Globalization and Post Secondary Education

Globalization and Post Secondary Education

Many of the colleges and universities that I have reviewed in the United States are within the southern states. They are faced with similar issues regarding staffing per programs and outcomes. In my review of two-year community colleges in Montgomery and Opelika Alabama I am noticing that in the areas of automotive manufacturing and information technology there is yet a disconnect with regards to  instructors and students per naturalized Americans. Many of the staffers for these programs are none-naturalized Americans. This is due to a large percentage of globalizations and pre-service programs (high-school) curriculums that do not prepare students for careers in these STEM areas. Equally, there is a shortage of instructors for programs in these areas of instruction due to lack of employment opportunities, housing, and retirement options.

Recently at two of the community colleges that I have researched (Trenholm State Community College and Southern Union State Community College), there is a shared instructional population. Many of the same staffers teach at the same colleges as there is a shortage of qualified personnel in the areas mentioned. To be exact, I am in a hiring freeze for an Industrial Manufacturing program in that there have been no qualifying applicants for the position. Secondly, the communication barriers are also a concern when the instructor’s dialect is so strong and the American students are unable to gather a good understanding of the curricula content due to this disadvantage. These are a few of the concerns that globalization has caused post-secondary education in terms of instructional staffing.

In staffing post-secondary organizations there are often issues per salary, rank, and tenure. Additionally these are all valid issues that I have interfaced in my research per globalization and how effective the process is in the United States in particular to the southern states. Many of the staff at the two post-secondary schools that I have reviewed are the same in that they have not earned tenure at either school due to their mobilization to secure higher pay within the post-secondary system. Most recently the post-secondary board of trustee has been re-developed meaning that we have separate governance with P-12 and Post-Secondary. Again, many of the previous issues remain but they are addressed by a different governing board of directors/trustees. Additional areas of concerns are presented in the organizational structure of individual colleges within a unified system. In one setting there is a President and various department heads. In the other organization there are is President, Vice President, Deans, and Directors. This is a concern in terms of staffing because they are both organizations that have similar programs and student populations yet their leadership structure is vastly different to include pay for their employees. In one setting there has been litigation regarding positions and appointments and not enough diversity given to the concept of globalization. In a fair sense you may decrease potential enrollment based on this mere fact in your organization. The development of a globalizing organization is an ongoing process. There must be input from the community and employees to include hiring procedures that insure that there is equity within the organization.  

I have experienced many new strategies offered by post-secondary organizations in terms of recruitment and retention. Some of them I think have worked and some have not. The ones that I find working the most are those that impact the quality of instruction. Too often the programs of study are not given the merit they are due. In many cases the same courses are offered at two-Year College are the same courses are offered at four-year colleges. I am speaking of the academic courses in general (Math, Science, English, and Social Sciences). With this in mind, high school students both American and none-American should be given the same opportunity to pursue these educational experiences and tuition benefits. Many of the students that I work with in Alabama are rural students who can not afford four-year College directly from high school. With this, there needs to be more domestic globalization to encourage and share the programs of study with local students yet exposing local none-American cultures the same experience. There should be more focus on STEM and Foreign Language programs in community colleges with a connection to four-year colleges after graduation. There are so many benefits that can manifest at the two-year college system but advertising that the institution welcomes diversity should be a factor to ensure that the programs are equally staffed and populated with a mixed-culture of students.

In closing, I have seen programmatic changes take place by offering simply organizational changes in staffing and outward communications. In my school system we are partnered with two community colleges with dual enrollment programs. Both school present different programs to our students based on interest and need. With a greater appreciation given towards the cultural differences of both high schools, we are seeing more student entering community college from high school as well as an increase in returning students who have graduated 5-8 years ago. The impact has been credited to the programs offered and the diversity in the staff who work with the students. As colleges and universities continue to expand their programs and increase student enrollment, I feel that many forward approaches towards globalization should be taken into consideration in efforts of providing a more advanced, educated thus diversified workforce.

References:

Cooper, J., & Mitsunaga, R. (2010). Faculty perspectives on international education: The nested realities of faculty collaborations. New Directions for Higher Education, (150), 69-81.

Wildavsky, B. (2009, September/October). How America's mania for college rankings went global. Washington Monthly, 41(9/10), 48-53.

Posted by:
Melvin Alonza Lowe, III, EdD
Educational Director
Career Technical/Workforce Development
Macon County Public Schools
(Walden University M.S. Higher Education w/ Adult Learning)