Employing a social justice framework, this book provides educational leaders and practitioners with tools and strategies for grappling with the political fray of education politics. The framework offers ways to critique, challenge, and alter social, cultural, and political patterns in organizations and systems that perpetuate inequities. The…

This book contains vital information on the historical, philosophical, and legal foundations for shared governance, and it makes the link between fundamentals of law and policy as related to professional practice in student affairs. Practical insights and suggestions for student affairs are offered for practitioners at all levels to ensure…

This working paper focuses on the educational planner as a bureaucratic actor. To explain planner influence or lack of influence in the policymaking process, practitioners need to explore the micropolitics of organizations and understand individual, organizational, and situational forces demanding their engagement. Planners need an engaged…

A college or university's management information system corresponds roughly to the institution's structure, with these elements in descending order in the hierarchy: policy and planning, a planning system, control and coordination, and typical operating systems (payroll, exams, scheduling, library, facilities assignments, and accounting…

On college campuses, the diffused authority system makes positive and appropriate response to sexual harassment difficult. Student affairs personnel can assist by identifying and educating influential faculty, organizing universal campus education and prevention programs, encouraging student participation in program creation and administration,…

Every college should have a campuswide computer publishing policy. Policy options include (1) centralized publishing; (2) franchise, with a number of units doing their own publishing; or (3) limited, with the publications office producing the basics and assisting other units when feasible. To be successful, the policy must also be enforced. (MSE)

In 1981, at the suggestion of the college president, Metro Community College (MCC) instituted a College Advisory System (CAS) to replace its cumbersome structure of 17 standing committees and numerous ad hoc committees. CAS is a voluntary, action-oriented, entirely open system, allowing for input from all sectors of the college community. It is…

Decision making was studied in 55 public secondary schools in New Jersey. Aston's methodology was used and showed that principals who shared decison making had teachers who were more loyal, satisfied, and described the authority structure as less rigid. A distinction was made between delegated and joint decison making. (author/dc).

Over a decade ago New Jersey granted significant financial and operating autonomy to its state colleges. A look back to 1986, when the legislation was being implemented, identifies elements that enabled the successful transfer of responsibilities from the state to the campus. These included three categories of specific autonomies: cash management,…

Summarizes proceedings and discussion at the National Association of College and University Business Officers' November 1997 conference on the adverse effects of state requirements and practices on institutional effectiveness. Attendees included campus leaders, state legislators, corporate representatives, and state administrators. Central issues…

Postapartheid reforms in South Africa's higher education system pose difficult issues of power, authority and consensus, resource allocation, monitoring, and evaluation that directly affect institutional and sectoral interests and the interests of civil society and government. Despite strengths and capacities of the system, deep-seated tensions…

The purpose of this paper, the initial report of an ongoing study, is threefold. One is to present and demonstrate the use of the sociology of translation as a methodological framework for the study of power within the higher education policy arena. The second is to define the boundaries and shape of that arena, and the third is to define the…

Using the 1981 Education Act of England and Wales as a case study, this paper develops a conceptual framework of education legislation as a significant reference point in the process of negotiation and bargaining that initiates legislation and continues throughout the period of policy implementation. A model of the policy process and the…

A 3-year research project was conducted to compare the conflict management behavior of school superintendents and city managers, both of whom are professionally trained experts held accountable to lay legislatures. Chapter 1, "Professionalism and Responsiveness," addresses the inherent tension, in a democracy, between elected officials'…

This paper proposes a model of a democratic paradigm for educational researchers and practitioners. It attempts to explore the kinds of thinking that would be required to create such a system, to determine what principles and curriculum theories are involved and how they would work. It seeks to relate this model to the new National Council for…