The Great Sham of the California State University System

The Great Sham of the California State University System

Faculty perception of Wikipedia in the California State University System

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore whether faculty perceptions of Wikipedia have changed over a five-year period. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted of four universities in the California State University System – California State University, East Bay; Humboldt State University; Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; and California State University, Fresno. Following the survey, respondents who volunteered their contact information were interviewed about their perceptions and/or their assignments/projects involving Wikipedia. Findings – The study showed that, overall, faculty perceptions of Wikipedia have shifted in Wikipedia’s favor and that some faculty members create interesting and unique assignments that involve Wikipedia or Wikipedia-like work. Research limitations/implications – This study sampled 4 of 23 campuses in the California State University System. Practical implications – The growing acceptance of Wikipedia has implications for course work with students both in terms of assignments in the discipline and also for the need to ensure students understand how to evaluate sources. Social implications – The shift to Wikipedia is symptomatic of the larger shift to non-traditional research tools. Originality/value – The literature discussing faculty perceptions of Wikipedia has not discussed whether faculty perceptions are shifting.

The Campus as a Living Laboratory: Post-Occupancy Evaluation and a Digital Repository as a Teaching Tool

In 2013-14, the California State University system funded 23 grants on 14 campuses in an effort to spur innovation in sustainability. The funding for these grants came from leveraging $250,000 of system-wide resources slated for energy efficiency improvements towards the support of educational initiatives that bridged facilities and the academy2. The intent of this initiative was to inspire applied research that tied teaching and learning to campus buildings, landscapes, and infrastructure in ways that would inform future project investments related to cost and energy savings as well as sustainability practices and increase the understanding of facility performance while utilizing high-impact educational practices.