Talent Management in Higher Education: Developing Emerging Leaders Within the Administration at Private Colleges and Universities

This research focused on identifying a series of successful practices relating to administrative talent management within the higher education setting. The field study included a thorough examination of seven small to mid-size private colleges and universities that have incorporated employee development strategies. These strategies were aimed at growing future leaders from within the organization in order to achieve continuity and support institutional priorities. Specifically, several focus areas were investigated including presidential vision, leadership commitment, talent management’s place among institutional priorities, program characteristics, and program evaluation. Among the commonalities that were gathered included support at the senior officer level who serve as advocates, mentors, and program facilitators, a strong connection between talent management and the institutions’ strategic plans, and a holistic approach to developing talent at all levels of the organizations. In addition, both coaching and opportunities for growth in the work environment were evident within several of the institutions. Also, academic leadership development was considered to be a part of the talent management strategy within three of the colleges and universities. The key differentiators included the incorporation of organizational and leadership competencies to provide focus toward the performance development process at two institutions, the implementation of a succession planning model at another institution, and the location of human resource generalists in departments across two of the institutions to identify learning opportunities for both individuals and work teams. Based on both the findings from the field study and the literature review, a comprehensive procedural model is introduced that serves to support human resource departments and higher education professionals, in general, who are looking to either begin or broaden their own talent management approach. However, despite the progress that has been made across several institutions noted throughout the research study, much more must be learned in terms of how the time and resources invested in talent management translates to institutional success. Advisor: James O‘Hanlon

Taking an Endemically Infected Bovine Tb Area Through to Livestock Clearance. A Case Study of West Taupo, New Zealand

The Pest Management Strategy for Bovine Tuberculosis (Tb) in New Zealand aims to achieve efficient freedom from Tb by 2013 and to eradicate the disease from livestock and wildlife. The West Taupo area, in the central North Island of New Zealand, was chronically infected with Tb in both domestic livestock herds (cattle and deer) and within wildlife populations (brushtail possum, ferret, feral deer and pigs). Through the development and implementation of a technically innovative management plan, this area is now approaching Tb free status. The case study / management plan reported here discusses the operational techniques and strategies that were implemented to achieve Tb clearance in the livestock herds and the possibilities of eradication from wildlife species. It particularly identifies the variations in control strategies that are required as population densities reduce and the challenges of maintaining strong effective control at low densities of some wildlife species, whilst not needing to control other species that were initially clinically diagnosed with Tb control. Use of diagnostic tools and education as an area moves through the cycle towards Tb freedom are as essential as the physical control activities. The use of intensive monitoring of both livestock and wildlife species as trend and performance indicators and the need to educate farmers, hunters and other land use groups become increasingly important.

Applications and Potentials for Biogenic Methane Recovery Operations in Nebraska Agriculture, Industry, and Economic Development

ABSTRACT: This thesis report illustrates the applications and potentials of biogenic methane recovery in Nebraska’s agricultural and industrial sectors and as a means for increasing sustainable economic development in the state’s rural communities. As the nation moves toward a new green economy, biogenic methane recovery as a waste management strategy and renewable energy resource presents significant opportunities for Nebraska to be a national and world leader in agricultural and industrial innovation, advanced research and development of renewable energy technology, and generation of new product markets. Nebraska’s agricultural economy provides a distinct advantage to the state for supporting methane recovery operations that provide long-term economic and environmental partnerships among producers, industry, and communities. These opportunities will serve to protect Nebraska’s agricultural producers from volatile energy input markets and as well as creating new markets for Nebraska agricultural products. They will also serve to provide quality education and employment opportunities for Nebraska students and businesses. There are challenges and issues that remain for the state in order to take advantage of its resource potential. There is a need to produce a comprehensive Nebraska biogenic methane potential study and digital mapping system to identify high-potential producers, co-products, and markets. There is also a need to develop a web-based format of consolidated information specific to Nebraska to aid in connecting producers, service providers, educators, and policy-makers.

Evaluation of a New Strategy for Control of Bovine Tuberculosis in Michigan White-Tailed Deer: Year 1 Progress Report

The State of Michigan is striving to eliminate bovine tuberculosis (Tb) infection among free-ranging white-tailed deer in the northeastern Lower Peninsula of the state. Aggressive reduction in the overall deer population abundance may help to further reduce TB prevalence, but this course of action is unacceptable to many hunters and landowners. Targeted culling of sick deer would likely be far more acceptable to these stakeholders, so in the winter of 2003 the Michigan Department of Natural Resources pilot-trialed a new strategy based on live-trapping and Tb-testing of wild deer. The field study was conducted in a township with relatively high TB prevalence within Deer Management Unit 452 in the northeastern Lower Peninsula. Over a 2-month trapping period, 119 individual deer were live-trapped, blood sampled, fitted with a radio-collar, and released. A total of 31 of these deer were subsequently classified as Tb-suspect by at least one of five blood tests employed (however there was a low level of agreement among tests). A delay in testing meant that only six of these suspect deer were culled by sharpshooters before pre-programmed release of their radio-collars, after which they could no longer be located. Mycobacterium bovis was cultured from one of these six suspect deer; the other five were negative on culture. All target deer were located to within shooting range with 1 – 2 days of effort, and all the radio-collars on the apparently-healthy deer dropped off after the intended 90-day interval, and were thereafter recovered for re-use. There was considerable support for this pilot project among hunters, farmers, state and federal agriculture agencies, the media and the general public, and so we recommend that further field trials be undertaken using this technique. The initial focus of these trials should be on improving the efficacy and reliability of the blood testing procedure.