Building on the resources offered in the first volume of this series, this second volume offers governance members, leaders, and other academics valuable insights into the governance process in higher education. In a chapter drawn from his keynote address at the March 2015 SUNY Voices conference, Steven Bahls, president of Augustana College,…

Tips for college policy analysts include these: acknowledge personal biases; be flexible and inclusive; be realistic but creative in framing recommendations; build an outspoken advisory team; anticipate repetition; see the broad picture and detail; understand that implementation is the key to good policy; and do not surprise the president. (MSE)

To handle a death in the school community wisely and sensitively, school boards need to develop a death response policy. A policy developed by a diverse committee will be sensitive to the needs of the entire school community. Offers seven points to consider in drafting a policy. (MLF)

The nature of college governing boards and advisory boards and considerations for choosing board members are discussed. Governing boards are the kind found in nonprofit colleges and are the policy-making body of the college. Advisory boards are generally found in for-profit colleges and are used more on a programmatic basis usually tied to the…

Based on a case study of a large northwestern suburban school district's initial attempts to establish policy for school use of computers, this report addresses such general questions as how school districts develop policies for instructional and administrative uses of computers, how school policy formation committees function, and how their…

This paper, part of a larger study on the emergence of the Joint Big Decisions Committee (JBDC) in higher education management practices, focuses on how the JBDC has functioned in light of existing organizational governance models. The paper begins with a literature review which presents and discusses various management model types. These model…

This manual describes a systematic process for conducting an educational needs assessment at the building level which includes suggestions for the formation of an advisory group and the use of two Likert Scale surveys. The advisory group is composed of parents, students, and educators; this group carries out the tasks of understanding, planning,…

This digest is based on a full-length report (with the same title) on advisory committees to universities and colleges. Under decreased resources and increased pressures for more accountability, advisory committees are an effective way for colleges and universities to connect with their environments. An advisory committee is a group of volunteers…

This report addresses the advisory committee's role in the administration of institutions of higher education. Under decreased resources and increased pressures for more accountability, advisory committees are an effective way to help connect universities and colleges to their environments. Advisory committees may range from those that consult to…

One educator criticizes another's characterization (HE 530 510) of national research councils as part of a linear multitiered structure, interpretation of the roles of two British councils, and assumptions about decision-making and policy-setting processes. (MSE)

The starting point of an effective school safety program is the development of a written policy statement that reflects the school board's belief in safety for its students and that is widely publicized to the staff and community. A sample safety/security policy is provided that lists, first, the superintendent's responsibilities in establishing a…

The traditional role of a college or university finance committee is to oversee an institution's financial operations, ensure that a viable long-range fiscal plan is in place, and recommend financial policies to the governing board. The finance committee may assume additional responsibilities in response to changing needs and expectations of the…

Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions were surveyed by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) in the fall of 1987 to obtain information on their recruitment and hiring practices for top level library administrative positions, and to determine in what ways search procedures may have changed over the past 10 years in…

A Ball State University (Indiana) program to strengthen student retention involves a Freshman-Year Experience Committee of 40 professionals representing key units in academic and student affairs who collaborate to respond to the needs of first-year students. The committee has designed policies for freshman dismissal and midterm evaluation that are…

Examples are given of points hospitals must consider when adopting and implementing infant bioethics committees, including committee functions (educational, policy development, and consultative), structure, membership, jurisdiction, recordkeeping, and legal issues. (MSE)