Design and development of three matrix models of administrative structures of international education in land-grant universities

Abstract

<p>The purpose of the study was to investigate the mission of teaching, research and service in the matrix organizational structure of international education in six selected land-grant universities. The study included a synthesis of the historical academic activities of international education, the applicable theory of organizational structure and the characteristics of the university organization as a matrix perspective of the principles and practice of international education in the United States;The universities selected for this study have designated administrators responsible for coordinating international education. They have visible international offices with defined responsibilities in their structure. These universities were Oregon State, Washington State, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, University of Idaho and University of Nebraska. They were representative of the identified criteria; however, they did not constitute a representative sample of international education structure as private and parochial colleges were not sampled;The study analyzed the original documentation provided through the institutional mission or other supplied documents. A matrix instrument was developed for collecting the research data. This instrument was comprised of three university missions, ten elements for each of the domains, and four hundred fifty-eight taxonomies of international education;The matrix models developed were centralized, decentralized and coalition administrative structures of international education. The matrix centralized, coalition and decentralization models provide choices and alternatives to institutional administrators which can be accomplished in part during the evolutionary stages of their international development. The research exercise went through an analytical matrix study of six land-grant universities which helped to quantify and identify the wide array of elements, taxonomies and activities carried out in those universities. The exercise was the act of introducing the researcher to international education through matrix model and structural construction in the field of higher education.</p>