Department of Higher Education and Organizational Leadership Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Higher Education (Ph.D.)

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1 Department of Higher Education and Organizational Leadership Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Higher Education (Ph.D.) Why the Ph.D.? The Department of Higher Education and Organizational Leadership at Azusa Pacific University offers both the Ph.D. in Higher Education and the Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership. The Ph.D. is the highest scholarly degree awarded by APU. The primary purpose of the Ph.D. is to develop scholars who are able to conduct original research and interpret and communicate the results of that research through their writing, teaching, and leadership. Because of this emphasis, the dissertation for the Ph.D. is expected to be original research that extends the theoretical knowledge base of higher education policy and practice. The Ed.D. is the highest professional degree awarded by APU. The primary purpose of the Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership is to develop professional educators and leaders who are able to apply their knowledge to improve educational practice, primarily at the institutional level. Because of this emphasis, the dissertation for the Ed.D. will typically focus on methods for improving institutional practices. Where and when? The Ph.D. is designed to serve higher education professionals who will continue to work fulltime while completing 18 units per year in the doctoral program. The Ph.D. will be offered at the main campus of Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California, beginning in July 2007 (subject to final WASC approval in February 2007). Students progress through the curriculum using a cohort model. All coursework will be conducted in intensive teaching/learning sessions on campus for two weeks in January and two weeks in July and at two national conferences annually (usually April and November). What is a cohort model? The Ph.D. will utilize the same cohort model that has been highly effective with the Ed.D. program, with coursework offered in 26-week semesters that extend from July to January and from January to July each year. All cohorts will commence in July of the given year. Each course will begin with approximately 18 hours of classroom instruction offered in an intensive format over a two-week period. Web-based technology is used to facilitate an ongoing learning community created in the classroom-based portion of the course. Both synchronous and asynchronous communication will be used to facilitate discussion of course readings, assignments, and projects during students time away from campus. A mid-semester session of 3-4 days connected with a major national professional conference (typically ASHE in the Fall and AERA or ACPA in the Spring) will be used to further facilitate progress toward course learning outcomes. At the conclusion of the semester, there will be an additional 18 hours in the classroom to focus on synthesis and application of student learning. Students will typically complete 9 units of coursework each term for a total of 18 units each year. Students in the Ph.D. program can complete the 54 units of coursework in 6 semesters (3 years).

2 2 Who is the target audience? Full-time working professionals in higher education are the intended audience for the Ph.D. in Higher Education. Those pursuing the Ph.D. should be higher education leaders (either faculty or administrators) with career interests related to research, scholarship, teaching, or policy formulation. All Ph.D. applicants must have at least five years of experience in higher education and are expected to continue working within a higher education environment during their coursework. The Ph.D. in Higher Education develops leaders for both Christian and secular institutions of higher education, with an awareness that the ultimate beneficiaries are college students in the institutions served by our doctoral graduates. What is the mission of the program? In keeping with the University s mission, the program faculty have developed the following mission statement to guide the doctoral higher education programs: The mission of the doctoral programs in higher education is to produce values-driven scholars and leaders who have a positive impact on student learning and social justice in higher education. More specifically, the Ph.D. program is designed to fulfill that mission by developing scholars who are able to conduct original research and interpret and communicate the results of that research through their writing, teaching, and leadership. What are the program outcomes? To fulfill both the University s mission and that of the program, the following student learning outcomes have been articulated specifically for the Ph.D. program in Higher Education. These desired learning outcomes, in turn, have driven the development of the curriculum. Graduates of the Ph.D. in Higher Education will: Conduct and disseminate original research that extends the theoretical knowledge base of higher education policy and practice and answers meaningful questions. Competently engage the critical issues and help shape the conversations that affect the future direction of higher education at the national and international level. Lead effectively, collaboratively, and with vision. Articulate and evaluate a strengths-based approach to teaching, learning, and leadership development. Foster optimal learning in the students they serve, through effective pedagogy and institutional practices that are learning-centered. Articulate and evaluate a Christian perspective on effective leadership in higher education. Effectively address personal, institutional, and systemic injustices through competent policy analysis, formulation, and revision as well as individual actions. What are the program distinctives? The Azusa Pacific University Ph.D. in Higher Education is distinct from other Ph.D. programs in Higher Education in the following ways: It is strengths-based in its focus. It assesses students strengths at entry and at multiple points in the program, and then works with students to nurture and develop those strengths as they become proficient researchers and practitioners.

3 3 The curriculum emphasizes a theory-to-practice-to-theory loop that informs both research and practice. What students learn in class can be used in their work the next day; research leads to the development and implementation of new programs on the home campuses of Ph.D. students. And the programs implemented lead to further research to expand the theoretical base within higher education. It integrates Christian perspectives into course content while respecting the differing theological backgrounds of students in the program. Students can continue working full-time on their own campus. The tuition rate is guaranteed for the duration of the program, as long as students complete 18 units each year. This encourages students to stay with their cohort, which is an invaluable source of support (and motivates students to finish on time and not become yet another ABD!). Our Connection with the Noel Academy for Strengths-Based Leadership and Education In 2005, President Jon Wallace, DBA, launched the Noel Academy for Strengths-Based Leadership and Education as a research and training home for an innovative approach to teaching, learning, and leadership. Funded by and named in recognition of Lee and Mary Noel (Lee Noel is the co-founder of the Noel-Levitz consulting firm in higher education), the Academy s purpose is to further the research and dissemination of a strengths-based approach within higher education. This approach is represented by the work of The Gallup Organization s StrengthsFinder and in the book StrengthsQuest, co-authored by one of our doctoral faculty. The strengths-based approach encourages students, faculty, and staff to identify and build on their talents as the most effective way of learning, facing new challenges, and reaching levels of excellence. The Executive Director of the Academy is a faculty member in the doctoral program in Higher Education, all faculty in the department conduct research in collaboration with the Academy, and doctoral students have the opportunity to join research teams related to the Academy s work. Curriculum The Ph.D. program is taught in a distributed learning format that capitalizes on students participation in cohorts, research teams, intensive classroom learning, attendance and class sessions at two professional conferences annually, and the use of web-based technology throughout the program. The curriculum has been designed to offer students in the Ph.D. program the choice of two concentrations: organizational leadership and student success. These two emphases build on the strengths of the program faculty and the traditions of the University. Students in both concentrations take a common core of foundational courses (18 units) shared with students in the Ed.D. program. All students in the Ph.D. program take 20 units of coursework specifically designed to develop their skills as researchers (compared with 12 units of research coursework in the Ed.D. program). The remaining courses in the Ph.D. program are devoted to the chosen concentration (12 units) and electives (4 units). The Ph.D. program consists of 54 units of coursework, not including the dissertation phase; the Ed.D. program consists of 48 units of coursework, not including the dissertation phase. An outline of the coursework for both concentrations in the Ph.D. program as well as a comparison with the existing Ed.D. program follows.

4 4 Ed.D. Curriculum Comparison of Curricula for Ed.D. and Ph.D. Programs 48 Ph.D. Curriculum Emphasis in Organizational Leadership 18 Foundational Courses 54 Ph.D. Curriculum Emphasis in Student Success Higher Education Leadership Foundational Courses 18 Foundational Courses Strengths-Based Leadership Strengths-Based Leadership Strengths-Based Leadership Nature of Inquiry Nature of Inquiry Nature of Inquiry Ethical Issues in HE Ethical Issues in HE Ethical Issues in HE Diversity & Social Justice Diversity & Social Justice Diversity & Social Justice Intro to U.S. Higher Education Intro to U.S. Higher Education Intro to U.S. Higher Education 4 Research Courses Research Intro to American Courses Higher Ed Research Intro to American Courses Higher Ed Research and Statistics Research and Statistics Research and Statistics Advanced Quantitative Advanced Quantitative 4 Analysis Analysis 742 Qualitative Research Methods Qualitative Research Methods Qualitative Research Methods Doctoral Seminar in Research Doctoral Seminar in Research Doctoral Seminar in Research Guided Inquiry Project Guided Inquiry Project 1 Leadership in Higher Education Core 760 Research Seminars (1 unit each semester for 6 semesters) 14 Courses for the Concentration Research Seminars (1 unit each semester for 6 semesters) Courses for the Concentration 712 Leading Change in Higher Ed Leading Change in Higher Ed Administration in Higher Ed Administration in Higher Ed Teaching and Learning in HE Teaching and Learning College Impact on Student College Impact on Student 2 Success Success 726 Policy Analysis Policy Analysis Policy & Politics Student Retention Program Evaluation 2 Electives 4 Electives 4 Electives Higher Ed Finance Higher Ed Finance Higher Ed Finance Higher Education Law Higher Education Law Higher Education Law Policy Analysis in HE Program Evaluation International HE Policy International HE Policy International HE Policy Policy & Politics Student Retention Student Retention College Impact on Student Success Leading Change in Higher Ed Teaching and Learning in HE Administration in Higher Ed 4 Dissertation Dissertation Dissertation 794 Dissertation Research 794 Dissertation Research 794 Dissertation Research 795 Dissertation Research 795 Dissertation Research 795 Dissertation Research

5 5 Course Sequence Students in the Ph.D. program can expect to complete the coursework within three years if they stay with their cohort and complete 18 units per year. The dissertation typically takes an additional months beyond the coursework. Additional requirements for graduation include attendance at two research and ethics conferences hosted annually on campus, as well as the public presentation of their dissertation. Ed.D. and Ph.D. Course Schedules Ed.D. Ph.D. (Two Concentration Options) Higher Education Leadership Organizational Leadership Student Success YEAR ONE July am 702 Nature of Inquiry 702 Nature of Inquiry 702 Nature of Inquiry pm 701 Strengths-Based Leadership in Higher Education 701 Strengths-Based 701 Strengths-Based Leadership in Higher Education Leadership in Higher Education 760 Research Seminar (1) 760 Research Seminar (1) January 744 Research Design/Stats 744 Research Design/Stats 744 Research Design/Stats am pm am 727 Intro to US Higher Ed 727 Intro to US Higher Ed 727 Intro to US Higher Ed 760 Research Seminar (1) 760 Research Seminar (1) YEAR TWO July am pm January am pm YEAR THREE July am 725 Administration in Higher Ed 721 Diversity & Social Justice 745 Advanced Quantitative Analysis 726 Policy Analysis (2) 745 Advanced Quantitative Analysis 726 Policy I (2) 707 Principles of Student Retention (2) First-Year Review--July Electives: 707 Retention (2), 723 Law (2), 719 Finance (2) Electives: 723 Law (2), 719 Finance (2) 760 Research Seminar (1) 760 Research Seminar (1) First-Year Review--July First-Year Review--July 742 Qualitative Methods 742 Qualitative Methods 742 Qualitative Methods 708 College Impact on Student 728 Policy & Politics (2) 708 College Impact on Student Success (2) Success (2) Electives: 708 College Impact 743 Program Evaluation (2), 780 International HE Policy (2) Elective: 780 Int l HE Policy (2) Elective: 780 Int l HE Policy (2) 748 Guided Inquiry Project 760 Research Seminar (1) 760 Research Seminar (1) (GIP) (1) 737 Teaching/Learning in HE 725 Administration in HE 737 Teaching/Learning in HE 721 Diversity & Social Justice 721 Diversity & Social Justice pm Electives: 707 Retention (2), 719 Finance (2), 723 Law (2), 726 Policy I (2) 749 GIP (1) 760 Research Seminar (1) 760 Research Seminar (1) January 704 Ethical Issues in HE (2) 704 Ethical Issues in HE (2) 704 Ethical Issues in HE (2) am 790 Proposal (2) 790 Proposal (2) 790 Proposal (2) pm 712 Leading Change in HE 712 Leading Change in HE Electives: 712 Leading Change in HE, 728 Policy & Politics (2) Qualifying Exams--January 760 Research Seminar (1) 760 Research Seminar (1) YEAR

6 6 FOUR July 794 Dissertation 794 Dissertation 794 Dissertation Comprehensive Exams--July Comprehensive Exams--July January 795 Dissertation 795 Dissertation 795 Dissertation Admission Requirements An applicant s total admission portfolio includes a professional writing sample, letters of reference, and a letter of intent, in addition to GRE scores and transcripts. Each student will also be interviewed either by phone or in person. We strongly recommend that applicants plan to come to campus or arrange for the interview to occur at a professional conference, thus, allowing faculty to meet the applicant before making a final decision. For the Ph.D. program, combined verbal and quantitative GRE scores of 1100 and an analytical writing score of 5.0 are indicative of success in the program. As with all applicants, the total portfolio will be considered in making any admissions decision. Students who have taken doctoral-level work at other regionally-accredited universities may transfer in up to 18 units of work toward the 54 units required for the Ph.D. Students must complete at least 36 units of coursework at APU to receive the Ph.D. The Faculty The following faculty support the Ph.D. in Higher Education. Laurie A. Schreiner, Ph.D., is the program director. Recipient of the University s 2005 Graduate Research Scholar Award, she received her Ph.D. in Community Psychology from The University of Tennessee in 1982 and has taught at the University level for 25 years. A past associate academic dean, she is also the co-author of the Student Satisfaction Inventory, which is published by Noel-Levitz and is used by over 1600 colleges and universities nationally. Co-author of two books and author of numerous articles in refereed journals, she is a Senior Research Associate for The Gallup Organization and is a Senior Fellow at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. She has been the principal investigator on two federal grants totaling over $750,000 from the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, one for the dissemination of a successful first-year program, and the other for a four-year approach to student retention and success through the use of campus-wide strengths-based approaches. She has served on dissertation committees at four universities, has taught solely at the doctoral level for four years, serves on the University s Doctoral Studies Council, chairs the Doctoral Curriculum Committee, and serves on the University Faculty Senate. Her research agenda for the past 25 years has focused on student satisfaction, retention, and effective teaching and learning in higher education. Anita Fitzgerald Henck, Ph.D. has recently joined APU s doctoral program in Higher Education. Her Ph.D. from American University is in Education with emphases in Leadership, Higher Education Administration and Student Development. Her background as Vice President for Student Development at Eastern Nazarene College for eight years, coupled with her 19 years of leadership experience as Assistant to the Provost and faculty at American University, provide a strong contribution to the program. She has taught at the master s and doctoral levels since She was responsible for developing the M.A. program in Higher Education Administration at Eastern Nazarene College and supervised more than a dozen theses while at ENC; she had extensive experience working with doctoral students in the dissertation proposal stage at American University. She served for seven years as an accreditation team member for New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Her research on student spiritual formation was part of a larger research project including faculty from 10 campuses on a Templeton Foundation-funded research project on student spiritual formation. Her primary

7 7 research area relates to presidential transitions in higher education, with an emphasis on organizational culture and organizational change. Eileen Hulme, Ph.D. was recruited to APU in 2005 from her position as Vice President for Student Life at Baylor University. Her 20 years of experience in higher education administration, including vice presidencies at three universities, position her well to teach within a Ph.D. program in Higher Education that focuses on leadership issues. Her Ph.D. is in Educational Administration with an emphasis in Adult Education and Human Resource Development from the University of Texas at Austin. A Fulbright Scholar in higher education administration in Germany in 2001, she has also published numerous articles in refereed journals and regularly presents at national conferences of higher education professionals. Her most recent publication is in About Campus, an influential professional magazine in the field of student services administration. Her qualitative research approach resides in both the grounded theory and phenomenological methodologies, equipping her to teach the required Qualitative Research Methods course in the Ph.D. program. She has taught at both the master s and doctoral levels for the past ten years and co-directed the Master s Program in Student Services Administration at Baylor University. She has served on dissertation committees at two universities. She also serves the University as the Director of the Noel Academy for Strengths-Based Leadership and Education. Her research agenda includes the development of meaning and purpose in college students, the effect of emotional intelligence on success in a university environment, and a strengths-based approach to leadership. Karen Longman, Ph.D. is the newest faculty member to the program. She received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. A former Vice President for Academic Affairs at Greenville College (IL) and Vice President for Professional Development and Research at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities for 19 years, her research agenda and publications focus on Christian higher education, spiritual formation, and assessment issues. She is a Senior Fellow at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, where she has coordinated leadership development programs since Author of five articles in refereed journals, she is the recipient of multiple grants totaling over $2 million from the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Templeton Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She served as an editorial board member and reviewer for Research on Christian Higher Education and has been a Staley Distinguished Lecturer at numerous colleges and universities. Her research interests focus on leadership development and gender issues in faith-based higher education. David McIntire, Ed.D. has been at the University since 1992 and directs the master s program in organizational leadership. His Ed.D. from West Virginia University is in Higher Education; he has also completed the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University. He has taught at the doctoral level for ten years, has significant experience at the Vice Chancellor level at four public and private universities, and has been a tenured professor at the University of Missouri and Appalachian State University. He has chaired and served on dissertation committees at APU and also serves on dissertation committees as an outside reader at numerous other universities. He has participated in the Fulbright Commission s International Education Administrators program in Japan, Korea, and Germany, has served on numerous accreditation visiting committees with the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools, and has served as a regional vice president and on the national board of directors for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. With numerous publications in

8 8 refereed journals in student services administration, his research agenda focuses on international student affairs, governance issues, and adult learners. Sharyn Slavin Miller, Ph.D. is the department chair. She has been a professional administrator of student affairs at the University of Southern California and at the California Institute of Technology over the past 26 years. Her Ph.D. is from the University of Southern California in Higher Education Administration/Educational Psychology, with emphases in Counseling Psychology and Human Resource Development. Her teaching and research interests focus on diversity issues in higher education, student development theory, and counseling and mental health issues of today s students. She serves on the Executive Committee of Southern California for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Region VI, and recently co-chaired a regional conference for NASPA. She has received the Distinguished Service Award from NASPA and has taught at the doctoral level for six years and served on numerous dissertation committees. Dennis Sheridan, Ed.D., Ph.D. has been at the University since 1994 and originally developed the Ed.D. program in higher education leadership as a track within APU s Ed.D. in Educational Leadership program. His Ed.D. is in Foundations of Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. is in Higher Education and Organizational Change from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr Sheridan came to the University after serving as Vice President for Student Life at California Baptist University. He has taught at the doctoral level for 12 years, has chaired or served on dozens of dissertation committees at multiple universities, and serves on the board of directors of Lithuania Christian College. His research agenda on multicultural competencies and leadership has led to numerous publications and regular presentations at national and international conferences in the leadership and higher education arenas. In addition, David Guthrie, Ph.D. regularly teaches in the program on a part-time basis. Dr. Guthrie received his Ph.D. in Higher Education from the Pennsylvania State University. Currently he is the Academic Dean at Geneva College (PA) where he was the former director of their master s program in Higher Education. An accomplished scholar with numerous publications in a wide variety of journals, his research interests center on Christian higher education, the historical and philosophical contexts of higher education, and the sociology of higher education. He regularly serves on dissertation committees and has taught at the doctoral level for seven years. Student Support Services Upon admission to the program, each student is assigned to an advisor who contacts the student to discuss the student s scheduling needs and to answer questions about beginning the program. This advisor remains with the student throughout the first year of the program and provides feedback to the student about his/her academic progress. The advisor presents the student to the full faculty at the First-Year Review upon completion of 18 units of coursework when the faculty reviews academic progress to determine whether or not the student should continue in the program. Once the student has passed the First-Year Review, the student chooses a faculty mentor and joins the research team of that faculty member. The faculty mentor then functions as the student s advisor, assisting with course selection, career planning, and professional development. The student becomes part of an ongoing research team that collaborates on

9 9 designated projects and attends two professional conferences together annually. These conferences are in addition to their classroom experiences on campus. If the student so chooses, the faculty research mentor becomes the chair of the student s dissertation. In this way, there is a seamless transition from advisor to mentor to dissertation chair. Because the faculty interact regularly and communicate with one another about student concerns, changing mentors or advisors can be a smooth process. All students are required to participate in an extended orientation process, including a new student retreat. The retreat is focused on identifying students strengths and preparing the students to capitalize upon these strengths in their doctoral work. The orientation process begins by bringing all campus services to the student in a one-stop shopping experience the first day on campus: student financial services works with them on their financial aid and loan paperwork, the graduate registrar assists them with registering for courses, the technology support staff ensures that their wireless access and all software are working properly, and photo ID cards and parking permits are provided at that time. The week-long orientation process focuses on three key aspects of doctoral study: A writing workshop that provides orientation to the scholarly writing and online research skills that are expected of students in the program Orientation to the technology that supports the programs (ecollege and TaskStream) and statistical software (SPSS, N-Vivo) used in the research courses Orientation to the personal and relational issues that can become challenges for doctoral students who are also working professionals, often with families This orientation process is developed to equip our students with some of the pre-requisite skills and knowledge that will be a strong foundation for success in the program. It extends beyond a traditional orientation approach to address key challenges to completing a Ph.D. that plague many doctoral students and lead to high levels of attrition nationally. Continued academic support is available to the students through their advisor, their research teams, their research mentor, the writing center on campus, and online tutorials for writing and statistics. A full-time doctoral research librarian is also available to help students upon request with their research searches. First-Year Review Process The First-Year Review occurs upon completion of the first four courses and two research seminars (18 units). The First-Year Review is comprised of: A student self-assessment of their strengths, their leadership style, their research interests and skills, their progress in the program thus far, and their future goals Specific student artifacts from the first four courses assembled as part of a portfolio Faculty evaluations of student potential and performance thus far Grades A written exam Students must pass the First-Year Review of the faculty reviews and in order to continue in the Ph.D. program. Comprehensive Exams Comprehensive Exams occur in July, after the third year in the program, or after all coursework has been completed. The Ethical Framework paper and oral presentation required in the HED704 Ethical Issues in Higher Education course are one part of the exam.

10 The remainder of the exam consists of four parts representing four of the program outcomes: leadership, critical issues in higher education, student learning, and social justice. Students will be able to choose one of two questions for each part of the exam, based on their declared area of concentration. All faculty members will participate in writing and evaluating the questions. Students must pass all four comprehensive exams before registering for the dissertation phase of the doctoral program. 10