Universities are specific local entities, and as such are in competition with one another for resources and prestige. The general tone of the literature--which sees universities mainly as specific organizations--is quite negative, with competition leading to destructive market and political forces. The tone is surprising, given the extraordinary…

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the influences of context and methodological differences in how universities confront, report and manage carbon neutrality in selected Andean universities, contrasted with a university in the USA. Design/methodology/approach: A sequential, mixed-methods design, using quantitative and qualitative approaches was…

Many college students are motivated to vote in presidential elections. Like most Americans, however, they are far less likely to vote in elections for local officeholders. Often this is because they have little to no information about the candidates. Starting in 2020, with university support, the author and a colleague began providing nonpartisan…

At times, universities are charged with helping stimulate the local economy. This study considered how the supply chain management programs at a regional university could be modified in order to provide a positive impact on the economic development of the region. Through a mixed methods action research approach that incorporated a neural network,…

This research aims to build economic research skills and stimulate students' interest in the local economy through data-based undergraduate research in entry-level economics courses. The authors developed two assignments and one student survey assessing students' learning outcomes and implemented them in two introductory-level classes from fall…

The degree to which Universities could nimbly and effectively respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on their local communities depended upon the structure and orientation of their community engagement infrastructure. Institutions that support a hyperlocal form of place-based engagement were uniquely positioned to harness their extensive…

This paper examines the evolution of Norwegian higher education with a particular focus on the role and transformation of colleges. Historically, these colleges have been instrumental in providing geographically accessible, higher (vocational) education tailored to local and regional needs, significantly contributing to Norway's workforce and…

Visual media (pictures, photographs) are often used in adult literacy instruction, presumably because they are easy for adult literacy learners to process. However, relatively little research has been conducted on how adult literacy learners comprehend visual media, such as picture stories. Some have argued that picture stories could be used as a…

Purpose: Higher education institutions (HEIs) are crucial in sustainable development. To this end, they must infuse sustainability into all their endeavors. This study aims to delve into the unique vertically integrated project (VIP), a project-based learning approach and its impact on students' skills and the surrounding community.…

This paper conducts an interdisciplinary exploration into the concept of trauma within work- integrated learning (WIL), emphasizing the importance of 'proximity' as a novel extension of trauma within this context. The central focus lies in conceptualizing fresh dimensions for a WIL wellness model that prioritizes community connectedness over…

Lack of development in different societies of the world has been attributed to university education in recent times. Degrees are envisaged to be synonymous to skill acquisitions which are expected to be reflected in the society. Meanwhile, it remains controversial whether university education is actually responsible for development of skills and…

The career development experiences of rural youth are worthy of specialized attention from career counsellors. While rural youth share many commonalities with their urban counterparts, the rural experience presents distinctions that can influence their life-career decisions. To support career decision-making, career counsellors should be aware of…

This report describes and reflects upon an approach to embedding psychological literacy within the core Research Methods curriculum in a small university in the United Kingdom. Psychology students were involved in the 'Living Lab: Feeding the Campus' project, an interdisciplinary network of students and staff aiming to find solutions for local…

Background: Like other professional training programs, social work pedagogy has long recognized the value of experiential learning for professional development. Despite social work's rich experiential learning literature involving field education, direct practice courses, and program evaluation, there is a dearth of literature examining how to…

In this article, we examine the fraught task of doing drama-based work on the climate crisis with youth in schools at a time of increasing climate fatalism. We focus on what a virtual, speculative fiction writing and performance workshop achieved with students in Coventry, Kaohsiung and Bogotá by inviting them to rewrite the futures of local…