Assignment:
Create a response to each thread of at least 400 words, and support your assertions with a minimum of 2 citations in current APA format.
Thread 1:
Christianity was a key driving force in the development of universities in Colonial America. The British settlers placed a high value on education, and are credited with the creation of institutions for higher education in America. Many of today's public universities were started by religious denominations. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton were founded by Congregationalists and Puritans between 1636 - 1702. Yale was started by a clergyman and Princeton's first year of class was taught by Reverend Jonathan Dickinson. Princeton's crest still says, ‘Del sub numineviget' which is Latin for ‘Under God she flourishes' which presents a present day conundrum - "How did our oldest and most prestigious universities become so far removed from their religious and biblical heritage?"
Regarding religious freedom on college and university campuses today, educational leaders across the academic continuum are best served by learning to think critically when addressing issues such as; Do Institutions of higher learning have a part to play in supporting students' religion and spirituality? If so, how can campuses nourish these aspects of students' lives without undermining such core values as diversity and religious freedom? Please share your views regarding the current state of religious tolerance on campuses today, and more specifically, weather institutions should even be taking a position on this topic.
Thread 2:
Governance in higher education has been defined as the structure and processes of complex decision-making. In today's business environment, many institutions of higher learning are attempting to redefine and update their approaches to governance. Describe today's university or college's governance culture and some of the organizational constraints they typically operate under.
Thread 3:
Effectively leading an organization is the daily challenge of every administrator. When questioned about the differences between leadership and management, many in the field of academia will shy away from separating the two. This is because organizational effectiveness is dependent upon both capabilities in its administrators. Discuss your concept of a successful leader/administrator.