As part of their study of Organizational Systems and Institutional Governance, College of Professional Studies Doctor of Education students Steven Simmons and Rosie Cooper were assigned writing projects during their summer residencies on the topic of managing and leading in an environment of shared governance. Simmons and Cooper and their colleagues were each required to write a 1,000 word research-based commentary on an article from the online education publication, Inside Higher Ed .
Now, that coursework by Simmons and Cooper has been recognized by Council for the Advancement of Higher Education Programs (CAHEP) of Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and each has a commentary that has been selected for online publication by Inside Higher Ed as research informed commentary on contemporary issues facing higher education, known as “learning briefs”. According to ASHE and Inside Higher Ed, learning briefs are designed to aid administrators in decision making, assist policymakers in developing policy, and enhance/augment college administration course content.
A total of 11 papers have been selected for publication so far, representing nine institutions. Simmons and Cooper were among only three student authors selected for publication among a group that included faculty.
Simmons’s wrote a commentary on the article “No Laughing Matter” by Steve Kolowich “No Laughing Matter” highlights a cartoon that illustrates the gulf between what many university leaders believe should be on an institution’s homepage and the types of information most visitors to the homepage are seeking, arguing for more effective use of powerful communications tools. Simmons’s commentary uses “No Laughing Matter” as the entry point into an examination of community colleges, their effectiveness in understanding their prospective student audience and the factors that influence college choice. Read the article by Kolowich and commentary by Simmons.
Cooper’s commentary addresses the article entitled “Inside a Search” by Lou Marinoff a member of the philosophy faculty of the City College of the City University of New York which was published on August 31, 2009. Marinoff’s article draws on the experience of one faculty search process in particular, taking the reader through each step, and retrospectively looking at the key contributors to the success of the search. Cooper’s commentary examines the complexity of search processes, and summarizes the published best practices, acknowledging the long-term effects of hiring faculty in “shaping the future of the college. Read the article by Marinoff and the commentary by Cooper.
The Doctor of Education (EdD), builds on Northeastern University’s commitment to practitioner-oriented graduate programs. The goal of the EdD is to instill in educators and administrators the desire and ability to effect transformational change in their practice. To achieve this goal, EdD students learn within the social constructs of their courses and through communities of practice based on shared professional experiences and common interests. They engage in a collaborative, scholarly investigation of a significant problem facing educators and formulate their own solution to that problem. This engagement helps them enfold the roles of learner, researcher, and practitioner, and it fosters their self-identities as scholar practitioners.
Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies (CPS) is committed to providing career-focused educational programs that are designed to accommodate the complex lives of motivated learners. Offered in a variety of innovative formats, CPS courses are taught by accomplished scholars and practitioners who have real-world experience. The result is an educational experience founded on proven scholarship, strengthened with practical application, and sustained by academic excellence.
Northeastern University is a global university with a tradition of partnership and engagement that creates an innovative, distinctive approach to education and research. Northeastern integrates classroom studies with experiential learning opportunities in 70 countries, and pursues use-inspired research with a focus on global challenges in health, security, and sustainability.