Innovative and Creative Approaches to Higher Education
The following presents innovative and creative approaches found in higher education today. Descriptions or how the approaches are innovative, needs that prompted the approaches, how the approaches address organizational issues, and strengths and weakness of the approaches are discussed.
Innovative approaches found in higher education today center around issues related to the following: university mission/goal, leadership, faculty, diversity, research, resources, community, finances, barriers, educational quality, and technology (Diamond, Gardiner, & Wheeler, 2002; Duderstadt, 2000; Guskin & Marcy, 2002).
Innovative approaches must address the mission of the university. A creative approach used to enhance this mission includes the use of public statements regarding the mission and vision that reflect history, context, and realities of the university. Culture, strengths, and priorities must be made known to all involved (Guskin & Marcy, 2002). Creative approaches must include leadership styles and practices that articulate the school vision and encourage collaborative leadership (Diamond, Gardiner, & Wheeler, 2002). New approaches must include innovative hiring and teacher retaining strategies to deal with a growing diverse student body. Faculty currently face new pressures and changes in educational delivery systems (Guskin & Marcy, 2002). Innovative strategies include new short-term hiring strategies of faculty to teach the increased numbers of diverse students; this method is an inexpensive strategy compared to maintaining high numbers of tenured and expensive faculty (Guskin & Marcy, 2002).
New methods must include the collection and use of research-generated data with assessment and evaluation of problems and solutions; research is an important component of new methods of improving programs to meet new standards (Diamond, Gardiner, & Wheeler, 2002). I...