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The prospect of state funding for foundation programmes has heralded a new interest in such programmes in the Higher Education sector. Already the proposed funding frameworks appear to be influencing the nature of foundation curricula. Against this background Peninsula Technikon is currently implementing pilot foundation programmes in Mechanical and Civil Engineering. This pilot draws on an integrated, extended curriculum model emerging in the Engineering faculty, which uses a focus subject from the mainstream programme around which to build the foundation curriculum. This paper presents a multi‐level analysis of policy articulation regarding foundation programmes, from a mode 2 (Gibbons 1994) perspective which emphasises the need for learning to be applied in real‐life, problem‐solving contexts which transcend disciplinary boundaries and reflect issues of importance to society. It examines this policy and responses to it, at the macro level of state and the Higher Education (HE) sector, as well as the micro level of an individual HE institution and two academic departments. Finally suggestions are made as to why and how articulation from the micro to the macro level could enhance policy implementation.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the levels of foundation‐year courses at the only public, four‐year institution of higher education in Qatar.

A basic crossed design was used to assess the degree to which the number and kind of foundation courses taken related to student enrollment, graduation, academic dismissal and academic performance. A chi‐square statistical analysis, Kruskal‐Wallis analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a repeated measure (MANOVA) were used to address the research questions.

The results of this study demonstrate that those students who are enrolled in an English foundation course and take at least one or more foundation course are more likely to remain enrolled in the university. In contrast, those students who enroll in more than one mathematics foundation course are more likely to be academically dismissed than to remain at this university. Students who pass through preparatory courses in English have higher scores in both their first and second post‐foundation English courses than those who do not participate in the program. In contrast, students who take foundation courses in mathematics were less likely to do well in post‐foundation courses than those who had not taken foundation courses. Those students who had taken an English foundation course were more likely to fail a post‐foundation course at the university level than to pass such a course. Those students who had taken a mathematic foundation course were just as likely to fail as those students who had not taken one. Generally, those students who went through English and mathematics foundation courses were more likely to perform at a significantly higher level and achieve a higher grade point average than those students who did not complete the preparatory program.

A significant role of the preparatory program is to bring students to an academic level that allows them to continue on to regular university programs. This paper is significant because it assesses the worth and benefits of a preparatory program in a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country, which include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In 1974 the University of Newcastle, Australia, established a mature age access programme called the Open Foundation. Since that time, thousands of adults have entered university through the Open Foundation portal. This article explores the layers of context for the establishment of the Open Foundation in the early 1970s. It seeks to understand the reasons why the University of Newcastle, which already provided the means for direct entry for some adults, sought to widen participation for adults at that time by creating a year long pre‐tertiary programme. Pascoe’s explanation that matureage entry schemes in Australian universities were prompted by ‘pragmatic considerations’ such as the disruption to intakes due to the lengthening of secondary schooling in New South Wales in 1969 and the falling demand for university places in the late 1970s and 1980s, does not satisfactorily account for the establishment of the Open Foundation Programme. Rather this article argues that the Open Foundation was set up in response to a variety of international, national and local influences, and as a reflection of educational ideas that were flowing from overseas at the time, especially around the establishment of the Open University in the United Kingdom, and in which not only pragmatism, but also idealism figured.

In 2002/3 the Health Foundation launched an ambitious five‐year Programme of investment in leadership development. This investment included resource for simultaneous evaluation (Lucas 2006). Against a background of unprecedented upheaval in healthcare systems in the UK, the Leadership Programme has evolved, encompassing initiatives aimed both at individuals and teams. The Programme has been refined to provide a more explicit focus on leadership for quality improvement. This article reviews what has been learnt from this investment to date, focusing on lessons both for practitioners and for academics.The focus of this paper is what has been learnt from running the Foundation's three individual leadership schemes over the past three years. The authors argue that to be effective talent spotting needs to develop rigorous mechanisms for identification of potential; that there needs to be a sustained focus on quality improvement outcomes if leadership programmes are to deliver more than personal development; that the most effective development is work rather than classroom‐based; and that organisational commitment for leadership development is critical if the full impact is to be realised. The authors draw on an extensive evidence base from the Programme evaluation, including some case studies.

Leadership, organizational behavior, entrepreneurship.

This case study is intended for undergraduate and graduate levels.

This is a leadership case about Agnes Jean Brugger, founder of the A.J. Brugger Education Project (also known as the A.J. Brugger Foundation (AJBF)) in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. It is the story of how and why she and Chris Berry co-founded this unique non-profit foundation in tandem with Piedras Y Olas: Pelican Eyes Resort (PEPO) in the late 1990s. The case focuses on how her identity and values shape the origins of AJBF and how the organization evolves in the context of the Nicaraguan and Anglo-American cultures. “Devoted to assisting Nicaragua through education and development of one of the country's most valuable and treasured resources: its young people”, the vision for AJBF was a cutting edge socially conscious venture that grew to meet the needs of the community that had captured Jean's heart and mind. The case ends in early 2009 on the precipice of the biggest economic down-turn the US economy has experienced in recent history. Standing at the edge of this cliff, Jean contemplates the numerous successful accomplishments of the foundation, while reflecting on the many leadership and organizational problems she, as Founder and Chair of the Board, faces.

The case will help participants to: evaluate and discuss leadership effectiveness, identifying responses to opportunities and challenges; explain cross-cultural identity from the Globe Study model and how it impacts organizational interactions; explore successful models of cross-cultural leadership through the lens of gendered theory; explore the ways in which social entrepreneurship can be seen as an extension of socially-minded leadership; describe how socially-minded entrepreneurship is different from traditional forms of entrepreneurship; describe social identity and evaluate its impact on leadership; and discuss the rich historical and community context that influences interpersonal and organizational dynamics.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or e-mail support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Strategic management of nonprofit organizations.

This case is appropriate for graduate level program/executive education courses; advanced topics in nonprofit management or strategic management of nonprofit organizations.

This case focuses on the central dilemma faced by arteBA Foundation in 2008. arteBA Foundation's chairman, Facundo Gómez Minujín, received an offer from a foreign company to purchase the art fair launched 17 years before – and by then acknowledged as the most prestigious fair in Latin America. Leading art fairs around the world were managed by for-profit companies that could view arteBA as a strategic asset to tap into new markets. Gómez Minujín called for an urgent board meeting. The young chairman had his qualms about selling the fair. In addition to corroborating arteBA's brand positioning in the region and rewarding the organization's efforts over the years, this purchasing offer afforded the possibility to undertake several projects to further develop and promote Argentine art – the true driver for most arteBA's members. The case describes the foundation's background and the fair's growth until the crossroads in November 2008. They include several accounts of instances in which the foundation took financial risks to enhance the fair's positioning, such as granting subsidized space to emerging galleries at its Young Neighborhood Program, expanding to include aesthetically risky offerings at its Open Space section, and financially supporting Brazilian galleries to attend the fair in order to enhance its Latin American scope and regional consolidation. Similarly, the case depicts how the foundation chose to uphold fair continuity in critical years (2001) amidst a dismal domestic setting. The dilemma presented by this case hinges on an organization's ability to build a market-based venture while preserving and pursuing its mission. To promote Argentine artists and art, arteBA Foundation had to help art galleries – for-profit businesses – to adopt more professional practices. Another challenge described in this case revolves around the need to “manage quality” in detriment of greater, immediate revenues. The last section revisits the central dilemma faced by arteBA Foundation. The mixed reactions of board members on the fair's purchase offer described in the introduction unfolded in a passionate debate at the board meeting. Two prevailing positions emerged in reference to the future of the organization. For some board members selling the fair afforded arteBA a chance to finally undertake new challenges, such as launching a grant program, offering financial support to artists, consolidating a new venture (South Limit), etc. Opposing board members contended that, without the fair, the foundation made no sense and that no other initiative could have such an impact on its field of choice. Finally, the board found it impossible to reach a decision on this matter in just one meeting and decided to resume its discussion after a recess.

This case has been designed to advance the following teaching objectives: gaining a better understanding of market-based ventures carried out by social organizations; discussing the alignment of market-based ventures to social missions at social organizations; adequately interpreting market trends to try to align them to a nonprofit's mission; identifying the primary capabilities needed by social organizations to manage profitable market-based ventures; developing a positive market orientation as a source of opportunities for a nonprofit; appreciating the significance of an active, committed board for market-based venture development; and highlighting the primary role of entrepreneurship and innovation when it comes to launching market-based ventures that add value to a nonprofit's brand.

Teaching notes are available.

Purpose – The case study described here showcases the way in which the University of South Australia (UniSA), an institution with a long history of being at the forefront of educational opportunity for all and with equity principles embedded in its founding legislation, has responded to the mainstreaming of widening participation and engagement. It does so by focussing particularly on the Foundation Studies access education programme, the cornerstone of the University's widening participation strategy for adults (although in Australia the vast majority of university entrants are aged 18 years and above and, therefore, by definition, categorised as adults).

Approach – We provide an overview of the development and structure of the Foundation Studies programme, the national and institutional contexts in which it operates, and key characteristic of students who undertake the programme. We also report on participation and success rates and briefly describe how successful access education students gain admission to undergraduate study.

Social implications – UniSA's approach to equity and widening participation provides an effective means of redress for people who have experienced educational disadvantage. It does so not merely by providing access but by also actively preparing them for future academic success. That success in turn builds social capital – serving a wider and increasingly pertinent imperative in today's global market economy.

Value of chapter – The case study described presents what has proven to be a viable and effective model, one which suggests strongly that socio-economic and educational disadvantage can be overcome and that ‘second chance’ does not imply ‘second rate’.

In recent years there has been a marked increase in leadership programs, witness the proliferation of books on leadership, articles in business publications about leadership, and institutions offering training in leadership. But, until recently, leadership education was not readily available from accredited universities. This paper examines professional leadership education in those universities in the USA. Our purpose was to ascertain the underlying academic foundations of leadership master’s degrees and to determine if there was a discernable difference from the foundation of the MBA. We located 15 institutions with leadership master’s degrees. Using catalogs, program descriptions of these programs appear to be more influenced by behavioral science/humanities than the foundations of MBA programs.

This case discusses the journey of SELCO Foundation, a Bengaluru based not-for-profit organization. It provides key learning and insights for social transformation and poverty alleviation. With the vision of “creating inclusive development pathways that were socially and environmentally sustainable,” the Foundation fostered and scaled ecosystems for democratization of access to clean energy and sustainable solutions for the marginalized communities. Using decentralized renewable energy (DRE), SELCO’s initiatives had established linkages between SDG7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG4 (Quality Education), SDG8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Throughout its journey, it continuously challenged normative development paradigms and perceptions about gender issues, poverty, and sustainability as a whole through a people-centric approach; empowering individuals, communities, and institutions. The recent COVID-19 pandemic landed a massive blow to the country’s socioeconomic structure. SELCO Foundation’s teams deployed in remote locations for livelihood interventions programs had faced a multitude of challenges due to COVID-19 lockdown. As a response to COVID-19 crisis, SELCO Foundation rallied its resources to support relief efforts across India. It leveraged its expertise in energy by deploying a pan India network of grass-root partners; community-sourced innovations to ramp-up last mile healthcare infrastructure, build community resilience programs, and strengthen existing capabilities. Leveraging sustainable solutions as a medium, SELCO’s transformative work extended beyond access to clean energy, and sought to address complex issues such as healthcare, education, reduction in drudgery in manual jobs, creating opportunities for dignified work and more. Through this case study, this chapter discusses the emergence, journey, and initiatives of SELCO Foundation. It explores a practice-based pedagogy of social transformation, and challenges faced in ecosystem building during the times of the pandemic. The chapter initiates a discussion for a way forward for the social enterprise in times of uncertainties and stringencies in order to continue impacting underprivileged lives to the best.