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NASJE Curriculum Design - Governance Entry Level - Faculty Resources

1.1.2.5 The Balancing Act – 1, 2, and 3 (4pg/.05MB)

National Association of State Judicial Educators (NASJE)

Notes:
Governance Entry-Level Faculty Resource The Balancing Act – 1, 2, and 3

Description:

1.1.2.5 The Balancing Act – 1, 2, and 3

Purpose of resource/document

This resource includes three illustrations that represent the kinds of balance judicial branch educators need to maintain in significant parts of their work.  The first depicts the role of judicial branch educators in balancing the needs and perspectives of administrative and stakeholder-based governance entities. The second depicts balancing the needs and perspectives of governance entities with sound educational practices. And the third depicts balancing professional working relationships with any personal stakeholder relationships.

Use of resource/document

Each of the three illustrations may be used separately to introduce several  issues that judicial branch educators must balance or the three may be used collectively to summarize the issues [see B, c, Dynamics of interaction between and among groups concerned with judicial branch education, subpart iii, Judicial branch educators, pgs. 14 - 16 in the curriculum design]

Related documents or materials

Faculty resources
1.1.2.3 Judicial Branch Educator Roles, pg. 38
1.1.2.4 Blended Governance and Judicial Branch Educators, pg. 40
1.1.2.6 Generalized Relationships with Stakeholder-Based Governance, pg. 46

Participant activities
1.1.3.5 Examining Decisions for Necessary Strategies and Skills, pg. 65
1.1.3.7 Describing the Local Judicial Branch Education Governance Environment,             pg. 69

The Balancing Act 1

Balancing differences between needs and desires of governance entities:

Stakeholder-Based Governance
More courses
Attractive locations
Control over content
Expedient procedures

Each judicial branch educator is faced with balancing different desires, perspectives, and needs of administrative governance and stakeholder-based governance entities.  For example, the stakeholder-based governance entity may want attractive locations for courses; the administrative governance entity may be concerned with the appearance of how public monies are spent and prefer more low-profile locations. In the process of working with these sometimes conflicting needs and desires, each judicial branch educator should carefully consider how to support both governance entities without diminishing the role of one or the other.  Ultimately, the administrative governance entity is the employer.  However, credibility for educational products may depend on stakeholder-based governance.

The Balancing Act 2

Balancing effective education practices with governance issues:

Each judicial branch educator is faced with employing sound educational practices while meeting the desires, perspectives, and needs of administrative governance and stakeholder-based governance entities. For example, the stakeholder-based governance entity may want to suspend instructional design processes for certain judicial faculty.  The administrative governance entity, in response to some negative media reports, may want to resolve issues of access and fairness in a 45-minute plenary session at a conference.  With either situation, sound educational practice may be in conflict with what the governance entity may want to do.  In the process of balancing educational practices and governance issues, judicial branch educators should carefully consider how to achieve their prime directives as educators while honoring both governance entities.  In some situations, the judicial branch educator may need to advocate for changes or practices to benefit educational growth that are not popular with one or both governance entities.

The Balancing Act 3

Balancing professional activity with the desire to be accommodating:

Professional Responsibilities to All Stakeholders
Support of stakeholder groups
Efficient use of judicial branch education time and funds
Equal treatment of all stakeholders