Partnerships with Business and the Professions. 1981 Current Issues in Higher Education, No. 3.

Overview & Synopsis

Perspectives on cooperative programs between higher education and business and professional associations are presented in three papers. In "New Frontiers for Higher Education: Business and Professions," K. Patricia Cross traces three alternatives for higher education in its relationships with other adult education providers: parallel operations, competition, or cooperation. Presently there are degree-granting corporation programs that accept nonemployees as students and inservice programs of industrial firms that accept only employees. Four models of cooperation with industry that range from industry's to higher education's control over content and teaching methods are described, and existing cooperative programs are identified. In "A Role for Colleges in Corporate Training and Development," Ernest A. Lynton describes the needs for education in the corporate sector, the types of programs currently used, and opportunities for improvement. Taking a corporate viewpoint, he argues for pedagogical and organizational changes in the university to strengthen educational partnerships with industry and discusses the benefits that will result for both corporations and higher education through improved cooperative programs. In "Partnerships in Continuing Education for Professionals," Philip N. Nowlen and Milton R. Stern consider the scope of professional continuing education, providers of professional education, different learning modes and settings, and advantages and problems of cooperative programs between higher education institutions and professional associations. Advantages include an improved association program, greater awareness of university capabilities, the generation of collegiality between association and university personnel, and improved professional competence. (SW)