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 pamphlet discusses the original rationale for university systems, points out some of the problems existing because of the definition of that rationale, and proposes a new responsibility for university systems and a new challenge for their leaders. The pamphlet affirms that the system chief executive officer (CEO) and board of governors are…

In their book, "In Search of Excellence," Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman identify eight attributes common among the best run companies in America. These attributes have special applicability for community colleges, given their uneasy present and uncertain future. Like successful companies, community colleges should: (1) foster an orientation…

Brigham Young University (Utah) has addressed the need for maintenance and support of distributed computing systems on campus by implementing a program patterned after a national business franchise, providing the support and training of a centralized administration but allowing each unit to operate much as an independent small business.…

Examines administrative processes in higher education institutions, focusing on the different core processes within an institution and the creation of structures to make them more efficient and productive. Proposes a framework of four process-related activities benchmarking, identifying best practices, redesign, and organization alignment to…

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…

The University of Montpelier I's 1969 statutes permitting maximum autonomy for the faculties of law and economics, medicine, and pharmacology resulted in a well-established division between the university's constituent parts and an unwillingness to pool resources to effect savings. (MSE)

Enormous enrollment growth has created substantial management problems for Dutch universities. Based on the idea that government research policy should stimulate, not weaken, university capabilities to improve their management, a system of research schools has been integrated into the higher education system to better concentrate teaching and…

Three main themes in the conflict experienced by college department heads are examined: conflict inherent in the structure of higher education (institutional), conflict created when people work together (interpersonal), and that woven into the chair position (positional). These conflicts are not necessarily negative or positive; these…

Examines five types of collegiate organizations (collegial, bureaucratic, political, anarchical, cybernetic) in terms of their interactiveness within closely and loosely coupled organizations. The terminology of closely and loosely coupled organizations is examined and existing definitions are refined. Examples are drawn from contemporary…

Results of a national survey of colleges and universities concerning hazardous waste generation, management, costs, insurance, and staffing are presented. (MSE)

Most North American institutions have developed valuable institutional research capabilities. Consensus about some issues of institutional research has not yet been reached, but the work, either using existing databases or obtaining new data, helps the institutions know themselves better and is worth supporting. (MSE)

Small colleges can make a virtue of the need to use administrative staff flexibly and to train young staff. Senior administrators must assume a variety of tasks, and young administrators can develop their skills while covering key functions. (MSE)

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…

The most widely recognized quality management standard in the world, the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 9000, is considered by some in higher education to have much potential for college administration. Its advantages include its focus on organizational infrastructure, adaptability, articulation of tangible requirements for…