Recent Finnish policies have encouraged Finnish higher education institutions to develop a market-oriented approach to international higher education by implementing fee-based educational programmes for students from outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). From the Finnish government's perspective, higher education is…

During my 45 years as an academic, I have followed the admonition sometimes attributed to the legendary Jedi warrior Obi-Wan Kenobe that political scientists should "use [their] power for good and not for evil." In this spirit, I have devoted substantial portions of my career to public service by providing strategic advice and campaign management…

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill undertook faculty development activities to increase awareness of community-engaged scholarship through campus dialogue and by assisting faculty members in acquiring skills for community-engaged scholarship. This article presents a case report describing activities and their impact. The activities…

Searching for ways to help students feel more connected to one another and to the school community as a whole, a junior high school implemented the social house approach. Social houses divide students into multiple social units, rather than into separate academic entities. Each unit has its own identity and theme.The different groups mix during…

Reprints a series of "how-to" guidelines concerning service learning from the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CFRC). Includes a working definition of service learning, a five-step process for projects, and specific goals to be reached at each stage of the project. (MJP)

Discusses universal service policies in the European Union. Topics include information access; the demise of the public service model; the effects of competition on universal service; financing; national implementation of member states; programs for schools and libraries; and pertinent Web sites on European universal service policy. (LRW)

Discusses some of the cultural and logistical challenges faced by service learning projects. Theses challenges include a predisposition toward individualism over collective action, lack of time and emphasis on traditional learning. Provides strategies and approaches for overcoming these challenges. Includes a sample questionnaire for parents and…

Identifies sources of technological stress for public services librarians and patrons and proposes ways to reduce stress, including communicating with staff, implementing a system gradually, providing adequate training, creating proper documentation, planning, considering ergonomics in hardware and software selection, selecting a good interface,…

Since its creation in 1988, the sole mission of the agency PennSERVE has been to make community service the common expectation of all Pennsylvania's citizens. Using state funds, PennSERVE initiated a school service learning (SL) grant program and funded a total of 35 school and community-based SL programs between 1989 and 1991 in grades K-12, the…

La Salle University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) developed a three-track M.A. program in Spanish and bilingual studies which offers intensive training in Spanish and English and cross-cultural, interdisciplinary courses dealing with facets of Hispanic culture and Hispanics' adjustment problems in the United States. Track I is for bilingual…

This quarterly publication contains 13 articles covering various aspects of education and youth employment in Australia. "Youth Employment Strategies: Public Service of South Australia" (Jenny Rhodes) describes opportunities for South Australian youth to enter public service. "School Influences on Retention in Victorian Government…