According to a 2010 survey on how university presidents spent their time, the respondents revealed that on a list of six common responsibilities, the one to which they devoted the least attention was "academic affairs." Derek Bok writes in this article that, although this finding seems to have attracted little attention, he finds it…

In many STEM-related fields, graduating doctoral students are often expected to assume a postdoctoral position as a prerequisite to a faculty position, yet there is no such expectation in mathematics education. This phenomenon is likely due in large part to an abundance of faculty positions; however, it may also result from the field's…

Directors too often rely primarily on their hunches to guide them in employee selection. But what if their hunches are only 30 percent correct? Potentially, one bad hire could be responsible for a noticeable decrease in enrollment and, as a result, the school's net revenue. In this article, the author discusses the Competency-Based Behavioral…

In this article, the authors argue that the relevance of student affairs depends on the will to redefine the mission, structures, and practices to provide the leadership that institutions require. They begin with an overview of challenges to higher education and student affairs, examine the implications of those challenges for student affairs, and…

Discusses instructional design; examines various analyses which should be made as part of instructional development, including needs analysis, front-end analysis, job analysis, task analysis, training analysis, and learning analysis; and describes steps in a learning analysis that is less labor-intensive and time-consuming. A learning analysis…

Explains how to develop job profiles that describe the output expected from employees and the competencies required to meet the output so that managers understand and appreciate what their employees actually do. Discusses needs assessments and how clear descriptions of competencies, skills, knowledge, and values are useful in developing training.…

Discusses how to use various sources of information such as reference books, vocational education materials, job site observations, and vocational instructors to develop an occupation-specific vocational English-as-a-second-language program. Suggests how to organize this information into content areas and language requirements. (SED)

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs, characterized by the special needs of the language learners, are described and a review of the literature on a functional-notional approach to the syllabus design of ESP programs is presented. It is suggested that effective ESP programs should teach the language skills necessary to function and perform…

Describes functions comprising task analysis process--inventory, description, selection, sequencing, and analysis--and reviews distinctions between the micro/macro level, top-down/bottom-up, and job/learning task analysis processes. These functions and distinctions are combined into a quasi-algorithm suggesting which of 30 task analysis procedures…

Task analysis, needs analysis, curriculum design, and evaluation for training programs for on-the-job training teachers are discussed. Outlines, worksheets, and evaluation sheets are provided. (CW)

This project was conducted in New Castle (Henry County), Indiana to train and use the services of a work analysis specialist who would work with manufacturing companies to improve company profits through the provision of training programs based on a specific needs assessment. The determination of specific needs was accomplished through the…

In the fall of 1974, a teacher preparation project for community college vocational/technical teachers in Texas was initiated by the Texas Education Agency and resulted in the creation of a systems approach model for planning, developing, and implementing instruction that might be adapted to all instructional and training programs. Based on the…

Three workshops were held for the purpose of identifying principal competencies in four roles involved in the administration of community education: superintendent, district coordinator, principal, and building director. The first workshop provided initial lists of competencies by roles. The second workshop produced the list of edited competency…

In 1987, the College of the Mainland undertook a project to update curricula in real estate, business management, and office technology. The project entailed a survey of the labor market to clarify personnel needs in selected fields; the use of the DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) process, which involved expert workers in the creation of task…

A training need analysis of the position of university lecturer, undertaken at Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand), identified 10 key roles encompassing the range of expected teaching activities and a faculty development program to address them. Findings have also been integrated into the university's quality management system. Uses of…