Global Engagement of United States Research Universities in the 21st Century

Abstract

The global dimensions of knowledge production have shaped internationalizationwhich has greatly impacted U.S higher education. The transformation of higher education heavily influenced by neoliberal globalization, massification, and marketization have diminished the core tripartite mission of the university in teaching, research, and service to the community. In particular, the service component has been often undervalued. This dissertation research has selected 110 U.S research universities that are classified as Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement to see their engagement beyond their regional boundaries. The main purpose of this study is first, to identify which institutional and human resources characteristics are associate with universities’ global engagement. Second, to develop a multidimensional index to operationalize the measurement of global engagement and examine which universities are considering global engagement as part of their civic engagement agenda. The instrument was tested using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and reliabilities analysis. The final model included eighteen items with six factors that have been confirmed through this study. Third, multiple regression was conducted to see what factors influence US research universities’ global engagement. This research provides insights for higher education leaders to view their global agenda holistically and comprehensively that embraces their commitment toward serving for the global community.