Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Community College President in the 21st Century

The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them” Albert Einstein. The quote by Albert Einstein indicates where community college presidents are in solving the issues facing their institutions. The 21st Century has brought new challenges and opportunities to college presidents. A college leader is no longer just concerned about academic matters. While there are significant challenges facing community college leaders, opportunities are available for them to make changes to adapt to the changing landscape of higher education

Commodities and Linkages: Meeting the Policy Challenge

The results of detailed empirical enquiry into the nature and determinants of the breadth and depth of linkages in and out of the commodities sector in eight SSA countries (Angola, Botswana, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa Tanzania, and Zambia) and six sectors (copper, diamonds, gold, oil and gas, mining services and timber) has shown extensive scope for industrial development (MMCP DP 13, 2011). A primary conclusion of this research was that policy in both the private and public realm was a prime factor holding back the development of linkages. Addressing this problem requires the closing of three sets of misalignments between policy and practice – within the corporate sector, within the public sector, and between the public sector and other stakeholders involved in linkage development. In addition, specific policies need to be developed, monitored and implemented in relation to the three contextual drivers of linkages from the commodity sector – skills and capabilities, infrastructure and policies towards ownership

Commodities and Linkages: Industrialisation in Sub-Saharan Africa

In a complementary Discussion Paper (MMCP DP 12 2011) we set out the reasons why we believe that there is extensive scope for linkage development into and out of SSA’s commodities sectors. In this Discussion Paper, we present the findings of our detailed empirical enquiry into the determinants of the breadth and depth of linkages in eight SSA countries (Angola, Botswana, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa Tanzania, and Zambia) and six sectors (copper, diamonds, gold, oil and gas, mining services and timber). We conclude from this detailed research that the extent of linkages varies as a consequence of four factors which intrinsically affect their progress – the passage of time, the complexity of the sector and the level of capabilities in the domestic economy. However, beyond this we identify three sets of related factors which determined the nature and pace of linkage development. The first is the structure of ownership, both in lead commodity producing firms and in their suppliers and domestic customers. The second is the nature and quality of both hard infrastructure (for example, roads and ports) and soft infrastructure (for example, the efficiency of customs clearance). The third is the availability of skills and the structure and orientation of the National System of Innovation in the domestic economy. The fourth, and overwhelmingly important contextual factor is policy. This reflects policy towards the commodity sector itself, and policy which affects the three contextual drivers, namely ownership, infrastructure and capabilities. As a result of this comparative analysis we provided an explanation of why linkage development was progressive in some economies (such as Botswana) and regressive in others (such as Tanzania). This cluster of factors also explains why the breadth and depth of linkages is relative advanced in some countries (such as South Africa), and at a very nascent stage in other countries (such as Angola)

21st Century Leadership: Leadership in Challenging Times

Our global society has experienced unprecedented changes in the last couple years. The COVID-19 pandemic created drastic changes to our personal and professional lives. We went to a virtual work and learning environment almost overnight. People in leadership positions had to make impossible decisions on items no one has ever experienced. With all the changes that are happing in our world, what does it take to be a leader in today’s global society? Do basic leadership principles from 30 years ago still apply? Watch the latest installment of the MSEM/MSOM Lunch & Learn Webinar Series that will discuss these leadership challenges as well as developing future leaders

Rapid Battery Exchange (RBX) Charger Interface

As fossil fuel prices steadily rise and concerns associated with burning the fuels increase, electric vehicle sales continue to grow. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, EV sales “tripled from about 17,000 in 2011 to about 52,000 in 2012” [1]. In order to meet consumer transportation expectations—molded by fuel-powered vehicles—electric cars must have the ability to “refuel” quickly. Rapidly charging an EV’s traction battery poses one solution but doing so requires large power levels “five times as much as the average office consumes,” [2] making rapid charging less than ideal for the masses. Alternatively, swapping an EV’s depleted battery with a charged one eliminates the vehicle’s charging downtime and allows the battery pack to charge at an optimal rate while out of the vehicle

The Effects On a State When They Lose Their Senior Senator

The Primary purpose of this paper is to examine the role and importance of Senior Senators in the US Senate. Many states rely on Senators to bring in federal spending in the form of pork. When states lose their Senior Senator and the power they accumulated through increased tenure, they risk losing certain benefits in terms of pork. We use federal expenditures per dollar of tax and analyze how it is affected by Seniority in the Senate. Population, Income, and unemployment rates in each state were controlled for in our regression analysis. It is concluded that increased tenure significantly increases federal spending to Senators’ states. Though this is statistically significant, we find the effects of losing a Senior Senator to be insignificant in the overall welfare of a state

Neuroscience: Tiny Eye Movements Link Vision and Attention

SummaryEye movements are essential to human vision. A new study shows that the tiny eye movements we make while holding our gaze on a point of interest are associated with brief, attention-like changes in the sensitivity of visual neurons