Higher Education, Ed.D.

Doctoral Program Annual Assessment

January 2017-December 2018

Submitted by John Kuykendall, Program Coordinator

The Doctoral Program in Higher Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock had four concentration areas: Administration, Student Affairs, Two-Year College Leadership, and Faculty Leadership

The program will undergo a self-study site visit in Spring 2020 which will require three years of accurate data. This is the first year of the data before the

  1. Goals, Objectives, and Activities

Ed.D. Program Specific Educational Objectives

  1. Describe specific educational goals, objectives, and activities of the program.

The primary educational goals of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program in Higher Education are to create a cadre of administrators, policy analysts, and faculty in a variety of academic disciplines who will make significant contributions to the state and national discussions for the improvement of higher education, its research, its policies, its practices, and its performance. The Ed.D. focuses on the development of scholarship in research that has implications for program innovation and inquiry into problems of practice, situated in educational contexts, and is designed for those who are especially interested in:

  • seeking employment and advancement in the higher education field as a practitioner with career goals that involve administrative and/or curricular leadership in colleges and universities, businesses and service organizations;
  • developing programs, practices, strategies, resources, materials, and tools in college and university settings;
  • conducting research applicable to the improvement of research and practice in local, regional or national educational settings or organizations such as a colleges or universities, state governing or coordinating boards of higher education, or regional or national accrediting organizations;

To achieve this, the program will develop scholar-practitioners who have the administrative, policy analysis, and development skills, as well as the communication and skills and experience to be at the forefront of those conversations through publications, conference presentations, and consultancies.

Ed.D. Program Specific Educational Objectives

Objective 1: Students will be recruited and admitted who meet the admission requirements and demonstrate exceptional potential for contributions in higher education and higher education policy research.

Objective 2: The higher education program will recruit, enroll, retain, and graduate a diverse student population. Diversity variables include:

  • Race
  • Gender
  • Ethnicity
  • Socioeconomic background
  • Geographic origins/current location
  • Students employed at various types of higher education institution

Objective 3: Students will receive excellent advising and mentoring to assure their mastery of the core knowledge base, specialized expertise, communication, inquiry, analysis, and research skills that yield significant results.

Objective 4: Students graduating from this program will become employed in higher education and other higher education-related organizations with higher education policy research positions.

Objective 5: Students graduating from this program will receive satisfactory and above ratings by their employers.

Objective 6: Students graduating from this program will engage in state and national conversations, via presentations and publications, regarding higher education policy and research, continue professional development, and transmit these values and commitments to colleagues they may be leading and developing.

Objective 7: The program will develop a systematic assessment and continuous improvement effort through regular faculty engagement to improve the curriculum and its coherence, realigning assessments as necessary, auditing previous dissertations to improve future research mastery, and improving instructional methodologies to enhance student learning.

Objective 8: The program will develop and implement technology-based, alternative delivery options for courses and concentrations.

Ed.D. Program Activities

- Recruitment, Orientation, AATYC, professional association engagement w/students, campus committee work,

Faculty Activities

All HIED faculty are engaged in the following academic activities in both the Ed.D. and MA programs:

Research and publication: Faculty create and disseminate knowledge and facilitate the educational inquiry of HIED students that investigates educational problems and generates empirical evidence for decision-making to improve educational and administrative practices at local, state, and national levels.

For example, UALR’s Higher Education faculty member serve as role models for students through individually authored and co-authored publications in such distinguished and diverse journals as: American Educational Research Journal, The Journal of Higher Education, Educational Researcher, Teachers College Record, Planning for Higher Education, Educational Research and Evaluation, Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, The Journal of Research Administration, Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, International Journal of Educational Advancement, Journal of Ethnographic and Qualitative Research, American Educational History Journal, and American Indian Culture and Research Journal. Higher Education faculty has had their scholarship published in book chapters, as well.

UALR’s Higher Education faculty members maintain a national presence in the major disciplinary conferences, as well, routinely presenting at the “Big Three” higher education conferences: American Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference, and the Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum. Other major national conferences in which Higher Education faculty members have an ongoing presence include: the American College Personnel Association Annual Conference, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Annual Conference, the DHHS Office of Research Integrity Conference, and the Organization of Educational Historians Annual Conference.

Teaching: Faculty deliver effective instruction that reflects best practices in teaching and learning to assist students to strengthen their develop critical thinking and professional skills to establish a foundation for the application of knowledge to practice. This occurs during courses, as well as in Ed.D. qualifying exams and MA comprehensive exams.

Service: Faculty apply their professional expertise to internal institutional stewardship and service on program, department, college and campus-wide levels. Faculty also devote their professional expertise externally, with educators across the country, with national professional associations, and with other HIED program stakeholders.

Advising: Faculty socializes masters and doctoral students to their ultimate professional roles by guiding them to conceptualize and complete appropriate programs of study, and to conduct high quality assessment, evaluation, and research. This occurs during courses, as well as in Ed.D. Dissertation advising and MA thesis advising.

The market demand for college student affairs professionals will continue to increase nationally. The primary function of our graduates will be to provide direction, leadership, and day-to-day management of educational activities in colleges and universities. Our graduates will be vital to help develop and administer housing, cultural, social, and recreational needs for students.

Some of our graduates aspire to become senior level higher education administrators that direct and coordinate the provision of student services and student affairs offices. Vice presidents of student affairs or student life, deans of students, and directors of student life, student activities, counseling, residence life, intramurals, and athletics, may direct and coordinate admissions, foreign student services, health and counseling services, career services, financial aid, and housing and residential life, as well as social, recreational, and related programs. In small colleges, one person may be in charge of all of these duties. In larger colleges, separate administrators may handle each of these services.

Most of our graduates will be mid-level administrators such as registrars who register students, prepare student transcripts, evaluate academic records, assess and collect tuition and fees, plan and implement commencement, and analyze enrollment and demographic statistics. They may also become directors of admissions manage the process of recruiting, evaluating, and admitting students or financial aid directors that oversee scholarships, fellowships, and other loan programs.

The demand for student affairs professionals will be to work with:

  • Students and student clubs and organizations
  • Budgets
  • Policies and special programs
  • Reports, forms, and documents
  • Transcripts
  • Applications and various other papers
  1. Document student demand for the program, such as enrollment and graduation trends in the program. (See Figure 1 for student demand as measured by applicants). Only Doctoral Figure 1. Doctoral Student demand for the HIED Ed.D. and MA programs between Spring semester 2017 and Summer 2017 and Fall 2017 (as measured by number of applicants)

  1. Curriculum
  1. Describe how program content parallels current thinking/trends in the field/trade (best practices, advisory committee recommendations, etc.).

The curriculum for the Ed.DinHigher Education at UALR has gone through several rounds of quality improvement. The curriculum has been revised and the content and caliber of the coursework and student learning expectations have been increased. The assessment plan has undergone a significant revision, bringing an increased intentionality to the assessment and improvement processes and student learning and program outcomes. In addition the Ed.D Program changed its admission standards in 2005 year to eliminate the use of the Miller Analogies Test, and raised the required Graduate Records Examination scores.

  1. Provide an outline of the program curriculum, including the sequence of courses.

Cut and paste Greg’s Course Rotation –spring 2017, summer 2017, and fall 2017

Doctoral Concentration Areas and Requirements: 27 Hours

Concentrations are offered in higher education administration, student affairs administration, two-year college leadership, and faculty leadership. Each student will be assigned to work with an advisor to design a plan of study that reflects previous studies and professional experience, while focusing on discrete areas of study that serve the student’s intellectual and professional needs and interests. See Figure 1 for a figural depiction of how the curriculum, examination, and dissertation matriculation relate to one another.

Requirements for Administration Concentration:

HIED 8340 Organizational Behavior in Higher and Postsecondary Education

HIED 8341 Financing of Colleges and Universities

HIED 8342 Governance and Policy Making in Higher Education

HIED 8343 Legal Aspects of Higher Education

Electives: 6 hours of general electives

Electives: 9 hours (3 hours each from each of the other three specialty areas)

Requirements for Student Affairs Administration Concentration:

Prerequisites (if Master’s degree is not in Student Affairs)

HIED 7351Foundations of Student Affairs

HIED 7352Student Development Theory

Area of Specialization Core:

HIED 8343 Legal Aspects of Higher Education

HIED 8345Seminar: Topic in Student Affairs Administration

HIED 8350the American College Student

HIED 8353Assessment and Program Evaluation

HIED 8358Capstone Seminar in Student Affairs

Electives:9 hours (3 hours each from each of the other three specialty areas)

Electives:3 hours of general electives

Requirements for Two-Year College Leadership Concentration:

HIED 8320 The Two-Year College in America

HIED 8321 Organization and Administration of Two-Year Colleges

HIED 8322 Issues and Challenges in Two-Year College Leadership

HIED 8341 Financing of Colleges & Universities

HIED 8342 Governance & Policy Making in Higher Education

HIED 8343 Legal Aspects of Higher Education

Elective: 6 hours (7000-level or 8000-level courses in Higher Education,

Educational Foundations, or Outside the College approved by adviser)

Requirements for Faculty Leadership Concentration:

HIED 8330 College Teaching Problems and Issues

HIED 8332 Curriculum Design in Higher Education

HIED 8341 Financing of College & Universities

HIED 8342 Governance and Policy Making in Higher Education

Cognate 6 hours (equivalent to UALR College of Education 7000-level or

Courses: 8000-level courses)

Electives: 6 hours (7000-level or 8000-level courses in Higher Education.

Educational Foundations, or Outside the College approved by adviser)

Figure 3. Ph.D. in Higher Education Curriculum Outline Figural Depiction

Core RequirementsConcentration CoursesQualifying Examination Dissertation

(Students Select One

Concentration

  1. State the degree requirements, including general education requirements, institutional, college or school requirements, and major requirements.

Total Program Requirements Without Prerequisites = 63-69 Hours

Total post-baccalaureate hours will equal 99 hours. Completion of 63 hours assumes a 36-hour Master’s degree. A 33-hour Master’s degree would require 66 hours of doctoral coursework and a 30-hour Master’s degree would require 69 hours of doctoral coursework to total the 99 hours of graduate level work.

Graduation Requirements

Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on an approved program of study as outlined above. Successfully passing the written and oral comprehensive examinations. Completion of an acceptable written dissertation and successful oral defense of the final product.

Admission Requirements: Admission is based upon a total profile of the applicant’s educational and professional background. It is expected that applicants have professional work experience. GRE requirements reflect the November 2011 Guide to the Use of Scores. Unconditional admission requirements include the following:

  • Application for admission to the UALR Graduate School;
  • Masters degree or equivalent in a related field from a regionally accredited institution, original transcripts required;
  • Cumulative Master’s degree GPA of 3.25 and GRE combined score of 297 (new GRE score), 150 on the Verbal and 141 on the Quantitative sections of the exam, and an Analytical Writing score of 4.0
  • Three years of successful professional experience, or equivalent, in an area related to the degree program;
  • College of Education and Health Professions Biographical Data Form;
  • Interview with and approval of the Higher Education faculty.

Conditional admission requirements include the following:

  • A Master’s degree with a graduate GPA of 3.5 or above (required standard);
  • A score of 146 or above on the verbal section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
  • A score of 141 (new GRE score) or above on the quantitative section of the GRE;
  • A score of 3.5 or above on the analytical writing section of the GRE.

  1. State the degree requirements, including general education requirements, institutional, college or school requirements, and major requirements.

Total Program Requirements Without Prerequisites = 63-69 Hours

Total post-baccalaureate hours will equal 99 hours. Completion of 63 hours assumes a 36-hour Master’s degree. A 33-hour Master’s degree would require 66 hours of doctoral coursework and a 30-hour Master’s degree would require 69 hours of doctoral coursework to total the 99 hours of graduate level work.

Graduation Requirements

Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on an approved program of study as outlined above.

Successfully passing the written and oral comprehensive examinations.

Completion of an acceptable written dissertation and successful oral defense of the final product.

Admission Requirements: Admission is based upon a total profile of the applicant’s educational and professional background. It is expected that applicants have professional work experience. GRE requirements reflect the November 2011 Guide to the Use of Scores. Unconditional admission requirements include the following:

  • Application for admission to the UALR Graduate School;
  • Masters degree or equivalent in a related field from a regionally accredited institution, original transcripts required;
  • Cumulative Master’s degree GPA of 3.25 and GRE combined score of 297 (new GRE score), 150 on the Verbal and 141 on the Quantitative sections of the exam, and an Analytical Writing score of 4.0
  • Three years of successful professional experience, or equivalent, in an area related to the degree program;
  • College of Education and Health Professions Biographical Data Form;
  • Interview with and approval of the Higher Education faculty.

Conditional admission requirements include the following:

  • A Master’s degree with a graduate GPA of 3.5 or above (required standard);
  • A score of 146 or above on the verbal section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
  • A score of 141 (new GRE score) or above on the quantitative section of the GRE;
  • A score of 3.5 or above on the analytical writing section of the GRE.

Additional documented evidence of a student’s ability to succeed in graduate-level work, research, or publications may be required. Program faculty may request the following documentation, including: official transcripts from all post-Master’s studies, successful graduate course work from an accredited university, examples of academic and professional work, writing samples, statement of purpose, and letters of support from faculty members or others familiar with the applicants capability for doctoral level work.

The Higher Education Program Admission Committee review and evaluates the documentation. Conditionally admitted students may be allowed to enroll in up to 12 semester hours, and upon completion of 12 semester hours in the program, the Admissions Committee will review the work completed to that point by the applicant as part of the overall admissions application to determine if the student will be granted regular admission to the program. Admission to regular status is contingent upon the student successfully completing the 12 semester hours of coursework with a minimum 3.5 GPA.

Conditional Admission does not guarantee Regular Admission to the Ph.D. program in Higher Education. Students who are not granted regular admission to the doctoral program will not be permitted to enroll in Higher Education courses beyond the prescribed 12 hours of conditionally admitted course work, but may be allowed admission to the M.A. in Higher Education.

  1. Indicate the semester/year the major/program courses were last offered. Exclude general education courses.

Put Fall 2017 in here

  1. Provide syllabi for discipline-specific courses and departmental objectives for each course.

Get Syllabi from Tonia Bradley

  1. Outline the process for the introduction of new courses, including all internal curriculum review processes and the findings.

Curriculum changes are initiated by faculty. Once approved at the department level, each change requires the sequential approval of the college or school’s curriculum committee, college or school faculty, the appropriate Council (undergraduate and/or graduate), the Provost, the Chancellor, and in some cases the University of Arkansas System and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

Coursework requiring approval at the University level is processed using UALR curriculum change forms. The forms are identical for graduate and undergraduate matters and are designed to provide information needed at all stages of the review process. A new program or a program change is processed using UALR program change forms. The Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost keeps a complete record of all curriculum developments, with an annual summary on an academic-year basis. Once approved, final curriculum and program changes are forwarded to the originators, the department chair, and the college dean. This record is also available in the Provost’s Office and is posted on the Council websites (undergraduate and/or graduate).