Education in Higher Administration (EHA)

This course is designed to provide students who are new to the study of higher education an overview of the field, its challenges, and opportunities. For those persons who have worked in university settings, hopefully it Is an opportunity 10 engage in an examination of structures and fields within higher education yet outside of the university. The focus is primarily the higher education system in the United States: however, we welcome those in the class who come from outside the U.S. to share the variations from these other systems as options for new ways of thinking about the work of the academy. While the course introduces some of the historical background of higher education, its ultimate aim is to be contemporary in coverage and future focused.

This course will survey the history of higher education in America from the colonial period through the 21st century. Specific focus will be on the continuities and challenges in higher education in America and will include a review of primary and secondary historical documents.

Students in this course will learn the skills necessary to evaluate and/or carry out research in education and other social sciences. This includes (but is not limited to) the critical aspects of any scholarly research, such as formulating problem statements; developing questions or hypotheses; conducting literature reviews; understanding research design and methodologies; determining the significance of a research project; analyzing and interpreting results and exploring their implications; and applying research methods in the broader context of one's professional work. The role and importance of the Institutional Review Board as well as the Office of Research at every institution will also be examined.

This course provides an overview of the economics and finance of higher education in the United States, with an emphasis on the analysis of financial policies and current issues at the national, state, and institutional levels. The purpose of this course is to apply concepts, models, and methods of economic theory in the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of issues, problems, programs, policies, and behaviors related to the finance of higher education. This course has its foundation in the fundamental economic theories and concepts that are centrally and widely applicable in the study of higher education finance. Several sets of economic theories are particularly useful for the study of financial phenomena in higher education. In this course, we will study the following sets of economic theories and apply them to the study of higher education finance: 1. The economic theories of human capital and investment in higher education; 2. The economic theories of the public sector and the role of federal and state government policies in higher education finance; and 3. The microeconomic theories of the marketplace and the firm, including theories of revenue, cost, productivity, prices, subsidies, and elasticity. 4. We will apply these economic theories and concepts in the analysis of a range of topics related to financial policies in higher education.

This course aims to provide students with an understanding of development theories to inform and guide practice in student affairs. The content of this course will provide an overview of the theories, including their evolution; supporting research; criticism; and limitations. The goal of the course is to develop students as informed users of student development theory, both as practitioners and consumers.

The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of how college students make and implement persistence decisions, and how institutional structures, policies, and practices impact those decisions. To accomplish this, we will read and discuss theory and research on college student retention in addition to recruitment, admissions, and enrollment. We will consider who comprises the college-going population and the issues these constituents bring to campus; examine retention theory’s history; and conduct a critical examination of various theories of retention. Throughout the course, students will make connections between readings, online discussions, and their experiences in the field of education. The primary focus will be on the role of leadership in creating environments that promote retention for the diverse student populations in higher education today. The course will also introduce students to the enrollment management roles and functions necessary to support the institution’s needs and requirements.

This graduate seminar focuses on major issues affecting historically under-represented populations such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinas/os (Hispanics), women, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ students in higher education. Scholarly literatures from higher education, sociology, psychology, and other relevant social sciences are critically reviewed to address multilevel theoretical, methodological, policy, and practical issues.

This course is designed to teach a process of legal analysis. Benchmark cases have been chosen to illuminate basic issues. Updates on particular issues will be provided. The course has been designed to expose the student to a range of administrative problems at the postsecondary level that entail legal implications. The course experiences should ultimately help current and prospective administrators to envision the legal dimensions of collegiate-level decision processes.

This course introduces students to the subject of assessment and program evaluation in colleges and universities. Interest in these topics has increased as colleges and universities have come under increasing pressure to demonstrate the effectiveness of their programs and to make themselves more accountable to a variety of internal and external constituencies. For example, student affairs divisions are being challenged to demonstrate how their programs add to the learning process and to student retention. Likewise, colleges and universities are being asked to meet specific performance objectives set by state governing bodies and to demonstrate what students are actually learning. In some cases, a portion of a university’s funding may be tied to achievement of these performance objectives.

The Capstone Seminar is a culminating requirement for students in the MA in Higher Education Administration program. Capstone students engage in a project that demonstrates the practical application of their knowledge and skills in real-life higher education leadership activities and responsibilities. The course involves significant leadership work in partnership with a supervisor/mentor in an appropriate higher education site. Selection of the focus and scope of the project will be tailored to students’ area of focus and their current work responsibilities.

his is a special topics course where the subject will change to address evolving changes in higher education administration and student affairs.