Institutions that have organized and centralized their data enjoy an obvious advantage in grappling with strategic planning and other issues. As the drumbeat for accountability, planning, and demonstrating effectiveness to internal and external stakeholders intensifies, the stature and importance of institutional research offices on most campuses…

Distance education in its many forms had been around for decades, but the Western Governors University (WGU) was arguably the first "virtual university" (VU) in the United States, or at least the first VU that gained widespread attention from the press and public. After the governors in the Western Governors Association announced they would create…

It is argued that student services can save themselves by helping assure the significance and survival of the institution at large. The suggested strategy includes an assessment of underdeveloped areas and resources (staff, facilities, etc.) and their redeployment in new programs to meet institutional needs, e.g. commuter student or community…

Although much federal support for higher education exists, its relationship to developing innovative programs is different among various fields and disciplines. The role and influence of the federal government on innovation in graduate programs is discussed. (Author/MLW)

As campus computing is decentralized, new responsibilities will devolve to deans. These can be met by appointing faculty committees to develop academic computing plans for teaching and research, assigning departmental staff to administrative systems project development teams, and forming new alliances with directors responsible for academic and…

The key elements of a capital campaign must be in place long before the campaign is launched. The three essential elements include: a clear and convincing case for support; leadership for planning, mounting, and conducting the campaign; and the cultivation, or persuasion, of appropriate donors. (MSE)

Building undergraduate and graduate programs simultaneously highlighted the tensions between disciplinary-based undergraduate programs and interdisciplinary graduate programs.

Key steps in deciding on a new career program include having a program planning model, identifying a planning officer, gathering the necessary planning data, conducting a feasibility study, and understanding the institution's program approval process. (Author/MSE)

When considering new career programs, college presidents must balance need and temptation with economic reality, yet have the courage to take appropriate risks. (Author/MSE)

A brief history of the concept of scientific crime prevention is outlined, and development of a college crime prevention program is discussed, including criteria for judging proposals that address a security threat; advantages and disadvantages of three prevention approaches (informational, mechanical, human); innovations; crime in the surrounding…

The broad appeal of recycling makes it the most widespread and popular campus environmental activity. Recycling programs have a wide variety of designs and can fit into an overall waste management strategy, but effective planning for campus recycling requires awareness of a variety of issues and needs. (Author/MSE)

The potential roles of department heads, deans, and faculty development directors in guiding and monitoring the effective delivery of faculty incentives are outlined, and key factors in facilitating and inhibiting vitality and signs of increased vitality are listed. (MSE)

In this article, the author relates his experiences leading the building of the School of Engineering within the new University of California (UC) campus of UC Merced. He discusses the goals of the project, as well as the challenges it faced, and concludes with personal lessons for those tasked with similar positions within university building…

Implementing an enterprise resource planning system is a complex undertaking. Careful planning, management, communication, and staffing can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful implementation. (Contains 3 tables.)

The planning and implementation of a computerized management information system at a fictional small college is described. Nine key points are made regarding department involvement, centralization, gradual program implementation, lowering costs, system documentation, and upper-level administrative support. (MSE)