Kevin Schoepp

The role of family considerations in an expatriate majority environment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to add to knowledge on the environment of self‐initiated expatriates and the importance of family in determining expatriate retention. It seeks to explore the role of family in an environment vastly different to that of previous research, one where expatriates are outnumbering citizens four to one. Further, the paper aims to explore familial adjustment differences that emerge amongst the different demographic segments within this expatriate majority environment.Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is based on survey data obtained from 364 self‐initiated expatriates. Beyond a thorough demographic analysis providing additional background, data to test hypotheses were analyzed using SPSS and, where suitable, independent samples t‐test or one‐way ANOVA.Findings – Evidence was found of what can be described as an environment easing expatriate adjustment as well as questioning the impact of many of the problems previously identified in literature on expatriates. Find...

Self-initiated expatriate faculty in the UAE: balancing the profession and financial rewards

This study examines the importance of financial rewards on expatriation and its relationship to professional roles and behaviours amongst self-initiated expatriate faculty. Survey data obtained from 364 expatriate faculty in the UAE is analysed. Bluedorn’s (1982) staying or leaving index (SLI), as a predictor for actual intention to leave, is contrasted with their motivations to stay or leave the host country. The findings show how respondents perceive salary as a key motivator to stay in the host country along with voice in decision making and contractual employment. While perceived low salary levels have a significant impact on the intention to leave we could not find evidence for salary having a direct influence on professional behaviours. Beyond re-affirming the importance of salary, only voice in decision making and contractual employment seem to be of serious consequence to expatriate academics in their decision to leave the host country. This demonstrates the complexity of the interplay between professional characteristics and financial rewards.

The state of course learning outcomes at leading universities

ABSTRACT Within higher education, the importance of learning outcomes has become well-established. They are expected to guide the teaching and learning process, assessment, and curriculum development, while at the same time act as foundational elements to transitions towards national qualifications frameworks, competency-based education, and international partnerships such as the Bologna agreement. However, as essential as learning outcomes have become, very little is known about the quality of learning outcomes within courses. Through a content analysis of publicly available syllabi, this paper examines course learning outcomes from some of the leading teaching universities in the world. Results of this exploratory study indicate that the quality of learning outcomes is quite poor, and that a great deal of work is required until most outcomes would be aligned with internationally accepted best practices.

Effective Alignment of Disciplinary and Institutional Accreditation and Assessment: A UAE Computing Case Study

Within higher education, quality assurance is often realized through accreditation and the accompanying focus on the assessment of learning outcomes. Both of these processes require institutional resources which, if not well managed, can lead to duplicity, overlap, and burden rather than being aligned, sustainable, and effective as they should. This chapter outlines the quality assurance structures and processes established at Zayed University for the purposes of accreditation and assessment of learning outcomes. These mechanisms have provided an effective system that has enabled the institution to achieve Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accreditation and Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accreditation for the College of Technological Innovation. With an ethos towards continuous improvement, it further proposes an improved model designed to accommodate assessment and accreditation needs simultaneously. The two main aspects of the model are (1) the establishment of an Office of Institutional and Educational Effectiveness to institute, organize, and coordinate all activities within the university that provides support for best practices for administration and teaching and learning and (2) the creation of a regularly updated database containing all of the relevant information that is required for various accreditation bodies.