą stać się punktami zwrotnymi w transformacji polskiego szkolnictwa wyższego: kształcenie elitarne,merytoryczne finansowanie badań naukowych oraz kompetencje „miękkie”

Strategiczny instrument czy instytucja społeczna? Zracjonalizowane mity uniwersytetu w percepcjach interesariuszy reform szkolnictwa wyższego w Polsce

Europejskie uniwersytety znalazły się pod presją reform, których celem jest uczynienie z nich instrumentów rozwoju społecznego i gospodarczego przy jednoczesnym zniesieniu statusu uczelni wyższych jako instytucji buforowanych społecznie. Celem artykułu jest zbadanie hipotezy, że napięcia i niekonsekwencje w dotychczasowych reformach szkolnictwa wyższego w Polsce mają swoje źródła w podstawowym konflikcie między instytucjonalną a instrumentalną wizją uczelni wyższej. Wyniki badań wskazują na przecinanie się „zracjonalizowanych mitów”, które zamykają sektor szkolnictwa wyższego w „gorsecie” odbieranym przez interesariuszy bardziej jako powrót do komunistycznej przeszłości niż droga ku lepszej przyszłości. Wyniki te, rozpatrywane z punktu widzenia teorii systemów drugiej fali, podważają założenie, iż historyczna instytucja uniwersytetu może zostać przekształcona w instrument służący realizacji priorytetów państwa dzięki zrównoważonej polityce nagród i kar.European universities have come under reform pressures to make them instruments of social and economic development, compromising their earlier status as socially buffered institutions. The aim of this paper was to investigate the hypothesis that tensions and inconsistencies in recent higher education reforms in Poland trace back to a fundamental conflict between institutional and instrumental visions of the university. Findings suggest an intersection of „rationalized myths” that locks the university sector in a „corset” experienced by stakeholders more like a return to the Soviet past than the way of a better future. Seen through the lens of second-order systems theory, these findings problematize the assumption that the historically grounded institution of the university can be re-oriented as an instrument for achieving state priorities with a mere balance of carrots and state-of-the-art sticks