EDLD 579: Student Affairs and Higher Education Leadership in Qatar Department of Leadership Studies, School of Leadership and Education Sciences Instructors:
Dr. Cheryl Getz, cgetz@sandiego.edu Paige Haber, phaber@sandiego.edu
Trip Dates:
January 8 – 22, 2010
Pre-Trip Dates:
Sunday, November 1st, 2-4pm Sunday, December 13th, 12-2pm
Course Description This course is an examination of student affairs and higher education in Doha, Qatar, specifically through the Qatar Foundation and Education City, which houses six partner higher education institutions that work together for educational excellence, social change, and community development. This course is held in collaboration with the University of Maryland’s College Student Personnel and Higher Education master’s and doctoral programs. Additionally, students will engage with higher education and student affairs administrators at Qatari universities through campus immersion and the Young Professionals Institute. Content, activities, and discussions will focus on creating meaningful opportunities for growth and development of globally-minded students and professionals, serving increasingly diverse populations, and enhancing our cultural awareness and competence. The course will also focus on implications of learning for educational policy and practice. The course will be held primarily in Doha, Qatar with pre and post session classes in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at USD. There will also be required readings and assignments prior to departure. Once in Qatar students will spend time most of the time at the Qatar Foundation and Educational City. Additionally, there will be cultural visits within Qatar. Learning Objectives Through this course students will… • Examine and learn about Qatari and Arab history and culture and the diversity within Middle East populations • Identify similarities and differences between Qatari and American higher education • Identify the unique challenges and opportunities in implementing and adapting the American system of higher education in Qatar • Contrast the international experience with American Higher Education and Student Affairs • Identify ways in which their increased knowledge about working with diverse groups and/or international students can be applied to their work • Gain knowledge on the collaboration and partnerships across cultural, institutional, community, and international borders • Explore finding purpose as college student educators in a diverse and complex world • Review and discuss the implications from the learning in class for future policy and practice domestically and internationally and engage around the question: where do we go from here? Young Professionals Institute (YPI) The Young Professionals Institute is a three-day professional development opportunity for participants who seek to understand student affairs and leadership at a deeper level. Led by practitioners and scholars from a variety of professional and cultural backgrounds, YPI will draw participants together in exploring the research, theory base, and models that inform scholarly practice. Rather than 1
approaching YPI as a traditional learning environment, it will be experientially and collegially based and will focus on addressing real challenges faced by higher education in the Arabian Gulf. This experience is meant to challenge the more common edu-tourism model of many study abroad trips, inviting deeper engagement, understanding, and increased personal, professional, and organizational knowledge and development. The participants of YPI will engage with each other through: 1. Acquaintanceship – becoming acquainted with each other and the environment of Education City. 2. Immersion – understanding the student experience of distinct academic programs offered in partnership with culturally-derived U.S. models that take place in Arab/Islamic world settings. 3. Engagement – exploring topics and dynamics that Education City faces. Inquiry-based learning teams will be formed that combine participants from the various institutions in analyzing essential issues that are critical to the success of the Education City/QU models. The inquiry topics will be: a. Independent Living b. Student Affairs in a global setting c. Role of family in Arab students’ lives d. Leadership development with a multicultural and global lens e. Working with commuting students in a highly engaging learning culture f. Student development with a multicultural and global lens 4. Proposals for enhancement – while it is unlikely that definitive conclusions can be reached in so short a time, YPI participants will identify models and plans and will present these to the broader practicing student affairs community at Education City/QU on the final day of YPI) The inquiry teams will be formed well in advance of the January 2010 tour in order to allow for initial research to ground the teams. The teams will be supported by Google Groups site where members contribute materials, collaborate and engage in dialogue, and share ideas and research findings before, during, and after YPI. The primary outcomes of the Young Professionals Institute include: 1. Increased understanding of rigorous educational practice in culturally diverse and organizationally dispersed settings. 2. Refined and scholarly understanding of student affairs and leadership and concrete ideas that could be put into practice to improve professional practice. 3. Develop meaningful and mutual relationships with colleagues across institutions.
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Graded Components (note: Turn in all assignments on WebCT: pope.sandiego.edu) Class participation 15% All students are expected to stay engaged fully in class discussions in pre-sessions, during the trip to Qatar, and in the post sessions. We all benefit and learn from each others’ engagement and contributions. Intentions for the Trip 10% In our busy lives, it’s often difficult to take time to think about the choices we make. We get caught up with daily living so much, we forget about our own deepest desires for learning, friendship, connection, etc. Students “go through the motion” of completing course requirements because this is part of the expectation. This is understandable. For this class we want you to take some time and think about this trip, in a way that might actually enhance your (and others) experience. If we all think about what we expect, and be clear about how we are willing to work toward that intention, the possibilities for connection and greater coherence around our intentions are endless. In the spirit of this, students will write their intentions for THIS trip in a short 1-2 page paper, and then all participants will share their intentions when we meet for the first pre-session class. Due 12/8/09 Pre-Trip Qatar Research 15% This purpose of this assignment is to become familiar with different aspects of Qatar that will help prepare us for the trip. Topics to explore will be identified in the first pre-trip meeting and the group will decide how to best share the findings with each other during the second pre-trip meeting. At a minimum this assignment will include a handout with pertinent information and sharing of this information in the second pre-trip meeting Due 12/13/09 YPI Pre-Trip Inquiry Group and Individual Assignments 20% Group Component Over the course of the next two months, you will be working in teams of ~6-8 people to explore a specific student affairs topic. Each group will consist of students from UMD and USD, as well as entry-level staff from the Qatar Foundation, Education City branch campuses, College of the North Atlantic – Qatar, and/or Qatar University. During your group’s exploration and research, much of what you and your group are likely to find is written for and from a Western perspective. It is important to keep in mind the larger purpose of exploring these topics in the context of the Arabian Gulf and Muslim students. When developing and contextualizing the components identified below please keep this in mind. Working as a group across the different institutions, you will be expected first to develop an annotated bibliography of the existing and current literature on your topic. The number of sources should be appropriate for the amount of research that exists on your group’s topic. From that annotated bibliography, your group should also develop an executive briefing, summarizing the research on your topic and identification on what may be missing on the topic, which can be distributed to the other Young Professionals Institute participants. Finally, based on your research you should develop a list of inquiry questions that you will explore in more depth during the Young Professionals Institute. More details on this will be provided soon. 3
You may coordinate your group work through any medium you desire, but we do recommend working with Google Groups. For those not familiar with Google Groups, a resource sheet will be distributed soon. Individual Component Individually each student will also complete three short assignments on their contributions and their interactions and experiences of working in a virtual team across national and international boundaries. Individual Assignments Due 11/22/09, 12/6/09 and 12/20/09 Group Annotated Bibliography, Executive Briefing and Proposed Questions Due 12/23/09 Final project: The final project for the course consists of two aspects (20% each):
40%
Presentation on YPI Findings USD students across different YPI inquiry groups will collaborate to create a presentation of the process and findings of the YPI and implications for our practice at USD. The presentations should be reflective of the collaborative process of the YPI- consider creative ways to include your collaborators from UMD and Qatar through video, conferencing, skype, etc. The presentations will be delivered upon arrival back at USD, and students, faculty, and student affairs practitioners will be invited to attend these presentations. There will be 3 presentation groups; each group will include 2 of the YPI inquiry topics. Presentation Date TBD Reflective Final Paper The final assignment is a 7-9 page paper addressing your learning from the course and experience, focusing on both your personal development and your professional development (draw on your experiences, readings, and discussions). This should include a discussion on how this learning informs your professional practice, as well as a thorough integration of the assigned readings. It is highly encouraged that you engage in journaling and reflection throughout the course. You may want to reflect on the readings, the lectures, discussions, and/or your thoughts about your experiences Due 2/08/10 Course Evaluation On the final day of class, students will evaluate this course using the same course evaluations that we use for traditional courses.
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Readings Unit 1: Qatar/ Higher Education in Qatar (on WebCT) • ACE Presentation by Al-Misnad • Chronicle- An Academic Building Boom • Chronicle- Academics in the Persian Gulf • Diverse Issues- Accepted into Education City • Qatar Foundation Annual Report (skim and focus on your areas of interest) • Student Affairs Services- Qatar • RAND Report Summary- Qatar University • Post-Secondary Education in Qatar • National Geographic- Revolution from the Top Down Unit 2: Globalization of Higher Education/ Branch Campuses (on WebCT) • ACE Venturing Abroad • Altbach- Globalisation and the University • Student Affairs & Services- Chapters 2 & 3 Unit 3: Arab Culture (books- must get and read at least one) Choose One Book: • Esposito, J. & Mogahed, D. (2008). Who Speaks for Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think • Esposito, J. (2002). What everyone needs to know about Islam. • Nydell, M. (2005). Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times
Optional Book • Deeper Learning in Leadership by Dennis Roberts (note: this is a book written by Denny, who is our host in Qatar!) Optional Chapters/ Articles (on WebCT) • Altbach & Knight- Internationalization of Higher Education • Brustein- The Global Campus- Challenges and Opportunities for Higher Education North America • Chronicle- Colleges Should Think Twice About Exporting their Programs • Chronicle- House Panel Quizzes Universities on Values of Overseas Ventures • Inside Higher Ed- Gulf Withdraw • Lewin Chapter 7 (Constructive Disequilibrium) & Chapter 8 (The Liberal Arts and Global Citizenship) • Osfield & Terrell- Internationalization in Higher Ed & Student Affairs • RAND Full Report- Qatar University • Rubley and Altbach- Branch Campus Issues • Schuerholz-Lehr- Teaching for Global Literacy in Higher Ed • Stearns- Branch Campuses and Collaborations • Student Affairs & Services - FULL
Websites to Visit Before Departure
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U.S. Department of State- Travel to Qatar: http://travel.state.gov/travel Darbi’s Blog: http://darbiabroad.blogspot.com/ (the ones she recommends are: 8/10/07, 8/24/07, 9/13/07, 2/3/08, 2/27/08, 5/27/08, 6/1/08, 6/20/08, 6/27/08, 10/10/08, 10/20/08, 1/30/09) Denny’s Blog: http://pursuingleadership.blogspot.com/ (Find ones that are focused on Qatarstarting August 2007) Qatar Foundation – http://www.qf.edu.qa/output/Page3.asp Information about Education City Links to branch campus web sites Student life (http://www.qf.edu.qa/output/page300.asp) Other QF programs Qatar University – http://www.qu.edu.qa/ College of the North Atlantic- Qatar- http://www.cna-qatar.com/Pages/Home.aspx
Grading Scale (based on total %) The following scale will be used to determine final letter grades: 93-100% A 73 – 76% C NOTE: STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO FULFILL 90 - 92% A70 –72 % CTHE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS COURSE WILL 87 – 89% B+ 67 – 69% D+ RECEIVE AN “INCOMPLETE.” THE 83 – 86% B 63 – 66% D REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE END 80 – 82% B60 – 62% DOF THE TENTH WEEK OF THE NEXT REGULAR SEMESTER; OTHERWISE, THE “I” 77 – 79% C+ less than 60% F GRADE WILL BE COUNTED AS AN “F.”
Ethical Behavior Students are responsible for doing their own work, and academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, or misrepresentation of information in oral or written form. Such violations will be dealt with severely by the instructors and the Dean. • Plagiarism: Plagiarism consists of using another author’s words without proper identification and documentation. The fabrication of sources, or the act, deliberately or unconsciously, or passing another author’s work off as your own are also considered to be plagiarism. • Falsification: Falsification consists of deliberately changing results, statistics, or any other kind of factual information to make it suit your needs. It also consists of deliberately changing a sources’ intent by misquoting or taking out of context. This includes falsifying signatures or letterhead for use to verify volunteer work at an agency and unauthorized use of an agency’s letterhead. • Multiple submission: If you wish to turn in the same work or use the same research, in whole or in part, for more than one course, you must obtain permission to do so from all professors involved. Failure to obtain this permission constitutes academic dishonesty. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement Any personal learning accommodations that may be needed by a student, covered under the ADA, must be made known to the instructor as soon as possible. This is the student’s responsibility. If you are a student with a diagnosed disability or suspect that you may have one, please contact USD’s Disability Services in Serra Hall room 300 or call 619-260-4655 or visit the website at www.sandiego.edu/disability as soon as possible. 6
Draft of Itinerary and Course Plan Dates Agenda Fri. 1/8 Depart CA Sat. 1/9 Arrive in Doha (evening)- UMD arrives day before Optional Dinner, Stay in Hotel until 1/15 Sun. 1/10 Explore Qatari history and culture -Islamic Cultural Center -Traditional Majlis Lunch -Museum of Islamic Art Free Time Mon. 1/11 Explore Qatari history and culture -Al Jazeera -Modern Malls, Pearl Neighborhood Tues. 1/12 Campus Immersion at Qatar Foundation/ Education City* Wed. 1/13 Campus Immersion at Qatar Foundation/ Education City * Thurs. 1/14 Campus Immersion at Qatar Foundation/ Education City * Fri. 1/15 Free Time Depart for Overnight Safari Sat. 1/16 Return from Overnight Safari Free Time Qatar Philharmonic Performance First night in Homestays Sun. 1/17 Campus Immersion- College of the North Atlantic- Qatar & Qatar University Mon. 1/18 Young Professionals Institute Tues. 1/19 Young Professionals Institute Wed. 1/20 Young Professionals Institute Thurs. 1/21 Free Day Fri. 1/22 Depart Doha, arrive in CA Note: Course components including travel itinerary, readings, and assignments may change as the course continues to develop. *Possible Campus Immersion Activities Include: Tour of Education City Campus Meetings with branch campus and Qatar Foundation staff Exploring the student experience: class visits with students, meetings with student organizations, student focus groups, etc. Other Possible Activities During the Trip: • Form student affairs functional area interest groups to meet above and beyond the tours and inquiry teams • Visiting other Universities in the area • Majlis community gathering and discussion • Visiting elementary and secondary schools • Attending any other events going on at QF and the branch campuses • Community service project • Final celebration with UMD/USD students and QF and branch campus staff (possible Dhow boat dinner cruise) 7