The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is one of the most widely used personality questionnaires, but very few studies have been conducted on its psychometric properties in Iranian population. This study was carried out with the aim of studying the psychometric properties of the BFI questionnaire. For this purpose, 390 university students in Tehran (210 girls and 180 boys) with an age range of 18 to 56 years (M = 27.52; SD = 8.79) were selected using the convenience sampling method and completed BFI and NEO-FFI questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha, multitrait-multimethod matrix, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to estimate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. The result of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that 15 of the 44 items did not have a strong factor loading (higher than 0.40) on the corresponding factors and were therefore removed from the questionnaire. The fit indices showed that the Persian version of 29 questions (BFI-29) with 5 factors has a good fit with the data. The reliability analysis also showed that the range of Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the factors is from 0.70 to 0.79. The lowest Cronbach's alpha coefficient was related to agreeableness factor and the highest was related to conscientiousness. The findings from the multitrait-multimethod matrix showed that the BFI-29 questionnaire has good convergent and divergent validity with the NEO-FFI questionnaire. In general, based on the results of the present study, it can be said that the BFI-29 questionnaire has desirable psychometric properties and whenever a short tool for personality measurement is needed, this questionnaire can be used.

The transforming classic universities to the entrepreneurial university is necessary, when paying no attention to this, may have a lot of negative consequences. Therefore, the main objective of this study was exploring these consequences. This qualitative research, implied inductive approach and in terms of methodology it was a descriptive-exploratory research. To achieve the research goals of the study, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 20 higher education experts through a purposeful sampling when analyzing information was done by thematic technique. Trustworthiness the findings was measured by conducting additional interviews; transferability was confirmed by re-test technique; and the reliability coefficient was identified as 0. 9%. Since the results of reliability coefficient varies between zero (no agreement) and one (full agreement), the coefficient indicates that the findings are highly trusted. The results showed that social consequences with 73 codes, economic impact with 46 codes, political implications with 5 codes, cultural implications with 3 codes and international outcomes of neglecting universities into entrepreneurial universities with 19 codes out of 146 codes in whole could describe the negative consequences of neglecting the transforming to entrepreneurial university. Thus, the results of the coding showed 5 main components and 19 sub-components.

Background & Objective: Ethics in academia is key to creating a quality assurance system in higher education. It reflects progress in society. In simpler terms, building an ethics-focused university requires a clear approach to ethics. This study aims to present a model for an ethics-oriented university within medical schools. Materials & Methods: This study used a grounded theory design and the data theory approach from Strauss and Corbin (1997). It involved 26 professors and experts from medical schools and universities in the 6th macro-region. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data until theoretical saturation was reached. The analysis was done using open, axial, and selective coding methods. Results: The ethics-oriented university model in medical schools was structured with 168 primary codes, 34 subcategories, and six main categories. The findings identified causal conditions such as social and cultural roles, healthy competition, ethical standardization, and value-driven transformation; contextual conditions including fundamental values, ethical environment, culture, and vision; and intervening conditions like trust, spirituality, responsibility, commitment, leadership, and ethical intelligence. The main categories encompass education, research, knowledge, interaction, training, and ethical awareness. Strategies involved institutionalizing ethics, development of professional ethics, ethical planning, developing ethical charters, focusing on ethical community, ethical role modeling, development of ethical capacities, and ensuring ethical sustainability. The outcomes highlighted organizational health, moral growth in society, environmental ethics, individual and organizational development, and social capital. Conclusion: Based on the factors identified in the ethics-oriented university model, recommendations were made for its development and implementation.

Purpose: The primary aim of this research was to design a conceptual framework for adult universities with a focus on Islamic Azad universities.Method: The qualitative method of inductive theme analysis was employed in this research. Potential participants included higher education professionals, adult graduate students, and retirees studying at universities; 31 of them were selected as participants through targeted sampling. The selection criteria for participants were having the necessary experience in adult education (at least one article, one book, or at least one year of teaching in the field of adult education) or being among adult students or retired graduate students. The sampling selection criterion was theoretical saturation of the data. Validation of the research was conducted using four criteria: credibility, neutrality, reliability, and applicability.Findings: The findings revealed that the conceptual framework of adult universities consists of three dimensions (key, content, and implementation) and 20 criteria (related to the mind, freedom of action and respect, self-awareness, group orientation, motivation, self-expression, skill development, communication, lifelong learning, flexibility, evaluation and mentorship, needs orientation, goal setting, policy making, platform creation, content development, implementation, and evaluation).Conclusion: Attention to the dimensions and criteria uncovered in this research paves the way for establishing an adult university and ensures the necessary sensitivity in this field.Extended AbstractIntroduction: Many people study because they want to learn a new job or profession, while others study to advance in their careers. Some find learning new things interesting and fun, with adults often falling into this category. Alongside current demographic trends, where life expectancy has increased and societies are aging, educational and research interest in adulthood and retirement has significantly risen. This trend has contributed to successful, productive, active, or flexible middle and old age, as individuals continually seek learning opportunities to enhance their quality of life. Consequently, people's lives improve through learning, and as society ages, the need for learning also rises. Adult education originated in the United States and subsequently spread to other developed countries, including European nations, China, and Japan. Today, due to declining population growth globally, particularly in developing countries, and the aging of populations in the coming years, planning for the implementation of adult universities poses a significant challenge for developing nations. Under the banner of adult university, provision for adults and retirees is considered, offering numerous benefits for elderly members of society. Universities serve as essential and effective tools for educating future generations. However, the crux lies in education's broad scope and its qualitative enhancement of the cultural, social, economic, and political levels of the present generation. Adult universities encompass a broad concept aimed at providing education to adults, encompassing all educational and learning activities in formal, informal, and incidental ways across various occupational, social, political, economic, cultural, and educational fields, including religious, industrial, and agricultural domains. The primary goal of this research was to design the conceptual framework of adult universities with a focus on Islamic Azad universities. Methods: This research employed the qualitative method of inductive theme analysis. Potential participants included higher education professionals, adult graduate students, and retirees studying at university; 31 of whom were selected through targeted sampling. Participant selection criteria included having necessary experience in adult education (at least one article, one book, or a minimum of one year teaching in the field), or being an adult student or retired graduate student. The sampling criteria were based on theoretical data saturation. Semi-structured interviews served as the research tool, conducted between June and November 1401. Each interview lasted between 45 and 75 minutes, focusing on dimensions of adult universities. Initially, general questions were posed, such as "what qualifications should an adult university possess?" and "if you were to pursue further studies, what university characteristics would you find desirable?" Data analysis followed Atride-Sterling's method (2001), involving three stages: extracting basic themes, organizing themes, and overarching themes. Reliability (consistency) and applicability (transferability) were ensured. To validate the data and ensure accurate analysis of experts' views, findings were reviewed by three experts. Their feedback confirmed acceptability (reliability). Verification of the text involved providing extracted codes and classes to research colleagues and expert faculty members for examination. Additionally, the full text of all interviews with coding and initial classes were sent to the guidance professor, while the full text of two interviews with coding was sent to consultant professors. Their feedback was used to enhance the validity of the research throughout its stages. Transferability of findings was increased through data multiplication, simultaneous use of documents, maximum research, and oral data, involvement of diverse participant groups, and triangulation of environments through interviews conducted at various locations and times. Findings : The findings revealed that the conceptual framework of adult universities comprises three dimensions (key, content, and implementation) and 20 criteria (pertaining to the mind, freedom of action and respect, self-awareness, group orientation, motivation, self-expression, skill development, communication, lifelong learning, flexibility, evaluation and mentorship, needs orientation, goal setting, policy making, platform creation, content creation, implementation, and evaluation).Conclusion: Attention to the dimensions and criteria uncovered in this research paves the way for establishing an adult university and fosters necessary sensitivity in this field. Considering the rapid change in the country's demographic pyramid and the increasing share of adults within it, higher education should seize this opportunity. Therefore, it is suggested that decision-making bodies in higher education, particularly Azad University, prioritize this matter. Islamic specialized teams should be formed to conduct further studies and assess the feasibility of establishing a university or college for adults, facilitating the registration and attendance of adults in higher education institutions. Furthermore, future researchers are encouraged to design and validate the adult university model as part of the higher education system, aligning with the objectives pursued by the present researchers.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the level of e-learning readiness among the faculty members in Iranian universities. Methods: This is a survey research and the statistical population included all faculty members of 23 selected Iranian universities in March-September 2018. The population of the study included about 750 professors selected through simple random sampling. The instrument of study was a questionnaire titled “ Evaluation of Instructors’ Readiness for E-learning in Iranian Universities” . Its content and face validity were verified by professionals, and its reliability was measured through Cronbach’ s Coefficient alpha which was (0. 72-0. 86). To analyze the data, descriptive and mean, SD statistics (independent T-test) were used. Results: The average e-readiness score of professors from the 23 selected universities amounted to approximately 4. 3 out of 10, which is indicative of a relatively “ weak” e-readiness status. Also, the score of over 60% of the criteria was “ less than average” . Conclusion: Given the decreasing numbers of e-learning students in Iran, the results of this study show that one of the important reasons for the failure in the development of universities’ e-learning systems can be the lack of e-learning readiness among instructors.

The major objective of the present study was to conduct a comparative study of the assessment procedures in the universities of Iran and world top universities. To this end, using purposive sampling, we opted for universities of Tehran, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, and Isfahan from were selected in order to be compared with 16 top universities of different continent. Thus, we opted for 16 universities from the United States of America, England, South Africa, Australia, and Turkey. In so much as the methodology is concerned, we shall employ Jeorge Bordi's comparative and four-staged model which embarks upon the comparative processes in terms of four stages of description, interpretation, adjacency, and comparison. The data collection tools include a respective list related to the information driven out of the first and second hand resources of assessment procedures in different universities of the world. These sets of information were available online in respective documents and websites. After data were collected and described, we interpreted and analysed them in terms of different tables. The findings indicated that the universities of Iran make use of questionnaires that are filled out by the students that have taken the respective course/s. This is whilst the assessment procedures in different universities of the world is undertaken by the existing students, graduates, colleagues, departments and Scientific and professional unions. The related results showed that all universities under research employ semester-final questionnaire to assess a course. Assessing the elements of a course curriculum is different in universities.

Introduction The issue of administrative corruption has become a pressing matter in Iran, affecting various aspects of the society. Corruption is a persistent and complex problem that perpetuates human underdevelopment through harmful cycles. According to Transparency International Organization, it involves the exploitation of entrusted power for personal gain. Despite the widespread presence of corruption within Iranian society, current evidence from both internal and external sources suggests that the education system conflicts with academic institutions as a particularly influential source of corrupt behavior. Academic corruption is a well-known phenomenon in Iranian universities with numerous examples, such as scientific fraud, plagiarism, forgery, distortion, academic black market, and buying and selling of articles appearing in the country's universities. Some investigators consider academic corruption as a form of scientific corruption, while others define it as encompassing all forms of unethical and improper conduct committed by educational advocates that violate ethical, social, legal, or institutional guidelines for personal or organizational gain with detrimental effects on an institution's objectives and principles. Despite the long-standing use of the term "academic corruption" in Iran's scholastic context, it remains largely unexplored from a scholarly perspective.     Materials & Methods This study utilized qualitative methodology and a grounded theory approach to explore the perspectives of academic activists, including professors and doctoral students, on various aspects related to fraudulent practices in academia, such as contexts, causes, strategies, and repercussions. Grounded theory is a research method that involves deriving theoretical constructs directly from the data collected over time for analytical purposes. The research followed the Strauss and Corbin’s paradigm model, which is a systematic plan for grounded theory methodology. The focus was on professors and doctoral students from Shiraz and Yasouj universities, who were selected based on their experiences with academic corruption. A sample of 25 participants was chosen through theoretical sampling and semi-structured interviews were conducted until theoretical saturation was reached, meaning that no new features or characteristics related to academic corruption and its causes were identified. The collected information underwent a three-fold coding process, including open, axial, and selective coding methods, to facilitate the analysis of the results. This process led to the identification of a core category or primary classification, which was represented in a paradigm model. To ensure the accuracy of the findings, two researchers independently analyzed and coded the data using analytical techniques. Additionally, member feedback was collected to assess the validity of the communication and respondent validation was employed through continuous comparison checks by using the codes developed by the investigators to assess the reliability of the research results.   Discussion of Results & Conclusion The findings of this study revealed that corruption in academia was influenced by various factors. The primary causal conditions included the presence of oil money, a deficient administrative system, and compromised institutional independence. In addition, poor awareness of corrupt practices and inadequate monitoring mechanisms acted as the intervening circumstances that facilitated academic misconduct. Situational factors, such as departmental culture and individual work experience, as well as background guidelines like university policies, also played a significant role in promoting fraudulent activities within higher education institutions. On the other hand, academic activists employed strategies, such as student alienation, deliberate silence, two-way blackmail, outsourcing, hostage-taking, and strategic cooperation, to further their corrupt practices. The consequences of academic corruption were commodification of science, emergence of an academic proletariat, alienation, moral dilemmas, decline in credibility and trust in universities, and institutionalization of corruption in the society. Based on the results, it could be concluded that university corruption operated as a double-edged sword, benefiting both the structure and the activist in the short term but leading to negative outcomes in the long run. This meant that the political structure and system, by prioritizing the quantity of articles produced through scientific research, could showcase their standing in the global community, while academic scholars benefited from the publishing papers and projects. However, this approach had drawbacks for both parties involved. The articles evaluated solely based on quantity did not directly correlate with production or economic growth, resulting in limited social welfare within a country. Moreover, the professors and students, who prioritized the publishing quantitative content might experience a sense of alienation as they grappled with conflicting emotions regarding their moral principles. It is important to recognize that this win-win mentality perpetuates corruption within the university system, creating a reproductive cycle that continues into the future.