The department chair's responsibilities for program planning and development are discussed, embracing three broad areas: conception and development of new projects, application and inclusion of projects in the department's course of study, and cultivation of agreement and support within the wider college community. (LB)

Considers how Phil Smith has given much thought in his own department, and in the national deliberations, to the staffing crisis in English departments, and he has done so with attention to the highest values and to the needs of all, from undergraduate students in the general education courses to part-timers to tenure-track and tenured faculty…

Describes how English department chairs might successfully order and structure their departments. Analyzes two central characteristics of English departments as political entities: purpose and values. Lists several observations about departmental organization. (HB)

Four administrators, representing three institutions, report on the growth and development of communication departments on their campuses. (PD)

Outlines five stops that can strengthen technical writing courses and programs within departments of English. (HOD)

Australia's training programs for academic department heads are examined in relation to the tradition of academic staff development, the changing nature of department heads' responsibilities, and increased concerns about the effectiveness of institutional management. It is suggested that training programs be one element in a comprehensive…

Each institution has an existing planning style, and new approaches to academic planning must take into account institutionalized planning practices. Four planning styles are examined: needs assessment, program data, retrenchment and reallocation, and economic incentives. (Author/MLW)

Describes how the English department at Willamette University set out to revise the English curriculum as a participant in the MLA-FIPSE English Programs Curriculum Review Project. Shows how the faculty redesigned the curriculum, and shares three important ideas that might be useful to other departments undertaking similar changes. (HB)

Explores and puts to rest the misconceptions that faculty members from English as well as other disciplines hold about teaching writing. Makes suggestions that may help English teachers who want to establish an institution-wide program of writing gain the cooperation of other departments. (HTH)

Provides findings from a survey of English departments and the move from literature-based majors toward more majors in composition and rhetoric. Reveals substantial changes in English programs from 1987 through fall of 1992, confirming the growth of concentrations and course offerings in composition and rhetoric. (HB)

Presents brief case histories of the evolution and current status of two communication programs. Recommends 10 factors to consider in planning for the evolution and development of communication programs. (KEH)

Presents one composition instructor's personal memoir regarding the horrific treatment he was exposed to as a marginalized member of a college English department. Considers the kind of atmosphere and collegiality to which successful college English departments should aspire. (HB)

Describes how the English department at Roger Williams University set out to revise and revive the English major under difficult circumstances during the 1988-89 school year. Shows how the faculty redesigned the curriculum, recruited new majors, and established support programs. (HB)

Addresses the need of devoting, during the next two years, more time to a special kind of foreign language departmental planning. This planning may determine the strength of foreign language programs at colleges and universities at the turn of the century. (GLR)

Describes how the English department at Western Washington University set out to revise the English curriculum as a participant in the MLA-FIPSE English Programs Curriculum Review Project. Shows how the faculty redesigned the curriculum, and asks tough questions concerning the best way to undertake such changes. (HB)