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Article
Publication date: 2 May 2017

Chrysanthi Bellou, Vassiliki Petreniti and Constantina Skanavis

This study aims to focus on the University of Aegean’s non-academic staff’s environmental sustainability attitudes and behavior both at work and at home, their perceptions for…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to focus on the University of Aegean’s non-academic staff’s environmental sustainability attitudes and behavior both at work and at home, their perceptions for sustainability enforcement and their active participation skills.

Design/methodology/approach

The research participants were the 101 non-academic staff working at the Xenia Hill campus in Lesvos island. The instrument used in this study was a questionnaire consisting of 45 questions, which was sent via e-mail during the summer of 2014.

Findings

The analysis of the results brings light on the environmental profile of the University’s non-academic staff on their intentions for greening their campus and the barriers that obstruct their attempts to promote sustainability at the University.

Originality/value

The paper provides useful insights which allow a better understanding of the role of non-academic staff’s environmental sustainability attitudes and behavior both at work and at home, their perceptions for sustainability enforcement and their active participation skills.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 18 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 April 2008

David T. Gamage, Jaratdao Suwanabroma, Takeyuki Ueyama, Sekio Hada and Etsuo Sekikawa

The purpose of the paper is to ascertain students' perceptions on quality of services provided by private universities in Thailand and Japan and how these affected decisions…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to ascertain students' perceptions on quality of services provided by private universities in Thailand and Japan and how these affected decisions selecting a university. A comparative study aims to focus on how cultural and economic factors affected their decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

Research design sought students' perceptions through empirical surveys on the type of factors which influenced their decisions in selecting a university. As the students needed to form their views on personal experience on services categorized into ten factors, the research sample included students with one‐four years of campus experience. The research instrument was a well validated questionnaire developed on a review of literature and a pilot study. For the main study, 1,900 Thai students from nine private universities and 703 Japanese students from two private colleges were invited to participate.

Findings

Findings suggest that in selecting a university campus the university's reputation, academic staff, quality of the programs and job‐placement were the most important factors that influenced student decisions. The comparative analyses reveal many similarities and some differences between the two groups while Thai students had a higher degree of satisfaction than Japanese counterparts which may perhaps be attributed to economic disparities.

Implications

Findings may not be generally applicable as the sample was limited and cultural contexts were somewhat similar. Yet, there were generic factors applicable to most universities.

Originality/value

These findings are valuable to university administrators and academics to improve the quality of services which are most important in influencing student perceptions in selecting a university.

Details

Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-4883

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2006

Daniel Emojorho and Awhefe Adomi

This study is aimed at looking at the extent to which staff of Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria, are acquainted with and use information technology facilities for academic…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study is aimed at looking at the extent to which staff of Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria, are acquainted with and use information technology facilities for academic pursuit.

Design/methodology/approach

The main instruments used for collecting data were questionnaires and interviews. Simple percentage was the statistical method employed.

Findings

Data gathered through the use of the questionnaire and interviews reveal that most of the staff are not only aware of the existence of information technology (IT) facilities, but also employ them to satisfy their academic desires. From the study, epileptic power supply was adjudged the worst problem encountered in the use of IT facilities, while other problems include high internet service charges, unreliable telecommunication infrastructure, internet traffic congestion due to limited bandwidth and unsatisfactory performance of internet service provider.

Originality/value

The study acts as an eye‐opener to the staff and management of Delta State University, those of institutions of higher learning in Nigeria as a whole, as well as the government of the day, as to the true state of affairs relative to how far and well we have advanced in the application of IT for developmental purposes in a world that has gone so far in it, and try as much as possible to bridge the gap.

Details

The Electronic Library, vol. 24 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2009

Nopadol Rompho

This paper attempts to propose the uses of a capital budgeting tool, the Economic Value Added (EVA)for a university. Although there are reports of widespread use of the EVA in…

1079

Abstract

This paper attempts to propose the uses of a capital budgeting tool, the Economic Value Added (EVA)for a university. Although there are reports of widespread use of the EVA in many for‐profit organisations, there is no evidence in literature that it has been adopted as a capital budgeting tool for a university. In this paper the application of the EVA for a university is proposed. It shows how the EVA can increase the awareness of the importance of asset utilisation in universities and guide universities to better resource management. EVA is proposed for use in a university setting in two different segments: for‐profit and non‐profit. The EVA has been adjusted with a new measure, Academic Value Added Ratio (AVAR) to reflect the university’s objective. The perception of academic staff in the case study university in Thailand with regards to the concept of applying the EVA to a university is further investigated. The results indicate that most members of management staff do not oppose this concept if it is implemented in a proper way.

Details

Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-2517

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 December 2017

Idoya Ferrero-Ferrero, María Ángeles Fernández-Izquierdo, María Jesús Muñoz-Torres and Lucía Bellés-Colomer

The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of stakeholder engagement in the context of sustainability reporting (SR) for higher education institutions (HEIs)…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of stakeholder engagement in the context of sustainability reporting (SR) for higher education institutions (HEIs), together with the materiality principle and stakeholder expectations.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses an exploratory approach based on content analysis, a case study and descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings

Three key findings come out of this research. First, the results indicate that HEIs use diverse criteria for grouping stakeholders and that stakeholder engagement is a heterogeneous process. Second, the expectations of internal stakeholders align with the material aspects of SR. Finally, among internal stakeholders, students and academics disagree on the prioritisation of some sustainability aspects, with non-academic staff adopting an intermediate position.

Practical implications

This analysis improves our knowledge of stakeholder engagement in HEIs. It helps to identify the relevant impacts of stakeholder engagement, enhances the quality of reporting and encourages a real dialogue with stakeholders.

Originality/value

The study examines stakeholder engagement and how the materiality principle is adopted by HEIs through SR. Furthermore, it compares these results with stakeholder expectations, considering the discrepancies between stakeholders. The results open the way to future research to explore the potential conflicts and collaborations between and within stakeholders to advance towards more sustainable institutions in the higher education sector.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 19 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2014

Vanessa Quintal and Ian Phau

The purpose of this paper is to explore student perceptions of the internationalised learning environment across a particular university's home and offshore campuses. It addresses…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore student perceptions of the internationalised learning environment across a particular university's home and offshore campuses. It addresses three research questions namely: what constitutes the internationalised learning environment for students? Can a university offer an internationalised learning environment that is equitable for students across its home and offshore campuses? And what differences exist in the internationalised learning environment for students in a university's home and offshore campuses?

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 484 completed responses were collected from the university's six campuses in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Findings

Findings suggested significant differences in the way students perceived of teaching reputation, context-specific curriculum, resources, student-support staff interaction and their attitude towards their university.

Practical implications

These insights could help a university's teaching staff and administrators to focus on specific attributes in marketing the internationalised learning environments of each of its campuses. This could give the university better opportunity for improving the learning process and its outcomes for students.

Originality/value

This paper sets out to define the parameters of the internationalised learning environment and conducts an audit of this environment from the student perspective. Findings suggested significant differences in the way students perceived of teaching reputation, context-specific curriculum, resources, student-support staff interaction and their attitude towards their university. In the market of fierce competition for international students, it is crucial that these positive attributes be part of the marketing messages in any promotion campaigns for universities.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 July 2017

Silas M. Oliveira

This paper aims is to present and discuss the personal and educational underpinnings of undergraduate and graduate students’ persistence decision, identify initiatives and…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims is to present and discuss the personal and educational underpinnings of undergraduate and graduate students’ persistence decision, identify initiatives and strategies academic libraries are adopting which correlates positively with student retention, identify and discuss the main causes leading to attrition and present James White Library’s experience contributing to student retention efforts at Andrews University.

Design/methodology/approach

A bibliographic search using databases in the areas of education and library and information science was conducted to review the literature on the relationship between library use and services and university students’ retention.

Findings

The main overall factors which contribute to student retention are: user-centered philosophy; involvement and engagement; student identification and sense of belonging; academic success and achievement; and point grade average (GPA) in the context of libraries, the main factors which contribute (or correlate) to student retention are: library instruction; spaces which provide social interaction and learning; and general materials’ use.

Research limitations/implications

This study does not provide results of actual in-person investigations conducted at libraries, rather, identifies presents, and discusses reported studies in the Education and Library & Information Science (LIS) literature.

Practical implications

A summary and structured presentation of the main issues concerning the library’s role in university student’s retention identifies the main personal, including non-academic and academic problems leading to student’s attrition, as well successful efforts and strategies which libraries are adopting to curtail this pressing problem within academic institutions. The paper can be used as general guidelines which academic library managers and library service providers can adopt to contribute to the university’s overall efforts to increase its graduation rate.

Social implications

Higher education presupposes large expenditures from providers (Universities) and students. Millions of dollars are spent by both parties each year without yielding the expected results, considering that attrition levels can reach more than 40 per cent at any given university during an academic year in the USA. Also, purposeful or intentional expensive recruitment efforts and programs can be greatly curtailed by high attrition rates. However, these can be greatly diminished by successful retention strategies. Also, society is greatly benefited with the talents, skills, and services rendered by a professional with a higher education degree.

Originality value

This study organizes and systematizes the many study results, ideas, and considerations concerning academic libraries and student retention which are dispersed in the literature of the field, allowing the reader and practitioner to better understand the theoretical and practical issues concerning this subject. It provides the reader with practical experiences and data which will enhance one’s decision-making process in developing retention policies and strategies at the library level.

Open Access
Book part
Publication date: 30 November 2023

Hokyu Hwang

While the university as an institution is a great success story, one hears the constant chatter of the crises in higher education usually associated with the organizational…

Abstract

While the university as an institution is a great success story, one hears the constant chatter of the crises in higher education usually associated with the organizational transformation of universities. Regardless of one’s normative assessment of these observations, the institutional success of the university has been accompanied by the emergence of universities as organizational actors. I reflect on how these changes could alter the university as an institution, using the Australian higher education sector as an example. In doing so, I explore how universities as organizational actors, in responding to the demands of their external environment, set in motion a series of changes that redefine highly institutionalized categories, and, in doing so, radically remake the university as an institution.

Details

University Collegiality and the Erosion of Faculty Authority
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-814-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 January 2021

Sam M. Mwando, Amin Issa and Verinjaerako Kangotue

The purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of university staff and students in implementing flexible working arrangements (FWA) to increase space efficiency, lower…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of university staff and students in implementing flexible working arrangements (FWA) to increase space efficiency, lower overheads and improve productivity at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and document searches. A total of 253 university staff (academic and support) and students were surveyed to solicit their perceptions on the extent to which FWA could be implemented to ensure space optimisation, minimise property related costs and improve employee productivity.

Findings

The study confirms that the successful implementation of FWA needs coordinated institutional policy to effectively support and cater to university staff’s different needs while meeting those of the university. Implementing FWA may reduce demand on utilities resulting in lower overheads for the institution. Based on the findings, the study is inconclusive on whether FWA improves or reduces staff productivity.

Practical implications

In the era of austerity measures in institutions of higher education (IHE), with rapid advances in communication information technologies, FWA are not only a possibility but inevitable to ensure optimal use of space, lower operating costs and improved work productivity. This study provides a cursory understanding of the possibility to implementing FWA in higher education.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the FWA body of knowledge from the perspective of both academic, non-academic staff and students in IHE.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management , vol. 19 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 September 2020

Eva Tutchell and John Edmonds

Abstract

Details

Unsafe Spaces
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78973-062-3

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