Boston College: Open Journal Systems
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Rankings in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism
No full textUniversity rankings are now a global phenomenon. Having begun as a transparency and accountability instrument, they have morphed into an indicator of global competitiveness for knowledge and talent and have been transformed from an information tool into a complex global intelligence business. In our current data-driven age, the concepts of “monopolies of knowledge,” “information asymmetry,” and “surveillance capitalism” can help us better understand how the fusion of data and capitalism are influencing and shaping the future of higher education policy, practice, and research
The GX Framework for Evaluating Student Leadership Development Programmes in South African Universities
Full text linkThis article presents a framework for evaluating Student Leadership Development Programmes (SLDPs) in South African universities. The researcher conducted a comprehensive literature review of various models and frameworks used for assessing leadership development programs, interviewed 27 student affairs professionals, and distributed a questionnaire, receiving responses from 227 student participants across six South African universities. There is a widespread belief that SLDPs offered by universities foster critical thinking, lifelong learning, and self-directed work habits, thereby contributing positively to the holistic development of students. However, mere participation in these programs does not guarantee that students will achieve the intended learning outcomes. Hence, there is a pressing need to evaluate whether student participants actually realize these outcomes. Given the lack of empirical research supporting the effective implementation of SLDPs in South Africa, this article aims to assess the effectiveness of SLDPs across various universities and propose a suitable framework for future evaluations. The proposed framework comprises four dimensions designed to enhance the effectiveness of Student Leadership Development Programmes in South African universities
Students Speak: Do College Exit Exams Unleash Motivation or Fuel Stress?
Full text linkCollege exit exams serve as indicators of students' academic achievement and career readiness. However, a significant concern is the stress these exams may impose on students. Some students may also question the usefulness of these exams, which can negatively affect their performance. The purpose of this article is to evaluate students' perceptions of the relevance, validity, motivation, the ability to promote self-awareness, and the stress associated with exit exams. To gather data, we administered questionnaires and conducted interviews with 113 students who had taken an exit exam at Ambo University. The findings indicate that students generally have moderately positive perceptions regarding the relevance and validity of the exit exams. Additionally, the exams were found to be highly motivating and effective tools for identifying individual strengths and weaknesses. While this positive perception is an opportunity to increase the effectiveness of the exam, the paradox is that it is stressful for female students. Therefore, it is essential to pay special attention to the experiences of female students. The implication is that by considering students' experiences, we can create a supportive and inclusive environment that promotes academic achievement and overall well-being
Impact of Informal Human Resource Practices on Employee Outcomes in Private Tertiary Education Institutions
Full text linkThis article examines the impact of informal human resource practices on academic turnover, performance deterioration, absenteeism, and a decline in employee development in private tertiary education institutions. It proposes a formal human resource management model for private tertiary education institutions based on a mixed-methods approach, through which the researcher concurrently collected quantitative data using a questionnaire and qualitative data using structured interviews. Combined purposive sampling and stratified sampling produced 171 academic questionnaire responses and eight human resources business partners' online interviews. The study found that career development and growth, working conditions and work-life balance, performance management and recognition, recruitment and selection, employee training and development, and remuneration contributed to the key challenges faced by private tertiary education institutions. Adopting a formal human resource management model may enhance academic performance, employee development, reduce absenteeism, and retain academic staff while improving their institutional reputation as both an employer and a preferred choice for students
Towards Equitable Higher Education Access: Implications of the Government Students Loans Scheme in Supporting Needy Students in Tanzania
Full text linkThis paper examines the students’ loans scheme of the Government of Tanzania and its effects on equitable higher education access for students from poor households. Specifically, the paper looks at the method used by the Tanzania Higher Education Students’ Loans Board (HESLB) to identify the needy students and the loan allocation criteria. The data for this article was obtained from survey of 480 continuing HESLB beneficiaries and key informants, including four Deans of Students, two HESLB officers, and four Loans Desk officers from sampled Higher Learning Institutions. The findings revealed that the presence of the higher education students' loan scheme successfully helped many students enroll in higher education and graduate. However, the efficiency of implementing the loan scheme based on the identification of needy students has been questioned, and the amount of loans allocated to students was inadequate compared to the increasing demand. The study recommends the review of the needy students’ identification and allocation criteria, increasing government budget and accountability
The Victims of Success: How Complacency Bred Israeli Intelligence Failure
Full text linkThis paper inquires into the conditions under which intelligence failures occur. This question is critical in understanding both past security failures and preventing surprise attacks in the future. To address this question, I test three separate Israeli cases—two intelligence failures and one intelligence success —against three potential explanations. While alternative factors like analytical failure and confirmation bias played varying roles in the examined intelligence failures, success-induced complacency emerges as the most plausible condition for surprise attacks. This factor didn’t just contribute to intelligence failures; a lack of complacency also helped produce Israel’s 1967 War success—highlighting the theory’s generalizability. This theory warns intelligence analysts against excessively confident assumptions, instructing them to constantly evaluate their preconceived notions and to adjust them when necessary
“There is No Such Finis Ultimus”: Liberal Anthropology and Church-State Relations Considered
Full text linkThis paper explores the relationship between the Church and the state in the tradition of political liberalism. I analyze how that relationship is grounded in a philosophical anthropology common to liberal thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and John Rawls. It then critiques the liberal view from a Thomistic perspective in two parts. First, it presents an alternative anthropology taken from the work of Aquinas himself. Secondly, it gives one possible alternative conception of the relationship between the Church and the state, namely Pope Leo XIII's confessional state. The paper concludes with a brief consideration of the obstacles facing a wider acceptance of Thomistic anthropology within the pluralism and political liberalism of modern society.  
