Academic Staff Views of Higher Education Quality in Somaliland A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA By Thomas J. Jones IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Advisor: Deanne L. Magnusson November 2014 © Thomas J. Jones 2014 Acknowledgements King Solomon said, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings” (Book of Proverbs 25:2, New International Version) I have felt surrounded by royalty throughout the educational and research process of completing this thesis, searching out the hidden things of this world. I’m very thankful for the advisors and teachers who have guided me through my studies. Foremost has been the care shown me by my advisor, Deanne Magnusson. Her ability to juggle a host of students, to be available, to communicate over the vast distances that separate us, and to impart a clear vision for the work has been crucial to my success. I must also acknowledge Gerald Fry, David Chapman, David Arendale, and Darwin Hendel for their input into my research and their faithful scholarship. I cannot forget Dr. Fry’s input in Toronto when my study was hanging by a thread. I cannot forget Dr. Chapman’s wisdom in streamlining my study, my life situation, and my work responsibilities. I cannot forget Dr. Hendel’s clarity on my research methods and updates on literature relevant to my topic. I cannot forget Dr. Arendale for participating on my committee even while on sabbatical. Then, I need to acknowledge those who have sacrificed for the sake of Somaliland higher education. I cannot forget Dr. Kenidid, Dr. Gaas, Dr. Suliman, Mr. Ahmed Bogore, Mr. Cadnan, Mr. Ihsan, and the lecturers and administrators in Somaliland who graciously hosted me. I cannot forget the Dilworth, Sugimoto, and Decker families who provided their insights on higher education, opened their homes to me, chauffeured me, and provided a sense of security. They are my heroes. i Finally, I have to acknowledge my faithful, beautiful wife. You prayed I would get a doctorate before I even applied for graduate school. Your love, encouragements, proofreading, and partnership with me in this cannot be overstated. You’re my queen. ii Dedication I dedicate this thesis to Annalena Tonelli and Dick and Enid Eyeington who sacrificed their lives in Somaliland to educate the peoples of the Horn of Africa. iii Abstract Academic quality in ‘peripheral’ universities in sub-Saharan Africa is a critical issue for international higher education development. The purpose of this study is to determine academic views of institutional quality in the Republic of Somaliland, to understand the purpose and framework for measuring quality in their system. Significant enrollment growth, new institutional formation, private higher education expansion, and very limited public resources define a region like Somaliland. Though growing equity of access for students is suggested, system growth in a context of limited resources raises significant questions regarding institutional quality and academic intensification. A congruent, mixed-method of surveys (N = 166) and interviews (37) are used to determine academic viewpoints at three sample institutions: University of Hargeisa, Amoud University, and Admas University College. From these data, academic staff in Somaliland mostly define institutional quality according to the foundational purposes of maintaining civil peace through youth engagement and economic development through human capital training. Academic staff agreed that the overall qualification and training of lecturers was a limiting factor for higher education quality. Due to human resource flight during the civil war of the late 1980s-90s and significant growth of the higher education sector, lecturers are under qualified compared to international and regional standards; only 4% hold a doctoral qualification. Consistent with this result, academic staff view the number of professors with doctoral degrees as the most important indicator of quality in higher education. Though, as is shown in qualitative interviews, phenomena related to students (post-graduate employment, enrollment, and performance on international exams) are also important indicators of institutional success. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................i Dedication .........................................................................................................................iii Abstract ..............................................................................................................................iv List of tables .......................................................................................................................x List of figures ....................................................................................................................xii List of abbreviations .........................................................................................................xiii Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................................1 Problem statement ...................................................................................................1 Statement of study purpose and research questions ................................................3 Theoretical framework ............................................................................................4 Definition of key terms ...........................................................................................9 Importance of the Horn of Africa for this study ...................................................10 Researcher’s positionality .....................................................................................13 Summary ...............................................................................................................14 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................15 Quality in SSA Higher Education .........................................................................17 World class universities ...........................................................................18 Abundance of resources ................................................................19 Accumulation of talent ..................................................................24 Favorable governance ..................................................................26 Diversification ...........................................................................................28 Ranking systems and league tables ...........................................................30 v Quality assurance ......................................................................................34 Summary ...................................................................................................35 Economic Responses to Massification in Higher Education in LEDCs ...............35 Rate of return ............................................................................................35 Balancing economic and social benefits ...................................................37 The market and the professoriate ..............................................................40 ‘Marketized’ higher education critics ........................................................41 Summary ...................................................................................................47 The Academic Profession in SSA .........................................................................48 Cross-national studies ...............................................................................49 Carnegie foundation study ...........................................................51 Changing Academic Profession ....................................................52 Paying the professoriate ...............................................................55 Center for Higher Education Transformation ..............................57 Internationalization ...................................................................................59 Identity, attitudes, and values ....................................................................61 Conclusion .............................................................................................................62 Chapter 3: Methodology and Methods .............................................................................64 Research Context ..................................................................................................64 Pre-colonial education ..............................................................................65 Colonial education ....................................................................................66 Post-colonial education .............................................................................67 Current situation .......................................................................................68 vi Research Methodology Rationale .........................................................................72 Methods .................................................................................................................74 Authorizations ...........................................................................................75 Sampling strategies ...................................................................................76