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Admin Administrator
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#1 Posted: Mon Oct 6th, 2008 23:01 |
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TO REPLY TO THE QUESTIONS BELOW, REPLY TO THIS TOPIC USING THE REPLY BUTTON ABOVE. USERS CANNOT BEGIN A NEW TOPIC OF THEIR OWN. WE HAVE SET IT UP THIS WAY TO AVOID FRACTURING THE DISCUSSION.
EN FRANCAIS CI-BAS
Dear Participants,
Now that we’ve had some discussion about where we ought to be headed (Question 1), we’d like to turn to the question of how best to get there. A number of comments posted under Question 1 have already moved us in this direction to some extent. Now let us explore this a bit deeper. (For a summary of feedback obtained through question 1, click here.)
What is the best way to achieve institutional change? What are effective strategies? And how can partnerships help? Please keep in mind that the program the Initiative is developing is only going to be one piece of a much larger puzzle – it is not going to achieve all that needs to be accomplished. So where should partnerships begin? What should be the goals and objectives for the partnerships that the Initiative seeks to support? What should they prioritize?
This question will be open until October 13.
Sincerely,
Olusola Oyewole and Anne-Claire Hervy
________________________________________________
EN FRANCAIS
Chers participants,
Maintenant que nous avons eu des discussions sur la direction à prendre (1ere question), penchons nous maintenant sur la question de savoir la meilleure façon d'y arriver. Un certain nombre de commentaires postés sous la question 1 nous on déjà dirigé vers cette question dans une certaine mesure. Maintenant, nous veuillons explorer ceci un peu plus loin. (Pour un résumé des commentaires sur la première question 1, cliquez ici.)
Quelle est la meilleure manière pour parvenir à un changement institutionnel ? Quels sont des stratégies effectives ? Comment les partenariats peuvent aider à atteindre nos objectifs respectifs? Veuillez garder à l'esprit que le programme que l'Initiative est en train de développer n’est seulement qu’un des éléments d'un puzzle beaucoup plus important – il ne sera pas en mesure de réaliser tout ce qui doit être atteint. Alors, par où doit commencer les partenariats? Quelles doivent être les buts et les objectifs des partenariats que l'Initiative vise à soutenir ? Qu’est-ce qui doit être prioritaire ?
Cette question sera ouverte jusqu’au 13 octobre.
Cordialement,
Olusola Oyewole and Anne-Claire Hervy
Last edited on Mon Oct 6th, 2008 23:09 by Admin
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Temple@hws.edu Member
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#2 Posted: Mon Oct 6th, 2008 23:59 |
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It's good that you acknowledge that this initiative is only a small piece of the puzzle, because undoubtedly many changes need to be made at many levels. But I'm optimistic about the effectiveness of having good teachers exchange good practices with each other. As many people noted with the previous question, in universities everywhere paying attention to the specifics of good teaching is a fairly recent phenomenon.
I've directed a large international project that sent good teachers (volunteers) from several continents into forty different countries, three of them in Africa. We have worked at some length with teachers in each site--usually 100 hours of conteact spead over an academic year--so that those teachers have been able to become capable of helping others (Quality is maintained with guidebooks, standards, and rubrics). After doing this for a while, we have the satisfaction of knowing that, at least where pedagogy is concerned, the teachers will know what to do. And they do join a network of other like-minded teachers who continue to keep each other abreast of new developments in teaching.
This work doesn't change everything that needs changing--and it often flies below the radar of what the bigger government agencies talk about. But at the end of the day, what happens between teacher and student is pretty important, isn't it?
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CGains Member
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#3 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 00:06 |
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What is the best way to achieve institutional change?
Institutional change comes from outside the institution. Because of the hierarchical nature of institutions, any direction of the institution, by definition, cannot be unbiased. Again, the purpose has to be well defined in order to effect change.
What are effective strategies?
To create an effective strategy one first defines the Vision, Mission, Goals, and Objectives, then associates these planning topics with specific measureable outcomes. The strategy has to be flexible enough to fit the specific capabilities, capacities, needs, wants, and desires of those impacted by the purpose. Those impacted are known as “stakeholders.”
And how can partnerships help? Please keep in mind that the program the Initiative is developing is only going to be one piece of a much larger puzzle – it is not going to achieve all that needs to be accomplished.
Partnerships provide many things: Perspective, expertise, division of the work, networking (connectivity and communication), funding, risk sharing, longevity, commitment, diversity, etc. What is particularly to a partnership is to understand each partner’s respective roles.
So where should partnerships begin?
Begin with the concept, move to purpose, and define what is “in it” for each partner. What does each of the partners expect to gain?
What should be the goals and objectives for the partnerships that the Initiative seeks to support?
The Initiative should address economic and societal improvement for the African partner and; recognition, leadership, and global improvement for the American partner.
What should they prioritize?
Prioritize basic life support, study of the needs and wants of the respective regions or countries, economic development, infrastructure, and education for the first ten years.
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babette Member
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#4 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 03:51 |
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With little experience in international partnerships, but a fair amount of experience working with CBOs and consortia of other CUNY campuses, I've noticed that once we developed a training model that delivered its outcomes, we've reused that model over and again. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we've riffed on a combination of training, certifications, and student support including job development. Our sectoral focus (these trainings are generally workforce oriented) has been Hospitality, but it's been interesting to note that although there are always aspects that have needed to be adjusted as move into Healthcare or IT, that the basic model stands.
An important part of this model has been developing communication protocol with our partners, and setting expectations clearly in the beginning. Also, not surprisingly, joint training is an excellent way of revealing where institutional cultures don't accord, and addressing those "translation" issues before it's too late. Believe me, we've had our share of "oops!" moments.
It doesn't answer the question posed fully, but I am an advocate of piloting models, learning how to operationalize them, and building expertise and credibility in house.Last edited on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 03:53 by babette
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HIWOT Member
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#5 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 04:45 |
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I am back from an important meeting convened by the Ministry of Education on "Institutional transformation" where 21 universities were reviewing their progress report on "Business Process Re-engineering" in Ethiopian HEIs.We are embarking on a radical change that would empower universities in general and the instructors(professors, lecturers and researchers etc.) in particular.Core and support processes are identified that can be transformed.Emphasis is made on the teaching-learning, research and commuinity services and support services like Finance, procurement, facilities management, ICTand library, student services etc.Along these processes, a major review of the curriclae in HEIs in Ethiopia is underway and ready for implementation.Such a transformation undoubtedly will benefit from partnerships with US universities and African Universities alike.One area of partnership could be setting standards(both national and international) for monitoring and evaluation of the transformed processes.Experiences from US universities can be sought.Furthermore, training of HEI leaders(at all levels) on specific leadership paradigms can constitute a form of partnership.
Mitiku Haile(HIWOT)
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nabdallah Member
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#6 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 06:11 |
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What is the best way to achieve institutional change?
There must be a committee in charge that works with the Ministry of Higher Education and Universities to be able to be able to make the required changes.
In Egypt as an example, the Higher Education Reform Strategy (HERS) in Egypt consists of 25 sub-projects in the diverse areas related to improving quality, efficiency and relevance of higher education. These projects continue to be implemented till 2017. Three plans were prepared for the implementation of these projects:
· Short-term plan from 2000 to 2002.
· Middle-term plan from 2000 to 2007.
· Long-term plan from 2000 to 2017.
HEEP has Six Priority Projects (2000-2007)
o Higher Education Enhancement Project (HEEPF),
o Information and Communications Technology Project (ICTP),
o Egyptian Technical Colleges Project (ETCP),
o Faculty of Education Project (FOEP),
o Faculty Leaders Development Project (FLDP),
o Quality Assurance and Accreditation Project (QAAP).
In August 2004, the priorities of the strategic plan have been modified to cope with the requirements of quality assurance and accreditation as well as the governmental efforts to enhance the higher education and scientific research. In this direction, two extra paths have been added. The first one is the enhancement of the post graduate studies and scientific research. The second one is giving more attention the students’ activities.
Because of the dynamic nature of the enhancement strategy which requires revising the priorities of each phase, the Strategic Planning Unit (SPU), which follows the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), has been established in order to assure the sustainability of the planning and evaluation during the overall lifecycle of the Enhancement project. Moreover, a new Students Activities Project started as it is part of the requirements for accreditation like the scientific research and post graduate studies.
What are effective strategies?
First of all we should open a link with US-Universities, and I can assure to you that this is not easy. We did have a previous HEEPF project and we faced a lot of problems to find a reviewers or quality control experts to our BSc Biotechnology program. Most of the experts from well repetitive Universities don’t bother to answer our emails or calls; we finally succeeded when I was able to visit one of these universities during my stay at US and through one of our students who was working at one of these Universities. We need to open a web site for experts in different fields who are interested in being reviewers for different programs and contact persons if they are welling in participating in training staff members and the staff members that are welling to organize a workshops in African Universities that could be attended by staff members from different countries. Also, if possible put e-courses available and books for our students to access.
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Mwikali Member
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#7 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 07:07 |
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What is the best way to achieve institutional change?
For an institution of higher learning, changing the mind set and thinking of the leaders and the curriculum content and delivery is the best way of chaninging an institution.
If and when the leaders who in a university teaching include the lecturers, embrace change and agree to change their curriculum content and delivery techniques, the students and other stakeholders are more likely to embrace the change.
What are the effective strategies?
Staff development is one of the best strategies. This should be include staff exchange, Education and training.
The current initiative should prioritise staff development.
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nasinyama Member
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#8 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 07:13 |
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Effective strategies
I am addressing myslef to the issue of effective strategies to achieve institutional change. One key strategy is administrative reforms geared at clearly defined processes and proceedures, identification of the risks involved and remedies/solutions. These are lacking in many African Universities.
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Luis Borrallo Member
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#9 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 08:21 |
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I agree with the two previous contributors. First we need to change the mind set of the university leaders. This can be done in the form of mentoring and/or seminars where the speakers would not only come from USA but also from selected African universities.
Most African Universities also need administrative reforms, which will be ineffectual if the peeple on top have not changed their mindset. We could try to link these reforms to the new technologies, to make all our systems integrated and up to date.
Finally I also think that we need to prioritize staff development by means of exchanges, among other things. This staff developemnt can have two goals: improved teaching and improved research. Thus we not only improve the form but also the content.
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pbateman Member
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#10 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 09:06 |
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What is the best way to achieve institutional change?
Although African universities continue to strive for the levels of autonomy that would enable them to plan and manage the changes required to mitigate the challenges they face, in the end they remain largely beholden to their respective governments in terms of the resources made available to them. As a result, many African universities find themselves in the unfortunate position of being largely reactive rather than proactive. There are even cases where proactive universities that have designed and implemented parallel income generating programs have had their budgets reduced accordingly by the government. University engagement with government will continue to be a key factor in instigating change.
What are effective strategies?
Strategic Planning by African universities that involves government ministries is perhaps the only way to release the resources required to target specifically identified areas of need. One off, external interventions, however well intentioned, do little in the longer term to achieve sustainable change.
And how can partnerships help?
Quite often, partnerships with international organizations carry with them sources of external funding. As such, they are highly attractive to resource strapped African universities but at the same time there is a high risk that the partnership activities may not be solidly incorporated into the African universities’ institutional strategic plan and will therefore lack widespread institutional buy-in. On occasion, without proper coordination, they may even work against effective change since they impose additional burdens on already over-stretched staff who struggle to achieve the outcomes of externally devised programs of work. Furthermore, while they may achieve results during the funding period, once the funding is no longer available these initiatives lack any means for local sustainability and fall by the way-side.
So where should partnerships begin?
Partnerships need to establish strategically meaningful and sustainable ways of working with each other. Great care should be taken to ensure that partnership activities are responsive to the needs of both partners as evidenced in strategic planning documentation and institutional change management strategies.
What should be the goals and objectives for the partnerships that the Initiative seeks to support?
One of the key goals should be to devise partnership activities that are genuine and mutually beneficial. Without delving into the perils of the ‘aid mentality’ too much, African academics have so much to offer their colleagues at other institutions but often find themselves at the receiving end of (sometimes quite patronizing and ill-thought out) projects that may actually become disempowering rather than appropriately supportive over the longer term.
To avoid this will require both institutions to plan their joint activities well and, as alluded to earlier, ensure that they are solidly incorporated into their respective institutional strategic plans. There is no quick fix to be had here. Only well managed, progressive change over sustained period will have the desired result.
What should they prioritize?
There are as many answers to this as people you care to ask. Key areas are Health Education, Teacher Education, Agriculture, and Good Governance. Some would add Tourism and Hospitality, Business Studies, Computer Studies, Mining, and Fisheries. Regrettably, further down the list would appear the Pure Sciences, the Humanities, Cultural Studies and the Arts although these latter few are areas in which African scholars could score a quick win as they share their knowledge with their colleagues in Nth American ‘African Studies Departments’.
More specific activities could target the collaborative development of pedagogically sound, high quality, relevant and cost effective programs targeting one or more of the above areas. One clear area of need in African universities is the development of the skills required to be able to design and deliver innovative and appropriate curricula at university level. Like their colleagues elsewhere, very few African academics have a solid background in materials development, instructional design and the pedagogical training that would promote effective teaching and learning. As a result teaching and learning tends to be highly didactic and often lacks an approach that would develop the critical thinking skills that are so in demand.
Professional development (that ideally would lead to an accredited qualification) and research opportunities would motivate participation since these can be linked to academic progression and remuneration within the university system.
Equally problematic would be the dumping of content from Nth American universities into African institutions. This would be a mistake both in terms of their lack of appropriateness and in terms of the missed opportunity to enhance the capacity of African academics in key skill areas.
Collaborative partnerships that involve the co-development of Open Educational Resources (OER) that can be readily shared, adapted and re-used in a variety of contexts would add great value.
Given how oversubscribed campus based programs are across the continent, alternative modes of delivery need to be investigated. For example, training in the development, delivery, management and financing of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programs is a must. African universities will never be able to expand their bricks and mortar facilities sufficiently to cater for the demands of life-long learners.
With their innate re-usability, the aforementioned OER could be pedagogically re-worked, at greatly reduced cost, for use in the wider roll out of eLearning programs (ICT access and infrastructure permitting) be these in support of campus based programs or ODL programs. Imagine US academics tutoring on these programs to supplement the efforts of their Africa colleagues. Conversely, African academics tutoring on US university programs would provide an entirely new perspective for US students.
Finally, and always a controversial area of need, is ICT infrastructure and training within African Universities. No effective collaboration, sharing of programs, tutoring, content development, online training or cross border communication will take place unless people are affordably and regularly connected to each other via the internet. Some African universities, catering for thousands of staff and students have the same level of connectivity that some US academics have at home. Worse still they pay exorbitantly for it.
This may not be an area that US universities can assist with directly: African universities and their governments must sort it in the end, but it is an area they should be aware of when designing collaborative programs that will use the Net as a key knowledge sharing tool.
Last edited on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 09:28 by pbateman
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Kwach Member
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#11 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 09:30 |
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What is the best way to achieve institutional change?
The best way to achieve institutional change is for the institutions to embrace change within themselves, change comes from us individuals and all the academics and non academics must first understand what we mean by change, what can changes can bring to us individuals without this there cannot not be institutional change.
What are effective strategies?
And how can partnerships help? Partnerships are important because they provide avenues to compare ourselves so national, regional and international partnerships should be encourged. Benchmarking is also a good way of encouraging change within our insititions and this could be instituted within different insititutions and professions
Please keep in mind that the program the Initiative is developing is only going to be one piece of a much larger puzzle – it is not going to achieve all that needs to be accomplished. So where should partnerships begin? What should be the goals and objectives for the partnerships that the Initiative seeks to support? What should they prioritize?
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RoseQ Member

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#12 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 10:18 |
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I agree with Peter Bateman's comments, which clearly link key elements of the first topic into this "Topic 2" discussion (#10 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 11:06)
Critical- are the issues of ICT as stated "Finally, and always a controversial area of need, is ICT infrastructure and training within African Universities. No effective collaboration, sharing of programs, tutoring, content development, online training or cross border communication will take place unless people are affordably and regularly connected to each other via the internet."
Last edited on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 11:14 by RoseQ
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Temple@hws.edu Member
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#13 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 10:38 |
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In response to Babette:
We tend to use a few models and strategies over and over again in different places, with locally negotiated modifications. If they are successful, it may be because where teaching and learning are concerned, there really are some "best practices" that can serve at least as the point of departure for effective teaching. We typically present strategies in one workshop, have people take them back to their classrooms and lecture halls to try them out, and then work with the participants to modify the strategies so they will be useful in the local context. University faculty rarely get much training in teaching, and they appreciate getting versed in a repertoire of day-to-day teaching strategies, as well as ideas for designing courses and writing syllabi. We try to arrange for people we work with to become trainers of others, internationally, if possible. That certainly gets the participants' attention in the workshops, and generates a lot of excitement around the projects.
This level of work--actual classroom teaching strategies--often gets slighted in the larger development schemes, in our experience. That may be because teachers often lack the status to be invited to be invited to high level training meetings.
As for partnerships, we recruit trainers from universities all over the place to do workshops, and a few of these work out their own partnerships with host institutions.
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LeanaUys Member
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#14 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 12:13 |
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Institutional change
The current situation in South Africa Higher Education is that major institutional change is being driven by national drivers - legislated mergers to transform the Apartheid institutions, multiple external quality control programmes and enforcing accountability through financial controls. All these change drivers are important, but the danger is that the resultant change is only reactive, and that to little contemplation and self-directed change takes place.
How can partnerships help?
On the continent, I believe Universities need to establish Communities of Practice, where we can discuss with our peers what we are doing, how and why. Such COPs should not be competative, otherwise window-dressing might take too much of our time. In my experience, the major way in which African Universities currently interact is by acting as external examiners for each other, or meeting each other at conferences (often on other continents). Such contact seldom leads to institutional change. A COP around Research Management or around Library Collections or any other area of practice, might allow for informed, realistic change that is supported by a group of peers.
I believe that US Universities could take the lead in such COPs, since they might be able to find the resources for such virtual or face-to-face contact opportunities. However, the COPs should involve enough African Universities in order for realistic solutions to be found.
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vpwick0 Member
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#15 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 14:13 |
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| Institutional change occurs when a university or college realizes that it has much to offer to those less fortunate. It begins to change when it realizes it needs to share what it has been afforded to those who are less fortunate. That begins with the universities and colleges promoting research that reaches out to those who are less fortunate in less developed countries. How can this be done. Research that utilizes technology and human resources to develop projects that goes to the country and attempts to teach those who are less fortunate. Research that collaborates in a way that those in less fortunate instutitons can travel to the US for enhanced educational experiences is the most evident method of institutonal change.
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RobHenderson Member
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#16 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 16:13 |
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Partnerships and Institutional Change
Many thoughtful submissions examine institutional transformation through change in the cultures that dominate the institution. We can run down the rabbit holes of top-down (leadership) versus bottom up (mass) change. But any change that occurs and continues, involves all the individuals in an institution. Platitudes aside, sustained change comes when individuals are given a better way to do their work through education or training, recognize incentive structures that support a better way, realize clearly articulated pathways allowing them to learn through doing, and then, doing.
The question of partnerships and change should begin with the commitment of leaders. Generating community and business support for higher education requires reasonable expectations on all sides. Businesses do not “give” support to community colleges or research universities in the U.S. or elsewhere from altruism, but because they need a skilled workforce to grow. Governments can rationalize the economic return on research investments, but that patron-client relationship can hardly be termed a partnership among equals and rarely are the new projects or programs sustainable beyond the grant or funding initiative. Is there an environment in which businesses can grow? This “contextual” variable is beyond the Initiatives’ scope therefore we assume an environment conducive to growth exists.
The point is that “career and technical” education can serve as a fulcrum for equitable relations among institutions of higher education, private commercial interests (business), and local communities that generate resources for education by answering the workforce needs for economic growth. As many have noted in other submissions, these partnerships are local and organically rooted in their communities. So, partnerships that drive institutional change are:
· Symbiotic;
· Serve real needs; and,
· Sustainable.
Each element is identified and nurtured in the context of the communities served. Community Colleges in the U.S. can mobilize teams of faculty and staff technical experts in workforce development, many originally from Africa or with expatriate African experience, who can work with counterparts from African institutions of higher education to craft workforce solutions in-context, in-country. These partners can also host their African counterparts and their partners here in the U.S. These visits will allow the Africans to see their American counterparts in their environments. They can meet with local, state, and federal officials who provide the policy context for growth.
Moreover, these African partners (education, business, community) can help “globalize” U.S. community colleges through faculty, student, and staff exchanges. We know the partnership potential exists. What we cannot know at this point are the specifics of that potential involving business development opportunities on both sides, potential for trade and investment, and continuing education opportunities for all partners. For example, our community college provides entrepreneurial training for people who have opened new businesses. Who knows what opportunities exposure to this dynamic group may generate? This is the potential that needs to be explored.
Please do not hesitate to contact me via email for more information on sustainable partnerships and institutional change.
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vansantr Member Rick Van Sant
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#17 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 16:50 |
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We will not change anyone's mind! We will not create new - where there is nought. Two of our African Colleagues - Ethiopia and Egypt have just given us the adminstrative framework for change that the country is already working with. Effectiveness must rely on meeting our partners where they are at.
Create Vision - Mission - Goals.... a competely Western framework that we just agreed in the other discussion is of limited use in an African context. Relevance is about what they define, not what we define. Their initiatives no-doubt already have those elements. What counts is our ability to integrate our knowledge and skills into the frameworks and work cultures that already exist.
A story: In the mid-90's I worked with, and then led USAID's largest educational project in post-war El Salvador. We came with an 8 year, $58 million dollar project to rebuild the educational system in all of this war-torn country. We rented the building, brought in the white USAID jeeps, staffed up the project with experts from North, Central and South America. We shippped in containers of educational materials, created nation wide teacher training systems, re-educated every primary teacher in the country, put a package of educational resoureces in every elementary school in the country, and trained and worked with Ministry of Education staff to transform them into the educational leaders of tomorrow. We did this, this way, because USAID required us to do it this way, because the visiting Congress people wanted to see trainings in session, materials in boxes labeled with the project sitting in the principal's office, and be shown gleaming new school uniforms on freshly washed children. Then the Congress people quit coming, the funds declined on shedule and the ministry went back to issuing all of its staff one pencil, one pad of paper, and one roll of toilet paper a month. The Elementary school principals locked up the supplies because "they might get used up", and the uniforms were taken back for the next photo opportunity. The newly trained teachers left in droves to teach in the emerging private school market and the trained supervisors now spent more time teaching the in the new for profit higher education market than on their jobs in the Ministry.
What does this story have to do with Africa? Everything. We did not fit in their existing framework, we did not create sustainable capacity, we changed a series of elements in the educational milleu without changing the underlying context that ultimately would support the changes.
Sorry.... but to me, our role is not to lead, but to follow. This being the case for me, I would reccommend the first steps be a really thorough Sector Analysis of the current framework and initiatives already underway to see just where and how we can fit in.
We will not change anyone's mind, we can, however, help someone accomplish what is already in their mind.
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vpwick0 Member
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#18 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 17:08 |
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| I had not thought of it that way. When you bring things in to change to the ways we do things, give money and then the money runs out. Things go back to the old ways of doing things. Now I wonder, what should be our position. What can be our charge? How do we fit in, but also help to make a difference whereas it is not temporary? Temporary fixes only create frustrations.
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tchavez Member
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#19 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 17:31 |
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As a librarian (University of South Florida, Tampa, USA), I am keenly interested in promoting information access and management solutions. From my admittedly biased perspective, access to quality information resources should be a key element of the initiative's strategy and one that is addressed early in the process. Past work in the region suggests the primacy of this challenge as well as some of the potential solutions.
Peter Bateman's response includes a description of Open Education Resource (OER) development and I would add to the pedagogical thrust of his comments the importance of library and information sources to the entire process. I believe that many of us can form effective partnerships to drive development of appropriate research materials to support teaching and instruction on many levels -- undergraduate to faculty research.
To illustrate my comment, allow me to direct you to http://globallib.typepad.com/global_library/. This website was developed as an preliminary response to a collaboration between my institution and the University of Cape Coast. The website is basically a blog capturing a selection of openly accessible resources supporting research and learning in education. Later developments can incorporate commercially-available research materials such as journals and databases, though the cost for these will be an issue. We focused on cost-effect, open-platform resources and tools to ensure broad accessibility and sustainability.
As the initiative moves forward, please consider the importance of access to information resources (and their management) to the academic endeavor broadly.
Cheers,
Todd Chavez
University of South Florida Libraries
Tampa, Florida, USA
tchavez@lib.usf.edu
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#20 Posted: Tue Oct 7th, 2008 20:47 |
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Hi,
I think that the features of institutional change highlighted above are successful only when there is strong support for change among those in the highest positions of institutional leadership
Best regards,
Paul Henri
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