Governance practices of a private non profit system of higher edu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 5-1-2019 Governance Practices of a Private Non-Profit System of Higher Education Taylor Hough Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Education Commons Repository Citation Hough, Taylor, "Governance Practices of a Private Non-Profit System of Higher Education" (2019). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones.34917/15778465 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.

For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact digitalscholarship@unlv. GOVERNANCE PRACTICES OF A PRIVATE NON-PROFIT SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION By Taylor Hough Bachelor of Science - Psychology Bachelor of Science - Economics College of Charleston 2006 Master of Health Care Administration University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2011 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy - Higher Education Department of Educational Psychology and Higher Education College of Education The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2019 Copyright 2019 Taylor Hough All Rights Reserved Dissertation Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas March 8, 2019 This dissertation prepared by Taylor Hough entitled Governance Practices of a Private Non-Profit System of Higher Education is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy - Higher Education Department of Educational Psychology and Higher Education Vicki Rosser, Ph.

Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph. Examination Committee Chair Graduate College Dean Nancy Lough, Ed. Examination Committee Member Stefani Relles, Ph. Examination Committee Member John Filler, Ph.

Graduate College Faculty Representative ii Abstract System Governance in higher education has long referred to state level administration of Recent years have shown the development of similar multi-campus systems that remain under private control. Contrary to the for-profit trend seen in American higher education, these new private systems are categorized as non-profit entities that theoretically emphasize the public good of higher education. Furthermore, the growth and expansion of these private non-profit systems transcend state boundaries while pursuing diverse goals. The proposed line of research will seek to answer the following research questions: How does the Touro College and University System fit into the greater higher education enterprise? What policy or environmental considerations are most likely to influence private non-profit system governance? This study employs General systems theory as a theoretical framework in order to appropriately contextualize the governance practices of the private nonprofit system selected in this single case study design.

The higher education ecosystem framework, originally developed for understanding policy influences on public state systems, will be amended and applied to this case with the same goal in mind. An understanding of the practices and perceptions of such system governance will likely inform administrators, faculty, and policymakers as to the rationale for some system behaviors and the sources of influence on such behaviors. iii Acknowledgements There is no shortage of people to thank in this section. Be it colleagues, faculty, family, research participants, or fellow doctoral students, each had their own influence in bringing this study to fruition.

To my dissertation chair, Dr. Vicki Rosser, and my dissertation committee members, Dr. Nancy Lough, Dr. Stefani Relles, and Dr.

John Filler, I thank you first for your patience. This has been a long road made seemingly longer and bumpier by the realities of life. Your support and guidance throughout is entirely appreciated. Rosser, thank you for your time, availability, and most of all, your positivity.

I left every one of our meetings feeling valued and closer to the finish line. Relles, thank you for doing all that you have to prepare me for the demands of qualitative research. Even as I stepped in a few potholes, I was reassured that they were, in fact, supposed to be there. Lough, thank you for your guidance on organizational leadership.

It is always rewarding when classroom theory translates so well to real world experiences. Lastly, to Dr. Filler, thank you for your colorful and direct critiques early in this process. There is no question that your input furthered the development and added rigor to Much ado is often made of the sacrifices doctoral students make in pursuit of their academic interests which I might note is often well deserved.

However, in my experience, much more should be made of the sacrifices and support from their loved ones. I am lucky enough to have enjoyed unwavering support from parents, siblings, a wife, children, and even in-laws. There are no words to artfully describe my gratitude, but please know that this would not have been possible without you. Thank you all! iv Table of Contents Abstract.

iv List of Tables. viii Chapter 1: Overview. 1 Review of Literature. 10 Significance of Study.

12 Definitio of Key Terms. 15 Chapter 2: Literature Review. 16 A Brief History of American Higher Education. 17 Early American Colleges.

18 Rise of Modern American University. 19 Consumerism and the Competitive Marketplace. 22 The Development of System Governance. 25 Control of the University and Shared Governance.

26 The Evolution of Public Systems of Higher Education. 29 Traditional Forms of System Governance. 31 System Governance Research. 35 The Evolution of Governance Models.

35 Governance Practices at Various Institutional Levels. 38 Areas of Specific Focus. 42 Institutional Strategy and Isomorphism. 43 The Convergence of Private nonprofit and for-profit Governance.

45 The Changing Role of Faculty in Governance. 51 General Systems Theory. 51 Higher Education Ecosystem. 55 Ontological and Epistemological Assumptions.

55 Design of Study. 57 Data Collection Procedures. 58 Selection of Participants. 61 Data Analysis Procedures.

63 Connecting to Theory. 64 Credibility and Trustworthiness. 66 Chapter 4: Presentation of Data. 67 Introduction to the Case.

75 How does the Touro College and University System fit into the greater higher education enterprise?. 76 What policy or environmental considerations are most likely to influence private non-profit system governance?. 113 Summary of Findings. 118 Overview of Study.

122 Implications for Theory. 125 Recommendations for Future Research. 126 vi Credibility and Trustworthiness. 130 Appendix A: Interview Protocol for Faculty.

130 Appendix B: Interview Protocol for Administrators. 131 Appendix C: Recruitment Email. 132 Appendix D: Informed Consent Information Sheet. 140 vii List of Tables Table 1: Participant Selection and Rationale.

60 Table 2: Interview Questions. 62 Table 3: Multistate and Multi-campus Osteopathic Medical Schools. 78 viii Chapter 1: Overview Introduction At its core, American Higher Education exists at the intersection of a milieu of state, federal, third party, and self-imposed policies. The diverse, swirling, and ever-changing interests that influence American higher education are themselves subject to the passing whims of broader social, economic, and political actors.

Simply stated, the following study is an investigation into how these influences translate into institutional action at a novel, but increasingly prevalent system type in American higher education, the private non-profit system. Common practice in higher education systems research tends to focus its energies on the hallmarks of our national system, large public state systems and the private elite research universities. It would be difficult to categorize these efforts as misdirected since the vast majority of students enroll in institutions that are part of larger state systems, and considerable federal governmental support in the form of research grants is regularly absorbed by the elite private institutions (Lane, 2013). However, the opportunity to investigate a burgeoning system type in the private sector that adheres to non-profit principles and transcends the confines of state and local regulations may provide meaningful context into our scholarly understanding of the American higher education system as a whole.

Review of Literature As stated above, the trend in governance research focuses on the dominant institutions and systems in America, the public state system and elite private research universities. In the absence of literature specific to the system type at the focus of this study much may still be gleaned in review of current literature pertaining to system governance. Such a review has elicited four major findings that inform our understanding of the case at hand. First, the current 1 state of higher education in America is not a result of intelligent human design and planning, but more so the result of centuries of social, economic, and political evolution.

Secondly, governance in practice is a balance of varied, diverse, and oftentimes conflicting interests. Third, higher education systems and their governance are intentional, and are intended to provide benefits to member institutions as well as society at large. Lastly, governance practices are changing across all kinds of institutional types and at multiple levels. In summarizing centuries of institutional evolution in higher education, much of the meaningful nuance and context is lost for the benefit of brevity.

Nevertheless, even the briefest review of the historical underpinnings of American higher education provide considerable insight into many of the current structures and processes we see today. Of considerable importance, higher education has always filled a peculiar role in American society in a space that tended to bridge governmental authority with that of the church. Even as religious influence and support for higher education began to wane, institutions of higher education have held firm and fought to preserve this unique niche even in the face of vast amounts of governmental support. Trends in the amount and form of governmental support for higher education have shifted over time.

During the first century of nationhood, American higher education was mostly comprised of privately held institutions supported by religious entities. The Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890 began the steady transition to and federal support of state sponsored higher education. In the wake of the great depression and the 2nd world war, federal investment in higher education taking the form of the National Youth Administration fund and the GI Bill would provide for the college education of nearly three million students (Goodchild, 2002). In 1947, Truman authorized 2 American Democracy, informally known as the Truman Commission.

The commission recommended sizeable increases in federal funding and the expansion of the existing junior colleges into the current system of community colleges we see today (Goodchild, 2002). Consequently, federal policy has since become a major driver of university actions, much to delight or dismay of those it employs and serves. Challenges in governance are not merely dictated by state and federal policies however. Through the Higher Education Act of 1965, the federal government fundamentally shifted the way it provided funding to American colleges and universities.

While the practices of making federal monies available for grants and research funding remained, the creation of federal student aid programs shifted the locus of control of vast sums of federal funding from bureaucrats to students (Goodchild, 2002). The resulting governance landscape that administrators are now asked to navigate may now include state lawmakers, federal policy, student preferences (however whimsical), and a cadre of conflicting societal goals for higher education such as democratic equality, social efficiency, or social mobility (Labaree, 1997). The resulting governance actions of Americ higher education institutions may be viewed as an effort to balance the multiple demands of various stakeholders with the vision and mission specific to their institution. As the study of higher education has evolved, so have the themes, methodologies, and lenses employed in its studies.

Initial studies described higher education governance in three predominant ways, the rational bureaucratic model, the collegial model, and the political model (Baldridge 1971).