Student demographics refer to the student population and its characteristics. By student ‘s demographic we may as well be looking at some factors such as the student sex, age, race, source of income and many others. In any educational institution, there are different set learning objectives. The number one learning objective for students is definitely to study in order to achieve good grades. The other learning objective for a student population is to improve in different sectors of life e.g. growing spiritually, interacting socially and being responsible to nature and oneself.
Growing spiritually entails, the students being able to relate well and closely with each other. On a higher ground, spiritual growth translates into a better understanding of the world, issues like death and the beyond including God. The student demographic characteristics determine interaction between students. On social interaction, if a school is for both boys and girls, the students get a chance to talk and interact with the opposite sex. This will enhance their capacity to stay together with members of the opposite sex and interact in a healthy way. However, such a demographic characteristic has implications in terms of how the teachers should handle the students.
According to Reeves (2008), the student demographic factors ought to be considered when hiring teaching staff or any other staff in an educational institution. In hiring a principal for instance, Reeve (2008) notes that it is important to analyze students demographic and critically learn most of its major issues. A principal who is not very experienced in dealing with a large number of student populations will definitely feel intimidated, and may consequently fail to deliver his services as effectively and efficiently as expected.
The role of a principal is to deal with daily administrative functions while strategically positioning the institution towards a better future. The daily administrative functions largely depend on the student demographics. Consequently, the capacity of a principal is dependent on student demographics. Success for the administrator is determined by how he or she translates that into a harmonious institutional culture.
In often cases, students tend to rebel against or tend to be antagonistic towards school structures and regulations. Students sometimes become uncooperative and in some cases, resort to causing chaos and havoc within the school compound. The cause of these disturbances is usually the failure of the administration to give heed to their articulated grievances. In such a scenario, instead of concentrating on his/her core functions the institution, the principal supped into efforts to stop the student unrest in order to curtail more damage.
However, this is not the best way forward when dealing with learning institutions. An experienced principal has capacity to foresee such student unrest and try to tame it before it happens. There is a close connection between student unrests and student demographics. If the administration does not understand issues
Understanding the nature of student demographic and its application is a paramount ideal in the selection and hiring processes of the principal. The process of selecting and hiring a principal may be a bit entailing. However, there are many other aspects to be considered such as personal qualification, it will equally be important to consider other issues of great magnitude like the Principle’s experience with student demographic.
A principle who for one reason happens to have never seen student unrest, will find it relatively hard to deal with schools, which have the habit of rioting written on their faces. The best decision for such a principle is to be taken to a much cool school. According to those principals with record of student demographic, similar measures should be undertaken but also an analysis on the conduct of such a principal should be carried out to detect if he is the real problem or the students. Incase found quilt, and then his hiring should instantly be terminated.
Diversity Policies on Ethnic Hiring Practices
Of late, many countries have registered quite a huge number in the rate of their unemployment. By unemployment, we are talking of workforce that is competent and willing to work at the current rate offered in the market but that work is unavailable. The rate at which this unemployment is growing, if not curbed by the government will bring a lot of confusion in the future. Important policies to safeguard this calamity need to be formulated and implemented as quickly as possible.
In instances where some jobs have been created, one realizes that some other aspects take place. Instead of hiring workers based on their merits like for instance one’s qualification, experience etc, you find that the topic here is ethnicity. If you do not come from the same area or speak the same tongue with the director or whoever is responsible for hiring, you are automatically disqualified. This tendency has been practiced for quite a long time now.
The practices is so deep rooted that many youth and other citizens have given up or despaired completely. It should however be noted that each problem has an answerer and therefore the government and individuals should not shy away from the reality. I believe we are supposed to be enjoying our strength in diversity of ethnicity and not condemning it, or attributing the bad thing in our society from it. In case it is hiring of workers, we should so far not be lead by issue of where one comes from or from which community one belong. We should be all gland irrespective of our tribal affiliation. If we put this in to consideration, we will not only be effective but also efficient in our working.
On the government side, there should be rational decision made to curb with the issue of ethnicity in hiring. The government should formulate and radically implement these set of rules in order to keep ethnicity at bay. Similarly, punitive measures should be considered on wrong doers so that it can act as a warning to others who may try to repeat the same mistake.
The new diversity policy is one of the best policy which, if adhered to can bring many remarkable changes, in our country. One cannot fail to see it strength in condemning ethnicity in hiring. Similarly, the policy clearly elucidate on the necessary course of action to be taken to wrong doers or those who will break the set laws. A lot of importance will accrue from inclusion of the above policy in new hiring position. This is because the policy will guide the hiring party on any information they may require on ethnicity. Similarly, the policy equally stipulates the repercussion of falling to adhere to the set laws.
The issue of hiring is among the paramount morals that school leaders get involved in. In order to propel the school forward the principal should hire teachers to support the mission of the school. The hardest part is coming up with the necessary requirement characters from the candidate teacher. The characters that the teacher possesses indicate largely the far the teacher as a person is likely to propel the institution. This means that only those teachers who meet the set standard of law should be hired.
In the course of hiring his teachers, one should have the conception that he is hiring leaders in the school. This should equally mean just as stated by Meyer (2008) that a competent leader for a certain position should have irrefutable characters. Among the character that should be checked in a candidate teacher for hiring should therefore includes
Intelligent
By being intelligent, the teacher should often reflect astuteness in his working. An intelligent person should not have many difficulties in solving or understanding the obvious. Similarly, an intelligent person should not only perform his work with effectiveness but also with efficiency.
Confidence
Confidence is another important character that is very important in any candidate for employment. To a teacher candidate the same apply. In order to consistently produce the required results, one must totally believe in himself and have unwavering confidence in his doing. Without confidence, one will be shaky in his operation, and will always be relying on other for assistance.
Visionary
By being visionary, the person concerned can be able to have an assumption of what might happen in future. This character is such important not only to the owner but to the institution as well. This is because both parties will be forewarned on any predicament that may befall them, hence reducing their chances of incurring any damage or loss. A visionary employee is also a big asset to any institution because at no point will the institution stay stagnant but will continue to grow with time due to visionary decision from the employee.
Hardworking
By being hard working, the person in contemplation is meant to be meticulous in his working. Such a person performs his duties at the right time and place with no excuses or inconveniences of not doing the assignment. A hardworking person is also reflected in the results of his works, which repeatedly are usually the best. A candidate teacher should be able to demonstrate all these characters in order to prove his worthiness.
Reliability
Any person should be reliable to those they are interacting with daily or quite often. Similarly, any employee should be reliable to his fellow employees and employer. By being reliable, it means that a particular person can be entrusted over a certain obligation. The issue of reliability comes with the capability of the particular worker to perform his work effectively and efficiently.
Importance of the traits
The above highlighted traits are of paramount importance and mostly during the selection process. Many reasons inform the picking of the five traits. For instance, in selection process, it may not necessary be that easy to come up with character traits meant to be used to select the best candidate. However, among the five given characters, there is a specific importance why each character is important in the selection process.
Intelligence
In the selection process, there are usually quite a lot of candidates who all endeavor to be selected. This can never happen because usually there are very few vacancies. To deal with that emerging issue, the aspect of intelligence is introduced, in order to help eliminate those who do not meet the required level of intelligence.
Confidence
In the selection process, confidence is of great importance because it is hard to select a person as an employee without necessarily looking at the level of his confidence. An employee without confidence is a liability to the institution because he will repeatedly never concentrate on his works because he has no confidence in it.
Visionary
Visionary as a character possessed by an employee is very important. In the selection process, the character equally become very important because apart from showing the selection panel on the quality of the candidate, it also help in reducing the number of candidates for selection.
Hardworking
Even though it may not necessarily be easy to establish whether a candidate is really hard working or not during the selection process, there are other characters that solve this dilemma. The past results of an individual, be they academics, will largely determine this. The other importance of this character in the selection process is that it will be used as a parameter to gauge those qualifies and who does not.
Reliability
Reliability is a character that means a lot to a person. By being reliable, it means that the other individuals trust a person. This character can be of paramount importance and mostly during the selection process.
Strategic planning with SWOT Analysis
As the dean at Brooks University, I need to come up with some strategic plans in order to incorporate most of the raised ideas so as to improve some programs that that the university offer. Among these programs includes the MBA, which has so far attracted quite a huge number of students and mostly foreign ones. Using SWOT analysis, which is a simple framework for considering premeditated alternatives (Bohm, 2009).
One can easily come up with the required solution to the set goals. SWOT itself is an abbreviation of Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. Dealing with the above four abbreviation in comparison to Brooks University, one will realize that the University has the strength to achieve its goals such as meeting the required number of students per program. Similarly, the University has the strength to enable the University raise enough capital to facilitate all its programs.
On the other hand, the University is coupled with a number of calamities such as it does not have enough money on itself to funds its program and most are the time it is relying on grants from corporation. This means that not at many instances will the university be standing shoulder high because it will have been traumatized by this money it is given on conditions.
The above two aspects of SWOT are somehow internal meaning that that the university can to a certain extent be able to control their occurrence. However, for opportunities and threat they are external matters that the company may not be able to influence.
Going by the University goals and mostly that of raising enough capital to facilitate its programs, the University needs an opportunity, which may equally be a chance to introduce new product or service in the market that will absolutely fetch higher returns. As said however, these chances are rare and one cannot simply control or influence it. It is the responsibility of the University to be able to come up with the best products or service in to the market at the right time in order to fetch enough money for funding their programs
Threats are dangerous or challenging external factors that the university has deal with. Threats usually arise where similar products are subjected by the market by different sales. In this case, the university may be subjected to the threat where some of the products or services its offering is being offered by another competing company. Another threat that is beyond the university capability is political effect.
Mostly the political affairs are national whereas those of a university are mostly concentrated within a particular region. In case of political conflicts where certain products have been banned, in that case, in case the university was involved in its production and selling, then it will have to opt for other measures of raising the revenue required to facilitate their program needs.
Diagrammatic representation of SWOT Analysis
Leading Well
Generally, leadership is defined as capacity to influence others towards attainment of given objectives. However, the definition of leadership is not a given one. Leadership is a multifaceted topic that often appears to be very complex for an individual to understand. As there are many leaders, so there are different types of leadership. Depending on the subjects under the command of the leader, if the subjects are treated well by their leaders then his leadership is appreciated.
Similarly, if a leader does not give good leadership to his subject, then the subjects are likely not to get satisfied with his leadership. This implies that leading well or bad all depend with the relationship of the leader and his servants. However, largely this is not true.
Leading well should be a matter appreciated by the international community; it should meet the set international standards. People may appreciate a leader but actually, his type of leadership does not meet the international standards. In this case, a leader may be brutal to his people to the extent of going beyond human rights yet he is still appreciated and when election time comes, he is voted back by almost everyone. This when you learn that such leaders usually rules with an Iron fist, intimidation and fear and that the subject lives to meet his desires
Moral Leadership
Moral leadership just like any other type of leadership entails the day-to-day way in which we treat others in the organization. Moral leadership has to do with our sense of right and wrong. Such considerations come in very handy in the simplest of transactions revolving around acquisition, possession and relationship. Moral leadership starts at one’s family level and goes on to the capacity the leader is mandated to. Lack of moral leadership will however be observed out rightly due to the effect or tendencies of unethical behaviors There are however, instances where a conflict may arise on what is ethical and unethical. These two forces are likely to pull apart moral leadership, until a solid agreement is reached.
My leadership style
To start with, I am one person who highly believes in democracy. I totally respect an institution of the people for the people by the people as the best type of leadership in our current times. Those times when leadership was demonstrated more on dictatorship than democratically elected leaders is far-gone. I believe in giving people a chance to freely express themselves on their feeling toward the current regime so that In case there is any wrongdoing, the power of the people can decide.
The same power that raised someone to that level should be left to check the way that power is being used on them. Checking the way a government is using power makes people feels like they are part of leadership. The other character that reflects my leadership style is professionalism. In my leadership, one serves the public where he is best qualified. This makes sure that the public receives the best services they can get. Similarly, my leadership is characterized by corruption free administration.
By this, I mean that every person is entitled to getting the required services, without giving anything in return for the service offered. Any public officer found soliciting corruption is bound to face the law immediately and his employment contract terminated in case he is found quilt. Similarly, any member public attempting to offer bribe in order to be served is also equally subjected to the same hand of law. In case found quilt, the person is jailed and in the process act as an example to the rest who may try to do the same.
People are not supposed to be oppressed rather be given their freedom but of cause limited freedom. More freedom will definitely corrupt their hearts and so they only require that freedom to make them feel free men and women, and that they are equal members of the government.
My leadership style encourages all citizens to work hard toward nation building. In the processes, they are able to enjoy their taxes through special amenities like electricity, security or road system development and many others. My leadership style is supposed to give hope to the hopeless and at the same time brings out the best in the people. I also like getting involved in providing justice to those who may have experienced injustice in the past. As part of leadership, I totally believe in reducing the gap between the poor and the rich.
In most countries, you will realize that the rich people get on becoming richer while the poor man is drained the last blood by his reach counterparts. Similarly, I always advocate for equal human right regardless of culture, sex religion creed etc. all citizen should be subjected to the same judicial system and their cases decided without prejudice. No one is supposed to be locked without proper court hearing and similarly, a person is not supposed to be subjected to torture.
Credo
A leader is not born but is made.
A good leader is one who serves his people without pleasing himself
When one door closes, another one opens even in places you did not think had doorframes.
There will be a better tomorrow
Reference list
Bohm, A. (2009). The SWOT Analysis, GRIN Verlag publishers: Nordestedt Germany.
Meyer, T. (2008). Leadership Qualities – Is There a Perfect Leader. GRIN Verlag: Nordestedt.
Reeves, D, B. (2008). Reframing Teacher Leadership to Improve Your School. ASCD Publishers: New Jersey.