Dawn Geronimo Terkla

Expanding the reach of health sciences education and empowering others: the OpenCourseWare initiative at Tufts University

OpenCourseWare (OCW) represents an innovative and cost-effective opportunity for institutions to take a more active role in strengthening health sciences education worldwide. OCW content can provide a supplement to curricula available in resource-rich settings, as well as provide much of the basic content critical to teaching and research in resource-limited health education environments. Educational institutions worldwide have the opportunity to explore how OCW and other open tools and materials can supplement efforts to build health education capacity to address global shortages of healthcare workers. Tufts University has worked to leverage open, digital resources to support medical education since 1994 with the creation of the Tufts University Sciences Knowledgebase (TUSK). This experience has yielded vital lessons for institutions interested in OCW, including: effectively motivating faculty participation; managing the inherent complexity of open publishing of health sciences content due to its rapidly evolving nature and reliance on copyrighted materials; generating support through internal and external communication throughout the process; and creating institutional systems that ensure the long-term sustainability of OCW initiatives.

UNDERSTANDING INSTITUTIONAL IMAGE

An organizations image is not a clear, concise concept but rather a set of an individuals perceptions about the institution. An educational institution has a multifaceted image that includes academic, social, political, and perhaps stylistic dimensions. We discuss the use of the semantic differential research tool to investigate one institutions image. Specifically, we explore the following questions: (1) What are the differences between the institutions desired image and current image? (2) Do various constituencies view the institution differently? If so, how do alumni perceptions differ from those of current students? Does the institutions internal image differ from its external image?

Comparison of Attitudes between Generation X and Baby Boomer Veterinary Faculty and Residents

Understanding the characteristics and preferences of the different generations in the veterinary workforce is important if we are to help optimize current and future veterinary schools and teaching hospitals. The purpose of this study was to compare the attitudes of different generations of veterinary faculty and those of faculty and house officers. A survey administered to faculty and house officers asked respondents to identify their level of agreement with a series of statements addressing work and lifestyle issues and feedback preferences. In addition, the survey included an open-ended question on non-monetary rewards for hard work. Thirty-eight of 48 faculty members (79%) and 45 of 54 house officers (83%) completed the survey. Among faculty, there were no significant differences between the Generation X and Baby Boomer subgroups or between genders. More faculty than house officers responded that delayed gratification is acceptable (p = 0.03) and that it is difficult to balance home and work life (p < 0.001). Compared to faculty, house officers preferred more frequent (p = 0.03) and critical (p = 0.02) feedback. The most common responses to the question on effective non-monetary rewards for hard work, from both faculty and house officers, were recognition and time off. No attitudinal differences were detected between generations within the faculty group, but a number of significant differences emerged between faculty and house officers. Increased awareness of the importance of balance and rewards for hard work, as well as modification of feedback styles, may be beneficial in teaching and mentoring current and future generations.

Using a Structural Equation Model to Describe the Infusion of Civic Engagement in the Campus Culture

This study assesses whether Tufts University’s campus culture was successful at infusing civic-mindedness in all undergraduates. A structural equation model was developed, and findings revealed that the campus environment had a significant positive impact on civic values and beliefs and a positive indirect effect on civic engagement activities.

Using data to improve higher education

In recent decades, higher education systems and institutions have been called to respond to an unprecedented number of challenges. Challenges emerge with the phenomenal increase in the demand for higher education and the associated massive expansion of higher education systems. In response universities were called to adopt planning and research methods that would enable them to identify and address the needs of a larger, more diverse student body. Higher education institutions began to place greater emphasis on planning and marketing, seeking to maintain their position in an increasingly competitive higher education market. Under the current economic downturn, universities are under pressure to further cut costs while maintaining their attractiveness to prospective students. As a result educational policy makers and administrators are called to select the ‘right’ alternatives, aiming for both efficiency and effectiveness in delivered outcomes. This book provides insights into the use of data as an input in planning and improvement initiatives in higher education. It focuses on uses (and potential abuses) of data in educational planning and policy formulation, examining several practices and perspectives relating to different types of data. The book is intended to address the need for the collection and utilization of data in the attempt to improve higher education both at the systemic and the institutional level.

Using Data to Inform Institutional Decision Making at Tufts University

Higher education institutions employ a variety of techniques in order to obtain information to facilitate data-driven decision making. This chapter will describe a variety of activities utilized by members of Tufts University to inform their decision making processes.