Revolutionary movements emerged from the “Arab spring” have determined undergoing socio-political changes in the region with significant implications and impacts on democratic transition and future sustainability. In this framework, the study explores Tunisian public universities’ social dimension and democratic implications of institutional partnerships in cooperation with local communities. In particular, it examines institutional, academic and students’ social responsibility as central elements of universities’ missions and students’ education. Existing complex dynamics linking social responsibility, social capital and democracy are considered within university contexts, taking also into consideration the role of Islam and Islamic values. In fact, university and students’ social responsibility have the potential to contribute to the redefinition of a post-revolution public sphere inspired by democratic participation and society-wide shared norms. Change in government policies affecting freedom of expression, restricted associational rights and political participation might result in institutional autonomy, allowing universities to fulfil their role in society while responding to economic and socio-cultural challenges. The study involved a sample of academic professors and students from Humanities and Engineering faculties from one public university. Research fieldwork was conducted combining qualitative and quantitative data collection. Questionnaires were employed to gather information from undergraduate students to explore university social responsibility, social capital creation, students’ identity formation, Islam and democracy. Interviews were used both to obtain insights from students and professors to consider their perceptions and self-awareness of social responsibility, while deepening contextual knowledge. Furthermore, official government documents and government policies in relation to higher education reforms were also consulted. In particular, the research points out the development of a structured under-utilisation of social capital for social responsibility. Government political control and socio-cultural censorship, as well as HE policies and legal frameworks have limited universities’ autonomy and their social dimension, restricting opportunities for students’ political and civic engagement in society. These aspects have also affected the provision of education for democracy and civic engagement courses; extra-curricular volunteering programs; as well as, support for community partnerships. Furthermore, Islamic associations’ social, political and cultural role has been under governmental control resulting in fragmented, marginal and often antagonist contributions to democracy and social responsibility. As such, in Tunisia, since the independence, the regime have hindered the development of a shared culture based on civically and politically active citizenship for the stabilisation and reproduction of democratic attitudes, behaviours and habits. Research findings present reflections and implications in relation to universities’ third mission in Tunisia to advance institutional and students’ autonomy to fulfil their wider civic role in society. Furthermore, suggestions for future research in the field have been made as a way to advance knowledge and provide information to support future policies and reforms.

This is a study about strategy. It uses the relatively underdeveloped but promising concept of narrative infrastructure to address a gap in understanding (Fenton and Langley, 2011) in how strategy as an intertextual narrative acquires stability and routine. Studies that have considered strategy as an intertextual narrative have largely been in settings in which strategy is made toward an unequivocal direction, within a relatively short time horizon (Llewellyn, 2001; Vaara et al., 2006; Riad et al., 2012). Framing to support availability and resonance of narrative building blocks, as part of the centralisation of meaning in strategy as an intertextual narrative, whilst evident (Vaara et al., 2004; Vaara et al., 2006; Riad, et al., 2012) is nonetheless underexplored. In response, this study considers strategy in the setting of higher education (HE) in the UK, where there is a greater plurivocality, in terms of multiple voices, at different levels, and a wider temporality. In a narrative enquiry in two research-intensive universities in the UK, including a review of policy documents (1992-2012), the study demonstrates how strategy achieves cohesion through powerful narrative framing, so that direction and thrust is maintained. It also provides one explanation of how strategy may unwind over time. Insight is gained because the three different facets– constitutive, manifest and ideological – of intertextuality have been considered (Riad et al., 2012). Notably, by examining manifest intertextuality, it shows that strategy is framed in a context of agitation and in an emotional register of fear and hope, extending the work of Riad et al., 2012. It also shows how in ideological intertextuality powerful framing, in which both wider plurivocality and greater temporality is apparently maintained, strategy endures.

What is quality assurance? What is the purpose of higher education and how does it affect the way quality assurance is carried out? What value can be placed on quality assurance and could it enhance a student’s learning outcome? This research takes a reflective and critical look at these questions amidst the disparagement of quality assurance and problems issuing from practice. Aside from definitional issues, quality assurance has not fulfilled its expected purpose, which for all intents hinges on compliance and improvement. It is hoped that understanding the prevailing interpretation of quality assurance by regulators, a better grasp of the controverted issues could emerge and a renewed understanding of the meaning of quality assurance stimulated. Using the methods of in-depth interview and analysing relevant documents, this thesis explored the extent to which quality assurance agents in Nigeria and South Africa engage with the epistemological basis of quality assurance. I highlighted deficiencies that offer compelling arguments for reforming the mechanism. I employed an emic and etic perspective and an interpretist approach underpinned by hermeneutics. Diametrically opposed to the essential nature of quality assurance are the external control of quality assurance and the mistaken view that quality assurance is the preserve of a particular group. Also dysfunctional is the endowment of quality assurance with attributes from industry such as appropriating the concepts of quality control and auditability. Where accountability dominates, emphasis on improvement is not given equal priority. Besides, focussing on compliance yields compliant sinners causing unethical behaviour and declining standards to be prevalent in universities and among students. Nonetheless, quality assurance is valued and has brought some improvement albeit extracted under duress. The internalisation of the essential nature of quality assurance, and not just quality as a seven –letter word or it misrepresentation as minimum standard, requires a more strategic approach. My original contribution to knowledge is the proposal of a mechanism for quality assurance, which is neither prescriptive nor presuming upon a political mandate. Embodying the scope of what quality assurance should entail, this mechanism crystallises the internalisation of quality assurance. It provides some clarification for quality assurance and offers a proposition for future research.

This study researches the history of black involvement in engineering and technological education from Emancipation to the year 1950. The educational opportunities that existed for black Americans during this period, and the lack of such opportunities, are examined. The progress of the former slave population into the technologically advanced twentieth century is followed. Tactics employed by individual states in reaction to black insistence for advanced learning are examined providing an understanding of black protests on the lack of access and the outright refusal of some states to field the question of black higher education. Voices from both sides of the racial bar address the question of educational parity. Teachers, politicians, and statesmen are prominent in this discussion, displaying a range of views that both astounded and empowered the forces that worked on either side of the controversy. Racism, institutional and individual, is a focal point. Tolerance is shown as a continuing thread throughout, often where one might least expect it, and alliances that forged a new era of cooperation between the races and among institutions are researched and reported. Institutions and individuals responsible for the racial and educational climate are examined: prominent spokespersons, both black and white, are included to give an overall feel for the struggle for parity in this area of the educational arena; institutions, their policies and practices, their willingness to look beyond the color of an applicant's skin, and their efforts to include a diverse student body are examined. There is also a discussion of the emergence of a national policy's broad guidelines that aided in the denial of access to black technological aspirants during this time period. The black struggle for opportunity and acceptance in the technological arena has been a struggle worthy of note. This struggle and the reporting of it is important because, despite the significance of the topic, it is one that has been minimally explored. This is a beginning.

Urban public secondary education has come under constant scrutiny from government agencies, foundations, and educational researchers for more than a decade. It is the quality of public education that is now in question. In conjunction with this trend, is the concern for how this decline of public education may influence the future development of our nation. This dissertation provides some understanding of the complexities of developing and maintaining collaborative programs between academia and the urban secondary schools attempting to achieve effective change. Through an in-depth study of one collaborative, the Boston Secondary Schools Project (BSSP), the study shows how the role of the university or college is of pivotal importance in providing assistance to secondary school educators developing needed changes. In an attempt to remain objective, all aspects of this collaborative were investigated. Included in the study is the organizational structure, growth, evolutionary changes, and the impact of the BSSP on the Boston Public Schools. Additional research was also conducted regarding the value of the program to the participating graduate students. The BSSP has retained its longevity due to the dedication of the University of Massachusetts School of Education faculty, and to the perseverance of the graduate students in their determination to retain the program. The collaborative has been able to include the most essential elements needed to maintain a successful partnership. The program has provided a clear agreement of goals, maintained administrative support, operated under a system of coequality between university and school faculty, worked to overcome the continuous obstacles to its objectives, and has continued to focus on realistic expectations of stated goals.

<p> The purpose of this research was to study the link between the Black Power Movement and changes that occurred in higher education between 1960 and 1980. The main research question study was, "What effect did the Black Power Movement have on changes in higher education from 1960 - 1980?" The intent of this historical research is to reconstruct knowledge on the complexity of the African American freedom struggle through the voices of thirteen Black Power activists, who were leaders of Black Power organizations, faculty in Black Studies programs, and students. </p><p> The study used an interview process to conduct the study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and a document analysis. The document analysis included primary documents, books, scholarly journals, and organizational websites. The sampling strategy was purposive because of the special knowledge of the participants. The findings were presented within organizations and across organizations. Lewins model of change was used to analyse the catalysts for change and the response of higher educational institutions. </p><p> There was a consensus among the participants interviewed and the literature reviewed that the Black Power Movement was a student-driven movement that was responsible for the formation of Black student organizations on campuses, particularly Black student unions, establishment of Black studies departments, an increase in African American faculty, and changes in curricula. The researcher discerned five major themes that describe the era, 1) the challenges of first-generation African American students on predominately White campuses, 2) the role of Black student unions in the success of African American students, 3) the lack of representation of Africans and African Americans in college courses, 4) the role of Black studies departments in providing information on Africans and African Americans, and 5) confusion between the accomplishments of the Civil Right Movement and the Black Power Movement. </p><p> The major findings of the study have implications for higher education institutions in 1) student affairs, 2) adragogy, 3) curricula, and 4) diversity education. Based on the findings, it is recommended that higher education institutions maintain and build on changes made in the past based on the lessons learned from the Black Power Movement.</p>

<p> In public schools, student expression commonly calls for the attention of school staff in one form or another. Educators have a practical interest in understanding the boundaries of student freedom of speech rights and are often directed to the four student speech cases decided to date by the Supreme Court (<i>Tinker v Des Moines</i> (1969), <i>Bethel v Fraser </i> (1986), <i>Hazelwood v Kuhlmeier</i> (1988), and <i> Morse v Frederick</i> (2007)). Sources about these cases abound, but most focus on legal reform issues such as the political arguments of opposing preferences for more student freedom or more school district control or the lack of clear guidance for handling violations </p><p> I propose an alternative approach to understanding the Supreme Court&rsquo;s student speech jurisprudence focusing not on its correctness but on cultural influences which have worked and continue to work on the Court both from without and within. This approach may lead to a new understanding of Court decisions as legally binding on educators and an appreciation of the necessary rhetorical artistry of the Justices who write them. Not intended in any way as an apologetic of the Court&rsquo;s decisions on student speech, this study is based particularly on the work of Strauber (1987), Kahn (1999) and Mautner (2011). It takes the form of a cultural history going back to the Fourteenth Amendment&rsquo;s influence on individual rights from its ratification in 1868 to its application in Tinker in 1969 and beyond. </p><p> Seen as cultural process which begins with the Amendment&rsquo;s initial almost complete ineffectiveness in restricting state abridgment of fundamental rights including speech to its eventual arrival, fully empowered, at the schoolhouse gate, this study attempts to make student speech rights more accessible to educators and others. The tensions between the popular culture which espouses the will of the people and the internal legal culture of the Court itself and its most outspoken and articulate Justices resolve into decisions which become the law of the land, at least for the moment. The study also offers implications for administrators together with suggestions on how to stay current with free speech case law applicable to the schools.</p>

<p> The Concert Choir has been the flagship choral ensemble of Stetson University, a private, liberal arts university in DeLand, Florida, since 1935. The choir has traveled extensively throughout the southeast United States and twice abroad, serving as ambassadors for Stetson University. This study documents Stetson University's early history, the first few decades of choral activity at Stetson University, and the complete history of the Concert Choir through the tenure of Milburn Price. The study explores 1) the individuals, events, and institutions leading to the formation of the Concert Choir, 2) the philosophy and purpose of the Concert Choir, 3) the individuals, events and institutions that have shaped that philosophy and purpose, and 4) the ways in which the Spring Concert repertoire of the Concert Choir reflects the ensemble's philosophy and purpose. </p><p> The three major conductors of the Concert Choir, occupying 71 of the last 77 years, were Harold Giffin (1935-1972), Robert Rich (1972-1989), and Duncan Couch (1989-2006). Giffin was responsible for combining the separate glee clubs into one performing ensemble, performing Handel's <i> Messiah</i> annually for twenty-five years, and instituting an extensive touring schedule throughout the United States. The performances at the National Federation of Music Clubs (1939), New York City's Lincoln Center (1967), and the recording session that was broadcast coast-to-coast with NBC in Chicago (1953) were three of Giffin's tours that were most significant. Rich was the first alumnus of the Concert Choir to be hired as Director of Choral Activities and conducted the ensemble for their first ACDA convention performance in 1974. During his tenure, the High School Choral Clinic and Christmas Candlelight Concert, modeled after the English Lessons and Carols, were started and have continued annually throughout the scope of this study. Couch grew the popularity of both the clinic and the Candlelight Concert, took the Concert Choir on two European concert tours, and cultivated collaborations with many professional orchestras. </p><p> This study concludes that the Concert Choir is a choral organization influenced by the sacred a cappella choral traditions; however, it was not dominated by it. This study further identifies that the development of the annual Christmas Candlelight Concert and spring tour were foundational for the choir's activities each year. Documentation illustrates each director's willingness to accept this heritage and develop the Concert Choir accordingly throughout its history.</p>

The world was shocked by the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979 because it was unexpected and out of keeping with the deposed Shah's attempts at secular modernisation. This thesis attempts to make sociological sense of the implications of the Revolution for education in Iran in terms of ideological influences. The research reported in this thesis attempts to discover the nature of the social and cultural changes that occurred following the 1979 Revolution. Adapting Max Weber's interpretative approach, it focuses on the changing patterns of shared meanings and social relations in schools in one area of North West Iran. Taking a deliberately one-sided approach to educational change, this thesis isolates the impact of Islamic ideology on schools in the area where ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in 1995-96. Interviews, participant observation in schools, questionnaires and analysis of official documents were the chosen methods of research. The aim was to discover how Islamic ideology has been promulgated and how it has affected the day-to-day social relations of school teachers, pupils and administrators as well as their relations with parents and local authority officials. The main findings not only confirm the pervasiveness of Islamic ideology in Iranian schools but also document its influence over matters such as curriculum design and delivery, the segregation of the sexes in schools, and the teachers' conditions of work and professional development. Nevertheless, there is also evidence that the stated aims of educational reform were not always achieved and that some changes were ironic. The findings also showed that the recent history of change in Iranian schools calls for a flexible understanding of such notions as modernity, tradition, patrimonialism, and bureaucracy. Iran has certainly tried to modernise its educational system since 1979 but it has done so in ways which challenge much of the received wisdom about modernisation processes.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Education, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-04, Section: A, page: 1245. Adviser: Edward P. St. John. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed May 7, 2007)."