ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Higher education faculty, staff , and administrators perform their life’s work in extremely ambiguous, complex, and politically charged settings. By understanding the theories and perspectives off ered in this book, eff ective programs can be built, stimulating curriculum shaped, and meaningful policy and planning created. Comprehensive understanding of the ever-changing world of higher education necessitates that faculty, administrators, and staff use multiple models and theories in their work. When one model becomes the explanation for all situations and context, that understanding fails to provide a broad or deep perspective concerning higher education functioning. Different models allow diverse insights and assessments. Th e use of multiple perspectives with which to view higher education is more important now than ever before. Technology and the introduction of social media have amplifi ed the degree to which the lives of those in and outside of higher education are interconnected. Relationships have always been important in higher education but never as essential as they are today. Internationalization and globalization have expanded the reach of individual institutions and the systems in which they exist.
