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Thursday, November 5, 2015

University rankings wield immense influence over Higher Ed and society at large – with positive and perverse effects.

In a time of growing demand for and on higher education, 
Ellen Hazelkorn finds their crude simplicity is what makes rankings so infectious. Yet, quality is a complex concept. Most of the indicators used are effectively measures of socio-economic advantage, and privilege the most resource-intensive institutions and-or countries. In response and reaction to the limited nature of rankings, alternative methodologies and new formats have emerged.

After a decade, it’s clear that rankings have, controversially, fired a shot across the bow of higher education and their host governments. They may have started out being about informing student choice but, in today’s highly globalised and competitive world, they have become much more about geo-political factors for nations and higher education institutions.

From: LSE The Impact Blog, April 11th 2014

Monday, September 21, 2015

Human Development

Promoting the use of the Journal 'Human Development' by Rhodes University students and staff!!
Click on link, or title search 'Human Development' via SEARCH ALL on the RUL Homepage

Founded: 1958
 Current editor: L. Nucci, Berkeley, California
More info at KARGER

Publishes in-depth conceptual articles, commentaries, and essay book reviews that advance our understanding of developmental phenomena. Contributions from developmental psychology, and other disciplines including anthropology, biology, education, history, philosophy, psychology and sociology.


Monday, May 4, 2015

Yes or No to a Career in the Humanities ???

Majoring In The Humanities Does Pay Off, Just Later

From: Susan Adams, Forbes Staff, 22/1/2014
Majoring in the humanities seems like a bad idea these days. Employers don’t want to hire you, we hear, and when they do, they pay poorly (I’ve written three stories saying as much in the last two weeks). But a new study out today gives hope to liberal arts graduates.  ...But at least humanities graduates hold their own.

Liberal Arts Grads Win Long-Term

From: Allie Grasgreen, 22/1/2014
reporting on the US report  “How Liberal Arts and Sciences Majors Fare in Employment,”

Employers consistently say they want to hire people who have a broad knowledge base and can work together to solve problems, debate, communicate and think critically, the report notes – all skills that liberal arts programs aggressively, and perhaps uniquely, strive to teach.


 From: Dispatches from Drury's Humanities Division
 One fact about the Humanities that is well acknowledged is that studying it leads to personal satisfaction...Does this personal satisfaction come at a practical cost? Some will have you believe that students interested in the Humanities must choose between personal or economic satisfaction. Thankfully, the data does not support this re a recent study commissioned by the Academy of the Arts and Sciences (AAS) collected data on available jobs.

Salaries in the Humanities

From: Dispatches from Drury's Humanities Division

In addition to discussion about unemployment rates, it is important for people to have a good idea of the salary implications of majoring in the Humanities. Now, remember, here we are talking about only majoring in the Humanities. Double majoring in a Humanities field and in a non-Humanities field combines the power of the skill sets for both sides. Here, however, we focus just on single majors.
Humanities majors do well! On average they do make less than their non-Humanities counterparts, but not much less. In fact, particular Humanities fields, such as philosophy, history, and marketing, earn more at mid-career than the non-Humanities average. Additionally, philosophy majors (along with physics majors) see the largest start to mid-career salary boost – a whopping 104.5% increase over that period re the latest Georgetown study


Tuesday, March 31, 2015

How Articles Get Noticed and Advance the Scientific Conversation

Gozde Ozakinci, a lecturer at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, offers an exemplary use of Twitter in a research workflow.
I dip in and out during the day and each time I have a nugget of information that I find useful. I feel that with Twitter, my academic world expanded to include many colleagues I wouldn’t otherwise meet. … The information shared on Twitter is so much more current than you would find on journals or conferences.
The good news is you’ve published your manuscript! The bad news? With two million other new research articles likely to be published this year, you face steep competition for readers, downloads, citations and media attention — even if only 10% of those two million papers are in your discipline.

So, how can you get your paper noticed and advance the scientific conversation? 
One word: Tweet.

From: Victoria Costello, March 30 2015, on PLOS Blogs,              blogs.plos.org/plos

Monday, March 9, 2015

Current Database Trials for RU Humanities


1.

Palgrave Macmillan Journals

Palgrave Macmillan is a global academic publisher for scholarship, research and professional learning. Palgrave Macmillan publishes monographs, journals, reference works and professional titles, online and in print. With a focus on humanities and social sciences, Palgrave Macmillan offers authors and readers the very best in academic content whilst also supporting the community with innovative new formats and tools.
Free Trial Access to Rhodes Users from 02 March to 31st March 2015.

 2.

Apartheid South Africa 1948-1980


Apartheid South Africa makes available British government files from the Foreign, Colonial, Dominion and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices spanning the period 1948 to 1980.  The launch of apartheid policies by the National Party in 1948 heralded 40 years of legally entrenched white dominance over South African politics, society and business. Punitive restrictions placed on travel, education, work and political activism instigated the formation of organisations such as the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), saw support increase for the Communist Party and fueled the growth of international anti-apartheid organisations.  These previously restricted letters, diplomatic dispatches, reports, trial papers, activists’ biographies and first-hand accounts of events give unprecedented access to the history of South Africa’s apartheid regime. The files explore the relationship of the international community with South Africa and chart increasing civil unrest against a backdrop of waning colonialism in Africa and mounting world condemnation.  This resource is in three sections: 1948-1966, 1967-1975 and 1976-1980.
******PLEASE NOTE THAT DOWNLOAD OPTIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE DURING TRIALS******
Free Trial Access to Rhodes Users from 06 March 2015 to 01 April 2015