1. What if Universities Started Collaborating More and Competing Less? An Approach for Statewide Shared Responsibility for STEM Teacher Education
- Author
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Cathleen Kim, Emily Borda, Edward Geary, Jennifer Sorensen, Jennifer M. Dechaine, José Rios, Kathryn Baldwin, Julie Antilla-Garza, Ann McMahon, Tamara Holmlund, and John McNamara
- Abstract
Colleges and universities compete for students, faculty, research dollars, and status. Coupled with competitive and siloed models of higher education, there are few incentives for institutions to invest in collaborations with each other. However, the authors argue that it is often more effective to address the complex and persistent challenges faced by many institutions through collaboration rather than competition. Further, in cases where the missions and goals of institutions of higher education have a high degree of overlap with state-level goals and policies, statewide collaborations can provide fruitful venues for making collective progress toward those goals. In Washington State, the authors developed a statewide collaboration to improve the recruitment, preparation, and graduation of future STEM teachers. This project, called the Next Generation of Teacher Preparation in Washington State (NextGen-WA), promoted collaboration across and within institutions while driving improvement specific to the needs, contexts, constraints, and opportunities of each institution and program. In this article, the authors describe their collaboration, how it evolved, and the lessons learned, which can inform others seeking to address complex problems in higher education through collaboration.
- Published
- 2024
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