Marketing higher education across borders: a cross-cultural analysis of university websites in the US and China

This cross-cultural analysis compares the visual elements of university websites in the US and China to determine whether culture might play a role in a university's marketing strategies. Results indicate that buildings, campus views, and university gates were the predominant visual elements on university websites in China, while single people and small groups of people were the most frequently used visuals on US sites. Overall, universities tend to sell from a perspective of “what we have” in China, whereas recruiting in the US comes from a position of “who we have”. Findings suggest that institutions need to tailor their marketing campaigns to a particular culture. For university websites that are designed to build and maintain relationships with multicultural audiences, how messages are delivered is as crucial as the information that is provided.     

Dealing with diversity in internationalised higher education institutions

While the economic benefits created by international education export are well documented, few systematic and qualitative analysis studies have been conducted to examine how academic staff perceive the presence of international students in their institutions. Using interview data from 80 academic staff from different disciplines in one higher institution in Australia, this study examines whether the presence of international students has an impact on staff teaching practice. Some of the academic staff reported that they made no adjustments to their teaching. They treated all students as one student group. Other staff members said that there have been changes in their teaching in response to the presence of international students in their classroom. The paper discusses some of the underlying causes of these responses, and implications for the practice of international education. The discussion of the findings is informed by Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, which helps us understand how people respond to cultural differences.     

Importance of tobacco cessation services at higher education public institutions in Texas

While rates of tobacco use on university campuses rose over the past decade, little is known about what institutions are doing to address this rising concern. Health center directors at public institutions of higher education across the state of Texas were surveyed (n = 42) regarding the perceived importance of smoking cessation, prevalence of interventions on their campuses, and perceived success of intervening efforts. While most health center directors regarded smoking cessation as important, over half of the directors indicated that their sites did not offer tobacco cessation services of any kind. Furthermore, of those offering smoking cessation, most believed that their smoking cessation programs were only somewhat or not at all effective. Findings revealed that there is a noticeable gap between perceived importance and actual implementation of smoking cessation programs within university-based health centers. Recommendations include implementing innovative cessation methods, such as those that are Web-based and highly accessible to students.     

Prevention efforts underlying decreases in binge drinking at institutions of higher education

Analyses of 94 Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE)-sponsored drug-prevention programs and their outcomes used the Core Survey to identify 34 institutions where college students' binge drinking increased (M = 5.44%) and 60 institutions where it decreased (M = -4.59%) during 2 years of program operation. The authors used an inductively derived taxonomy of prevention program elements, student variables, student substance use, use-related variables, and institutional variables to compare the 2 groups of institutions. Only prevention program elements discriminated between groups. Factor analysis of discriminating elements identified 8 prevention factors that improved base-rate prediction of institutional decrease in binge drinking by 28.1%. Factor synthesis yielded a 3-construct binge-drinking prevention model based on student participation and involvement strategies, educational and informational processes, and campus regulatory and physical change efforts. This model improved base-rate prediction of decreased binge drinking by 33.2%.     

Performance evaluation and enrollment quota allocation for higher education institutions in China

Higher education has always played an important role in promoting economic and social progress. With the rapid development of economy, China's higher education has entered a new stage and made a series of extraordinary achievements. However, the uneven development of higher education has become a critical factor restricting China’s overall progress. In this paper, we propose Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach to evaluate the performance of higher education resource utilization from the perspective of provincial level. In addition, we assess productivity changes of each province with the help of Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI). Further, by considering the enrollment quota as a special kind of resource, we construct a more reasonable allocation scheme, while keeping the total number of newly added enrollment quota unchanged in the next year. Finally, according to the results, some suggestions are put forward to help the Chinese government better solve the unbalanced development of higher education among provinces.     

Constructing the digital patient: Patient organizations and the development of health websites

In order to understand the constraints and challenges of realizing the democratic potentials of the Internet, this paper focuses on the attempts of three Dutch patient organizations to develop health websites. The authors describe how these patient organizations had to overcome specific barriers to develop their digital services. All three organizations faced certain constraints that had negative consequences for the plans they wanted to realize. Lack of financial resources and manpower were the main reasons why these patient organizations could not develop interactive parts of their website or provide personal advice services. Other barriers the patient organizations had to overcome were getting access to digital expertise to build the websites. The paper shows that the development of a website is a very demanding task, even for patient organizations that have in-house expertise with computers and Internet. Moreover, the paper shows that patient organizations do not consider the involvement of patients as crucial for the design of health websites. This research thus confirms previous research findings that users, in this case patients, are largely absent from the design process of information and communication technologies Finally, the paper shows how patient organizations' websites contribute to a redefinition of the patient from being a passive actor towards one who is an active participant in his or her care.     

Status of personal health requirement for graduation at institutions of higher education in the United States

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the proportion of higher education institutions in the United States that require a personal health course (PHC) for graduation and to describe the nature of such requirements. Participants: This study included a random sample of public and private institutions of higher education (IHE) with undergraduate programs within the United States (N = 310). Data were collected between September 2014 and May 2015. Methods: University catalogs were accessed from the institutions' public Web sites to determine whether a PHC was offered, and whether it was exclusively or optionally required for graduation. Results: The majority (55.8%) of the sample offered at least 1 PHC, with only 10% exclusively requiring the course and an additional 10% optionally required the course. Conclusions: Although the utility of undergraduate students completing a PHC is clear, the majority of institutions do not require such a course for degree conferral.     

Demographic Profiles of Asian Immigrant Elderly Residing in Metropolitan Ethnic Enclave Communities

Abstract

This study reports the demographic characteristics of six groups of Asian American elders (Chinese, Korean, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and Japanese) in a regional probability sample (n = 407). The findings confirm the heterogeneity of the Asian American elderly population, who differ in terms of demographics, immigration and acculturation experiences, language proficiency, educational attainment, and financial status. Findings point to the importance of taking careful consideration of the specific needs of different population groups of Asian American elders when planning social and support services. Additionally, cultural competence training for health and social service professionals is needed in order to address the special needs, variability, and differences among these Asian ethnic populations.     

Immunization documentation practices and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance capacity among institutions of higher education in Indiana

Objective: Complete and accurate documentation of immunization records and surveillance of disease transmission are critical to the public health response to outbreaks of communicable disease in institutions of higher education (IHEs). This study aims to describe immunization documentation practices and disease surveillance capacity among IHEs in Indiana in order to inform public health action. Methods: IHEs in Indiana were identified and included in the study if they offered on-campus housing and had a dedicated student health center. Phone surveys were administered in September 2015 to each institution, inquiring about current immunization documentation policies and practices, disease surveillance capacity, and use of statewide electronic reporting systems. Additionally, IHE websites were searched to identify immunization documentation requirements for matriculating students. Results: Surveys were completed for 33 of 38 eligible IHEs. Twenty-three (70%) IHEs reported that student immunization records are entered into an accessible electronic system or database. Matriculating student immunization requirements were identified for 32 institutions. Of these, 22 (69%) required a physician-signed proof of immunization. No IHEs reported documenting historical immunizations in the statewide electronic immunization system and three IHEs (9%) reported utilizing the state electronic disease surveillance program. Conclusions: Immunization documentation practices vary among IHEs in Indiana and use of statewide immunization and disease reporting systems is minimal. Robust utilization of immunization and disease surveillance systems has been shown to improve public health response to communicable disease outbreaks. Improving mutual understanding of policy and practice between health departments and IHEs could improve the ability to respond to public health challenges.     

Role conceptions of university communicators: A segmentation analysis of communication practitioners in higher education institutions

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are major players in public science communication. However, only a few studies have investigated HEI communication practitioners, who play an important role in shaping universities’ public relations and outreach communication. Building on the assumption that HEI communicators differ in their role conceptions, as well as professional and educational backgrounds, we surveyed 189 communicators from all 42 HEIs in Switzerland. Using segmentation analysis, we identified four types of communicators—(1) the leading all-rounder, (2) the generalist, (3) the science mediator, and (4) the service partner—who differ in their role conceptions, but also in their professional characteristics and organizational contexts.     

Domestic Violence in the South Asian Muslim Immigrant Population in the United States

This paper describes the phenomenon of domestic violence in the South Asian Muslim population living in the United States. Religion, culture, and family play significant and positive roles in the lives of South Asian women. This paper highlights some of the problematic areas in which these institutions are not responding to the needs of women. These findings are based upon the author's work in a committee for the prevention of domestic violence in the Muslim community and upon personal experience of the South Asian culture.     

What is educational entrepreneurship? Strategic action,temporality, and the expansion of US higher education

Theory and Society - The massive expansion of US higher education after World War II is a sociological puzzle: a spectacular feat of state capacity-building in a highly federated polity. Prior...     

Exploring the Socioeconomic and Immigration Health Contexts of Asian Americans

Despite an overall picture of good health for Asian Americans in the aggregate, growing evidence shows that specific subgroups—particularly those with high proportions of immigrants—have diverse patterns relative to socioeconomic position and health. Using data from the largest U.S. state health survey, this study explores the contributions of socioeconomic and immigration factors to health status among Asian American subgroups. Results indicate that level of education, income, and English language ability were significant predictors of health status for the Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese subgroups. Varying patterns in the results by subgroup are discussed in the context of immigration policy.     

Ethnic Language Retention and East Asian Endogamy in the United States

This study examines the influence of ethnic language on the endogamy of three East Asian groups, which have been previously omitted within intermarriage research. The study findings present important indications of ethnic language playing a key role in endogamy amongst East Asian groups. Providing for this key component, the groups were divided into U.S. born vs. foreign-born East Asians. Amongst foreign-born East Asians, the effect of English ability provided significance over U.S. born East Asians. Separate examinations of Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans presented diverse patterns of endogamy, migration, and ethnic language retention. Specifically, findings provided insight to high levels of endogamy amongst U.S. born Japanese due to ethnic concentration, despite their loss of ethnic language.     

Perception of Sexual Violence Against Women in Asian American Communities

Abstract

The study was a cross-sectional survey using a convenient sample of 186 respondents to examine the perception of sexual violence against women and help-seeking responses to sexual victimization among four Asian groups; Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian (Cambodian, Laotians, and Vietnamese). The authors examined respondents' perception of the severity of the problem of sexual violence against women for Asian American populations, the perceived relationships between perpetrators and victims, the preferred preventive measures, and help-seeking responses. Findings indicated a split opinion among the four Asian groups regarding the perceived severity of the problem. There was a perceived insignificant role of family members in inflicting sexual violence, a general tendency of not choosing an immediate, confrontative stance against the perpetrator to stop sexual violence, and a preference to utilize help from the private domain in situations of sexual victimization. In addition, findings of the study supported the role of shame in deterring individuals from seeking outside professional help and demonstrated the existence of inter-group differences among various ethnic groups. At the same time, findings of the study raise important questions pertaining to the role of family members in sexual victimization of women, changing perceptions, inter-group differences, and the importance of localized knowledge in generating intervention efforts. In addition, findings of the study challenge a simplistic view of the reluctance of Asian American populations to utilize outside professional help. Implications for developing culturally relevant interventions for prevention and treatment as well as future research are discussed.