Volume 18 Issue 2

Planning for Opportunity: Applying Organizational and Social Capital Theories to Promote College-Going Culture

By: Lauren A. Weinstein and Mandy Savitz-Romer

ABSTRACT: Preparing high school graduates for entry to and success in postsecondary education has become a cornerstone of U.S. society. For many middle- and upper-class students, familial expectations and support infl uence their college-going behavior and postsecondary outcomes; however, for low-income and fi rst-generation students, secondary schools carry much of this responsibility. The literature on college access and success calls for new strategies to ensure equal access to a college degree for all students. One approach is for schools to foster a college-going culture, ensuring all students are exposed to the expectations, knowledge, and informational support necessary for postsecondary success. In doing so, schools fulfi ll their role as an opportunity structure. This promising, systemic practice requires deliberate school planning and structuring. In this article, we apply conceptual frameworks from social capital and organizational theories to the literature on college access and success to present a framework for school-planning efforts that foster a college-going culture. The paper concludes with specific recommendations for practice and future research.

The Governance Roles of Turkish Public University Presidents

By: Yaprak Dalat Ward and Stacey Edmonson

ABSTRACT: This study identified a model made up of 10 Turkish public university president governance roles. The signifi cance of a Turkish model of governance derived from gaps in the Turkish literature, new educational trends, Turkey’s signing the Bologna Declaration, and Turkey’s European Union (EU) accession negotiations. Documents, observations, interviews, and opinionnaires comprised the qualitative data collected in Turkey from 16 Turkish public university presidents and 32 key individuals. Data analyses included both qualitative and quantitative procedures (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003). The Turkish model of governance roles includes: (a) the council role, (b) the interuniversity role, (c) the career role, (d) the government role, (e) the sociability role, (f) the academic administrator role, (g) the ceremony role, (h) the nationalism role, (i) the intellect role, and (j) the public affairs role. Findings of this study may be applied to the effectiveness of Turkish higher educational governance and planning at: (a) organizational, (b) institutional, (c) positional, (d) constituency, and (e) candidacy levels.

The Diversity Merry-Go-Around: Planning and Working in Concert to Establish a Culture of Acceptance and Respect in the University

By: Raphael C. Heaggans and Walter W. Polka

ABSTRACT: Heagolka University, a pseudonymous university in Anywhere, USA, is fraught with diversity-related litigations, lack of applicants from ethnic minority groups, and a mono-cultural curriculum in an overwhelming White majority community. This paper presents some proactive measures Heagolka— and other universities in a similar circumstance—may employ to begin diversifying its campus while uncovering the hidden discrimination that may exist in its hiring practices, curriculum, and policies. The article offers pragmatic recommendations for universities in taking steps to develop strategic planning plans and quality management practices so they may begin demonstrating respect for diversity by admitting more qualified ethnic minorities; attracting and retaining qualified administrators, faculty, and staff; diversifying curriculum; and enhancing their reputation for diversity.

Planning to Grow Your Own Principal Preparation Program: Cultivating Excellence in Tough Economic Times

By: Shawn Joseph

ABSTRACT: School districts concerned with finding high quality principals for their schools should consider developing their own principals through “grow your own” programs. School district “grow your own” programs need system-wide leadership to be successful (Joseph, 2009; Morrison, 2005). If districts systemically incorporate such programs into their strategic plan as a form of succession planning, they have the potential to recruit and retain a talented workforce. The goals and outcomes of the program should be directly linked to the school district’s strategic plan to ensure that it is a funding priority for the school system.