Uncategorized | Higher Education Programs

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CATEGORY ARCHIVES: UNCATEGORIZED

Higher Education (HIED) GraduateProgram Self-StudyPosted on February 13, 2013

University of Arkansas-Little Rock

College of Education

Department of Educational Leadership

Higher Education (HIED) Graduate Program Self-Study

March 2013

Posted in Uncategorized

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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Table of Contents | Higher Education Programs

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Table of Contents

UALR Higher Education (HIED) Graduate Program Self-Study

Table of Contents

I. Preface

II. Introduction

III. Goals, Objectives, and Activities

Educational goals, objectives, and activities of the programProgram service to other disciplinary programs on campusMarket demand for careers stemming from the programStudent demand for the program

IV. Curriculum

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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Table of Contents | Higher Education Programs

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How program content parallels current thinking/trends in the fieldOutline and sequence for each program curriculumAcademic requirements by Degree and ConcentrationHigher Education Ed.D. Concentration in AdministrationHigher Education Ed.D. Concentration in College Student AffairsHigher Education Ed.D. Concentration in Two-Year College LeadershipHigher Education Ed.D. Concentration in Faculty LeadershipHigher Education M.A. Concentration in College Student AffairsHigher Education M.A. Concentration in Two-Year College TeachingHigher Education M.A. Concentration in AdministrationSemester and year program courses were last offeredSyllabi and departmental objectives for discipline-specific course.Process for introduction of new coursesCourses in the degree program currently offered by distance delivery

V. Program Faculty

Curriculum vitaeProgram faculty informationAcademic credentials required for adjunct/part-time facultyOrientation and evaluation processes for facultyAverage number of courses and credit hours taught, 2012-2013

VI. Program Resources

Institutional support for faculty development, 2011 – 2013Library resource development for the programProgram equipment purchases, 2010 – 2013

VII. Instruction via Distance Technology

VIII. Program Assessment

Stakeholder Surveys and ResultsStudent Survey: Current Higher Education M.A. and Ed.D.Alumni Survey: Higher Education M.A. and Ed.D.Employer: Higher Education M.A. and Ed.D.

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List of Tables and Figures | Higher Education Programs

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List of Tables and Figures

Table 2.1. Similar Higher Education Graduate Programs in Arkansas

Figure 3.1. Student demand for the HIED Ed.D. and M.A. programs between Fallsemester 2009 and Summer semester 2013

Figure 4.1. Student demand for the HIED Ed.D. and M.A. programs between Fallsemester 2009 and Fall semester 2012

Figure 4.2. Student demand and degree production for the HIED Ed.D. and M.A.programs between Academic Year 2009 – 2010 and Academic Year 2011 – 2012

Figure 4.3. Ed.D. in Higher Education Curriculum Outline Figural Depiction

Figure 4.4. M.A. in Higher Education Curriculum Outline Figural Depiction

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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List of Linked Documents | Higher Education Programs

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List of Linked Documents

Sections I through VII

3.3.1.GradCat entry.pdf

3.4.1.Schedule.pdf

3.8.1.FacInfo.pdf

5.3.1.COEGovDoc.pdf

5.3.2.EDLRGovDoc.pdf

6.3.1LibMemo.pdf

Assessment_Handbook.pdf

HIED course syllabi.pdf

VIII Program Assessment

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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List of Linked Documents | Higher Education Programs

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Masters Section

Master’s Program Sample of Key Assessments.pdf

Master’s Program Key Assessments Crosswalk.pdf

HigherEducationOverview;FirstPaperGuideHIED7300.pdf

HIED 7300 First Paper results 2010-2012&FdbkExamples.pdf

Team-BasedResearchProjectGuide;NativeAmerican;HIED8320.pdf

TYC_America-Project;SequoyahNRC;RubricAssessmentMasters-v3.pdf

LegalAspectTopicalReportGuidelines;HIED8343.pdf

TopicalLegalAnalysis;RubricAll&Fdbk.pdf

GroupAssessmentProjectGuide;HIED8353.pdf

A&E-GAPRubricAssessment;All-8353.pdf

CompleteCourseDesignGuide;HIED7331.pdf

CollegeInstruction;CourseCreationRubricAssessment.pdf

Administration;PolicyBriefGuide;HIED8342.pdf

PracticumGuide;HIED7360.pdf

HIED 7360 UALR PRACTICUM MANUAL Sum 2012.pdf

Master’s Comprehensive Exams;Explanation & Guide.pdf

HIED MA Comps rubric Handout Spring 2013.pdf

Portfolio Rubric.pdf

Master’s Thesis;Explanation & Guide.pdf

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List of Linked Documents | Higher Education Programs

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UALR Dissertation & Thesis Guide.pdf

Doctoral Section

Doctoral Program Sample of Key Assessments.pdf

Doctoral Program CAS Standard Key Assessment Crosswalk.pdf

H&P-PDA;AssignmentCriteria;HIED8301.pdf

H&P-PrimaryDocAnalRubricAssessment;All&Fdbk-v2.pdf

Interview Paper Assignment Guidelines;HIED8303-8345.pdf

HIED8303-8345_Interview Paper Rubric;All.pdf

1st Two Dissertation Chapters;HIED 8399.pdf

HIED 8399 Diss Seminar rubric.pdf

Administration;PolicyBriefGuide;HIED8342.pdf

Gov&Pol;PolicyResPaperRubric;AllDoctoral&Fdbk.pdf

AmericanCollegeStudent;ResearchAssgnGuide.pdf

HIED 8350 Doc Research Paper rubric.pdf

Team-BasedResearchProject;NativeAmerican;HIED8320.pdf

TYC_America-Project;SequoyahNRC;RubricAssessment-v2.pdf

CTP&I;ResearchAssgnGuide;HIED8330.pdf

HIED 8330 Doc Research Paper rubric Combined & Fdbk.pdf

Barrett_8343;Spring2012.pdf

HIED8343Eval;Spring12.pdf

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List of Linked Documents | Higher Education Programs

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CAS_Master’s_CSAF_Standards.pdf

CAS_Master’s_CSAF_Standards.pdf

CAS_General_Standards.pdf

CAS_Grad_&_Prof_Standards.pdf

Survey Documents

HIED Self Study Student Survey.pdf

HIED Self Study Graduate Student Survey Results.pdf

HIED Self Study Alumni Survey.pdf

HIED Self Study Alumni Survey Results.pdf

HIED Self Study Employer Survey.pdf

HIED Self Study Employer Survey Results.pdf

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I Preface | Higher Education Programs

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I Preface

Michael (2011) reviewed five different models for academic program review: Cost[with two approaches: (a) comparative cost analysis, or (b) cost-benefit analysis];Quality (providing information on program strengths and weaknesses), Market(evaluating enrollments in academic programs across institutions within a statesystem), Employment (using post-graduation employment statistics to review anacademic program), and Political (using information from constituents, stakeholdersand pressure groups). The content of this self-study report is based on the QualityModel (Michael, 2011) because it is most consistent with the nature of information anddata required by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) self-studyreport guidelines. The quality model employs elements that provide a measure ofquality levels among programs and this provides an additional rationale for its use inthis self-study report. In addition, however, the Quality Model extends the contentrequired by ADHE to include graduate student admission data, graduate facultyproductivity indicators, including alternative metrics data to measure the impact offaculty scholarship, and other relevant information in which to accurately evaluate theUALR Higher Education M.A. and Ed.D. graduate programs.

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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I Preface | Higher Education Programs

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The Council of Graduates Schools 2011 monograph Assessment and Review ofGraduate Programs identified several important questions to guide graduate programreviews:

How well is the program advancing the state of the discipline or profession?How effective is its teaching and training of students?To what extent does the program meet the institution’s goals?How well does it respond to the profession’s needs?How well does it assess student outcomes and take action to improve based onthe assessment data? (p. 5)

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II Introduction | Higher Education Programs

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II Introduction

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) College of Education iscomposed of three academic departments: Teacher Education, EducationalLeadership, and Counseling, Adult and Rehabilitation Education and three Centers(Gifted Education and Advanced Placement, Literacy, and Center for AdvancedStudies in Education), and prepares education personnel through Bachelor’s, Master’s,Specialist, and Doctoral degrees in Education. The mission of the University ofArkansas at Little Rock College of Education is to promote and strengthen theprofessional development of individuals concerned with education and human resourcedevelopment in a variety of settings such as schools, colleges and universities,academic health centers, private and corporate organizations, and governmentagencies. In addition, the conceptual framework for programs in the College ofEducation is “Leaders in Learning demonstrate Communication (C), SpecializedExpertise (SE), Professional Development (PD), and a strong commitment to Diversity(D), in competency, disposition and behavior.” We strive to develop professionals whouse state of the art methodologies and technologies.

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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The Higher Education program is administratively located in the Department ofEducational Leadership, and the department mission is “The Department of EducationalLeadership carries out its assigned mission and conducts department business withinthe applicable policies of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University ofArkansas System. The Department is responsive to a rapidly changing world andvalues cohesive membership and participation in a learning community dedicated to thediscovery and communication of useful knowledge applied to education. We valueinnovation and recognize that leaders in learning utilize creative strategies to foster thecontinuous improvement of learning and encourage the forward progress of thedepartment. As scholars and practitioners, we pledge our combined resources andspecialized expertise to develop an equitable and humane environment that promotesactive learning, academic freedom, and the celebration of student, staff, and facultydiversity. We value the work of peers in their pursuit of scholarly contributions inteaching, discovery and integration, and application. We are a department of equallyimportant and diverse talent, yet we function as an integrated whole in a supportive,apprenticeship-oriented climate dedicated to professional development where everyoneis allowed to thrive intellectually. Above all else, we recognize that students’ learning isour highest priority, and we reach decisions with this overarching premise in mind. Wecommit our emotional and cognitive talents to the entire community with the expectationthat we will realize our vision for a harmonious society that values education, promoteslifelong learning, embraces creativity and innovation, and unleashes the tremendouspower of the intellect for positive change.”

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The mission of the Higher Education program is to provide an excellent educationfor leaders who will make a positive difference in the performance of higher educationstudents and institutions. The demands of the 21 Century call for a well-educatedcollege faculty and a well-prepared cohort of college administrators. Higher learning,research skills, and the capacity to merge the two are critical to both our state’s and ournation’s ability to continue to thrive in the new millennium. Perhaps no institution inArkansas is better equipped than UALR to provide a new generation of master’s anddoctoral students with the advanced learning, research proficiency and the practicalexpertise to enable them to address the myriad issues surrounding student access tohigher education, quality of postsecondary instruction, and the preparation oftomorrow’s higher and postsecondary education leaders.

The mission of the Higher Education program supports the general abilities andskills contained in the broader mission priorities of the University of Arkansas at LittleRock through the unique ways they are applied in the program to the specialized

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knowledge and expertise in the field of higher education. The program provides qualityinstruction that models and emphasizes a commitment to professional developmentand lifelong learning. Content, research, and dispositions focus on the developmentand transmission of knowledge for the benefit of and service to the city, state, nation,and world.

In keeping with this focus on preparing administrators and faculty members forpositions in higher education, Dr. Gary Chamberlin was selected as the first professorand founder of the higher education program at UALR. He previously served asDirector of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and also served as ExecutiveVice President and Provost as well as Interim President of the University of ArkansasSystem before his tenure at UALR. Perceiving the need for a curriculum to prepare acadre of professionals for administrative and teaching roles in higher educationthroughout central and southern Arkansas, Chamberlin provided the impetus forbringing together the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University ofArkansas at Little Rock to cooperatively create the Higher Education program located atUALR in 1991. In 1992, the UALR program received approval to function as a stand-alone program and conferred the first doctoral degree in 1995.

Throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s, the higher education programcontinued to grow, resulting in a total of five full-time tenured and tenure-track facultypositions, and for a period of time was the largest doctoral program in the State ofArkansas in any academic discipline. The program began with one freestanding Masterof Arts degree in Higher Education – Two-Year College Teaching, and two Doctor ofEducation degree program concentrations in Higher Education Administration andCollege Teaching. In 1999, a new tenure-track faculty member was hired with contentexpertise in community and two-year colleges and the program faculty designed a thirddoctoral concentration in Community College Leadership. In 2002, a tenure-trackfaculty member was hired to design and administer a new freestanding Master of Artsdegree in Higher Education – College Student Affairs and a fourth doctoralconcentration in Student Affairs Administration. In 2006, the doctoral concentration inCollege Teaching was renamed Faculty Leadership, and the curriculum in theconcentration was revised and updated to include courses in Governance and Finance.The Higher Education faculty believe this more effectively prepares graduates in theirrespective academic disciplines to serve as faculty leaders and, in the spirit of sharedgovernance, conscientious stewards of their employing higher and postsecondaryeducation institutions. In 2008, the required coursework in the Master of Arts degree inCollege Student Affairs and the doctoral concentration in Student Affairs Administrationwere both revised and updated to reflect the changing nature of the field.

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Over the past 15 years, graduate education in the state of Arkansas mirrored thechanges in the UALR Higher Education program, and several public and privateinstitutions established new academic programs related to higher education. Theseinclude the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at Harding University, Ph.D. in EducationalLeadership at Arkansas State University – Jonesboro, Ph.D. in Leadership Studies atthe University of Central Arkansas, University of Phoenix’s completely online Ph.D. inHigher Education Administration, as well as the shift in the Arkansas Tech UniversityM.S. in College Student Personnel to a completely online degree program that admits50 students per academic year (See Table 2.1. for a complete statewide listing ofsimilar graduate programs).

During this same time period, the majority of Arkansas public and privateinstitutions and professional schools have also continued to revise and expand theiracademic program offerings. This includes the: expansion of the Arkansas StateUniversity system (comprised of 10 campuses and instructional sites enrolling morethan 22,000 students in Fall, 2012); entrance of the Fort Smith campus (enrollment:7500 students in Fall, 2012) into the University of Arkansas system; University ofArkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) development of a regional campus inNorthwest Arkansas, and additions to the 22 two-year colleges (enrollment: 62,000students in Fall, 2011), among others. This expansion of higher and postsecondaryeducation institutions, programs, and student access in the state requires additionaltrained faculty, staff, and administrators. The wide array of UALR Higher EducationM.A. and Ed.D. concentration offerings have positioned it effectively to meet theseincreasing personnel needs.

Table 2.1. Similar Higher Education Graduate Programs in Arkansas

INSTITUTION DEGREE SPECIALIZATION CAREER FOCUS

University ofArkansas –Fayetteville: Public,ComprehensiveDoctoral

M.Ed., Ed.D. Higher Education, HigherEducation

Entry-Level StudentAffairsAdministration,Higher EducationAdministration,College Faculty

Arkansas StateUniversity –Jonesboro: Public,

M.S., Ed.S.,C.C.T.,Ed.D.

College StudentPersonnel ServicesCommunity College

Entry-Level StudentAffairsAdministration,

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Doctoral /Professionaldominant

Ph.D. Teaching andAdministrationEducational LeadershipEducational Leadership

Community CollegeTeaching,Administration, K-12, HigherEducationAdministration,College Faculty

University ofCentral Arkansas:Public, SingleDoctoral

M.A., Ph.D. College StudentPersonnel andAdministration,Leadership Studies

Entry-Level StudentAffairsAdministration,Leadership StudiesFaculty, P-12,Higher EducationAdministration,Government/Non-Profit positions

Arkansas TechUniversity: Public,PostbaccalaureateComprehensive

M.S. College StudentPersonnel

Entry-Level StudentAffairsAdministration

Harding University:Private Not-For-Profit,PostbaccalaureateProfessional

Ed.D. Educational Leadership P-12, HigherEducationAdministration

University ofPhoenix: Private,For-Profit

Ph.D. Higher EducationAdministration

Higher EducationLeadership

Arkansas Code §6-61-214 requires that the Arkansas Higher EducationCoordinating Board (AHECB) review existing academic programs at Arkansas publiccolleges and universities. Academic program review policies (AHECB Policy 5.2) wereadopted in 1988 and revised in 1995 and 1998. Institutions have been conductingprogram reviews for more than 20 years. Beginning Fall 2010, Arkansas colleges anduniversities were required to employ external consultants to review all certificate anddegree programs over a period of 7-10 years with the findings from the reviews

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reported annually to the Coordinating Board.

This report represents the Academic Review Self Study of the Higher Education(HIED) program at University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), and is the firstacademic review this program has been required to complete since its inception. Please see the electronic documents supporting this Academic Review Self Study onthe flash drive related to this report.

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III Goals, Objectives, and Activities | Higher Education Programs

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III Goals, Objectives, andActivities

1. Describe specific goals, objectives, and activities of theprogram.

A. Doctor of Education program

ED.D. PROGRAM-SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL GOALS

The primary educational goals of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program inHigher Education are to create a cadre of administrators, policy analysts, and faculty ina variety of academic disciplines who will make significant contributions to the state andnational discussions for the improvement of higher education its, research, policies,practices, and performance. The Ed.D. focuses on the development of scholarship inresearch that has implications for program innovation and inquiry into problems ofpractice, situated in educational contexts, and is designed for those who are especially

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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interested in:

seeking employment and advancement in higher education as a practitioner withcareer goals that involve administrative and/or curricular leadership in collegesand universities, businesses and service organizations;developing programs, practices, strategies, resources, materials, and tools incollege and university settings; and/orconducting research applicable to the improvement of research and practice inlocal, regional or national educational settings or organizations such as collegesor universities, state governing or coordinating boards of higher education, orregional or national accrediting organizations.

To achieve this, the program prepares scholar-practitioners who: (a) have theknowledge to accurately understand empirical education research studies andeffectively apply the findings to evidence-based decision-making, (b) can recognizeeducational problems and issues, conceptualize assessment, evaluation, and researchstudies to investigate those problems and issues, and generate evidence-basedsolutions to problems and strategies for improved practice, and (c) have theadministrative, policy analysis, and development skills, as well as the communicationskills and experience, to participate in the national discussions in their specific areas ofexpertise through publications, conference presentations, and consultancies.

ED.D. PROGRAM-SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Objective 1: Students will be recruited and admitted who meet the admissionrequirements and demonstrate exceptional potential for contributions in highereducation and higher education policy research.

Objective 2: The higher education program will recruit, enroll, retain, and graduatea diverse student population. Diversity variables include:

Race,Gender,Ethnicity,Socioeconomic background,Geographic origins/current location, andStudents employed at various types of higher education institutions.

Objective 3: Students will receive excellent advising and mentoring to assure theirmastery of the core knowledge base, specialized expertise, communication, inquiry,analysis, and research skills that yield significant results.

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Objective 4: Students graduating from this program will become employed in highereducation and other higher education-related organizations with higher education policyresearch positions.

Objective 5: Students graduating from this program will receive satisfactory andabove ratings by their employers.

Objective 6: Students graduating from this program will engage in state andnational conversations, via presentations and publications, regarding higher educationpolicy and research, continue professional development, and transmit these values andcommitments to colleagues they may be leading and developing.

Objective 7: The program will develop a systematic assessment and continuousimprovement effort through regular faculty engagement to improve the curriculum andits coherence, realigning assessments as necessary, auditing previous dissertations toimprove future research mastery, and improving instructional methodologies toenhance student learning.

Objective 8: The program will develop and implement technology-based,alternative delivery options for courses and concentrations.

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FACULTY AND HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

All Higher Education faculty contribute to Ed.D. and M.A. program administrationactivities including admissions, new student orientation, academic and career advising.Faculty also participate in supervision of student grant and fellowship applications,comprehensive examinations, thesis and dissertation advising, and professionalassociation engagement with students.

FACULTY ACTIVITIES

All Higher Education faculty are engaged in the following academic activities inboth the Ed.D. and M.A. programs:

RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION:

Faculty create and disseminate knowledge and facilitate the educational inquiry ofHigher Education students that investigates educational problems and generatesempirical evidence for decision-making to improve educational and administrative

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practices at local, state, and national levels.

For example, UALR’s Higher Education faculty members serve as role models forstudents through individually authored and co-authored publications in suchdistinguished and diverse journals as: American Educational History Journal, American Educational Research Journal, American Indian Culture and ResearchJournal, Educational Researcher, Educational Research and Evaluation, InternationalJournal of Educational Advancement, Journal of College Student Retention: Research,Theory and Practice, Journal of Empirical Research on Human ResearchEthics, Journal of Ethnographic and Qualitative Research, The Journal of HigherEducation, The Journal of Research Administration, Planning for HigherEducation, and Teachers College Record. Higher Education faculty have had theirscholarship published in book chapters, as well.

UALR’s Higher Education faculty members maintain consistent national presencein the major disciplinary conferences, by routinely presenting at the “Big Three” highereducation conferences: American Educational Research Association AnnualConference, Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, and the Associationfor the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference. Other major nationalconferences in which Higher Education faculty members have an ongoing presenceinclude: the American College Personnel Association Annual Conference, the NationalAssociation of Student Personnel Administrators Annual Conference, the biannualDHHS Office of Research Integrity Conference, and the Organization of EducationalHistorians Annual Conference.

TEACHING:

Our Higher Education Faculty deliver effective instruction that reflects bestpractices in teaching and learning to assist students to strengthen and develop criticalthinking and professional skills to establish a foundation for the application ofknowledge to practice. This occurs during courses, as well as in Ed.D. qualifying examsand M.A. comprehensive exams. We engage in dissertation advising, technologicalinstruction, and assessment of our teaching practices.

SERVICE:

Our Higher Education Faculty apply their professional expertise to internalinstitutional stewardship and service on program, department, college and campus-wide levels. Faculty also devote their professional expertise externally, with educatorsacross the country, with national professional associations, and with other HigherEducation program stakeholders. We also engage in community outreach, recruitment

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of students, participate in university wide professional seminars, and advise campusprograms that directly impact the success of college students.

ADVISING:

Our Higher Education Faculty socialize masters and doctoral students to theirultimate professional roles by guiding them to conceptualize and complete appropriateprograms of study, and to conduct high quality assessment, evaluation, and research. This occurs during the advisement of courses, comprehensive exams, proposal, aswell as in Ed.D. dissertation advising, and M.A. thesis advising.

CURRICULUM AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT:

In consultation with external stakeholders, faculty design and deliver curricula andacademic programs to optimally educate students with a combination of foundationalknowledge. Faculty also utilize state of the art skills to meet the employment demandsof 21 Century higher and postsecondary education in Arkansas, the region, and thenation.

B. Master of Arts program in Higher Education

PROGRAM SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL GOALS

The primary educational goals of the Higher Education Master of Arts program areto prepare graduates for entry-level academic and student affairs administrationpositions in colleges and universities, faculty positions in two-year colleges, andeducational research and policy positions in state, federal, and private highereducation-related agencies. The College of Education offers M.A. degrees in threeconcentration areas: College Student Affairs, Administration, and Two-Year CollegeTeaching.

COLLEGE STUDENT AFFAIRS

Program Specific Educational ObjectivesCollege Student Affairs Concentration Educational ObjectivesThe specific educational objectives of this concentration are:

To enhance the leadership skills of entry-level college student affairsadministrators;To provide a thorough grounding in the knowledge and understanding of collegestudent affairs philosophy, perspectives, functional areas, and ethical and legalstandards;

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To provide a thorough grounding in the knowledge and understanding of collegestudent development;To enhance student understanding and appreciation of the legal foundations andconstraints that affect College Student Affairs practice;To enable graduates to design and implement quality and multi-facetedprograms;To enable graduates to deal effectively with interpersonal conflict and campuscrises;To enhance student attitudes, beliefs, values, and self-awareness necessary toserve students who are culturally different from themselves; andTo enable graduates to use technology in their interactions with college students.

Mission StatementThe mission of the College Student Affairs concentration is to provide entry-levelprofessional development to qualified individuals who have special interest in collegestudents and the higher education environments that affect their development.Graduates of the program are prepared to function effectively in a variety of positions inthe field of College Student Affairs in two- and four-year institutions.

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TWO-YEAR COLLEGE TEACHING

Two-Year College Teaching Concentration Educational Objectives

The specific educational objectives of this concentration are:

To strengthen the academic disciplinary knowledge of postsecondary instructors;To provide a thorough grounding in the knowledge and understanding of higherand postsecondary education institutions, issues, and challenges;To identify and critically analyze teaching and learning issues in a specificacademic discipline;To enhance student understanding and appreciation of the legal foundationsand constraints, which effect College Student Affairs practice;To enable graduates to design and implement effective instructional strategies forstudent learning;To enable graduates to effectively understand the role of technology in instruction;To enhance student attitudes, beliefs, values, and self-awareness necessary toserve students who are culturally different from themselves; and

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To enable graduates to use technology in their interactions with college students.

Mission Statement The mission of the Two-Year College Teaching concentration is to prepare qualifiedindividuals for faculty positions in various academic disciplines in technical and two-year colleges. Through a combination of coursework in education and a teachingcognate field, students will develop strong expertise to effectively deliver instruction andsuccessfully perform related faculty roles and responsibilities.Program RequirementsStudents admitted to the program must complete 36 semester hours of graduatecourses. Included will be at least 18 hours in the teaching cognate field, 12 hours in theprogram core, and six hours of elective courses selected in consultation with facultyadvisors.

ADMINISTRATION

Administration Concentration Educational Objectives

The specific educational objectives of this concentration are:

To provide an introduction to the basic literature, resources, and terminologyrelated to the study of American higher education;To enable students to gain an introductory understanding of education researchconcepts;To provide an introduction to the knowledge and understanding of two-yearcolleges;To provide an introduction to the knowledge and understanding of college studentaffairs philosophy, perspectives, and functional areas;To enable students to design and deliver quality college-level instruction;To strengthen student knowledge and skills with distance learning technology;andTo help students develop skills in applying classroom-based learning to highereducation practice.

Mission StatementThe mission of the Higher Education Administration concentration is to provideacademic preparation and professional development to qualified individuals for entry-level positions in administrative leadership in public and private institutions andagencies of higher and postsecondary education. Students will gain knowledge, skills,and competencies essential to serving as leaders in a variety of education settings.

TOTAL CORE, SPECIALIZATION, ELECTIVES, AND CAPSTONE COURSE &23

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EXAM = 36 HOURS Capstone Experience (Choose one of the following options)

(1) Comprehensive Written Exam

(2) Academic Thesis*

(3) Portfolio

*Students who elect the Academic Thesis option must select a supervisingcommittee consisting of three people to oversee and approve their thesis or projectwork. The committee must consist of one of the following:

1. One member as chair who is a member of the Higher Education Program faculty;2. One member from the faculty of the College of Education who is not a member of

the Higher Education Program faculty;3. One faculty member from outside the College of Education.

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2. Explain how the program serves the general educationprogram and other disciplinary programs on the campus, ifapplicable.

The Higher Education Program does not serve the general education programdirectly, but serves other disciplinary programs on campus that deliver the generaleducation program. The Higher Education Program has produced a number ofgraduates who currently work in a variety of disciplinary capacities on the UALRcampus. Some of the graduates who serve and continue to make contributions to thegeneral education programs are:

ED.D. GRADUATES:

DR. JAN AUSTIN, ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR FOR STUDENT LIFE AND

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

DR. HUEY CRISP, INSTRUCTOR OF RHETORIC AND WRITING AND DIRECTOR OF

COMPOSITION

DR. SALLY CRISP, INSTRUCTOR OF RHETORIC AND WRITING AND DIRECTOR, LITTLE

ROCK WRITING PROJECT

DR. STEPHANIE DHONAU, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL AND SECOND24

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LANGUAGE STUDIES

DR. BRITNEY FINLEY, INSTRUCTOR DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SCIENCES,

DR. LOGAN HAMPTON, ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR AND DEAN OF STUDENTS

DR. ALLISON HOLLAND, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY WRITING CENTER

DR. ALAN LYTLE, ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ESL AND DIRECTOR OF IELP

DR. SANDRA ROBERTSON, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF BUDGET, PLANNING, AND

INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH

DR. ANN SCHLUMBERGER, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF NURSING

DR. LEAH WILKINSON, INSTRUCTOR OF INTERNATIONAL AND SECOND LANGUAGE

STUDIES

DR. JEANNIE WINSTON, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

M.A. GRADUATES:

PAULA BAKER, PROGRAM COORDINATOR, GRADUATE SCHOOL DEAN’S OFFICE

SHEENA BROOKS, ASSISTANT TO THE UALR ASSOCIATE GRADUATE DEAN

CHASSIDY COOPER – STUDENT DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR/ADVISOR,

ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER

ARRAYON FARLOUGH, TESTING COORDINATOR, DEPARTMENT OF TESTING SERVICES

ALLYSON HUGHES, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL SERVICES

BRITTANY MATHEWS, STUDENT DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST, CAMPUS LIFE

ANGELA PALADINO, ACADEMIC ADVISOR FOR ONLINE PROGRAMS

3. Document market demand and/or state/industry need forcareers stemming from the program.

Arkansas higher education professionals work in a variety of different positions oncampuses. The demand for higher education work will remain high in the areas ofstudent activities, residence life, academic advising, financial aid, admissions, campusrecreation, career services, volunteer services, and student orientation just to name afew. Arkansas higher education professionals work at a variety of institutions –community colleges, public universities, private universities, and for profit institutions.Many of our students have undergraduate degrees in political science, economics, andhuman resource management that make them multi-interdisciplinary in working withinhigher education.

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The market demand for higher education professionals in the state of Arkansas willcontinue to grow. The state of Arkansas has always desired creative and energetichigher education administrators interested in human growth and development. Ourhigher education graduates will also have a focus on retention and remediationprograms that help improve student graduation rates in our state. It is important to notethat one of the increasing demands for higher education professionals in the state ofArkansas will be to work closely with two-year colleges. Arkansas has 22 communitycolleges that serve students academically, socially, and professionally will be in greaterneed. Arkansas’ high school graduates are increasingly attending two-year colleges fora variety of reasons and the demand for work higher education professionals in thisarea will continue to be needed.

As senior–level administrators in Arkansas near retirement age, the need to createa pipeline of adequate higher education professionals who have expertise will be ingreat need. Our UALR Higher Education program will continue to educate, train anddevelop well-qualified and employable graduates that will continue to serve the highereducation needs of this state for years to come.

4. Document student demand for the program

Recent annual reports from the Council of Graduate Schools on new graduatestudent enrollment noted that enrollments decreased 1.1% from 2009 to 2010(compared to a 5.5% increase the previous year) and a 1.7% decrease between Fall2010 and Fall 2011. This is notable because total graduate enrollment decreasedconsistently nationwide in the field of Education between Fall 2009 and Fall 2011. Inthis context, the UALR Higher Education program has had a stable foundation between2009 and 2012 as evidenced by the strong demand for the Higher Education Ed.D.program and moderate, but consistent, demand for the Higher Education M.A. program(See Figure 3.1. for student demand as measured by applicants).

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Figure 3.1. Student demand for the Higher Education Ed.D. and M.A. programsbetween Fall semester 2009 and Summer semester 2013 (as measured by number ofapplicants)

To further document student demand for the UALR Higher Education Ed.D. andM.A. programs between 2009 and 2012, these applicant data are complemented withdata on students enrolled and graduated each calendar year (See Figure 4.1. forstudent demand as measured by Ed.D. and M.A. program applicants, enrollments, andgraduates, 2009 – 2012). Looking forward, the Higher Education faculty collectedempirical evidence of student demand for the new M.A. concentration in HealthProfessions Teaching and Learning. A 20-question web-based online marketassessment survey was distributed between August 24 and September 30, 2010 tohealth professions educators in Arkansas, including all University of Arkansas forMedical Sciences (UAMS) faculty and residents, and all faculty in the UAMS College ofNursing. In addition, the market assessment survey was sent to 24 faculty teaching inhealth professions programs at eight Arkansas 4-year universities and to 51 facultyteaching in health professions programs at 22 Arkansas 2-year colleges.

Of the 174 survey responses received, 61% (n=107) were from UAMS faculty andstaff, and 39% (n=67) were from health professions program faculty at other Arkansas4-year universities and 2-year colleges. The following are descriptive survey results

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that are most relevant to this proposal:

59% (n=86) of respondents indicated that it was ‘Very Probable’ or ‘HighlyProbable’ that they would enroll in a 36 hour program;66% (n=115) of respondents indicated that it was ‘Very Important’ or ‘ExtremelyImportant’ to deliver 50% of the courses online;51% (n=90) of respondents indicated that it was ‘Very Important’ or ‘ExtremelyImportant’ to have coursework available during the summer.

The Higher Education faculty believe this consistent demand for the program is atleast partially due to the skills, knowledge, and abilities graduates possess afterprogram completion, and the curriculum achieves these outcomes. The next section ofthis report explains this curriculum in detail.

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IV Curriculum

How program content parallels current thinking/trends in the field

The curriculum for the Ed.D. in Higher Education at UALR has gone throughseveral rounds of quality improvement. The curriculum has been revised and thecontent and caliber of the coursework and student learning expectations have beenincreased. The assessment plan has undergone a significant revision, bringing anincreased intentionality to the assessment and improvement processes and studentlearning and program outcomes. In addition, the Ed.D. program changed its admissionstandards in the 2005 academic year to eliminate the use of the Miller Analogies Testand raised the required Graduate Records Examination scores. Condensing the dataon applicants, enrolled students, and graduates by degree and year provides anotherperspective on the demand and degree productivity of the UALR Higher Educationprogram (See Figure 4.1. for annual totals).

In 2008, the Higher Education faculty realized that the freestanding Master of Artsdegree in Two-Year College Teaching had not achieved annual degree production

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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requirements over the previous several years and was being considered for closure bythe Arkansas Department of Higher Education. As a result, the faculty redesigned thecurricula of the two freestanding Higher Education Master of Arts degree programs inCollege Student Affairs and Two-Year College Teaching into one reconfigured Masterof Arts degree program consisting of the two concentrations in Two-Year CollegeTeaching and in College Student Affairs, and a third concentration in general HigherEducation Administration was added. In this way, one overarching Master of Arts inHigher Education degree will ensure that Arkansas Department of Higher Educationrequirements for annual degree production are exceeded.

In addition, a fourth M.A. concentration in Health Professions Teaching andLearning was approved by the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees onFebruary 1, 2013. The new concentration proposal is also on the February, 2013Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board meeting agenda with an anticipatedstart date of Fall, 2013. If approved, the Higher Education M.A. degree concentration inHealth Professions Teaching and Learning would be the only degree program of itskind in the state and one of very few in the region, and will support UALR’s mission inproviding high-quality graduate training to prepare leaders in education. This is anotherexample of the Higher Education faculty efforts to align with current thinking and newtrends in the field.

Figure 4.1. Student demand for the HIED Ed.D. and M.A. programs between Fallsemester 2009 and Fall semester 2012 (as measured by number of applicants,enrollments, and graduates)

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Higher Education faculty analysis of recent program assessment data hasidentified a longitudinal trend of low student interest and enrollment in the HigherEducation M.A. degree concentration in Two-Year College Teaching. As a result, thefaculty have proposed to suspend admissions to the Two-Year College Teachingconcentration and assist current students to complete program requirements forgraduation in a timely manner before closing the concentration. This programsuspension and eventual closure is contingent upon approval of the degreeconcentration in Health Professions Teaching and Learning. The M.A. degreeconcentration in Health Professions Teaching and Learning is not intended to replacethe Two-Year College Teaching concentration, but will be directed to a rapidlydeveloping new market in Allied Health fields. Instead, an 18-credit Higher Educationprogram graduate certificate in College Instruction is currently in the early stages ofdevelopment, based on a July, 2012 request from faculty and administrators at PulaskiTechnical College, the local two-year college in Little Rock. This certificate would bemarketed to prospective students who have already completed Masters degrees in awide range of other academic disciplines and currently hold postsecondary instructionalpositions (e.g., community college instructors), but desire additional coursework inpostsecondary instruction, assessment, and evaluation theory and practice to increasestudent learning, persistence, and graduation in their employing institutions.

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2. OUTLINE AND SEQUENCE FOR EACH PROGRAM CURRICULUM

Ed.D. in Higher Education Concentration Missions, Major Learning objective, andCurricula

Concentrations are offered in Higher Education Administration, Student AffairsAdministration, Two-Year College Leadership, and Faculty Leadership. Each studentis assigned to work with an advisor to design a plan of study that reflects previousstudies and professional experience, while focusing on discrete areas of study thatserve the student’s intellectual and professional needs and interests. See Figure 4.2.for a graphic depiction of the relationships between the curriculum, qualifyingexaminations, and dissertation.

Admission Requirements: Admission is based upon a total profile of theapplicant’s educational and professional background. It is expected that applicantshave professional work experience. GRE requirements reflect the November 2011Guide to the Use of Scores. Unconditional admission requirements include thefollowing:

Application for admission to the UALR Graduate School;Cumulative Master’s degree GPA of 3.5 and GRE combined score of 1000 (oldGRE score)/297 (new GRE score), with at least 450 (old GRE score)/150 (newGRE score) on the Verbal and 450 (old GRE score)/141 (new GRE score) on theQuantitative sections of the exam, and an Analytical Writing score of 4.5;Three years of successful professional experience, or equivalent, in an arearelated to the degree program;College of Education Biographical Data Form; and anInterview with and approval of the Higher Education faculty.

Conditional admission requirements include the following:

A Master’s degree with a graduate GPA of 3.5 or above (required standard);A score of 400 (old GRE score)/146 (new GRE score) or above on the verbalsection of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);A score of 450 (old GRE score)/141 (new GRE score) or above on thequantitative section of the GRE; andA score of 3.5 or above on the analytical writing section of the GRE.

Additional documented evidence of a student’s ability to succeed in graduate-levelwork, research, or publications may be required. Program faculty may request the

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following documentation, including: official transcripts from all post-Master’s studies,successful graduate course work from an accredited university, examples of academicand professional work, writing samples, statement of purpose, and letters of supportfrom faculty members or others familiar with the applicants capability for doctoral levelwork.

The Higher Education Program Admission Committee reviews and evaluates thedocumentation. Conditionally admitted students may be allowed to enroll in up to 12semester hours, and upon completion of 12 semester hours in the program, theAdmissions Committee will review the work completed to that point by the applicant aspart of the overall admissions application to determine if the student will be grantedregular admission to the program. Admission to regular status is contingent upon thestudent successfully completing the 12 semester hours of coursework with a minimum3.5 GPA. Conditional Admission does not guarantee Regular Admission to the Ed.D.program in Higher Education. Students who are not granted regular admission to thedoctoral program will not be permitted to enroll in Higher Education courses beyond theprescribed 12 hours of conditionally admitted course work, but may be allowedadmission to the M.A. in Higher Education.

Education/Higher Education Required Core: 9 HoursHIED 8301 History & Philosophy of Higher EducationHIED 8303 Leadership Theories in Higher EducationHIED 8399 Dissertation Seminar

Research Methods Required Core: 12 HoursEDFN 7304 Basic Statistics (Students without a research course in their Master’sprogram must complete EDFN 7303 Introduction to Educational Research first)EDFN 8305 Intermediate StatisticsEDFN 8306 Advanced Research Methods and TechniquesEDFN 7373 Qualitative Research Methods

Doctoral Concentration Areas and Requirements: 27 Hours

Requirements for Administration Concentration: HIED 8340 Organizational Behavior in Higher and Postsecondary EducationHIED 8341 Financing of Colleges and UniversitiesHIED 8342 Governance and Policy Making in Higher EducationHIED 8343 Legal Aspects of Higher EducationElectives: 6 hours of general electivesElectives: 9 hours (3 hours each from each of the other three specialty areas)

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Requirements for Student Affairs Administration Concentration:Prerequisites (if Master’s degree is not in Student Affairs)HIED 7351 Foundations of Student AffairsHIED 7352 Student Development Theory

Area of Specialization Core:HIED 8343 Legal Aspects of Higher EducationHIED 8345/ Seminar: Topic in Student Affairs AdministrationHIED 8357HIED 8350 The American College StudentHIED 8353 Assessment and Program EvaluationHIED 8358 Capstone Seminar in Student AffairsElectives: 9 hours (3 hours each from each of the other three specialty areas)Electives: 3 hours of general electives

Requirements for Two-Year College Leadership Concentration:HIED 8320 The Two-Year College in AmericaHIED 8321 Organization and Administration of Two-Year CollegesHIED 8322 Issues and Challenges in Two-Year College LeadershipHIED 8341 Financing of Colleges & UniversitiesHIED 8342 Governance and Policy Making in Higher EducationHIED 8343 Legal Aspects of Higher EducationElective: 6 hours (7000-level or 8000-level courses in Higher Education,Educational Foundations, or Outside the College approved by adviser)

Requirements for Faculty Leadership Concentration:HIED 8330 College Teaching Problems and IssuesHIED 8332 Curriculum Design in Higher EducationHIED 8341 Financing of College and UniversitiesHIED 8342 Governance and Policy Making in Higher EducationCognate 6 hours (equivalent to UALR College of Education 7000-level or 8000-level courses)Electives: 6 hours (7000-level or 8000-level courses in Higher Education.Educational Foundations, or outside the College approved by adviser)

Figure 4.2.

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Higher Education Electives (Italics indicate new course):

The electives provide specialized knowledge higher education administration,student affairs administration, two-year college leadership, and faculty leadership(Courses below are classified as electives if they are not a required course in aconcentration area).HIED 8320 The Two-Year College in AmericaHIED 8321 Organization and Administration of Two-Year CollegesHIED 8322 Issues and Challenges in Two-Year College LeadershipHIED 8330 College Teaching: Problems and IssuesHIED 8332 Curriculum Design in Higher EducationHIED 8333 College and University FacultyHIED 8340 Organizational Behavior in Higher and Postsecondary EducationHIED 8341 Financing of Colleges and UniversitiesHIED 8342 Governance and Policy Making in Higher EducationHIED 8343 Legal Aspects of Higher EducationHIED 8345 Fund Raising Theory and Practice (taught as HIED 8345 seminar)HIED 8348 College and University Strategy (taught as HIED 8345 seminar)HIED 8350 The American College StudentHIED 8353 Assessment and Program EvaluationHIED 8358 Capstone Seminar in Student AffairsHIED 8370 Policy Issues and Politics in Higher Education

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HIED 8362 Independent StudyEDFN 7302 Introduction to Program EvaluationEDFN 7304 Basic StatisticsEDFN 7313 Learning Theories and Instructional ApplicationsEDFN 7314 Cognition and InstructionEDFN 8308 Advanced Statistics/MultivariateEDFN 8310 Applied Measurement in Research and AnalysisEDFN 8330 Mixed Method Research DesignEDFN 8383 Advanced Qualitative Research Methods

Dissertation Requirements: 15 Hours

These requirements will provide the knowledge and skills to create new knowledgethat make important and original contributions to the knowledge base in highereducation research and policy.

HIED 9199 / 9399 / 9699 Dissertation (15 hours)

Total Program Requirements Without Prerequisites = 63-69 Hours

Total post-baccalaureate hours will equal 99 hours. Completion of 63 hoursassumes a 36-hour Master’s degree. A 33-hour Master’s degree would require 66hours of doctoral coursework and a 30-hour Master’s degree would require 69 hours ofdoctoral coursework to total the 99 hours of graduate level work.

Program Examination Procedures:

All students enrolled in the program will be required to complete all courserequirements. They will be assessed on all appropriate instruments/variablesdelineated in the program’s assessment plan. For those assessment activities that onlyapply to candidates or program graduates, all candidates and graduates will beassessed. Regular courses may require mid-term and/or final examinations or papers,presentations or projects as outlined in each course syllabus.

The program conducts an annual review of each student’s academic progress. Forthese annual reviews, students are required to assemble a prescribed portfolio that isassessed by the program faculty. This portfolio includes evidence of progress fromcoursework, post- or extra-coursework research projects, and an internship, if thestudent was required to complete one. This review is designed to identify any areas ofweakness, give feedback to the student regarding satisfactory progress, and design

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interventions to improve identified weaknesses.

Upon completing all required coursework (except HIED 8399), students engage ina two-part comprehensive examination. The written examination covers the six basicdomains of knowledge and skills included in Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains(knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). Uponsuccessful completion of the written section of the examination, students are invited tosit for the oral examination covering the six knowledge domains and dispositions.

Following successful completion of both components of the exam, studentsdevelop both a prospectus and a proposal for the dissertation that must be approved bythe Dissertation Committee Chair (the fifteen-page prospectus) and each member ofthe dissertation committee (the dissertation proposal). Dissertation committeecomposition will follow the same College of Education and Higher Education programguidelines as already established for the Ed.D. dissertation committees. Committeeswill be composed of two Higher Education faculty members (one of whom will generallyserve as chair), one College of Education faculty member outside the Higher Educationprogram (often the methodologist), and one committee member from anywhere whoholds a terminal degree in an academic or professional discipline.

The research phase of the Higher Education program includes the following fiveassessment points:

1. Development of a satisfactory minimum 15 page prospectus approved by thecommittee chair.

2. Development of a satisfactory written dissertation proposal approved by thedissertation committee.

3. Oral defense of the written proposal to the satisfaction of at least four or moremembers of the dissertation committee, comprised of the student’s dissertationadvisor, one or more faculty from the Higher Education program faculty, onefaculty from outside the Higher Education program but within theCollege of Education, and one additional member who has specific knowledgeand experience pertaining to the student’s topic for research.

4. Collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, writing a complete dissertation,including five chapters or more as are determined by the research methodologyselected. This dissertation must be approved by the student’s dissertationcommittee, as identified in item 2 above.

5. Public oral defense of the completed dissertation and approval by the dissertationcommittee.

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Each of these student assessment points, including quality of candidates admitted,comprehensive written and oral examinations, dissertation proposal, as well as thewritten dissertation and its public defense will provide sufficient opportunities forassessing whether the program is meeting its selection and preparation goals. Program faculty members expect to engage in program improvement based on whatwe learn from these assessment points, including periodic feedback from alumni andstakeholders.

The required written dissertation and the required oral defense develop anddemonstrate research capacity and a working expertise in the research in the student’sspecialization area. Research competency and literacy are demonstrated in the designand conduct of a substantive contribution to the field.

Graduation Requirements

Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on an approved program of study as outlinedabove.Successfully passing the written and oral comprehensive examinations.Completion of an acceptable written dissertation and successful oral defense ofthe final product.

M.A. in Higher Education Concentration Missions, MajorLearning Objectives, and Curricula

Concentrations are offered in higher education administration, student affairsadministration, two-year college leadership, and faculty leadership. Each student willbe assigned to work with an advisor to design a plan of study that reflects previousstudies and professional experience, while focusing on discrete areas of study thatserve the student’s intellectual and professional needs and interests. See Figure 4.3.for a graphic depiction of the relationships between the curriculum and capstoneexperiences.

Figure 4.3.

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Admission Requirements: Admission is based upon a total profile of theapplicant’s educational and professional background. It is expected that applicantshave professional work experience. GRE requirements reflect the November 2011Guide to the Use of Scores. Unconditional admission requirements include thefollowing:

Application for admission to the UALR Graduate School;Graduate Record Exam score of at least 900 (old GRE Score / 290 New GREScore) (verbal and quantitative scales combined), or Miller Analogies Test scoreof at least 396, taken within the last 5 years;Original transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attendedreflecting an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;College of Education Biographical Data Form;A two-page, typed and double-spaced explanation of the reasons for applying tothe program and the goals the student expects to achieve; andAn interview with two faculty from the program resulting in a favorablerecommendation.

Conditional admission requirements: Applicants who have at least an overall GPAof 2.5 and if only one criterion is achieved (the required test score or required GPA),the student may present a profile demonstrating progressively successful professional

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development experience beyond the bachelor’s degree and successfully complete theinterview with the program faculty to be admitted conditionally to the program. Uponsuccessful completion of six semester hours of prescribed coursework, the student mayreceive regular admission to the program.

Additional documented evidence for conditional admission a student’s ability tosucceed in graduate-level work might include other research or publications. Programfaculty may request the following documentation, including: official transcripts from allpost-Master’s studies, successful graduate course work from an accredited university,examples of academic and professional work, writing samples, statement of purpose,and letters of support from faculty members or others familiar with the applicantscapability for doctoral level work.

The Higher Education Program Admission Committee reviews and evaluates thedocumentation of conditionally admitted students who are allowed to enroll in up to sixsemester hours of coursework. Conditional Admission does not guarantee RegularAdmission to the M.A. program in Higher Education. After completion of thatcoursework, the Admissions Committee reviews the academic performance of thestudent and will grant regular status upon the student successfully completing thecourses with a minimum of 3.5 GPA. Students who are not granted regular admission tothe M.A. program will not be permitted to enroll in Higher Education courses beyond theprescribed six hours of conditionally admitted coursework.

The mission statement and objectives of the M.A. program in Higher Education areconsistent with the mission statement of the university as the higher education programstrives to develop the intellect of students; to instill the ability to conduct, analyze,critique, disseminate, and apply objective theoretical and practical information toimprove higher education; to enhance awareness in the scientific, technical, andcultural arena; to respond to the educational needs of the local community and in thestate as a whole; and, to instill a desire for lifelong learning and professionaldevelopment. The Higher Education Program develops a knowledge base and practicalapplication for adult learners who desire to provide a leadership contribution to societythrough their work in higher education. It is through the leadership of these individualsand the impact of their efforts, that students enrolled in post-secondary arenas will bebetter served in central Arkansas, the state, the nation, and the world in order that theywill become lifelong learners that will use available resources and apply research skillsto improve their personal lives and the lives of those they serve.

1. College Student Affairs Concentration Mission, Major Learning Objectives, andCurriculum The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education

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(CAS) indicates that programs and services must develop, disseminate,implement, and regularly review their missions. CAS asserts that a program’smission must be consistent with the mission of the institution and with professionalstandards. The mission must be appropriate for the institution’s studentpopulations and community settings. Mission statements must reference studentlearning and development. The formal education of students, consisting of thecurriculum and the co-curriculum, must promote student learning anddevelopment outcomes that are purposeful, contribute to students’ realization oftheir potential, and prepare students for satisfying and productive lives. Programsand services must collaborate with colleagues and departments across theinstitution to promote student learning and development, persistence, andsuccess.The mission of the College Student Affairs concentration is to provideentry-level professional development to qualified individuals who have specialinterest in college students and the higher education environments that affecttheir development. Graduates of the program are prepared to function effectivelyin a variety of positions in the field of College Student Affairs in two- and four-yearinstitutions.

2. Two-Year College Teaching Concentration Mission, Major Learning Objectives,and Curriculum. The mission of the Two-Year College Teaching concentration isto prepare qualified individuals for faculty positions in various academicdisciplines in technical and two-year colleges. Through a combination ofcoursework in education and a teaching cognate field, students will developstrong expertise to effectively deliver instruction and successfully perform relatedfaculty roles and responsibilities.

3. Administration Concentration Mission, Major Learning Objectives, and Curriculum.The mission of the Higher Education Administration concentration is to provideacademic preparation and professional development to qualified individuals forentry-level positions in administrative leadership in public and private institutionsand agencies of higher and postsecondary education. Students will gainknowledge, skills, and competencies essential to serving as leaders in a variety ofeducation settings.

4. State the degree requirements, including general education requirements,institutional, college or school requirements, and major requirements.In addition tothe degree requirements for each Higher Education Ed.D. and M.A. concentrationoutlined in the previous section, the HIED program description in the 2011-2012UALR Graduate Catalog details the institutional and college requirements towhich the program is in compliance.

5. Indicate the semester/year the major/program courses were last offered. Excludegeneral education courses.The Higher Education program faculty provide a 4-year future schedule of required and elective Higher Education and Educational

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Foundations course offerings to each new M.A. and Ed.D. academic adviseeduring the first advising session. This long range schedule includes instructionaldelivery formats (traditional, hybrid, and online) so that students can implementtheir individualized plans of study, complete courses in the proper sequence, andoptimize their timelines to course completion and qualifying examinations. Theschedule of course offerings between Fall, 2009 and Summer, 2013 is appendedas 4.3.1.

6. Provide syllabi for discipline-specific courses and departmental objectives foreach course.The syllabi for the Higher Education program and EducationalFoundations courses listed in the schedule of course offerings between Fall, 2009and Summer, 2013 is appended as HIED course syllabi.pdf

7. Outline the process for the introduction of new courses, including all internalcurriculum review processes and the findings.The Higher Education programfaculty design, redesign and deliver new courses in consultation with other facultyin the Department of Educational Leadership, the chair of the Department ofEducational Leadership and the College of Education. Course change proposalsproceed from the Higher Education program to the Curriculum Review Committeeof the Department of Educational Leadership, which is comprised of the entiregroup of Department of Educational Leadership faculty, for reviews anddecisions. After approval at the department level, course change proposalsproceed to the College of Education Academic Policy Committee (APC) forreviews and decisions. After approval at the college level, Higher Educationprogram faculty present course change proposals to the University GraduateCouncil, which is comprised of faculty representatives from all schools andcolleges across campus, for campus input, approval and authorization for enteringcourse changes into the Graduate Catalog. The Higher Education program hasthis authority as a derivative of the philosophy of governance of the University ofArkansas Board of Trustees, the UALR Board of Visitors, and the UALRadministrative and faculty officers who espouse shared governance betweenfaculty and administration. The Academic Deans work together, as appropriate,to discuss and resolve issues that may arise across colleges and their courses.

8. List courses in the proposed degree program currently offered by distancedelivery.In order to accommodate the busy schedules and multiple personal andprofessional commitments of the working professionals enrolled in the HigherEducation program, several Higher Education and Educational Foundationscourses are offered completely online by distance delivery:

HIED 8315 Internet Research in Ed*EDFN 7303 Introduction to Ed. Research*EDFN 7304 Basic Statistics*EDFN 7313 Learning Theories and Instructional Applications**

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EDFN 7373 Qualitative Research MethodsEDFN 8305 Intermediate Statistics*EDFN 8306 Advanced Research Methods and Techniques*

*Completely online course** Online and hybrid course formats offered

The majority of currently enrolled students in the Higher Education program arefull-time working professionals. As a result, the faculty recognize the importance ofoffering courses by distance delivery either completely online or in hybrid format toaccommodate students’ busy schedules and make timely progress to coursecompletion. Many Educational Foundations courses are delivered at least 50%electronically, however, none of the required Higher Education courses are delivered atleast 50% electronically.Back to Top

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V Program Faculty

Seven existing full-time, tenured and tenure-track faculty serve as the researchand knowledge experts on whom to base the development, implementation, andsuccess of the Ed.D. in Higher Education: three from the existing Ed.D. and M.A.programs in Higher Education, and four from the Educational Foundations unit. Theseindividuals and their credentials, teaching and research emphases are summarized inthe following paragraph. The curriculum vita for each of the seven is available in theAppendices. These faculty members possess the critical knowledge and researchexpertise to mount the proposed program.

Full-time Program Faculty Information

Higher Education Program Faculty Curriculum Vitae

Barrett, T. Gregory, Professor of Higher Education, Ph.D., University of MichiganTeaching Emphases: History and Philosophy of Higher Education, Organizational

Behavior in Higher Education, Higher Education Law, Governance and Policy,

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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Academic Policy, Qualitative Research Methods. Research Emphases: Organizationaland Group Resilience, Transcendent Behavior and Leadership, Culture and Climate,Fund Raising and Stewardship, Historically Black and Minority-serving Institutions,Higher Education Policy and Governance.

Hughes, Gail H. (Weems), Associate Professor of Educational Foundations,Ph.D., University of Memphis

Teaching Emphases: Statistical Methods, Research Methods. ResearchEmphases: Measurement and Evaluation in Higher Education and K-12, andEducational Psychology.

Kuykendall, John A., Assistant Professor of Higher Education & DoctoralProgram, Coordinator, Ph.D., Indiana University

Teaching Emphases: Student Affairs and Policy; Research Emphases: FacultyWorkload Issues, Policy Reform on Recruitment and Retention, Diversity in CollegeStudent Affairs Professions.

Nolen, Amanda L., Associate Professor of Educational Foundations, Ph.D.,Baylor University

Teaching Emphases: Statistics, Quantitative Research Methods, QualitativeResearch Methods, Experimental Design, Cognition and Instruction. ResearchEmphases: Qualitative Data Analyses, College Choice, Action Research in Education,Research Ethics.

Pearson, L. Carolyn, Professor of Educational Foundations, Ph.D., University ofSouth Florida

Teaching Emphases: Statistical Methods, Research Methods. ResearchEmphases: Measurement and Evaluation in Higher Education and K-12, StatisticalMethods, Research Methods, and Educational Psychology.

Suter, W. Newton, Professor of Educational Foundations, Ph.D., StanfordUniversity

Teaching Emphases: Statistical Methods, Educational Research andMeasurement. Research Emphases: Educational Measurement and Change,Experimental Research Methods and Educational Psychology.

Vander Putten, Jim, Associate Professor of Higher Education, Ph.D., Universityof Michigan

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Teaching Emphases: Faculty and College Teaching, American College Student,Curriculum and Instruction in Higher Education, Research Practicum and DissertationSeminar. Research Emphases: Faculty Social Origins, Research Integrity, CollegeChoice.

Program Faculty

Dr. John A. Kuykendall, Assistant Professor and Doctoral Program Coordinator

Phone: 501-569-3554; Email: jakuykendall@ualr.edu

Dr. T. Gregory Barrett, Professor

Phone: 501-569-3016; email: tgbarrett@ualr.edu

Dr. Charles W. Donaldson, Associate Professor & Vice Chancellor Educational andStudent Services

Phone: 501-569-3328; email: cwdonaldson@ualr.edu

Dr. Jim Vander Putten, Associate Professor

Phone: 501-569-3549; email: jvputten@ualr.edu

Adjunct Faculty

Dr. Timothy N. Atkinson, email: tatkinson@uca.edu

Dr. Jan L. Austin, email: jlaustin@ualr.edu

Dr. Diane S. Gilleland, email: dsgilleland@ualr.edu

Dr. Brett Powell, email: powellb@obu.edu

Dr. Lourene Thaxton, email: lpthaxton@gmail.com

1. Indicate the academic credentials required for adjunct/part-time facultyteaching major/program courses.

Data indicate that full-time and part-time (adjunct faculty) in the College of

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Education and the Higher Education program itself are highly-qualified and well-qualified for their assignments, holding either terminal degrees in the content areas inwhich they are appointed and teach and/or possessing specialized expertise andsignificant experience in the field. Of the full-time unit faculty, all (100%) tenure trackfaculty (assistant, associate, and professor) have terminal degrees in their area ofteaching/research expertise related to working with candidates in the unit.

Part-time faculty have advanced degrees appropriate to the level with which theyare working (all adjunct faculty members hold terminal degrees) and generally teach nomore than two courses in a semester or are responsible for an equivalent amount ofsupervision of candidates in their Master’s theses or dissertations.

2. Describe the orientation and evaluation processes for faculty, includingadjunct and part-time faculty

Every area of faculty endeavor is routinely documented and evaluated for everymember of the faculty. Students evaluate faculty, full-time and adjunct (part-time),teaching performance every semester, with results made available for both peer andadministrative review. Course syllabi are posted and subject to both peer andadministrative review as well. As part of the annual review process, faculty membersreport all publications, presentations, community and university service involvements,service to professional agencies and groups, and grant activities. These are subject topeer and administrative review. The information that emerges from thesereviews becomes part of discussions that occur between individual faculty membersand department chairs at the time of annual review. Reviews are used as the basis ofdetermining raises, progress toward promotion/tenure, and goal setting for the comingacademic year.

Policies and procedures pertaining to promotion and tenure can be found in theUALR Faculty Handbook as well as in the College and Department governancedocument. The promotion and tenure process originates within departments andincludes both peer and administrator evaluation components. The process then movesto the college-level where faculty dossiers, including evaluations provided by outsidesources are reviewed by the Personnel Advisory Committee. Their recommendationsare forwarded to the Dean for review. The dean prepares a summary letter andforwards the letter (plus summaries of the materials and recommendations) to theprovost. The board of trustees of the University of Arkansas System function as finalarbiters UALR Promotion and Tenure Process.

Peer review is a part of the requirements for the s2.2c.3.04 Annual Faculty Review.

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Each full-time faculty member must submit an annual review, including the results ofpeer review, to the department chair for evaluation. These evaluations are forwarded tothe dean for approval. If the faculty member does not agree with the previous twodecisions (peer and chair review), he or she can appeal the decisions, first to the chairand then to the dean. Adjunct faculty who teach courses are evaluated at the end ofeach semester by candidates enrolled in the course. Department chairs review theseevaluations to determine adjunct employment status. If concerns are noted, aconference may be held with the adjunct in order to rectify and remediate problemsnoted. Full-time faculty are evaluated at the conclusion of courses via an electronicinstrument. Data on teaching evaluations are stored and may be used to look atpatterns in teaching across courses and from semester to semester. These data arehelpful in both annual evaluation and promotion and tenure decisions. Post-tenurereview (Faculty Handbook) is another form of faculty evaluation that takes placeregularly. Post-tenure review is conducted by the chair of the department and includesfeedback from the peer review process that takes place annually within eachdepartment. Should the performance of a tenured member of the faculty be deemedunsatisfactory during post-tenure review, there is provision for punitive measures and/orfor improvement plans outlined in the (UALR Faculty Handbook).

A table summarizing faculty performance on unit evaluations will be available in thedocuments room. On average, faculty perform at levels above Satisfactory (i.e., eitherOutstanding or Exceptional). A review of the annual faculty evaluation process for2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012 shows that the Higher Education facultyreceive positive performance appraisals.

Higher Education faculty evaluations are embedded in goal plans and annualexpectations set by the chair of the Department of Educational Leadership inconsultation with individual faculty. The primary process used to improve facultyperformance is the annual evaluation conference between individual faculty membersand the department chair. As part of this process, performance goals and improvementactivities in teaching, research and service, if necessary, for the coming year areestablished. In cases where faculty members are deemed to have weaknesses, theyare frequently paired with a more senior faculty who serve as mentors for a year.

Goal plans are written by individual Higher Education faculty members each year,and these are discussed and approved by the Chair of the Department of EducationalLeadership prior to becoming the actual yearly plan for on-going quality in teaching,service and scholarship. Each of the Higher Education faculty evaluation/improvementplan letters is reviewed by the Dean of the College of Education to determine whatassistance, if any, should be provided for individual faculty to facilitate improvement in

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teaching, service, or scholarship. This review allows the Chair and Dean to allocateresources to better assist the individual faculty member in meeting his or her goalswithin each of the three crucial faculty roles of teaching, scholarship and service. Higher Education faculty goal plans and evaluations are available on request from theDean’s Office.3. Provide average number of courses and number of credit hours taught for full-time program faculty for current academic year.

Full-Time Higher Education Program Faculty

Dr. T. Gregory Barrett, Full Professor: 5 courses and 15 credit hours

Dr. Mark Fincher, Assistant Professor (left UALR, July, 2012): 6 courses and 18credit hours

Dr. John A. Kuykendall, Assistant Professor: 5 courses and 15 credit hours

Dr. Jim Vander Putten, Associate Professor: 5 courses and 15 credit hours

Adjunct Higher Education Program Faculty

Dr. Jan L. Austin: 1 course and 3 credit hours

Dr. Brett Powell: 1 course and 3 credit hours

Dr. Lourene Thaxton: 1 course and 3 credit hours

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VI Program Resources

Higher Education faculty evaluations and annual goal plans are the basis forproviding opportunities for faculty professional development and travel. If a HigherEducation faculty member needs further development in a particular area of academicendeavor (to help remediate a weakness or to help build upon a strength), there areseveral ways of securing support for that development: first, if it is a self-identifiedneed, Higher Education faculty typically request help via another faculty member orapply for the various types of funds or opportunities provided by the department orinstitution. Second, if it is identified as a need at the departmental or college level, theHigher Education faculty member, in consultation with either the Chair of theDepartment of Educational Leadership or Dean, secures the assistance of a mentor oris provided support (usually funding for travel and registration) to attend a professionaldevelopment opportunity or is counseled to take advantage of developmentopportunities routinely provided at UALR. Higher Education faculty are then requestedto provide feedback on their learning experiences at the conference or on theprofessional development opportunity.

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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Higher Education faculty travel requests are submitted to the Chair of theDepartment of Educational Leadership and to the Dean of the College of Education forapproval using a form in which justification is given (either improvement of skills orpresentation of research/scholarship to a peer reviewed conference or a professionalassociation). Following the review, appropriate support is allocated. Often and in thecase of new faculty, the Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership or the Deanof the College of Education may request that a faculty member attend a conference ortraining to provide a chance for the faculty member to interact with colleagues aroundthe nation and to learn about research trends. Both the College of Education and theuniversity provide these opportunities. New Higher Education faculty are oftenmentored by experienced faculty in the Department of Educational Leadership and, aslong as it is economically feasible, financial support is provided to send a moreexperienced faculty member to co-present with a new Higher Education facultymember. The institution and the College of Education also provide for training on-campus via webinars, speakers brought to campus, and the assessment expositionsponsored by the institution and the Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence.(B.o.1.08 star) The Scholarly Technology and Resources (STaR) Office also providestraining opportunities for faculty in the use of the Blackboard course managementsystem and streaming video for the purposes of improving online teaching.

The College of Education and the institution provide a diverse menu for HigherEducation faculty to improve skills related to teaching, assessment, diversity,technology, and the College of Education’s conceptual framework. These activitiesinclude off-campus duty assignments and on-going institutional activities that supportinstruction (e.g., workshops in online course design and management, individualguidance in online course production through STaR) and assessment (e.g., workshopsin assessment practice). The College of Education also provides travel funds to attendvarious training conferences and workshops. The College of Education provides onegraduate assistant for the Higher Education program to assist with research andaccreditation.

Dr. Ken Bain (author of What The Best College Teachers Do) conductedworkshops on campus during Spring 2009, Dr. Mary Ellen Weimer (author of Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice-2002, Enhancing Scholarly Work onTeaching and Learning: Professional Literature that Makes a Difference-2006, InspiredCollege Teaching: A Career-Long Resource for Professional Growth-2010 ) presentedsimilar workshops twice in the past 3 years. In addition, each year the Dean of theCollege of Education hosts a “college read,” where participants read a designated bookand engage in scheduled discussion sessions. In the past, “college read” books haveincluded Good To Great by Jim Collins and The Innovative University: Changing the

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DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out by Clayton Christensen and Henry Eyrin.

The Department of Educational Leadership does not use graduate teachingassistants, however, adjunct and part-time faculty participate in the annual College ofEducation stakeholders meeting and in a meeting held each Fall and Spring with theChair of the Department of Educational Leadership and the Dean of the College ofEducation to discuss issues in teaching and opportunities on campus for professionaldevelopment and engagement with campus activities. Faculty participate frequently inthese activities both on- and off-campus.

1. Describe the professional development of full-time program faculty over thepast two years including the institutional financial support provided tofaculty for the activities.Dean’s Office Support to FacultyThe College of Education and the Department of Educational Leadership providesubstantial support for travel, professional conference attendance, and otherresources related to faculty interests in research, teaching, and service asevidenced in the spreadsheet linked above.

2. Provide the annual library budget for the program or describe how libraryresources are provided for the program.The Higher Education programstudents and faculty are fortunate to have access to an excellent collection ofhard copy books, monographs, and journals, and the full extent of this collectionis detailed in a memo from Maureen James, Director of Collection Developmentfor UALR’s Ottenheimer Library.

3. Describe the availability, adequacy, and accessibility of campus resources(research, library, instructional support, instructional technology, etc.) useletter from library as evidenceIn addition to the Ottenheimer Library’s extensive collection of books,monographs, and journals, a wide array of electronic sources are available andaccessible from on or off campus. Access to monographs includes freedownloadable PDF versions of the ASHE Higher Education Reports, and theJossey-Bass New Directions Series in: Adult & Continuing Education, CommunityColleges, Higher Education, Institutional Research, Program Evaluation, StudentServices, and Teaching and Learning. Several online databases such as JSTOR,Project MUSE, Academic Search Complete, Education Research Complete,Wilson OmniFile, Wiley InterScience, and Web of Science provide access to freedownloadable PDF versions of professional journals including: The Journal ofHigher Education, The Review of Higher Education, Research in HigherEducation, American Educational Research Journal, The Journal of College

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Student Development, Community College Review, Community College Journal ofResearch and Practice, Teachers College Record, NASPA Journal, Journal ofStudent Affairs Research and Practice, Journal of College Admissions, NASPAJournal About Women in Higher Education, and the Higher Education Handbooksof Theory and Practice.

4. Provide a list of >program equipment purchases for the past three yearsThe list of technology purchases buy the College of Education is availablein aPDF

. Additionally, the Department of Educational Leadership has purchasedlaptops, iPads, tablets, and software.

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VII. Majors/Declared Students

Majors/Declared Students

1. State the number of graduate students in each degree program underreview for the past three years

Doctorate

ACADEMIC YEAR # OF MAJORS # OF GRADUATES

2012 61 6

2011 53 3

2010 41 12

Masters

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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ACADEMIC YEAR # OF MAJORS # OF GRADUATES

2012 33 9

2011 23 3

2010 13 2

2. Describe strategies to recruit, retain, and graduate students.

The Higher Education Program will continue to implement the best recruitingpractices in graduate education by providing the leadership for an practical learningenvironment in which to educate our next generation of scholars, professionals, andleaders in a competitive, knowledge-based world. To this end we will continue torecruit, retain, and graduate students by:

Working collaboratively with various Arkansas colleges and schools to developspecific strategies for recruiting and retaining students in all areas of inquirySciences.Developing and delivering workshops for faculty on best practices in therecruitment and retention of graduate students.Working effectively with other UALR graduate programs and departments torecruit and attract students.Attending best practices seminars and other professional conference networks toreceive successful and innovative methods for improving the student experience.Collaborating with regional and state Graduate Recruitment Offices to seek newopportunities for recruitment to engage with the community and demonstrate theimpact of their research.Continuing to examine and disseminate enrollment data trends for doctoral andmaster’s completion trends to identify areas of improvement and recognize andpublicize best practices for our higher education programWorking with other campus constituents to remove obstacles and provideroadmaps for the development of interdisciplinary programs and degrees toinclude online learning opportunities.Providing leadership in collaboration with the Academy for Teaching and LearningExcellence ATLE to create an exemplary learning environment throughdeveloping and delivering seminars and workshops for faculty seeking to developonline or hybrid graduate education.Continuing to be model College, Department, and Program Advocate forprograms seeking to hire diversified faculty for faculty and staff positions or jointappointments.

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3. Provide the number of program graduates over the past three years

The Arkansas Department of Higher Education requirements for graduate programdegree production to maintain program viability are 12 graduates over a three yearperiod for the Master’s program and 12 graduates over a three year period for allcombined College of Education Doctoral programs (HIED Ed.D. + EducationalAdministration Ed.D. + Reading Education Ph.D.). The number of program graduatesover the past three years disaggregated by degree and concentration are:

Master of Arts in Higher Education degree program graduates by concentration:

Doctorate

ACADEMIC YEAR # OF MAJORS # OF GRADUATES

2012 61 6

2011 53 3

2010 41 12

Masters

ACADEMIC YEAR # OF MAJORS # OF GRADUATES

2012 33 9

2011 23 3

2010 13 2

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VIII Program Assessment

1. Describe the program assessment process and provideoutcomes data (standardized entrance/placement testresults, exit test results, etc.).

Assessment in the Higher Education program (Both Programs)

The Higher Education Doctoral program faculty have been involved in developingthe Program Assessment Plan and Annual Reports for the College of Education’sAssessment Committee which, in turn, submits the approved plan and annual reports tothe Provost’s Assessment Advisory Group (PAAG). In 2008, the Arkansas StateLegislature enacted legislation that made it mandatory for all academic programs thatdo not have a regional or national accrediting body to undergo an accreditationsupervised by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE).

The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board (AHECB) adopted the Existing

Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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Program Review Policy in October 2008. It requires the review of all academicprograms every 7-10 years. A major component of the policy is an internal review (self-study) by institutions and an external review by consultants of programs that do nothave program-specific accreditation/licensure/certification. The institution’s self-study,consultants’ written evaluation, and the institution’s response to the consultants’findings will be submitted to ADHE (See UALR’s Assessment Central for details:http://ualr.edu/assessment/index.php/home/program-review/ ).

Higher Education Doctoral Program Assessment

8.1.A. Introduction to the Doctoral (Ed.D.) Program Assessment

The Assessment Plan for the Higher Education Doctoral Program (Ed.D.) wasdeveloped to assess the success of the program’s mission which is:

Program Mission: The mission of the higher education doctoral program at theUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock is to create scholar-practitioners and faculty andadministrative leaders who will make a positive difference in the knowledge andperformance of higher education students and institutions.

This mission was designed to conform to the UALR College of Education’s primaryorientation which is its Conceptual Framework:

Conceptual Framework

“Leaders in Learning demonstrate Communication (C), Specialized Expertise (SE),Professional Development (PD) and a strong commitment to diversity (D) incompetency, disposition and behavior.”

8.1.B. Doctoral Student Learning Goals

The Higher Education doctoral program is designed primarily to prepare graduatesfor mid- and senior-level leadership positions in colleges and universities, facultypositions for two- and four-year colleges, and educational research and policy positionsin state, federal, and private higher education-related agencies.

Standards employed by the UALR Higher Education program to serve as thelearning goals for the Ed.D. in Higher Education are adapted from the CAS ProfessionalStandards for Higher Education developed by the Council for the Advancement ofStandards in Higher Education. The specific standards used by the Higher Education

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doctoral program are derived from the CAS General Standards (8.1.B.CASGen),Masters-Level Student Affairs Professional Preparation Programs Standards(8.1.B.CASMas), and the Graduate and Professional Student Programs and Standards(8.1.B.CASGrad). Those standards include: 1. Mission and Objective, 2. Recruitmentand Admission, 3. Program, 4. Leadership, 5. Ethics, 6. Legal Responsibilities, 7.Equity and Access, 8. Diversity, 9. Organization and Management, 10. Campus andExternal Relations, 11. Financial Resources, 12. Technology, 13. Facilities andEquipment, and 14. Assessment and Evaluation.

The standards that apply for the Assessment Plan are: 3. Program, 4. Leadership,5. Ethics, 6. Legal Responsibilities, 7. Equity and Access, 8. Diversity, 9. Organizationand Management, 10. Campus and External Relations. 12. Technology, and 14.Assessment and Evaluation. We did not use Standards 1. Mission and Objectives, 2.Recruitment and Admission, 11. Financial Resources, and 13. Facilities and Equipmentin the Assessment Plan because these standards are addressed in other sections ofthe Institutional Self-Study.

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8.1.C. Doctoral Learning Objectives or Outcomes Associated with EachStudent Learning Goal

The relationship of the Higher Education doctoral degree to the college’sconceptual framework is reflected in the program’s outcome goals for each graduate. The program objectives listed below are used to meet each of the CAS standards.Standards satisfied by each objective are included in the objective below:

1. To develop students as leaders who bring a critical, reflective, and ethicalperspective to leadership and professional practice in higher education. (CAS #3,#4, #5)

2. To develop educational leaders who are able to address the needs of society,higher education, and the diverse populations they serve. (CAS #3, #5, #7, #8)

3. To develop students of conscience who respect diversity and who are committedto the service of others and their communities. (CAS #5, #7, #8, #10)

4. To enrich student’s historical and cultural consciousness of Americanpostsecondary institutions. (CAS #3, #10)

5. To provide students with critical understandings of the various structures andpolicies that shape and inform policy and practice in the American highereducation system. (CAS #3, #5, #6, #7, #9, #12)

6. To integrate theories from appropriate fields with students’ own professional

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experiences in order to relate theory to practice. (CAS #3, #10)7. To strengthen students’ leadership, teamwork, written and oral communication,

research, assessment and analytical skills. (CAS #3, #10, #12)8. To develop students’ professional skills and dispositions in higher education,

including their appreciation for education as a lifelong process of professional andpersonal development. (CAS #3, #5, #12)

8.1.D. Doctoral Key Assessments

There were myriad possible assessment points that the Higher Education facultycould have chosen to assess. However, since the College of Education’s PAAG onlyrequires a minimum of six assessment points, we decided to choose what we thoughtwere absolutely key assessments that would measure the success of the HigherEducation doctoral program. Thus, assessment of the Higher Education Doctoralprogram is divided into five segments each of which provides an integral set of skillsand competencies that are essential to the success of our graduates. As shown inTable 8.1 below, these segments include: 1) a set of Higher Education core courses, 2)a set of Research Methods core courses (evaluated in the Comprehensive QualifyingExamination), 3) a set of concentration area courses (concentration areas include:administration; student affairs administration; two-year college leadership; and facultyleadership), 4) Written and Oral Comprehensive Qualifying Examinations, and 5) thedefense of dissertation proposal (first three chapters of the dissertation) and a finaldissertation. Success of each component of these segments is measured using avariety of assessments and each component of these segments achieves one or moreof the CAS standards as reflected in Table 8.1. See the links for (8.D.1.1) a sample ofthe key assessments and (8.D.1.2) a crosswalk of the CAS Standards and applicableassessment from the Higher Education Program’s Assessment plan.

Table 8.1 Doctoral Program Key Assessment by Standard

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Higher Education Doctoral Core Course Assessments: Each of the three HigherEducation core courses serves as an individual assessment point in the doctoralassessment plan. Each course has one assignment that serves as the key assessmentfor the course.

The primary document analysis assignment in HIED 8301 History and Philosophyof Higher Education serves as the baseline key assessment for the program since it isamong the first courses taken in the Higher Education doctoral curriculum. Theassignment is an analysis of a primary document focusing on the context in highereducation and society at the time it was written, on the salient characteristics of theauthor of the document including the philosophical perspectives that may haveinfluenced the author and the impact the document has had on higher education. See8.D.1.3 for the description and guidelines for the assignment and 8.D.1.4 for thegrading rubric and summaries for the past three offerings of the course along with acumulative summary for the three years.

The theory paper in HIED 8303 Leadership Theories in Higher Education is the keyassessment for the second core higher education course. See 8.D.1.5 for thedescription and guidelines for the assignment and 8.D.1.6 for the grading rubric. For thecurrent assessment, this course is being assessed for the self-study report through thegrades of the students. In the future, the faculty will use the rubrics used to evaluatethe performances of students on the key assignment in the course (the interviewassignment to which a link is provided above) to assess the annual performances of thestudents in the class.

Dissertation seminar (HIED 8399) is the last course the students take in the HigherEducation curriculum. The course is taken either concurrently with or after passage bythe students of the written and oral comprehensive qualifying examination. Theassignment is for the students to complete the first two chapters of their dissertations:Chapter 1 Introduction; and Chapter 2 Literature Review. See link 8.D.1.7 for thedescription and guidelines for the assignment and 8.D.1.8 for the grading rubric andcumulative summary of performance for the past three offerings of the course. Furtherelaboration on the course is provided below in the explanation of the dissertationprocess.

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Higher Education Doctoral Concentration Course Assessments: Each student isrequired to choose from one of four doctoral concentration areas—administration,student affairs administration, two-year college leadership, or faculty leadership—when

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developing their plan of study. Therefore, though students are fairly evenly distributedacross the concentration areas, one course from the core concentration area courseswas selected to serve as the course from which the key concentration area assessmentwas evaluated.

1) The policy paper assignment in HIED 8342 Governance and Policy in HigherEducation is the key assessment in the Administration concentration area. See link8.D.1.9 for the description and guidelines for the assignment and 8.D.1.10 for thegrading rubric and cumulative summary of performance for the past three offerings ofthe course.

2) The original research assignment in HIED 8350 The American College Studentis the key assessment in the Student Affairs Administration concentration area. See link8.D.1.11 for the description and guidelines for the assignment and 8.D.1.12 for thegrading rubric. No data are available as no doctoral student has completed thisassignment in the last three years. We will be collecting data in future offerings of thiscourse.

3) The team-based research project in HIED 8320 The Two-Year College inAmerica is the key assessment in the Two-Year College Leadership concentrationarea. See link 8.D.1.13 for the description and guidelines for the assignment and8.D.1.14 for the grading rubric and a reflection paper from the course. Data are minimalbecause none were left when a faculty member departed UALR.

4) The original research assignment in HIED 8330 College Teaching Problems andIssues is the key assessment in the Faculty Leadership concentration area. See link8.D.1.15 for the description and guidelines for the assignment and 8.D.1.16 for thegrading rubric and cumulative summary of performance for the past two offerings of thecourse.

2. Describe program/major gateway and exit or capstone requirements forthe Doctoral Program.

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Written Comprehensive Qualifying Examination

The written portion of the qualifying examination is administered on three days overthe course of two weekends. Students are provided with Student Guides to QualifyingExaminations, a booklet outlining policies, procedures, and expectations on theexamination [see link 8.2.1a]. A summary of recent results on the ComprehensiveQualifying Examination is available at the link (8.D.2.1).

Doctoral Research Methods Section:

All students are examined on the required Educational Foundations courses –Statistics (EDFN 7304), Advanced Statistics (EDFN 8305), Advanced Research (EDFN8306) which serves as the Quantitative Research Methods section of the examination,and Qualitative Research Methods (EDFN 7373) – on a Saturday afternoon. TheEducational Foundations (Research Methods) sections of the examination incorporateaspects of Institutional Review Board considerations including training in the ethical andlegal responsibilities that research have when conducting research involving humansubjects.

Doctoral Higher Education Sections:

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All students are examined on the Higher Education core courses—History andPhilosophy of Higher Education (HIED 8301) and on Leadership Theories (HIED 8303)—on the following Friday afternoon.

The next day, students are examined on required coursework in their respectiveconcentration areas. Students in the Faculty Leadership Concentration are examinedon College Teaching Problems and Issues (HIED 8330) and Curriculum Design inHigher Education (HIED 8332) during the Saturday morning session. They areexamined on Financing of Colleges and Universities (HIED 8341) and Governance andPolicy Making in Higher Education (HIED 8342) on Saturday afternoon. Students in theAdministration Concentration are examined on Organizational Behavior in Higher andPostsecondary Education (HIED 8340) and Legal Aspects of Higher Education (HIED8343) during the Saturday morning session. During the Saturday afternoon sessionthey are examined on Financing of Colleges and Universities (HIED 8341) andGovernance and Policy Making in Higher Education (HIED 8342). Students in the Two-Year College Leadership Concentration are examined on Organizational Behavior inHigher and Postsecondary Education (HIED 8340) and Legal Aspects of HigherEducation (HIED 8343) during the Saturday morning session. They are examined onThe Two-Year College in America (HIED 8320) and Issues and Challenges in Two-Year College Leadership (HIED 8322) for half the afternoon session and Financing ofColleges and Universities (HIED 8341) and Governance and Policy Making in HigherEducation (HIED 8342) in the second half of the session. Students in the StudentAffairs Administration Concentration are examined on Legal Aspects of HigherEducation (HIED 8343) and Assessment and Program Evaluation (HIED 8353) in themorning session and The American College Student (HIED 8350) and CapstoneSeminar in Student Affairs (HIED 8358) during the afternoon session.

The schedule for the written exams appears in Figure 8.2., and delineates eachformal section of the exams (e.g., Quantitative Research/Statistics is one section, andQualitative Research is a separate section).

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After completion of the written qualifying examination, any information identifyingindividual students is removed from each response prior to evaluation by the HigherEducation faculty. Approximately two weeks after the administration of writtenqualifying exams, each student’s assigned faculty academic advisor or DissertationChair communicates the examination results and assists in identifying the appropriatenext steps.

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and an oral examination of up to two hours is scheduled with the Higher Educationfaculty that addresses the written examination sections that have been successfullycompleted. To ensure the confidentiality of qualifying exam questions, writtenresponses are not returned to the student. If a student fails any section of the writtenqualifying examination, that section must be re-taken during the next scheduledadministration of the written qualifying examination.

Oral Comprehensive Qualifying Examination

Preparation for written qualifying examinations should comprise the majority ofeach student’s study, however, additional preparation is necessary for the oralexamination. When the faculty advisor or dissertation chair communicates the writtenexamination results, additional suggestions for specific oral examination preparation areincluded. These suggestions will also be included in the letter summarizing writtenexamination results.

One assessment objective of the Higher Education program is that each studentwill be able to promote the success of all students in their employing institution by:

Practicing reflectively, serving effectively as spokespersons for the institutionand higher education, and communicating effectively with audiences about relevantissues that influence the larger political, social, economic, legal and culturalcontext.

Just as content, style, and professional tone are important aspects of qualitywriting, they are also important aspects of quality oral presentation. The faculty intendsfor the tone of the oral examination to be collegial rather than adversarial, and studentsshould approach this as a discussion among colleagues similar to an interview with anemployment search committee.

The structure of the oral qualifying examination follows the topical outline of thewritten exam, and up to two hours is allocated for this examination. Faculty questionsin the oral examination are not limited to the scope and nature of the written examquestions, and students may be asked about any aspect of higher education. The oralexamination is concluded with a discussion of current events in higher education, andthe faculty recommends that students read The Chronicle of Higher Education or thewebsite insidehighered.com on a regular basis to maintain a well-rounded base ofknowledge regarding all aspects of higher and postsecondary education. The possibilityexists that a student may fail a section of Qualifying Exams that was previously passedif their responses in the oral exams are evaluated as unsatisfactory by the faculty.

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Students who do not pass all sections of the written examination and the oralexamination after the second attempt will be dismissed from the Higher Educationgraduate program. Students who are dismissed from the program for failing thequalifying examination are provided with an appeal procedure. Since the appealprocess focuses on the program dismissal decision, no appeal of individual examinationevaluations is possible before being dismissed from the program. The appeal procedureis included in the Student Guide to Qualifying Examinations booklet.

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Dissertation Proposal and ProcessThe research phase of the Higher Education program includes the following fiveassessment points:

Developing a satisfactory minimum 15 page prospectus approved by thecommittee chair.Developing a satisfactory written dissertation proposal approved by thedissertation committee.Oral defense of the written proposal to the satisfaction of at least four or moremembers of the dissertation committee, comprised of the student’s dissertationadvisor, one or more faculty from the Higher Education program faculty, onefaculty from outside the Higher Education program but within the College ofEducation, and one additional member who has specific knowledge andexperience pertaining to the student’s topic for research.Collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, writing a complete dissertation,including five chapters or more as are determined by the research methodologyselected. The dissertation must be approved by the student’s dissertationcommittee, as identified in item 2 above.Public oral defense of the completed dissertation and approval by the dissertationcommittee.

Each of these student assessment points, including quality of candidates admitted,comprehensive written and oral examinations, dissertation proposal, as well as thewritten dissertation and its public defense will provide sufficient opportunities forassessing whether the program is meeting its gateway and preparation goals. Programfaculty members expect to engage in program improvement based on what we learnfrom these assessment points, including periodic feedback from alumni, employer, andother program stakeholders.

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they must complete the third of the three Higher Education core courses: DissertationSeminar (HIED 8399). Dissertation Seminar is a course that focuses on the first threechapters of the dissertation but has written assignments on the first two chapters of thedissertation.

The prerequisites for admission into the course are consents of the instructor andof the student’s doctoral dissertation chair. Additional prerequisites are the formulationof a topic for the dissertation research and development of a 12-15 page prospectus forthe study in a form that is satisfactory to the student’s dissertation committee. From theoutset, students are strongly encouraged to work with the chair of their dissertationcommittee to ensure that the first two chapters of the proposal being developed indissertation seminar will be aligned with the direction of the study as envisioned by thestudent and chair.

As currently constituted, the core objective for this seminar is the production of twodissertation proposal chapters acceptable to the student’s doctoral dissertation chair.Upon completion of the course, students will have achieved five additional objectivesrelated to the College of Education’s conceptual framework:

Identified a topic worthy of research, prefaced it and presented a succinctintroduction (Specialized Expertise);Justified the need for the study in an adequate manner (Specialized Expertise);Demonstrated mastery of the theoretical and methodological limitations of theprevious research on the topic, and will have described them accurately in theproposal (Specialized Expertise);Conducted a critical review of related research and literature (SpecializedExpertise); andDescribed the requirements for research with human participants and masteredthe ethical and legal considerations in conducting research (SpecializedExpertise).

Topics covered in the course include searching for literature in professionaljournals; retrieving and evaluating information from the Web; Chapter One: Introduction;Chapter Two: Literature Review; data presentation strategies; human participantsresearch; and, Chapter Three: Methodology. Embedded between the topical sessionsare weeks for independent writing and meetings with the professor individually at thestudents’ discretion.

The dissertation committee is formed prior to beginning Dissertation Seminar,though should the student and dissertation committee chair decide that a different

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committee composition would be more appropriate to the completion of a high qualitydissertation, the committee may be reconstituted. In general, the Higher Educationfaculty requires the dissertation committee be composed of two Higher Educationfaculty members (one generally serves as chair and the other can be from among theregular faculty or from contingent faculty members who teach one or more courses inthe Higher Education curriculum), one faculty member from the UALR College ofEducation (this is most often the study’s methodologist whose specialized expertise willhelp ensure a high quality study is designed, implemented, and completed). The fourthcommittee member must have a terminal degree in their discipline and is generallyselected for their expertise in the topical area in which the study is being conducted andfor the contribution they can make to a high quality dissertation. Additional committeemembers may be added at the discretion of the student and their dissertation chair but,in general, not more than five members compose a dissertation committee in theHigher Education program. In addition to the Dissertation Guidelines, the UALRGraduate School also provides a manual entitled: UALR Dissertation and ThesisGuidelines [8.D.2.2a] to provide students with information on University procedures onthe dissertation and graduation procedures.

Dissertation Proposal Development: Upon successful completion of the courserequirements for Dissertation Seminar, the students are then ready to begin their workwith their dissertation committee toward the successful completion of their dissertationproposal. In practice, the dissertation proposal process is iterative. Students generallywork with their chair and methodologist to develop Chapter Three: Methodology and torevise the first two chapters of the proposal through various drafts of the proposal untilthe chair and methodologist agree that the full proposal (first three chapters of thedissertation) is in appropriate shape to present to the full committee for their feedbackand, ultimately, their approval. Development of the full proposal (first three chapters ofthe dissertation) is an iterative process in which the dissertation chair, themethodologist, and the student work repetitively until they feel the study is ready for adefense before the entire dissertation committee. The dissertation chair providesresources to the student such as the Dissertation Guidelines that were modified fromthe George Washington University (GWU) Dissertation Guidelines, adapted to UALRusage, and adopted by the College of Education faculty in 2005 with the permission ofthe Graduate School of Education at GWU. To review the Dissertation Guidelines thatare distributed to students by their chairs see (8.D.2.2).

A meeting of the dissertation committee is then scheduled and convened at leasttwo weeks after the committee receives the draft of the proposal. Assuming there arenot major problems with the proposal identified by the remaining committee members,the full committee meets, the student presents the proposal through PowerPoint, Prezi,

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or some other presentation medium. The student answers questions the dissertationcommittee members have about the proposal and the committee makesrecommendations for possible revisions. They work with the student until the proposalis acceptable for conducting a high quality dissertation study. Revisions may either besubmitted just to the dissertation chair, if they are minimal, or a second committeemeeting may be convened after the student, chair and methodologist haveimplemented the required revisions.

At the point at which the committee agrees the proposal and the study it representsare ready for implementation, an examining committee report is completed, signed withthe signatures of the entire committee, the Associate Dean of the College of Education,and submitted to the Graduate School. Examples of draft proposals in various stagesof completion and approval are provided online at (8.D.2.3 and 8.D.2.3a) and in theResource Room for the Higher Education accreditation visit.

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Institutional Review Board and Dissertation Completion

Institutional Review Board: With the approved proposal in hand, the student nowhas a research design available to them that should enable them to complete a highquality dissertation. However, prior to implementation of the study the student mustsubmit a request for review to the UALR Institutional Review Board (IRB) including allrequired elements such as the request for review form; the survey instrument (if aquantitative study), interview protocol (if a qualitative study), or both (if a mixedmethods study); the consent form; the contact letter or email; and proof that both thestudent and the supervising dissertation committee chair have completed and passedthe Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training. The study is reviewed bythe IRB and any required modifications are sent to the student and the chair. After therevisions are approved, the student is free to implement the study unlessimplementation of the study will be at multiple sites in which case this same processmay be required at each of the participating institutions.

Dissertation Implementation and Completion: Doctoral student attrition is anacknowledged problem nationally with “at least 40% of the students who begin adoctoral program fail[ing] to complete it” (Golde, 2005, p. 669). Authors of the Councilof Graduate Schools Ph.D. Completion Project Report that the national averagecompletion rate for Ph.D.s has “long been estimated to be about 50 percent…” but thatdata from their study suggest that the attrition rate may now be “somewhat higher” andthat “universities still exhibit high [attrition] rates that should be a matter for concern”

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(Deneke, Frasier, & Redd, 2009, p. 36). The UALR Higher Education faculty hasworked to overcome this national trend. Since 2009, the UALR Higher Educationprogram faculty has instituted a series of improvements to enhance the retention ofgraduate students. These steps have included new student orientations, faculty-studentmixers at the home of a faculty member, intrusive advising, systematic evaluation of thestudent body and their advisors, qualifying examination orientation meetings, and an allstudent/faculty meeting.

Approximately 80-95 percent of all the students who are admitted to the HigherEducation doctoral program arrive at the point of a completed and approveddissertation proposal. However, less than 50 percent of all students who begin study inthe UALR Higher Education doctoral program successfully complete and defend theirdissertations, and graduate. This is not a disproportionately high percentage of non-completion for students in doctoral education, but we do acknowledge it as a somethingwe need to strive to improve. Examples of completed dissertations are available in theResource Room for the Higher Education accreditation visit.

The way the Higher Education faculty members attempt to address this problem isthrough regular contact with their dissertating students in a somewhat intrusivemanner. Students often set weekly or bi-weekly appointments with their chairs andsubmit drafts with guides to their recent new work to assist the chair in reviewing it.Occasionally, if there are issues that need to be addressed with the way the study isprogressing, a second proposal defense meeting may be called to get input from thewhole committee (an example would be a pilot of the survey or pilot of a case study tobe sure the protocol extracts the data necessary to satisfy the study criteria). In such asituation, it would call for input and approval from the whole committee. As a rule thissecond proposal committee meeting is not needed.

The student then continues working with their chair and methodologist toimplement the study, analyze the data, and present the findings. When the chair andthe methodologist agree that the study is ready to defend, a meeting final defense isscheduled. The student distributes copies or their dissertation at least two weeks inadvance of the defense. During this interim period the student works with their chair todevelop a PowerPoint or other media-based presentation for the final defense.

At the final defense, the student presents a brief restatement of the studymethodology and then presents their findings. Faculty members ask questions of thestudent if anything seems to need clarification. If there are major revisions required bythe committee, a second final defense may be called for but this rarely happens.Generally revisions are minor and the committee members feel comfortable having the

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dissertation chair and the methodologist give final approval on the dissertation. Toensure all the required revisions are made, the student drafts a Memo of Understanding(MOU) that outlines the revisions the committee members require of the study. Afterthe MOU is approved by the committee, the student makes those revisions and submitsthem to their chair and methodologist for final approval.

What is left is the most pleasurable part of the process—Commencement. Mostgraduates choose to celebrate this joyful occasion with family members and lovedones. The chairs hood their graduates and wish them well, hoping to jointly publishfrom the work of their students as second or third authors—though because ourstudents are almost universally working professionals, often they don’t get back to theirstudies to draft manuscripts from them.

(NOTE: All Standards presented in the Assessment Plan have been derivedverbatim from Council for the Advancement of Standards. (2006). CAS professionalstandards for higher education (6 ed.). Washington, DC: Author.)

8.1.G. Master’s Learning Objectives

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Higher Education Master’s Program Assessment

8.1.E. Introduction to the Master’s (M.A.) Program Assessment

The Assessment Plan for the Higher Education Master’s Program (M.A.) wasdeveloped to assess the success of the program’s mission which is:

Program Mission: The mission of the higher education Master’s program at theUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock is to create scholar-practitioners and faculty andadministrative leaders who will make a positive difference in the knowledge andperformance of higher education students and institutions.

This mission was designed to conform to the UALR College of Education’s primaryorientation which is its Conceptual Framework:

Conceptual Framework

“Leaders in Learning demonstrate Communication (C), Specialized Expertise (SE),Professional Development (PD) and a strong commitment to diversity (D) in

th

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competency, disposition and behavior.”

8.1.F. Master’s Student Learning Goals

Each of the three concentration areas in the Master’s of Arts in Higher Educationhas slightly different learning goals. The goal of the College Student Affairsconcentration is to provide entry-level professional development to qualified individualswho have special interest in college students and the higher education environmentsthat affect their development. Graduates of the program are prepared to functioneffectively in a variety of positions in the field of College Student Affairs in two- andfour-year institutions. The goal of the Higher Education Administration concentration isto provide academic preparation and professional development to qualified individualsfor entry-level positions in administrative leadership in public and private institutionsand agencies of higher and postsecondary education. Students will gain knowledge,skills, and competencies essential to serving as leaders in a variety of educationsettings. The goal of the Two-Year College Teaching concentration is to preparequalified individuals for faculty positions in various academic disciplines in technicaland two-year colleges. Through a combination of coursework in education and ateaching cognate field, students will develop strong expertise to effectively deliverinstruction and successfully perform related faculty roles and responsibilities.

Standards employed by the UALR Higher Education program to serve as thelearning goals for the M.A. in Higher Education are adapted from the CAS ProfessionalStandards for Higher Education developed by the Council for the Advancement ofStandards in Higher Education. The specific standards used by the Higher EducationMasters program are derived from the CAS General Standards (8.1.B.CASGen),Masters-Level Student Affairs Professional Preparation Programs Standards(8.1.B.CASMas), and the Graduate and Professional Student Programs and Standards(8.1.B.CASGrad).

The standards that apply for the Assessment Plan are: 4. Pedagogy, 5. TheCurriculum, 6. Equity and Access, 8. Professional Ethics and Legal Responsibilities, 9.Program Evaluation, 10. Technology. Standards 1. Mission and Objectives, 2.Recruitment and Admission, 3. Curriculum Policies, and 7. Academic and StudentSupport are addressed in the Institutional Self-Study.

(NOTE: All Standards presented in the Assessment Plan have been derivedverbatim from Council for the Advancement of Standards. (2006). CAS professionalstandards for higher education (6 ed.). Washington, DC: Author.)th

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8.1.G. Master’s Learning Objectives or Outcomes Associated with EachStudent Learning Goal

The relationship of the Higher Education Master’s degree to the college’sconceptual framework is reflected in the program’s outcome goals for each graduate. The program objectives listed below are used to meet each of the CAS standards.Standards satisfied by each objective are included in the objective below:

1. To develop students as leaders who bring a critical, reflective, and ethicalperspective to leadership and professional practice in higher education. (CAS #4,#5, #6, #8)

2. To develop educational leaders who are able to address the needs of society,higher education, and the diverse populations they serve. (CAS #4, #5, #6, #8)

3. To develop students of conscience who respect diversity and who are committedto the service of others and their communities. (CAS #4, #5, #6, #8)

4. To enrich student’s historical and cultural consciousness of Americanpostsecondary institutions. (CAS #5, #6, #8)

5. To provide students with critical understandings of the various structures andpolicies that shape and inform policy and practice in the American highereducation system. (CAS #4, #5, #6, #8)

6. To integrate theories from appropriate fields with students’ own professionalexperiences in order to relate theory to practice. (CAS #5, #6, #8)

7. To strengthen students’ leadership, teamwork, written and oral communication,research, assessment and analytical skills. (CAS #4, #5, #10)

8. To develop students’ professional skills and dispositions in higher education,including their appreciation for education as a lifelong process of professional andpersonal development. (CAS #4, #5, #6, #8, #9, #10)

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8.1.H. Master’s Key Assessments

As with the doctoral program, the Master’s program provided many possibleassessment points that the Higher Education faculty could have chosen to assess butsince the College of Education’s PAAG only requires a minimum of six assessmentpoints, we again decided to choose what we thought were absolutely key assessmentsthat would measure the success of the Higher Education Master’s program.

Assessment of the Higher Education Master’s program is divided into threesegments each of which provides an integral set of skills and competencies that are

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essential to the success of our graduates. As shown in Table 8.2 below, thesesegments include: 1) a set of Higher Education core courses, 2) a set of concentrationarea courses (concentration areas include: Administration; College Student Affairs;Two-Year College Teaching), 3) a practicum that includes a written report to thepracticum site and as a course assignment along with a personal reflection on thepracticum, and 4) a capstone experience that is composed of one of the following:creation of a portfolio followed by a presentation and defense of the portfolio;successfully passing Master’s comprehensive qualifying examination; or developmentand defense of thesis (both a proposal and the finished product) that is defended atboth stages. Success of each component of these segments is measured using avariety of assessments and each component of these segments achieves one or moreof the CAS standards as reflected in Table 8.2. See the links for (8.M.1.1) a sample ofthe key assessments and (8.M.1.2) a crosswalk of the CAS Standards and applicableassessment from the Higher Education Program’s Assessment plan.

Table 8.2 Master’s Program Key Assessment by Standard

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Higher Education Master’s Core Course Assessments: Each of the three HigherEducation core courses serves as an individual assessment point in the Master’sassessment plan and each has one assignment that serves as the key assessment forthe course. The primary document analysis assignment in HIED 7300 HigherEducation in the U.S.: An Overview serves as the baseline key assessment for theprogram since it is among the first courses taken in the Higher Education master’scurriculum. See 8.M.1.3 for the description and guidelines for the assignment and8.M.1.4 for the grading rubric and summaries for the past three offerings of the course

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along with a cumulative summary for the three years.

The research project in HIED 8320 The Two-Year College in America is the keyassessment for the second core higher education course. The assignment is a team-based research project employing the resources of UALR’s Sequoyah NationalResearch Center and Native American Press Archives. See 8.M.1.5 for the descriptionand guidelines for the assignment and 8.M.1.6 for the grading rubric. For the currentassessment. No data are available due to the departure of a Higher Education programfaculty member last summer.

Legal Aspects of Higher Education (HIED 8343) is the third Master’s core courseand serves as a third key assessment point. Though it is not “officially” a core course itis the one course that spans all three concentration areas as at least an elective. Theassignment is for the students to develop a Topical Report on some topic related tocase law in higher education. See link 8.M.1.7 for the description and guidelines for theassignment and 8.M.1.8 for the grading rubric and cumulative summary of performancefor the past three offerings of the course. Further elaboration on the course is providedbelow in the explanation of the thesis process.

Higher Education Master’s Concentration Course Assessments: Each student isrequired to choose from one of three doctoral concentration areas—administration,college student affairs administration, two-year college teaching—when developingtheir plan of study. Therefore, though students are fairly evenly distributed across theconcentration areas, one course from the core concentration area courses wasselected to serve as the course from which the key concentration area assessment wasevaluated. The three courses together count as a single assessment point in themaster’s assessment plan.

The original research assignment in HIED 8353 Assessment and ProgramEvaluation is the key assessment in the College Student Affairs Administrationconcentration area. See link 8.M.1.9 for the description and guidelines for theassignment and 8.M.1.10 for the grading rubric and cumulative summary ofperformance for the past three offerings of the course.

The first research paper in HIED 7331 College Instruction is the key assessment inthe Two-Year College Leadership concentration area. See link 8.M.1.11 for thedescription and guidelines for the assignment and 8.M.1.12 for the grading rubric. Nodate are available for the Complete Course Design assignment in College Instructiondue to the departure of a Higher Education faculty member.

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The policy paper assignment in HIED 8342 Governance and Policy in HigherEducation is the key assessment in the Administration concentration area. See link8.M.1.13 for the description and guidelines for the assignment and 8.M.1.14 for thegrading rubric and cumulative summary of performance for the past three offerings ofthe course.

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2. Describe program/major gateway and exit or capstone requirements forthe Master’s Program.

Please see Figure 8.3. for a figural depiction of the gateways in the Mastersprogram.

Practicum

CAS standards for Master’s programs require that a major feature of the master’sdegree be supervised practice. Supervised practice includes practica and/orinternships consisting of supervised work in a higher education environment. Thoughpractica differ for the three concentration areas, the College Student Affairs andAdministration concentrations require a practicum and the Two-Year College Teachingconcentration has an option of a practicum in either College Student Affairs orAdministration.

The practicum Project Report and reflection papers are the key assessment pointsfor HIED 7360 Practicum. This experience counts as one assessment point in theMaster’s assessment plan.

CAS Standards applying to the practica include Standard 5 Supervised Practice: Aminimum of 300 hours of supervised practice, consisting of two distinct experiences. Students must gain exposure to both the breadth and depth of student affairs or highereducation administrative work.

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Student affairs concentrators must gain experience in developmental work withindividual students and groups of students in: program planning, implementation, orevaluation; staff training, advising, or supervision; and administration functions orprocesses. Administration or Two-Year College Teaching concentrators must gainexperience in a variety of administrative contexts including such responsibilities asstudent services, housing, financial aid, records and registration, institutional researchand testing, or other administrative functions.

Supervision must be provided on-site by competent professionals working incooperation with qualified program faculty members. On-site supervisors must providedirect regular supervision and evaluation of students’ experiences and comply with allethical principles and standards of the ACPA – College Student Educators International,NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and other recognizedprofessional associations.

Site supervisors must be approved in advance by program faculty members.Program faculty must offer clear expectations of learning goals and supervisionpractices to site supervisors.

Because individual supervision of students in practica and internships is labor

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intensive for faculty with this instructional responsibility, supervision must be limited to asmall group to enable close regular supervision. Students must be supervised closelyby faculty individually, in groups, or both.

Preparation of students for practica and internships is required. Practica andinternship experiences must be reserved for students who have successfully completeda sequence of courses pertaining to basic foundational knowledge of professionalpractice. This must include basic knowledge and skills in interpersonal communication,consultation, and referral skills. Students must comply with all ethical principles andstandards of appropriate professional associations. See link 8.M.2.1 for the formaldescription and guidelines for the practicum and 8.M.2.2 for the Practicum Manual.

Capstone Experience

Students in the Master’s program have the option of seeking one of three capstoneexperiences: 1) Master’s Comprehensive Exam (see link 8.M.2.3 for the formaldescription and guidelines and 8.M.2.4 for the Grading Rubric for the Master’sComprehensive Exam), 2) Master’s Portfolio and Presentation (see link 8.M.2.5 for theformal description and guidelines and 8.M.2.6 for the Grading Rubric for the Master’sPortfolio and Presentation), 3) Master’s Thesis (see link 8.M2.7 for the formaldescription and guidelines and 8.M.2.8 for the UALR Dissertation and ThesisGuidelines). Each is substantially different so we are using what our former AssociateDean called an Uber Rubric to evaluate them. The Uber Rubric will be evaluated onthe basis of pass/fail grades. Examples of the various capstone experience productsare available in the Resource Room.

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3. Provide information on how teaching is evaluated, the use of studentevaluations, and how the results have affected the curriculum.

Teaching evaluations, the use of student evaluations, and how the result

College of Education evaluations are composed of seven statements withresponses arranged on a Likert-type and an open-ended “comments” section. Thestatements are:

1. The instructor’s presentations were organized and clear.

2. The instructor’s objectives and expectations for the course were clearly stated.

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3. The instructor was responsible and helpful to students.

4. The instructor was enthusiastic.

5. The instructor’s teaching and course assignments helped increase myknowledge, understanding, and skills.

6. The instructor provided feedback from examinations and was fair and consistentin grading.

7. Overall, the instructor’s teaching was effective (See link 8.D.3.1 for an exampleof the evaluation and the student long responses.).

Since the questions on the College of Education evaluation lack a certainspecificity about the individual course being evaluated, several of us have borrowed(with permission) the teaching evaluations recommended for use by the Center forResearch on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the University of Michigan(http://www.crlt.umich.edu/). These evaluations allow faculty to incorporate the learninggoals from the course in the evaluation. These and most of the questions on theevaluation are also arranged on a Likert-type scale but provide the instructor with moredetailed information about the student learning in the course. They also ask for longfeedback on such things as: Comment on the quality of instruction in this course; Whataspects of this course were most valuable? What aspects of this course were leastvaluable? What changes would you make in the discussions, lectures, or readings? Anexample of the CRLT survey used in the History and Philosophy of Higher Educationcourse is available at 8.D.3.2.

From this specific feedback, a number of changes have been made in the topicscovered in the courses, the readings employed, the orientation of the assignments, andthe types of feedback given students.

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4. Provide transfer information for major/declared students including thereceiving institutions for transfer and programs of study.

Due to the nature of our graduate programs, we have very few students whotransfer to us from other programs. As noted in the section on the ComprehensiveQualifying Examinations both in the Master’s program and especially in the Doctoralprogram, our students are examined on the material presented in the courses we teach

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so even by providing the students with the appropriate resources that we use, theywould be placed at a distinct disadvantage if they transferred core courses in HigherEducation, Research Methods or their area of Concentration and then had to beexamined on material they had not studied and learned with their peers in our classes.

5. Provide information for program graduates continuing their education byentering graduate school or by performing volunteer service.

Virtually all of our students are working adults who have full-time positions servingeither as faculty members or as administrators in institutions of higher andpostsecondary education in Arkansas. Since the Ed.D. is a terminal degree, most ofour students would not pursue an additional degree. Graduates of our Master’sprogram may pursue terminal degrees elsewhere but usually, since they most oftenchoose to work for a few years before continuing their education through doctoralstudies, we don’t have contact with them to determine what or where they may havechosen to pursue their terminal degree.

6. Provide aggregate results of student/alumni/employer satisfactionsurveys.

Higher Education M.A. and Ed.D. Surveys

To generate evaluation data on the Higher Education program amongstakeholders, a 23-question web-based online survey was distributed betweenNovember 1, 2012 and November 27, 2012 to currently enrolled graduate students(N=119) (See [8.S.1] for the student survey instrument). Between October 31, 2012and November 27, 2012, a 22-question web-based online survey was distributed toHigher Education program alumni (N=151) dating back to the first Ed.D. graduate in1995. In addition, a 16-question web-based online survey was distributed betweenFebruary 7 and February 14, 2013 to 127 Ed.D. and M.A. program alumni withinstructions to forward the survey invitation to their direct supervisors. (See [8.S.2] forthe student survey summary report).

Current Higher Education M.A. and Ed. D. student survey

The survey responses are limited to students who completed them, and of the30.2% (N=36) of survey responses received, 41.6% (N=15) were from M.A. studentsand 58.4% (N=21) were from Ed.D. students (See link [8.S.1] for the student, surveyinstrument). Descriptive survey results that are most relevant to this self-study include:

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In regard to dimensions of Higher Education program academic quality, the topthree aspects that Ed.D. and M.A. students rated as “Excellent” or “Very Good” were“Integration of current higher education developments in the coursework” (81.9%,N=27), “The intellectual quality of the faculty” (76.4%, N=26), and “Program curriculumsupports my professional goals” (70.6%, N=25).

In response to the “gold standard” question in student satisfaction research: “If youhad the chance to redo your graduate work in Higher Education, would you attendUALR again?,” 60.6% (N=20) answered “Yes” or “Somewhat Yes” and 15.2% (N=5)answered “No” or “Somewhat No”

In response to the survey question “Why did you decide to attend the UALR HigherEducation program for your graduate degree?,” 91.6% (N=33) of respondents indicated“Agree” or “Slightly Agree” that “Location of University” was a deciding factor. Thissuggests that many students are “place-bound” in Central Arkansas for variousreasons, and that other program choice factors may be often more important togeographically mobile prospective graduate students (e.g., graduate assistantships,scholarships, research excellence) exerted much less influence on the program choiceprocess for UALR graduate students.

The UALR Higher Education program graduate student characteristic of beingplace-bound was supported by responses to the survey question “Indicate the numberof hours per week you are currently employed,” and 82.3% (N=28) of current studentsreported working between 31 and 40+ hours per week. Intuitively, this finding hassignificant implications for graduate student engagement with their academic work andsocialization to the profession.

Time to graduate degree completion has received a great deal of national attentionover the past several years, and of the 33 respondents to this question, MA students39.3% (N=13) estimated that, on average, it will take them 2 years and 5 months tocomplete their 36-credit degree program. The Ed.D. student respondents 55.6% (N=20)estimated that, on average, it will take them 5 years and 1 month to complete their 96-99 credit degree program.

Related to degree completion, “Academic Advising” (22.9%, N=8), “Availability ofFaculty” (20.0%, N=7), and “Course Scheduling” (17.1%, N=6), were the top threefactors Ed.D. and M.A. students perceived to be obstacles to completing their degrees.

(See [8.S.2] for more detailed results of student experiences, activities, and HigherEducation program ratings from the complete student survey instrument).Back to Top

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Higher Education M.A. and Ed.D. alumni survey

The alumni survey responses are limited to those completed them, and of the27.2% (N=36) of survey responses received, 23.5% (N=10) were from M.A. alumni and72.8% (N=26) were from Ed.D. alumni (See link [8.S.3] for the alumni surveyinstrument). One contextual factor in interpreting alumni survey results is the amountof time elapsed since graduation, and the respondents to this alumni survey compriseda somewhat bi-modal group:

Table 8.3. Time since graduation

Years Since Graduation # of Respondents Percent of Total

Less than 1 year 5 14.7%

1 year 1 2.9%

2 years 2 5.9%

3 years 3 8.8%

4 years 1 2.9%

5-9 years 11 32.4%

10 or more years 11 32.4%

Other descriptive survey results that are most relevant to this self-study include:

In keeping with the “place-bound” characteristic of most current Higher Educationprogram students, survey results provide evidence that the nature of employmentmobility of alumni is influenced by this factor, as well. After graduation, the majority ofalumni respondents were qualified for positions of increasing leadership responsibility intheir current employing institutions. In response to the question “Which of the followingdescribe what you’ve done since graduation?,” 38.2% (N=13) indicated “Obtained a

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promotion in my current organization.” This was followed closely by 35.3% (N=12)responding “Obtained a promotion in another organization.” Anecdotally, the HigherEducation faculty know from periodic interactions with program alumni that this mobilityto other institutions is often limited to a reasonable commuting radius from their currenthomes that are within a 2-hour drive from Little Rock in any direction. The questionoption “Continued working in my current position” received the third largest number ofresponses (29.4%, N=10), and may be a reflection of two limitations to employmentmobility: being place-bound, combined with a reduced number of employmentvacancies in their geographic areas of residence. Additionally, this result maydocument the number of alumni who entered the Higher Education program to obtainthe degree necessary to keep their current positions.

Higher Education Ed.D. and M.A. program alumni reports of their time to degreecompletion varied somewhat from those of current students. Of the 35 respondents tothis question, Ed.D. program alumni (71.4%, N=25) indicated that it took them slightlylonger to complete their degrees than planned; 5 years and 5 months, while currentEd.D. students (55.6%, N=20) expected that they would take 5 years and 1 month tocomplete their 96-99 credit degree program.

M.A. program alumni estimates of their time to degree completion were shorterthan those of current students: alumni (29.4%, N=10) estimated that, on average, ittook them 1 year and 11 months to complete their 36-credit degree program, whileM.A. students (39.3%, N=13) anticipated taking 2 years and 5 months. One possibleexplanation for the shorter alumni timelines is that students took advantage of coursescheduling that intentionally ‘linked’ required Higher Education courses back-to-back onone night to reduce the number of trips students made to campus each week.

In response to the “gold standard” question in alumni satisfaction research: “If youhad the chance to redo your graduate work in Higher Education, would you attendUALR again?,” 67.% (N=23) answered “Agree” or “Slightly Agree” and 8.% (N=3)answered “Slightly Disagree” or “No.”

(See [8.S.4] for more detailed results of alumni assessments of skills obtained inthe program that are applicable to their work, professional development activities aftergraduation, and details of current employment from the complete alumni surveysummary report).

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Email invitations to complete a 16-question web-based online survey weredistributed between February 7 and February 14, 2013 to Higher Education programalumni (N=127) with instructions to forward the invitations to their direct supervisors(See link [8.S.5] for the alumni survey instrument). Of the 13.3% (N=17) of surveyresponses received, 29.4% (N=5) were from employers of M.A. alumni and 70.6%(N=12) were from employers of Ed.D. alumni. The response distribution isdisaggregated in more detail and listed below:

Table 8.4. Degrees and concentration areas of alumni supervised by studyparticipants.

Degree Program ofSupervised Alumni # ofRespondents

Percent ofTotal

M.A. in Higher Education Administration 1 5.9%

M.A. in Two-Year College Teaching 2 11.8%

M.A. in College Student Affairs 2 11.8%

Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration 8 47.1%

Ed.D. in College Student Affairs Administration 1 5.9%

Ed.D. in Faculty Leadership 2 11.8%

Ed.D. in Two-Year College Leadership 1 5.9%

Just as the influence of time elapsed since graduation is important to consider ininterpreting alumni survey results, the number of years an employee has been in theircurrent position is equally important when interpreting employers survey results. Themajority of respondents to the employer survey supervised Higher Education Ed.D. andM.A. program graduates from within the past 4 years (41.2%, N=7), and the proportionsof respondents decreased as the number of years in the position increased. Thespecific response distribution is listed below:

Table 8.5. Years in position of alumni supervised by study participants.

Employee Years in PresentPosition

# of Respondents Percent ofTotal

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1 – 4 years 7 41.2%

5 – 9 years 5 29.4%

10 – 15 years 4 23.5%

16+ years 1 5.9%

However, results of the alumni survey documented that approximately 67% (N=23)of graduates stayed in their employing institutions after graduation. Therefore, thefindings related to “Employee Years in Present Position” in the Employers survey mustbe interpreted in context. It would be inaccurate to assume that the employees beingevaluated by their employers in this survey began working in their positions aftergraduation from the Higher Education program.

One informal learning outcome of the Higher Education program is to cultivate thedesire for lifelong learning among program graduates. One hundred per cent ofemployers (N=17) responded “Yes” to the survey item “Has the employee participatedin additional professional development, education, or job training?,” and this providessome evidence that the informal learning outcome has been achieved.

Learning objectives and instructional activities in Higher Education programcourses are often connected to general competencies in educational practice. Thework competencies that employers most frequently rated their employees as having“Excellent” skill levels were “Knowledge of ethical practices” and “Effective problem-solving skills” (both rated at 94.1%, N=16). Three additional competencies received thesecond-highest proportion of ‘Excellent’ skill level ratings: “Critical thinking skills,”“Ability to work independently,” and “Commitment to diversity” (88.2%, N=15).

Finally, in response to the “gold standard” question in employer satisfactionresearch: “Would you recommend the UALR Higher Education program to otheremployees?,” 88.2% (N=15) answered “Yes” or “Somewhat Yes” and 5.9% (N=1)answered “Somewhat No” or “No.”

(See [8.S.6] for more detailed results of employer assessments of alumnicompetencies obtained in the program that are applicable to their work, and responsesto open-ended questions collecting data on notable strengths and weaknesses of their

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employees from the complete employer survey summary report).

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7. Describe how the program is aligned with the current job market needs ofthe state or local communities.

Doctoral Program job market alignment

The Higher Education doctoral program is designed primarily to prepare graduatesfor mid- and senior-level leadership positions in colleges and universities, facultypositions for two- and four-year colleges, and educational research and policy positionsin state, federal, and private higher education-related agencies. Though tenured andtenure track faculty positions seem to be somewhat on the decline, most of the doctoralgraduates are already employed as faculty members in colleges and universities inArkansas. Achievement of their terminal degree often places them in a position that iseligible for a tenure track faculty line or at minimum ensures their ongoing employabilityat their institution.

On the other hand, demand for senior administrators appears to be strong andgrowing. In Arkansas, there is projected a major turn-over in the senior leadership inthe State’s two-year and four-year institutions over the next few years. Eric Kelderman,in a January 3, 2013 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education projected that highereducation will remain a high priority for the states. “Despite budget cuts in recent years,legislators’ expectations for higher education’s role in the economy continue to rise,”Kelderman wrote. “A majority of states are now committed to increasing theirpercentage of college graduates so their citizens will be better able to compete in theglobal market, where most jobs being created will require some post-secondaryeducation.” The economic value of a college education to the states seems to be onearea in which higher education leaders and state legislators agree but as college anduniversity administrators argue for increasing levels of state support, Keldermanbelieves such funding will be tied to the number of graduates colleges they produce.

The economic outlook for salaries of senior administrators looks promising as well.According to Jonah Newman in a February 25, 2013 report in The Chronicle of HigherEducation, “the median base salary for senior administrators at American colleges roseby 2.3 percent in the 2013 fiscal year, slightly ahead of the 2.1 percent rate of inflationin 2012.” Authors of the report, released by the College and University ProfessionalAssociation for Human Resources, say the annual reports on the salaries of faculty andof midlevel administrators and other higher-education professionals will be released

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over the coming weeks.

While these salary increases don’t represent a big jump, they do mark a noticeableimprovement for the senior administrators, whose average year-to-year salary increaselagged behind inflation by a full percentage point a year ago. This also bodes well forthe market demand for the graduates of UALR’s higher education programs.

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Master’s Program job market alignment

The overarching purpose of the Higher Education Master’s program (M.A.) is toprepare students to enter the higher and postsecondary education workforce. Asstated previously, each of the three concentration areas in the Master’s of Arts inHigher Education has a slightly different learning goals with the faculty in the CollegeStudent Affairs concentration preparing entry-level professionals who have specialinterest in college students and the higher education environments that affect theirdevelopment; faculty in the Higher Education Administration concentration preparinggraduates for entry-level positions in administrative leadership in public and privateinstitutions and agencies of higher and postsecondary education; and faculty in theTwo-Year College Teaching concentration preparing qualified individuals for facultypositions in various academic disciplines in technical and two-year colleges.

Demand for mid-level higher education administrators, like that for senior leveladministrators, is projected to remain strong. With 11 public four-year institutions, 11private four-year institutions, 22 public two-year colleges and technical schools inArkansas, the demand for administrators in the state should remain strong. Plus, theCollege and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR)released statistics on participants in its 2011-12 Mid-Level Administrative andProfessional Salary Survey. Salaries were reported by 1,084 institutions for 215selected positions. Forty-five percent (489) of the respondents were from publicinstitutions and 55% (595) were from private institutions nationally. This large group ofinstitutions represents a national demand for the graduates of our programs. Salarieswere reported in eight job categories: Academic Affairs; Business and AdministrativeAffairs; Human Resources; Information Technology; Athletics; Student Affairs; ExternalAffairs; and Engineering/Research and Agricultural all of which require well preparedadministrators to effectively conduct their work.

The overall median base salary increase for mid-level administrative jobs incolleges and universities in 2011 was 2.0% (results for 2012 will be released in a few

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weeks). In 2010, it was 1.3%. Similar to findings from CUPA-HR’s other salary surveys,the median increase for public institutions was 1.4%, while the median increase forprivate institutions was 2.2%. The 2011 findings reflect the salaries of 193,248 jobincumbents in public and private institutions nationwide. According to the Bureau ofLabor Statistics, the annual Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers [CPI-U] in2011 was 3.2% higher than in 2010. Therefore, the median salary increase of 2.0%was less than inflation for all institutions combined, and also for privates and publicswhen looked at separately. It was, however, promising due to the large budget cutshigher education institutions had experienced over the past few years.

8. Provide job placement information for program graduates including thenumber of graduates placed in jobs related to the field of study.

Over 90 percent of all students in UALR’s Master’s and doctoral programs arepresently employed in institutions, agencies, or foundations related to higher educationeither as administrators or as faculty members. Participation in our programs oftencreates chances for advancement for our students even before they graduate. A few ofour most successful graduates and former students include: Dr. Charles L. Welch,President, Arkansas State University System, former president of Henderson StateUniversity, former chancellor of University of Arkansas Community College at Hope; Dr.Andrew Westmoreland, President, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, andformer president of Ouachita Baptist University; Dr. James Cofer, former presidentMissouri State University, former president University of Louisiana at Monroe; Dr.Robert Mock, vice president for Student Affairs, University of Kentucky, Ms. DeborahFrazier, chancellor, University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, Mr. BrianBerry, vice chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Services, University ofArkansas Community College at Batesville.

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Program Self-Study TeamList the names/departments of the self-study committeechair and committee members.

Advisor Advisee Dissertation Title GradSemester

Barrett McAllister,G.

Wandering in a Wilderness of LostOpportunities: A Cross-Case Comparisonof the Effects of Student and InstitutionalVariables on Within-Year Persistence ofUndergraduate Students in Private

2007 Spring

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Institutions Employing the NationalPostsecondary Student Aid StudyDatabases for 1996 and 2004.

Barrett Burks, S. Student Characteristics and ActivityChoices of College Freshmen and TheirIntent to Persist in Religiously AffiliatedInstitutions.

2007 Fall

Barrett Gardner, L. African American student affairsadministrators at predominantly whiteinstitutions: Factors that contribute to theirsuccess

2008 Spring

Barrett Walter, P. The Main Effects of Gender and FacultyRank on Occupational Stressors,Technology Stressors, and CopingStrategies of Journalism and MassCommunication Educators in the U.S.

2008 Fall

Barrett Stallings, G. Growing Up Separate: An Oral History ofBlack Graduates from a Rural, SegregatedPublic High School from 1954 to 1969

2008 Summer

Barrett Hunnicutt,D.

Institutional Processes Intended to AchieveAccreditation: An Investigation of How theLeadership Approaches of Deans ofSchools and Colleges of Education,Organizational Factors, and EnvironmentalConditions Influence the Process

2008 Summer

Barrett Moreira, S. Self-Directedness in Foreign LanguageLearners: A Phenomenological Study ofCollege Students and Foreign LanguageInstructors

2009 Fall

Barrett White, P. The Decision to Stay: A Multiple-CaseStudy Exploring College Choice andPersistence Factors of Second-YearStudents at Religiously-Affiliated InstitutionsAssociated with the Churches of Christ

2009 Fall

Barrett Ramsey, P. Crossing Boundaries: RacialDesegregation of Arkansas Public Higher

2009 Spring

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Education

Barrett Ukomadu,L.

International Students’ Transition andAdjustment to American Higher Education: Issues and Challenges for NigerianStudents

2010 Fall

Barrett Winston, E. IT Governance as an InstitutionalizedOrganizational Response in HigherEducation: Case Studies of Three PublicUniversities in the Southern Region of theUnited States

2010 Spring

Barrett Hawkins, M. Influences on the Commitment to andFocus of Community Engagement atColleges and Universities: A Multiple-CaseStudy

2010 Summer

Barrett Doyle, D. Developing Occupational Programs: ACase Study of Four Arkansas CommunityColleges

2011 Fall

Barrett Boaz, P. Perceptions of Nonclinical Competencies asan Organizational Response: Exploring theinfluence of institutional and taskenvironments, organizational factors andinterorganizational relationships oneducators’ and employers’ perceptions ofnonclinical competencies in newlygraduated speech language pathologists

2011 Spring

Barrett Plumlee, Jr.,G.

The Business Ethics Curriculum: AnExploration of External and InternalInfluences, Academic Plan Elements, andOther Environmental Variables Comprisingthe Undergraduate Business EthicsCurriculum in AACSB-Accredited Schoolsof Business

2012 Summer

Fincher Russ, S. Learning communities versus traditionalcourses: Which promotes the highest levelsof student persistence, achievement, andintegration?

2010

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Fincher Mitchell, Y. Factors associated with instructor-studentinteraction and community college students’intent to persist

2012

Gilleland Powell, B. Expenditures, efficiency, and effectivenessin U.S. undergraduate higher education: Anational benchmark model

2009

Gilleland Chitwood,G.

Interdisciplinary instruction in Americancolleges of education: Rhetoric or reality?

2009

Gilleland Griffin, C. Retention and graduation of Hispanics inAmerican community colleges

2010

Nolen Thaxton, L. In search of critical thinking inundergraduate education: A case study of aMidwestern university’s Center for TeachingExcellence

2009

VanderPutten

Mock, R. Affirmative Action’s impact on African-American Administrators in highereducation at predominantly White colleges& universities between 1992-1999

2001 Spring

VanderPutten

Walker, J. An historical study and retrospectiveanalysis of the perceptions of stakeholderstoward the merger of the University ofArkansas-Pine Bluff and the University ofArkansas system using an organizationalculture perspective

2002 Spring

VanderPutten

Hennessey,J.

Students’ perceptions of the effects ofschool shootings on college choice

2002 Spring

VanderPutten

Muse, J. Attributions of self-efficacy perceptions ofearly childhood special educationparaprofessional holders of the CDAcertification

2002 Spring

VanderPutten

Less, P. Academic and nonacademic skills forsuccess by international students in aMaster’s of Business Administrationprogram

2003 Fall

Vander Hall-Barrow, Arkansas nurses attitudes toward 2004 Fall94

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Putten J. mandatory continuing education

VanderPutten

Bynum, J. Student perceptions of concomitantlearnings in E.A.S.T. lab in a small, ruralArkansas school district

2004 Spring

VanderPutten

Garner, T. Physical education faculty use oftechnology in higher education

2004 Summer

VanderPutten

Wilkinson,L.

Career development of the goldengeneration in retrospect: Elite Ph.D.s in thehumanities recruited as faculty atcomprehensive universities

2005 Fall

VanderPutten

Thrush, C. Expert panel study to develop a measure toassess the organizational climate forresearch integrity in academic healthcenters

2006 Fall

VanderPutten

Leggett, L. Non-major physical education students’and department chairpersons’ perceptionsof current physical education activitycurriculum in the nine state supporteduniversities in Arkansas

2008

VanderPutten

Finley, B. General health education courses: Actualknowledge vs. desired knowledge

2009 Fall

VanderPutten

Charlton, C. Student affairs administrator and facultyperceptions of distance education aspreparation for employment in studentaffairs

2009 Summer

VanderPutten

Smiley, H. She’s leaving home: Effects of collegeexperiences on homeschooled students.

2010 Spring

VanderPutten

Boureiko, N. Measuring change over time: Factorsinfluencing the academic success ofimmigrant college students

2010 Spring

VanderPutten

Oden, L. Factors affecting persistence of non-traditional students enrolled in two-yearcolleges

2011 Spring

Vander McDonald, Student affairs practitioners’ perceptions of 2011 Fall

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Putten L. parental involvement

VanderPutten

Ellis, S. The talented tenth revisited: Socializationand retention for Black junior faculty atHistorically Black Colleges and Universities

2011 Fall

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IX. Program Effectiveness

1. Strengths of Existing Program

Evidence of the Higher Education program faculty’s commitment to both ourmasters and doctoral programs’ quality and student success is provided by thesuccesses our graduates have had in their professional careers as well as in theiracademic pursuits. The UALR Higher Education doctoral program has produced fourPresidents or Chancellors, three of whom are graduates and one is still pursuing herdoctorate. Dr. James Cofer was named 10 president of Missouri State University inMay 2010 after serving as president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe for eightyears. Dr. Andrew Westmoreland currently serves as president of Samford University inBirmingham, Alabama. He has served as Samford’s president since 2006. Prior to hisappointment at Samford, Dr. Westmoreland served as president of Ouachita BaptistCollege in Arkadelphia, Arkansas for eight years. Dr. Charles Welch was appointedpresident of the Arkansas State University (ASU) System in November 2010. He hadpreviously served as vice chancellor for academic affairs at ASU-Beebe, as chancellorfor the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope, and as president of

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Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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Henderson State University. Ms. Deborah Frazier currently serves as chancellor of theUniversity of Arkansas Community College at Batesville while continuing to work on herdoctorate at UALR. Dr. Robert Mock, another graduate of the UALR Higher Educationprogram, currently serves as Vice President of Student Affairs at the University ofKentucky.

Several other doctoral and masters students serve or have served in senior leveladministrative positions in Arkansas and in higher education institutions in theSoutheast Region. The program has at least one graduate who has served prominentlyas a foundation executive. The institutions and organizations in which theseadministrators have served include: the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, theUniversity of Kentucky, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University ofArkansas at Pine Bluff, the University of Arkansas at Monticello, the University ofArkansas Division of Agriculture, Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, HendersonState University in Arkadelphia, Harding University in Searcy, and the WinthropRockefeller Foundation in Little Rock.

Additionally, Higher Education doctoral graduates routinely collaborate with theHigher Education faculty to publish articles from their dissertations or coursework. Forexample, Drs. Brett Powell, Amanda Camp, Timothy Atkinson, Stephen Burks, CarolThrush, and Lourene Thaxton each have had their work published – Powell in TheJournal of Higher Education (a top three journal in Higher Education); Camp in Journalof College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice and in EducationalResearch and Evaluation; Atkinson in The Journal of Research Administration,Research Management Review, The Journal of Academic Ethics, and several others;Burks in Christian Higher Education, Thrush in Journal of Empirical Research onHuman Research Ethics, and Thaxton in American Indian Culture and ResearchJournal. Dr. Angela Kremers has co-authored a forthcoming chapter in the editedbook: Bridging the high school/college gap: The role of concurrent enrollment. Severalother student-authored manuscripts are currently in peer review.

Students and graduates also represent UALR well in the national and internationalprofessional conferences around the country. Drs. Lourene Thaxton (2008, Division Fand 2010, Division J), Patsy Ramsey (2010, Division F), Claudia Griffin (2011, DivisionJ), Leah Wilkinson (two papers, 2010 and 2011 both in Division J), and MelissaHawkins (2012, Division J) presented papers from their dissertations at the AmericanEducational Research Association Annual Conference. Drs. George Ann Stallings(2009), Henry Smiley (2010), Chris Charlton (2010), and Stan Ellis (2011) eachpresented a paper from their dissertations at the Annual Conference of the Associationfor the Study of Higher Education. Drs. Timothy Atkinson (2009), Britney Finley (2010),

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Natasha Boureiko (2010), and Patti Jo White (2011) each presented papers from theirdissertations at the Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research. And,Dr. Timothy Atkinson presented multiple papers from his dissertation at the Society forResearch Administrators (SRA) International annual conference.

Higher Education graduate students are competitive at the national level as well. Dr. Carol Thrush, a 2007 graduate of the Higher Education doctoral program, led anational research team to develop an instrument to assess medical school climates forresearch integrity. Using data from her Delphi study dissertation, Dr. Thrush’s UAMS-based team was able to secure a $250,000 grant from the National Institutes of Healthto test and refine the survey instrument that has been implemented in 46 medicalschools and seven graduate schools around the country. Dr. Claudia Griffin wasawarded a competitive grant to attend the National Summer Data Policy Institute(2008), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Centerfor Education Statistics (NCES) in conjunction with the Association for InstitutionalResearch (AIR). Ms. L. Jayne Pyle was awarded a competitive grant to attend theAugust 2009 Database Training Seminar for using the Education Longitudinal Study of2002 (ELS: 2002) and the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88)sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Dr. LoureneThaxton was a finalist for a prestigious Spencer Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship.

Further strengths of the program include:

Based on data from the student, alumni, and employer surveys, specific strengthsof our masters program include the flexibility and location of and our program incentral Arkansas. As indicated in the student survey, many of our students are‘place-bound’ and our program allows for the working professional to obtain themasters graduate degree. Our Higher Education masters program has grown from7 students in 2009 to 37 students in 2012. One of the main reasons for thisgrowth is the developed relationship with campus student affairs offices to provideassistantships to students who are seeking full-time status. Currently, we have 9out of the 37 who are working in various student affairs offices on campus asgraduate assistants. The Higher Education program faculty have made intentionalefforts to recruit and retain talented students to our program over the last threeyears and the growth and development has continued to strengthen our master’sdegree offerings.The masters program has proven to be a feasible program for degree completion.On average, our students have completed the program in 18 to 24 months. This isa huge strength for us because it allows our students to complete degreerequirements and return to their jobs and families, credentialed. According the

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alumni survey results, overall, for both masters and doctoral programs, 67% ofthem stated that they would return to UALR for their degree in higher education.Our program faculty holds terminal degrees in higher education from prestigiousinstitutions. (Indiana University, University of Michigan) which give our studentsthe opportunity to learn from faculty that have been well mentored in the field. This helps our program with respect to recruitment and creditability. Often wehear from many of our prospective students that they are attracted to the faculty inour program with national repetitions in the field.Based on data from the student, alumni, and employer surveys, specific strengthsof our doctoral program include the location of the program and the flexibility ofcourse offerings to accommodate the working professional. We continue to seekways to improve our service to students who currently work in higher educationand other subsequent areas. We offer evening courses and online formats toallow them flexibility to make adequate academic progress. As a faculty, we alsosystemically align our courses so that students who travel may have ability to taketwo courses in one evening. Thus, it allows the student to take two classesmaking only one trip to our campus each week.The course content in our doctoral program is broadly focused to give ourstudents an advantage in thinking both as researchers and practitioners. Theprogram has informally adopted the term “scholar practitioners” as we seek toprepare students who will be excellent practitioners yet have the theoretical andscholarly bases to better inform the policies and practices they apply in theirrespective careers.Our faculty has continued to develop very close relationships with doctoralstudents and advise them with care and concern. Our students value therelationships and work diligently to graduate from our program. Several of ouradmitted students begin our program with areas of improvement (e.g. writingability). We work with all students with the same level of focus to detail. Over theyears we see the improvement of the talent, which develops them in such a waythat they are great scholar practitioners after they leave our programOur higher education program orientation held each fall is extremely beneficial toour incoming students. The students have the opportunity to meet our dean,department chair, and program faculty. They also have the chance to interact withone another and network. Valuable information such as plans of study, studenthandbooks, and campus resources are provided at the orientation. For ourworking class professionals, again this is an excellent resource program for them.Each fall semester, the College of Education hosts a stakeholders meeting tokeep those community constituents abreast of our college and individual programgoals, activities, and assessment results. Stakeholders are also given anopportunity to provide feedback and suggestions to assist program development.

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Specific feedback and suggestions from Higher Education alumni and otherstakeholders has provided important information that has led to several changes(Stakeholder minutes) to improve our program’s quality. Many of the stakeholdersthat attend the breakout Higher Education meeting are senior administrators andhigher education officials who set policy in the state. We feel it is a plus to havethem invested in our program.The program faculty has created an online listserv entitled GREENPEN, which isdesigned for interaction among our graduate students. We as a faculty have theability to post information but not read or respond to student comments on thelistserv. Students feel this is a great method for them to freely share thoughts andideas about any issue pertaining to higher education, UALR, or the program.The Foundations in College Student Affairs class which is offered each fallprovides an opportunity for masters students to engage with campusadministration during select classroom visits. Over the years, this has provided apurposeful engagement between UALR student affairs directors and our newlyadmitted students. The classroom visits by student affairs staff have providedopportunities for employment, assistantships and practicum experiences.

2. Areas of Existing Program Most in Need of Improvement

Since it’s inception, the Higher Education Program continued to strengthen andenhance the higher education administrative capacity for the study of higher educationpolicies, practices, and performances in Arkansas, the region, and the nation. Statefunding for higher education in Arkansas is considered discretionary and notconstitutionally mandated. Our program faculty will continue to recruit and retainstudents and assess their student learning mastery. This will require changes in ourhigher education policies, practices, and expenditure patterns.

Our program evaluation process needs to be further developed and incorporatedinto the culture of the Higher Education programs. This self-study project hashelped to start a process that we will further refine and develop.Several assessments that are part of the evaluation system need to be furtherdeveloped, refined, or replaced. As we continue to review the scope of ourassessment instruments, we will engage in developing new assessmentstrategies that strengthen our educational practices.We would like to increase the response rate of our exit, alumni, and, especially,our employer surveys. Our program will set annual dates to disseminate thesesurveys so that we will be able to track annual results an more informed programdecisionsWhile we have made progress in increasing our enrollment in ourmasters program, we would like to further increase enrollment beyond present

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levels. While the Higher Education has a thorough and well-developed StudentHandbook, ongoing faculty staffing shortages have prevented us fromupdating this document since 2004. We realize that providing newly-admitted students with important in-depth program information, forms,policies, and practices would proactively eliminate many individual studentquestions and concerns and reduce our academic advising workload. As aresult, updating the Handbook will be a priority for the faculty in the future.

We currently have two faculty lines that need to be filled. Section V.PROGRAM FACULTY, subsection 4 reporting ‘average number of coursesand number of credit hours taught’ highlights the importance of filling thetenure-track faculty position in Two-Year College Leadership in a timelymanner. The previous faculty member in this position averaged 6 coursesand 18 credit hours per calendar year, and contingent faculty have beenemployed to teach some of the required courses in the Two-Year CollegeLeadership masters and doctoral programs. However, other requiredcourses in the Two-Year College Leadership masters and doctoral programshave been cancelled since August, 2012, and students are unable tocomplete their programs in a timely manner.

To underscore the importance of filling this position, significant institutionalsupport exists for the Two-Year College Leadership doctoral program and therelated faculty line. UALR Chancellor Joel Anderson recognized the comingshortage of qualified doctorally-trained academic leaders in Arkansas’s 22community colleges, and created 22 annual half-tuition scholarships forcommunity college faculty and administrators who are nominated by theirPresidents and are admitted to the Higher Education doctoral program. Further,Table 1 ‘Similar Higher Education Graduate Programs in Arkansas’ identifiesArkansas State University as the only other institution in the state that offers adegree specialization in Community Colleges. The geographic market in CentralArkansas for prospective students interested in Two-Year College Leadershipdoctoral degrees must be served, and the Higher Education program has theinfrastructure and resources to serve it. As a result, filling this faculty position in atimely manner is critical to the future viability of the Higher Education program.

3. List Program Improvements Accomplished Over the Past Two Years

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The higher education masters program has graduated 14 students in thepast 3 years. This indicates that the students in this program aresuccessfully matriculating towards degree attainment.

In 2010, the Higher Education masters program had four students employedat graduation on the UALR campus in various student affairs offices.

The Higher Education doctoral program continues to develop and reviseassessment strategies and keep accurate data on students. Keepingaccurate assessment requirements are in compliance with the ArkansasDepartment of Higher Education, the College of Education, & theDepartment of Educational Leadership.

The Higher Education program has redefined its masters degree programsfrom standalone programs in College Student Affairs and Two-Year CollegeTeaching, to a single, more broadly focused Master of Arts in HigherEducation degree program with concentrations in College Student Affairs,Two-Year College Teaching, and Administration. This will allow ourstudents more flexibility in pursing careers in higher education, and it allowsfor our program to meet adequate enrollment requirements for the GraduateSchool and degree production requirements for the Arkansas Department ofHigher Education.

The Higher Education program has added an additional masters degreeprogram concentration in Health Professions Teaching & Learning to beginin Fall 2013. This program will train health professions educators ineducational assessment, evaluation, and research on teaching and learningto help meet the need for projected increases in jobs for A.A., B.S., andM.S.-educated health professions workers in Arkansas.

4. Describe planned program improvements, including a timetable and theestimated costs. Identify program improvement priorities.

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After spending considerable time and effort with this Self-Study Report, weas a program faculty plan to make a priority to improve our programevaluation system and process, assessment reports and data collection. Aswe began this self-study, we realized that the faculty failed to keep yearlyreports required by the College of Education Assessment Committee.Therefore, we revisited our data collection process and began new methodsof obtaining our assessments. Now that we have our data, we will seek toimprove our assessment system and provide timely assessment reports toour college of education assessment committee in April of each year. Withthe development of a PhD proposal, we have written a new assessmentplan that will build and inform new strategies for improvement. Time table:April 2013 and beyond

We will improve our doctoral qualifying examination process. To date, thevast majority of our students do eventually pass the examination processand make adequate progress towards the doctoral degree, most of them onthe first attempt. For those who do fail a section, for one reason or another,we will continue to assess what the potential problems may be and makeagreeable decisions that best suit our students. Timetable for Decision:September 2013

Currently, three full-time faculty members are carrying the workload of fivefaculty. As a result, we will strengthen our justification to increase thenumber of Higher Education program faculty and return to the previousstaffing level of five full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty. In the pastthree years, two full-time program faculty have left, and the positions havenot been filled. With state budget cuts and restraints, we have been able torely on contingent faculty to teach some courses, but we still need a contentexpert in the Two-Year College concentration to offer all required coursesand conduct high quality doctoral dissertation advising. Timetable forDecision: September 2014

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Higher EducationProgramsUALR College of Education

Home Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures List of Linked Documents

I Preface II Introduction III Goals, Objectives, and Activities IV Curriculum

V Program Faculty VI Program Resources VII. Majors/Declared Students

VIII Program Assessment IX. Program Effectiveness Appendices

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