The United States has long been a model for accessible, affordable education, as exemplified by the country's public universities. And yet less than 60 percent of the students entering American universities today are graduating. Why is this happening, and what can be done? "Crossing the Finish Line" provides the most detailed exploration ever of college completion at America's public universities. This groundbreaking book sheds light on such serious issues as dropout rates linked to race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

Probing graduation rates at twenty-one flagship public universities and four statewide systems of public higher education, the authors focus on the progress of students in the entering class of 1999--from entry to graduation, transfer, or withdrawal. They examine the effects of parental education, family income, race and gender, high school grades, test scores, financial aid, and characteristics of universities attended (especially their selectivity). The conclusions are compelling: minority students and students from poor families have markedly lower graduation rates--and take longer to earn degrees--even when other variables are taken into account. Noting the strong performance of transfer students and the effects of financial constraints on student retention, the authors call for improved transfer and financial aid policies, and suggest ways of improving the sorting processes that match students to institutions.

An outstanding combination of evidence and analysis, "Crossing the Finish Line" should be read by everyone who cares about the nation's higher education system.

For at least the last 100 years, more than 40% of all students who enrolled in American colleges and universities have not persisted to graduation at four-year institutions. Their stories are varied, but in every case, something got in the way of that pursuit. Life happened. They became one of the nearly 36 million Americans who have some college but no degree. For many, the stigma of not finishing college is a closely held secret that weighs heavily as they discuss, engage, and compete to meet the challenges of the workforce in the 21st century. Some weren't ready at age 18 for the focus and commitment that academic studies require. Others found opportunities to create income and meet immediate familial needs or requirements. Many have excelled despite their lack of a college credential. Contrary to the deficit mindset that often permeates the retention and persistence discourse, this book highlights the stories of those who successfully returned to what was left unfinished. The stories here may challenge your assumptions. These are high-quality students who demonstrated a compelling and inspiring commitment to their education, begun long ago and now completed-in some cases decades later. As you read, don't miss the role that engaged advisors, supportive family members, and well-designed programs such as prior learning assessment played in helping students to the finish line. These narratives also demonstrate that it is time for institutions of higher education to imagine and embrace new ways of serving these students well.

In tracing the origins of the modern human-rights movement, historians typically point to two periods: the 1940s, in which decade the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was ratified by the United Nations General Assembly; and the 1970s, during which numerous human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), most notably Amnesty International and Medecins Sans Frontieres, came into existence. It was also in the 1970s, Sarita Cargas observes, when the first classes in international human rights began to be taught in law schools and university political science departments in the United States. Cargas argues that the time has come for human rights to be acknowledged as an academic discipline. She notes that human rights has proven to be a relevant field to scholars and students in political science and international relations and law for over half a century. It has become of interest to anthropology, history, sociology, and religious studies, as well as a requirement even in social work and education programs. However, despite its interdisciplinary nature, Cargas demonstrates that human rights meets the criteria that define an academic discipline in that it possesses a canon of literature, a shared set of concerns, a community of scholars, and a methodology. In an analysis of human rights curricula in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Cargas identifies an informal consensus on the epistemological foundations of human rights, including familiarity with human rights law; knowledge of major actors including the United Nations, governments, NGOS, and multinational corporations; and, most crucially, awareness and advocacy of the rights and freedoms detailed in the articles of the UDHR. The second half of the book offers practical recommendations for creating a human rights major or designing courses at the university level in the United States.

People are on the move all across the globe and the student population is becoming increasingly more diverse. This has brought about new opportunities and challenges for educators, and teachers. In this series teacher educators a) deconstruct and problematize what it means to educate new teachers for increasingly diverse schools and classroom contexts, and b) highlight experiences of teacher educators as they attempt to bridge the theory to practice divide often encountered in teacher education. In these challenging times when public education is under attack, culturally responsive, antiracist, critical multicultural, social jus- tice and all forms of teaching that are inclusive and equitable must be supported and encouraged. As schools continue to be spaces where ideas and values that promote equity and justice in society are contested, teachers must be proactive in engaging in pedago- gies that respond to the needs of a diverse student population. Transformative Pedagogies bring together the work of teachers, scholars, and activists from different countries and contexts who are seeking to transform teacher education. This book will be useful to all educators seeking alternative and innovative approaches to education and meeting the needs of students. Teacher educators examine what it means to be transfor- mative and drawing on experiences from different contexts.

People are on the move all across the globe and the student population is becoming increasingly more diverse. This has brought about new opportunities and challenges for educators, and teachers. In this series teacher educators a) deconstruct and problematize what it means to educate new teachers for increasingly diverse schools and classroom contexts, and b) highlight experiences of teacher educators as they attempt to bridge the theory to practice divide often encountered in teacher education. In these challenging times when public education is under attack, culturally responsive, antiracist, critical multicultural, social jus- tice and all forms of teaching that are inclusive and equitable must be supported and encouraged. As schools continue to be spaces where ideas and values that promote equity and justice in society are contested, teachers must be proactive in engaging in pedago- gies that respond to the needs of a diverse student population. Transformative Pedagogies bring together the work of teachers, scholars, and activists from different countries and contexts who are seeking to transform teacher education. This book will be useful to all educators seeking alternative and innovative approaches to education and meeting the needs of students. Teacher educators examine what it means to be transfor- mative and drawing on experiences from different contexts.

When the urbane, learned, and widely-liked David Derham accepted the invitation to establish the second university law school in Australia's state of Victoria, Derham wrote to a friend of the challenge ahead: "I am probably mad to do it but will have some compensating fun no doubt." As the foundation dean, Derham achieved his vision of establishing a new law school with an innovative curriculum, a first-rate staff recruited from around the world, and a state-of-the-art building constructed around Victoria's best law library. Within a short time, Monash University Law School rose to be among the leading law schools in Australia and became the model that successive new law schools openly copied. If David Derham could see his law school today, there are many achievements he would be proud of, some developments that would appall him, and a few that would leave him scratching his head. In this lively and engaging 50th-anniversary history of the law school, the story of how Derham's vision has played out is told without fear or favor. While the law school's many fine achievements are fully recognized, so too are the wrong turns and backward steps. Most importantly, this is a book about the thousands of people, staff, and students who have been part of the history of the law school. There have been many extraordinary characters. No student will forget the inimitable Louis Waller, the intimidating Enid Campbell, or the remarkable Lawrie McCredie and Ron McCallum. Memorable students have been plentiful, including many who have become heavyweights in law, politics, and business. Interestingly, the authors found that the most widely remembered student was the great impersonator, Campbell McComas, aka Granville Williams; far more people recall being at his famous fake lecture than could possibly have been present on that day (Series: Law)

By examining the lives and social dynamics of Jewish university students, Pickus shows how German Jews rearranged their self-images and redefined what it meant to be Jewish.

Slavery and the University is the first edited collection of scholarly essays devoted solely to the histories and legacies of this subject on North American campuses and in their Atlantic contexts. Gathering together contributions from scholars, activists, and administrators, the volume combines two broad bodies of work: (1) historically based interdisciplinary research on the presence of slavery at higher education institutions in terms of the development of proslavery and antislavery thought and the use of slave labor; and (2) analysis on the ways in which the legacies of slavery in institutions of higher education continued in the post-Civil War era to the present day. The collection features broadly themed essays on issues of religion, economy, and the regional slave trade of the Caribbean. It also includes case studies of slavery's influence on specific institutions, such as Princeton University, Harvard University, Oberlin College, Emory University, and the University of Alabama. Though the roots of Slavery and the University stem from a 2011 conference at Emory University, the collection extends outward to incorporate recent findings. As such, it offers a roadmap to one of the most exciting developments in the field of U.S. slavery studies and to ways of thinking about racial diversity in the history and current practices of higher education.

The most effective and long-lasting student strike in U.S. History took place at San Francisco State College in 1968. The first Black Student Union, the first Black Studies Department, the only College of Ethnic Studies, and the admission of thousands of students of color resulted from this four-and-a-half-month strike which shut down 80% of the campus. It has been called the movement which "changed academia forever." Black students were only a small percentage of those on campus, but they managed to engage thousands of white, Latino, Asian, and indigenous students; SDS and the Third World Liberation Front; the faculty union; and a huge portion of the San Francisco Community. In the end, they were able to win most of their 15 demands. The book is written by two participants in the strike, one a member of the BSU leadership. Oral histories of strike leaders are integrated with discussion of the events and significance of this movement. What were the politics and strategies? Why was the strike successful and what are the insights for today's mass movements?

The totalising effect of consumerism, well-being and satisfaction is a discourse which may negate the value of struggle and mastery of complex subjects and a realization of personal potentiality. Why Universities Should Seek Happiness and Contentment considers the consequences of a hedonistic and well-being centred model of student education as one of the goals of higher education and proposes an alternative goal for higher education. In a globalised consumer society where the anxiety for an identity leads to the fear of not reaching the standard, Paul Gibbs shows how anxiety can be harnessed to secure contentment with one's own future without the fear of consumer-induced emptiness. He conceptualises higher education in a counter-valued way to the current dominant discourse of higher education institutions and educational policy while placing students at the centre of their own educational activity. In doing so, Gibbs proposes contentment as a guiding principle of higher education.

New online resources are opening doors for education and outreach in the Earth sciences. One of the most innovative online earth science portals is Macrostrat and its mobile client Rockd - an interface that combines geolocated geological maps with stratigraphic information, lithological data, and crowd-sourced images and descriptions of outcrops. These tools provide a unique educational opportunity for students to interact with primary geological data, create connections between local outcrops and global patterns, and make new field observations. Rockd incorporates an aspect of social media to its platform, which creates a sense of community for users. This Element outlines these resources, gives instructions on how to use them, and provides examples of how to integrate these resources into a variety of paleontology and earth science courses.

Research on learning and cognition in geoscience education research and other discipline-based education communities suggests that effective instruction should include three key components: a) activation of students' prior knowledge on the subject, b) an active learning pedagogy that allows students to address any existing misconceptions and then build a new understanding of the concept, and c) metacognitive reflections that require students to evaluate their own learning processes during the lesson. This Element provides an overview of the research on student-centered pedagogy in introductory geoscience and paleontology courses and gives examples of these instructional approaches. Student-centered learning shifts the power and attention in a classroom from the instructor to the students. In a student-centered classroom, students are in control of their learning experience and the instructor functions primarily as a guide. Student-centered classrooms trade traditional lecture for conceptually-oriented tasks, collaborative learning activities, new technology, inquiry-based learning, and metacognitive reflection.

Hands-on learning in paleontology, and geology in general, is fairly common practice. Students regularly use rocks, fossils, and data in the classroom throughout their undergraduate career, but they typically do it sitting in a chair in a lab. Kinesthetic learning is a teaching model that requires students to be physically active while learning. Students may be involved in a physical activity during class or might be using their own bodies to model some important concept. This Element briefly discusses the theory behind kinesthetic learning and how it fits into a student-centered, active-learning classroom. It then describes in detail methods for incorporating it into student exercises on biostratigraphy, assessment of sampling completeness, and modeling evolutionary processes. Assessment data demonstrates that these exercises have led to significantly improved student learning outcomes tied to these concepts.

Integration of research experiences into the undergraduate classroom can result in increased recruitment, retention, and motivation of science students. 'Big data' science initiatives, such as the Paleobiology Database (PBDB), can provide inexpensive and accessible research opportunities. This Element provides an introduction to what the PBDB is, how to use it, how it can be deployed in introductory and advanced courses, and examples of how it has been used in undergraduate research. The PBDB aims to provide information on all fossil organisms, across the tree of life, around the world, and through all of geologic time. The PBDB Resource Page contains a range of PBDB tutorials and activities for use in physical geology, historical geology, paleontology, sedimentology, and stratigraphy courses. As two-year colleges, universities, and distance-based learning initiatives seek research-based alternatives to traditional lab exercises, the PBDB can provide opportunities for hands-on science activities.

Higher education worldwide is operating in a highly volatile context, a consequence of rapid globalisation, constricting funding and intense technological change. These forces challenge assumptions about work, productivity, and international demand for knowledge, skills and resources, igniting needs for highly competent and educated graduates.To remain viable, universities have to build their capacity to respond promptly, positively and wisely to an interlaced combination of "change forces". One approach is to redesign learning and teaching to enhance subject discipline knowledge and skills. An alternative approach is to develop a learning and teaching framework that builds institutional knowledge and capabilities and connects them to the university's strategic plan. Taking a longitudinal perspective, covering seven years and three separate research projects, this book focuses on the alternative approach.Producing Pedagogy describes the development and subsequent evaluation of a whole-of-institution approach to pedagogy, based on five associated principles: Sustainability, Engagement, Scholarship, Flexibility, and Contextual Learning. This refereed volume collates insights about the development of the pedagogy using as its case study a regional Australian university.

People hold a variety of prior conceptions that impact their learning. Prior conceptions that include erroneous or incomplete understandings represent a significant barrier to durable learning, as they are often difficult to change. While researchers have documented students' prior conceptions in many areas of geoscience, little is known about prior conceptions involving paleontology. In this Element, data on student prior conceptions from two introductory undergraduate paleontology courses are presented. In addition to more general misunderstandings about the nature of science, many students hold incorrect ideas about methods of historical geology, Earth history, ancient life, and evolution. Of special note are student perceptions of the limits of paleontology as scientific inquiry. By intentionally eliciting students' prior conceptions and implementing the pedagogical strategies described in other Elements in this series, lecturers can shape instruction to challenge this negative view of paleontology and improve student learning.

Lecturing has been a staple of university pedagogy, but a shift is ongoing because of evidence that active engagement with content helps strengthen learning and build more advanced skills. The flipped classroom, which delivers content to students outside of the class meeting, is one approach to maximize time for active learning. The fundamental benefit of a flipped class is that students learn more, but ensuring student preparation and engagement can be challenging. Evaluation policies can provide incentives to guide student effort. Flipping a class requires an initial time commitment, but the workload associated with evaluating student work during the course can be mitigated. The personal interactions from active learning are extremely rewarding for students and instructors, especially when class sizes are small and suitable room layouts are available. Overall, flipping a course doesn't require special training, just a willingness to experiment, reflect, and adjust.

Research-led, research-oriented, and research-based teaching incorporate research into teaching to different degrees. Research-led teaching focuses on content and informs students about current research findings, while research-oriented teaching focuses on techniques and often occurs in research methods courses. In research-based teaching, students participate in research. Through this involvement, they benefit from improved content knowledge, research skills, and life skills, as well as enhanced personal development. Research-embedded courses can make such benefits available to a wide range of students. Best practices in experiential learning and the incorporation of research in teaching include intentionality, planning, authenticity, reflection, training, monitoring, assessment, and acknowledgment. In this Element, these principles of best practice are illustrated by courses with embedded student research. Guidelines are presented for how to plan and execute a semester-long course-embedded research project, as well as alternative and shorter-term approaches. Research-based teaching provides challenges for students and faculty, but the benefits for all stakeholders are strong.

The educational benefits of replacing in-class lectures with hands-on activities are clear. Such active learning is a natural fit for paleontology, which can provide opportunities for examining fossils, analyzing data and writing. Additionally, there are a number of topics in the field that are exciting to geology majors and non-majors alike: very few can resist the lure of dinosaurs, huge meteor impacts, vicious Cretaceous sharks or a giant Pleistocene land mammal. However, it can seem difficult to introduce these techniques into a large general education class full of non-majors: paleontological specimens provide a natural starting point for hands-on classroom activities, but in a large class it is not always practical or possible to provide enough fossil material for all students. The Element introduces different types of active learning approaches, and then explains how they have been applied to a large introductory paleontology class for non-majors.

University dinosaur courses provide an influential venue for developing aptitude beyond knowledge of terrestrial Mesozoic reptiles. Passion for dinosaurs, when properly directed, can trigger interest in science and be used to develop critical thinking skills. Examination of dinosaur paleontology can develop competence in information analysis, perception of flawed arguments, recognition of persuasion techniques, and application of disciplined thought processes. Three methods for developing critical thought are outlined in this Element. The first uses dinosaur paleontology to illustrate logical fallacies and flawed arguments. The second is a method for evaluating primary dinosaur literature by students of any major. The final example entails critique of dinosaur documentaries based on the appearance of dinosaurs and the disconnect between scientific fact and storytelling techniques. Students are owed more than dinosaur facts; lecturers should foster a set of skills that equips students with the tools necessary to be perceptive citizens and science advocates.

In many countries across the world, the demographic compositions of universities have changed with the increasing numbers of international students. According to the OECD (2014) in 2012 there were 4.5 million students studying at universities in countries other than the ones in which they had been born. It was more than double the number in 2000. International student mobility is a result of globalisation and the internationalisation of higher education. This book reviews these developments as they relate to Africa. It examines the changing social relations of diversity of postgraduate South African and international students living together in residence at the University of Pretoria. It is an instrumental, qualitative case study based on content analyses of semi-structured interviews with more than 90 students. There is a dearth of such studies in African higher education. The academic literatures have concentrated on educational change at national, continental and global levels. It is unknown what is happening on the ground, from the point of view of the daily experiences and perceptions of local and international students. This research project draws on community studies to analyse the sociology of three residences at the University of Pretoria, at which most of the postgraduate international students live with their South African peers. The majority of the international students come from other African countries. This community, across the three sites, is analysed in relation to the intersectionality of race, socio-economic class, gender and sexuality and, especially, nationality. These social relations embedded within the residence-community constitute a fundamental characteristic of globalisation: The inter-relationship between the nation state (nationality) and the international developments (globalisation and internationalisation) that have undermined the nation states independence and autonomy. The problem is viewed at the cultural coalface at one university community, rather than systemically and structurally from the top. Put another way, students constantly engage with representations of where they come from and the global realities they encounter at the university. This is illustrated in analyses of the intersectionality of diversity relations. The author shows the range, complexities and specificities of diversity and its changing social dynamics. It is hoped that such studies can be compared with others in international education in Africa, the global South and the developed world.

Higher education institutions play a vital role in their surrounding communities. Besides providing a space for enhanced learning opportunities, universities can utilize their resources for social and economic interests. The Handbook of Research on Science Education and University Outreach as a Tool for Regional Development is a comprehensive reference source for the latest scholarly material on the expanded role of universities for community engagement initiatives. Providing in-depth coverage across a range of topics, such as resource sharing, educational administration, and technological applications, this handbook is ideally designed for educators, graduate students, professionals, academics, and practitioners interested in the active involvement of education institutions in community outreach.

Gender and diversity is a crucial area that requires more attention in multiple academic settings. As more women progress into leadership positions in academia, it becomes necessary to develop solutions geared specifically toward success for females in such environments. Challenges Facing Female Department Chairs in Contemporary Higher Education: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a key source on the latest challenges and opportunities for women heading academic departments in university settings, exploring the support available to female department chairs, and first-hand experiences and lessons learned in field. Featuring extensive coverage across a range of relevant perspectives and topics, such as gender challenges, management techniques, and professional development, this book is a critical source for academics, practitioners, and researchers.

This book presents the organisational maturity of research management at a university in the city of Bogota, Colombia, through some of the components of the CPMMV5, CMMI and PMBOKv5 models of the Project Management Institute (PMI). With the participation of management, administrators (managers of processes), teachers and students of the university utilise the maturity box organised via the evaluation instruments (questionnaires) applied to these estates with their respective knowledge base across the DOFA matrix. In addition, some of the university's own practices were created to support the good practices already presented in the PMBOK guide. The results obtained are a part of the progress concerning the first stage of the GEINVE v2.0 project, which is aimed at achieving the design and construction of a comprehensive model for investigative management at the Colombian university. In this first stage, the theme is presented in four chapters from the authors research focus on the epistemology of the project, its methodology, results and final discussions. In the last chapter, the authors make some recommendations for an improvement plan directed towards the university and focused on the mission units to the strategic units of the university. In the end, the conclusions and bibliographical references are presented, which support some positions of authors and studies taken as a basis for the development of the project.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. Who gets into elite universities, how and why? What are places like Harvard in the United States or Cambridge in England looking for when they admit undergraduate students? What qualities do selectors value and how do they decide between many applicants with often stellar attainment records? And, are we all better off because of who these elite universities admit? Meritocracy and the University provides an insight into the world of university admissions. Based on interviews with professional admissions staff and academic faculty members who select students, the book explains what selectors value and how they make decisions. By shining a light on the world of university admissions in England and in the United States, readers are invited to reflect on the similarities and differences in who selects and how selection is done, the purpose and mission of universities, and the challenges universities face in building fair admissions processes when earlier opportunities to shine in education are unequally distributed.