Higher Education Administration Practicum

Course Description

The primary purpose of the course is to link the theoretical and philosophical frameworks of higher education administration to practice in the field. The course requires students to perform in field settings as an assistant to an organizational leader.

Master's Degree in Higher Education Administration Learning Outcomes

The following student learning outcomes apply to all tracks of the HEA program:

1. Students will research the governance structures, departmental functions, and leadership roles in the context of higher education, synthesize the intersection among these foundational components, and describe their syntheses in written reports/course assignments.
2. Students will construct a personal philosophy of leadership in higher education, incorporating tenets of culturally responsive leadership as demonstrated in written reports/course assignments and in class discussions/group activities.
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to apply effective leadership practices by solving hypothetical, yet realistic, problems that are unique to higher education.
4. Students will investigate the current research in the field of higher education and explain how these theories inform their work.

CAS-Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education

CAS presents the following student learning and development outcomes in six broad categories called domains. These domains are embedded within the assignments and are noted at the conclusion of each assignment for the course:

1. Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration and application
2. Cognitive complexity
3. Intrapersonal development
4. Interpersonal competence
5. Humanitarianism and civic engagement
6. Practical competence

Practicum Portfolio/Experience:

The course requires a minimum of 100 hours of field experience for each 3 credit hours of coursework at one location. It is the student's responsibility to choose the location and obtain the approval of the supervisor for each location to work with them. The supervisor needs to have a master's degree to supervise the Practicum. The student needs to copy the agreement form that is in our online course via Canvas and seek the signature for these forms. The student also needs to provide the on-site supervisor with a final evaluation document which is to be completed by the supervisor and mailed directly by the supervisor to the UNF Ed Leadership Office. These details are included on the forms.

In addition to the actual hours the student will spend at the location there are assignments that are part of the course to be completed and these are outlined in the syllabus. The final project is the Practicum Portfolio and students will post all assignments to Canvas, our course platform, but will also include these assignments in a hard copy as part of the final Practicum Portfolio. The Practicum Portfolio is due at the end of the course and will include the Practicum Plan Agreement and all other Assignments of the course including the documents: Practicum Log documenting hours of field experience, Practicum Major Project, Practicum Weekly Journal, and Summary Report. Students are expected to maintain all documents as part of the Practicum Plan and submit those to the instructor as a Practicum Portfolio at the conclusion of the course.