HEA 520 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric Overview

HEA 520 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of a research
paper.
The landscape of higher education is constantly changing to
respond to internal and external factors such as shifting
demographics, federal and state government
regulations, state funding, educational system changes, and
costs. These factors produce both planned and unplanned
changes in the higher education
organization, which, in turn, impact students, employees, and
organizational health. To be effective leaders, higher education
administrators must be astute in
recognizing, naming, planning for, and responding to these
changes that impact the sociotechnical, structural, and cultural
systems of university organizations.
For the final project, you will create a research paper on a
contemporary national issue addressing the current shifts and
changing role of higher education in the
twenty-first century. You will analyze the historical and current
impact of the issue and associated trend on higher education
institutions, using empirical data to
illustrate how and why the trend impacts higher education
institutions now and in the future. You will conclude your
research paper by reflecting on the impact
of the issue on your personal educational and professional
experiences and pursuits.

The project is divided into three milestones, which will be
submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold
learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules
Two, Four, and Six. The final submission will be due in Module
Nine.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the
following course outcomes:
of higher education through the use of empirical data
improve achievement amongst underrepresented students in
higher education institutions
influencing higher education and educational institutions’
missions, visions, and goals
emporary issues influencing the
field of higher education on decision-making trends in higher
education institutions
issues on twenty-first-century students and professionals in the
field of higher education
Prompt
Your research paper should answer the following prompt: You
will begin your project by selecting a contemporary issue that is
addressing current shifts and the

changing role of higher education in the twenty-first century.
Specifically, you must select an issue that is influencing
technological trends in the field. Your
instructor can assist you in your selection of an issue. Once you
select an issue, you will analyze the evolution of the issue and
its modern impact on higher
education institutions. To analyze the modern impact of the
issue on higher education institutions, you will use a sample of
institutions. You will create this
sample by randomly selecting higher education institutions
across the nation to study. You will then base your analysis on
this sample, drawing conclusions about
the trends in the institutions and the impact on the institutions
as a whole. To conclude your research paper, you will narrow
your focus of the issue to reflect on
the personal impact, thinking about your student and/or
professional experiences in higher education.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Historical Analysis: To begin, you will analyze the evolution
of your selected issue and associated trend.
a) Describe your selected national issue influencing the field of
higher education and the trend associated with the issue.
b) Analyze how the selected national issue has evolved
throughout history, identifying key influential factors and
events and supporting your
analysis with evidence.
c) Analyze how the associated trend has evolved throughout
history, identifying key influential factors and events and

supporting your analysis
with evidence.
II. Institutional Impact: In this section, you will analyze the
institutional impact of your selected issue using a sample of
higher education institutions. You
will create a sample by selecting higher education institutions
across the nation, identify themes throughout the sample, and
analyze the impact of the
issue on this sample to inform your conclusions.
a) Describe common themes in the missions, visions, and goals
of the institutions and explain how the identified issue impacts
each institution’s
ability to deliver on its mission, vision, and goals.
b) Describe the relevant state and federal policies that impact
the missions, visions, and goals of the institutions with respect
to the issue and
describe the impact of these policies.
c) Describe the role of technology in the institutions in relation
to the issue. Support your description with evidence. For
example, is technology
used to assist in curriculum delivery or student access?
d) Define the student demographics in your selected sample of
higher education institutions. Specifically, what groups are
underrepresented, and
how does this compare to national trends?
e) How can technology be used to improve student achievement
for the previously identified underrepresented students? You
might consider

technology as a tool to deliver curriculum.
f) Determine the impact of the issue on program offerings. What
assumptions are you making about the institutions’ decision-
making processes?
Support your conclusions with evidence. For example, has the
issue influenced institutions to offer specific programs?
g) Determine the impact of the issue on funding. What
making processes? Support
your conclusions with evidence. For example, has the issue
influenced institutions to enact new policies around funding, or
have sources of
funding changed?
h) Determine the impact of the issue on student outreach. What
making processes?
Support your conclusions with evidence. For example, has the
issue influenced institutions to organize specific student
activities or outreach
strategies?
III. Conclusion: Now that you have analyzed the impact of the
issue on the field of higher education, you will reflect on the
impact of the issue on your
student and/or professional experience.
a) Explain how your selected issue has personally impacted you
as a student and/or professional in the field of higher education.
For example, as a
student, the issue may have impacted your access to education
or the delivery of curriculum, or as a professional, the issue

may have impacted
your ability to fund your specific programs.
b) Describe how you might attempt to address the issue if you
were a high-ranking professional in a higher education
institution, explaining your
rationale. Consider state and federal regulations that may
impact your decision making.
c) Analyze the mission, vision, and goals of an institution where
you have experience, either as a student or employee, for how
the institution
addresses your selected contemporary issue. For example, are
there gaps among the mission, vision, and goals and the selected
issue?
d) Based on your analysis, predict the future direction of the
issue and its impact on you, either as an aspiring professional in
the field of higher
education or a professional currently in the field. For example,
how might the issue continue to evolve, and how will this
impact your
professional pursuits?
Milestones
Milestone One: Timeline
In Module Two, you will submit a visual timeline illustrating
the evolution of your selected issue and associated trend. This
timeline should show the progression
of a contemporary issue from its origin to its current state,
illustrating all the watershed events that led to the issue’s
current state. Be sure to provide enough

explanation within the timeline so the audience can follow the
information from beginning to end. This milestone will be
graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Presentation
In Module Four, you will submit a presentation about the
relevant state and federal policies that impact the missions,
visions, and goals of the sample
institutions you have chosen, with respect to the issue. Also,
describe the impact of these policies on the sample institutions.
You may use any type of software
application to create your presentation, such as Microsoft
PowerPoint or Prezi. This milestone will be graded with the
Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Article Analysis on Technology in Curriculum
and Teaching
In Module Six, you will submit an article analysis. Critically
analyze a research article that focuses on your chosen
contemporary higher education issue related to
technology in curriculum and teaching. Determine the impact of
the issue on student outreach. Additionally, discuss how
technology can be used to improve
student achievement for underrepresented students.
The research article must be taken from one of the following
top-tier, peer-reviewed journals: Research in Higher Education,
Review of Higher Education, Journal
of Higher Education, or Peabody Journal of Education and
Teaching. An article analysis is the basic format of a literature
review for a single article. Select an
article from top-tier, peer-reviewed journals and discuss the
type of research, the research question, and the strengths and
weaknesses of the article’s impact on
the subject. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone
Three Rubric.

Final Submission: Research Paper
In Module Nine, you will submit your research paper. It should
be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical
elements of the final product. It
should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout
the course. This submission will be graded with the Final
Product Rubric.
Deliverables
Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading
One Timeline Two Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric
Two Presentation Four Graded separately; Milestone Two
Rubric
Three Article Analysis on Technology in
Curriculum and Teaching
Six Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric
Final Submission: Research Paper Nine Graded separately;
Final Project Rubric
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your research paper must be 6–8
pages in length and must adhere to standard formatting (Times
New Roman, 12-point font, one-

inch margins), using the most recent version of the APA style
manual for citations.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs
Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Historical Analysis:
Issue
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
description demonstrates keen
insight into the issue and
associated trend
Describes the selected national
issue influencing the field of
higher education and the trend
associated with the issue
Describes the selected national
issue influencing the field of
higher education and the trend
associated with the issue but
with gaps in detail or accuracy
Does not describe the selected
national issue influencing the
field of higher education and
the trend associated with the
issue
6.3
National Issue

Evolved
demonstrates keen insight into
analyzing the evolution of the
issue through the use of
evidence
Analyzes how the selected
national issue has evolved
throughout history, identifying
key influential factors and
events, supporting analysis with
evidence
Analyzes how the selected
national issue has evolved
throughout history, identifying
key influential factors and
events, supporting analysis with
evidence, but with gaps in
detail, accuracy, or support
Does not analyze how the
selected national issue has
evolved throughout history
6.3
Trend Evolved
analyzing the evolution of the

trend influencing higher
education through the use of
evidence
Analyzes how the associated
trend has evolved throughout
history, identifying key
influential factors and events,
supporting analysis with
evidence
Analyzes how the associated
trend has evolved throughout
history, identifying key
influential factors and events,
supporting analysis with
Does not analyze how the
associated trend has evolved
throughout history
6.4
Institutional
Impact: Missions,
Visions, and Goals
how issue impacts an
institution’s ability to deliver on

its mission, vision, and goals
Describes the common themes
in the missions, visions, and
goals of the institutions and
explains how the identified
issue impacts an institution’s
ability to deliver on its mission,
vision, and goals
Describes the common themes
in the missions, visions, and
goals of the institutions and
explains how the identified
issue impacts an institution’s
ability to deliver on its mission,
vision, and goals but with gaps
in detail or accuracy
Does not describe the common
themes in the missions, visions,
and goals of the institutions and
does not explain how the
identified issue impacts an
institution’s ability to deliver on
its mission, vision, and goals
6.3
Institutional
Impact: State and
Federal Policies

how the relevant institutional,
state, and federal policies guide
the institutions in managing the
identified issue
Describes the relevant state and
federal policies that impact the
missions, visions, and goals of
the institutions with respect to
the issue and describes the
impact of these policies
Describes the relevant state and
federal policies that impact the
missions, visions, and goals of
the institutions with respect to
the issue and describes the
impact of these policies but
with gaps in detail or accuracy
Does not describe the relevant
state and federal policies that
impact the missions, visions,
and goals of the institutions
with respect to the issue and
does not describe the impact of
these policies
6.3
Institutional
Impact: Role of
Technology

the role of technology in higher
education in relation to the
issue
Describes the role of technology
in the institutions in relation to
the current issue, supporting
with evidence
Describes the role of technology
in the institutions in relation to
the current issue, supporting
with evidence, but with gaps in
Does not describe the role of
technology in the institutions in
relation to the current issue
6.3
Institutional
Impact: Student
Demographics
how the underrepresented
groups at an institution
compare with national trends
Defines the student
demographics in the sample of
institutions, identifying the
underrepresented groups, and

explains how these groups
compare to national trends
Defines the student
explains how these groups
compare to national trends but
with gaps in detail, accuracy, or
logic
Does not define the student
does not explain how these
groups compare to national
trends
6.3
Institutional
Impact: Technology
to Improve
how technology can be used to
improve student achievement
for underrepresented students
Describes how technology can
be used to improve student
achievement for the identified

underrepresented students
Describes how technology can
be used to improve student
achievement for the identified
underrepresented students but
with gaps in detail or logic
Does not describe how
technology can be used to
improve student achievement
for the identified
underrepresented students
6.4
Institutional
Impact: Program
Offerings
the impact of contemporary
issues on higher education
program offerings
Determines the impact of the
issue on program offerings,
outlining assumptions made
about the decision-making
process and supporting
conclusions with evidence

issue on program offerings,
conclusions with evidence but
support
Does not determine the impact
of the issue on program
offerings
6.3
Institutional
Impact: Funding
funding
issue on funding, outlining
assumptions made about the
decision-making process and
supporting conclusions with
evidence
issue on funding, outlining
assumptions made about the
decision-making process and

supporting conclusions with
of the issue on funding
6.3
Institutional
Impact: Student
Outreach
student outreach
issue on student outreach,
conclusions with evidence
issue on student outreach,
conclusions with evidence, but
support

of the issue on student
outreach
6.4
Conclusion:
Impacted You
how the issue personally
impacts students and/or
professionals in the field of
higher education
Explains how the selected issue
has had personal impact as a
student and/or professional in
the field of higher education
Explains how the selected issue
has had personal impact as a
student and/or professional in
the field of higher education
but with gaps in detail or logic
Does not explain how the
selected issue has had personal
impact as a student and/or
professional in the field of
higher education
6.3
Conclusion:

Address the Issue
how the issue might be
addressed in a higher education
institution
Describes how one might
attempt to address the issue if
one were a high-ranking
individual in a higher education
institution, explaining the
rationale
Describes how one might
attempt to address the issue if
one were a high-ranking
institution, explaining the
rationale, but with gaps in
detail, logic, or support
Does not describe how one
might attempt to address the
issue if one were a high-ranking
institution
6.3
Conclusion:
Mission, Vision,

and Goals
the relationship between an
institution’s mission, vision, and
goals and contemporary issues
in higher education
Analyzes the mission, vision,
and goals of an institution
where one has experience
either as a student or employee
for how the institution
addresses the selected
contemporary issue
Analyzes the mission, vision,
and goals of an institution
where one has experience
either as a student or employee
for how the institution
addresses the selected
contemporary issue but with
gaps in detail or logic
Does not analyze the mission,
vision, and goals of an
institution where one has
experience either as a student
or employee for how the
institution addresses the
selected contemporary issue
6.4

Conclusion: Future
Direction
the potential future direction of
the issue and its impact on
professionals in the field of
higher education
Predicts the future direction of
the issue and its impact on the
aspiring professional in the field
of higher education or a
professional currently in the
field, based on the previous
analysis
Predicts the future direction of
the issue and its impact on the
aspiring professional in the field
of higher education or a
field but with gaps in detail or
logic or prediction is not based
on the previous analysis
Does not predict the future
direction of the issue and its
impact on the aspiring
professional in the field of
higher education or a
field

6.4
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented in
a professional and easy-to-read
format
Submission has no major errors
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas
Submission has critical errors
that prevent understanding of
ideas
5
Total 100%

Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Case Study
The patient is an 11-year-old girl who has been complaining of
intermittent right lower
quadrant pain and diarrhea for the past year. She is small for her
age. Her physical
examination indicates some mild right lower quadrant
tenderness and fullness.
Studies Results
Hemoglobin (Hgb), 8.6 g/dL (normal: >12 g/dL)
Hematocrit (Hct), 28% (normal: 31%-43%)
Vitamin B12 level, 68 pg/mL (normal: 100-700 pg/mL)
Meckel scan, No evidence of Meckel diverticulum
D-Xylose absorption, 60 min: 8 mg/dL (normal: >15-20 mg/dL)
120 min: 6 mg/dL (normal: >20 mg/dL)
Lactose tolerance, No change in glucose level (normal: >20
mg/dL rise in

glucose)
Small bowel series, Constriction of multiple segments of the
small intestine
Diagnostic Analysis
The child's small bowel series is compatible with Crohn disease
of the small intestine.
Intestinal absorption is diminished, as indicated by the
abnormal D-xylose and lactose
tolerance tests. Absorption is so bad that she cannot absorb
vitamin B12. As a result, she has
vitamin B12 deficiency anemia. She was placed on an
aggressive immunosuppressive
regimen, and her condition improved significantly.
Unfortunately, 2 years later she
experienced unremitting obstructive symptoms and required
surgery. One year after surgery,
her gastrointestinal function was normal, and her anemia had
resolved. Her growth status
matched her age group. Her absorption tests were normal, as
were her B12 levels. Her
immunosuppressive drugs were discontinued, and she is doing
well.

Critical Thinking Questions
1. Why was this patient placed on immunosuppressive therapy?
2. Why was the Meckel scan ordered for this patient?
3. What are the clinical differences and treatment options for
Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s
Disease? (always on boards)
4. What is prognosis for patients with IBD and what are the
follow up recommendations for
managing disease?
Urinary Obstruction
Case Studies
The 57-year-old patient noted urinary hesitancy and a decrease
in the force of his urinary
stream for several months. Both had progressively become
worse. His physical examination
was essentially negative except for an enlarged prostate, which
was bulky and soft.
Studies Results

Routine laboratory studies Within normal limits (WNL)
Intravenous pyelogram (IVP) Mild indentation of the interior
aspect of the bladder,
indicating an enlarged prostate
Uroflowmetry with total voided
flow of 225 mL
8 mL/sec (normal: >12 mL/sec)
Cystometry Resting bladder pressure: 35 cm H2O (normal: <40
cm H2O)
Peak bladder pressure: 50 cm H2O (normal: 40-90 cm H2O)
Electromyography of the pelvic
sphincter muscle
Normal resting bladder with a positive tonus limb
Cystoscopy Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)
Prostatic acid phosphatase
(PAP)
0.5 units/L (normal: 0.11-0.60 units/L)
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) 1.0 ng/mL (normal: <4 ng/mL)
Prostate ultrasound Diffusely enlarged prostate; no localized

tumor
Diagnostic Analysis
Because of the patient’s symptoms, bladder outlet obstruction
was highly suspected. Physical
examination indicated an enlarged prostate. IVP studies
corroborated that finding. The
reduced urine flow rate indicated an obstruction distal to the
urinary bladder. Because the
patient was found to have a normal total voided volume, one
could not say that the reduced
flow rate was the result of an inadequately distended bladder.
Rather, the bladder was
appropriately distended, yet the flow rate was decreased. This
indicated outlet obstruction.
The cystogram indicated that the bladder was capable of
mounting an effective pressure and
was not an atonic bladder compatible with neurologic disease.
The tonus limb again
indicated the bladder was able to contract. The peak bladder
pressure of 50 cm H2O was
normal, again indicating appropriate muscular function of the
bladder. Based on these

studies, the patient was diagnosed with a urinary outlet
obstruction. The PAP and PSA
indicated benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The ultrasound
supported that diagnosis.
Cystoscopy documented that finding, and the patient was
appropriately treated by
transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). This patient did
well postoperatively and had
no major problems.
Critical Thinking Questions
1. Does BPH predispose this patient to cancer?
2. Why are patients with BPH at increased risk for urinary tract
infections?
3. What would you expect the patient’s PSA level to be after
surgery?
4. What is the recommended screening guidelines and treatment
for BPH?
5. What are some alternative treatments / natural homeopathic
options for treatment?

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