This article develops and implements an agile management approach in higher education. Such an approach follows core practices, such as project plans. The project manager has to identify the agility drivers that represent changes and pressures; prioritize agility capabilities to take advantage of changes; identify agility providers to obtain…

University and college administrators frequently choose to develop and implement online programs with the help of for-profit companies known as online program management (OPM) providers that specialize in the development and implementation of online programs. This paper reports on the partnership of a private university in the Western United…

A 10-step process is outlined for college decision makers assessing the feasibility of self-operation, contract management, or some combination of these for management of a specific service or function. The role of the governing board in decision making and acceptance of ultimate responsibility for success is also discussed. (MSE)

Proposes a decision-making model for organizing and structuring academic and occupational programs and choosing the most efficient management style. Recommends a comprehensive community needs assessment, completion of the Environmental Assessment Scale (EAS), determination of educational philosophy, and selection of appropriate college structure.…

Guidelines are offered for colleges to use in making decisions about self-operation or contracting of campus services. Six primary factors and 10 phases in the decision process are outlined. A matrix incorporating those factors and phases, and specifically designed for decision-making concerning campus computing services is also presented. (MSE)

Administrators in higher education frequently assume a type of rationality based on bureaucratic or political models of organizations, or some combination of the two. This assumption is questioned, and suggestions are made for models of decision making, resource allocation, and policy formation and implementation. (MSE)

Five ethical dilemmas in college and university advancement are outlined, and responses of professionals to each are cited. Dilemmas include renaming a building, originally named for a generous donor, in honor of another donor funding renovation; paying for copying of sensitive documents; use of designated donations; handling of a donation made in…

The University of Rochester's experience with online analytical processing (OLAP), part of its executive information system, is reported. The server, a multiuser, local area network (LAN)-based database loaded from legacy systems or a data warehouse, can rapidly manipulate and display data, and allows quick creation and changing of analytical…

Five situations are posed in which a college advancement administrator must make an ethical judgment. They involve renaming a building named after a graduate, use of personal versus institutional funds for a sensitive information search, use of unrestricted gifts, respecting donor intentions, and candor in information dissemination. Readers are…

Management guidelines for colleges and universities that include policies, goals, and procedures are presented. Guidelines include the following: (1) trustees must have final authority for the institution; (2) the planning process should recognize that policy and direction generally flow down (the organizational structure) while process…

A study investigated the implementation costs of direct lending in 77 diverse colleges and universities, including both increases and decreases in institutional expenditures. Results indicate that start-up costs varied greatly, that the institution's loan volume was related to the cost and savings experienced, and that costs and savings were…

To increase the value of administrative information for universitywide decision making, the office of institutional research at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has undertaken a project to standardize data elements and codes across all administrative systems and institutionalize an ongoing standardization process. (Author/MSE)

This article proposes a conceptual decision-making framework for college and university offices of institutional research during times when budgetary retrenchment and reallocation of resources is necessary. Key issues the office should consider include understanding the institution's purpose, strategy selection, evaluation activities, student…

With use of information technology in colleges, dilemmas concerning ethics and values arise, and policies are needed to guide administrative decision making. The University of Michigan has developed a "proper use" policy to encourage values definition and clarification and a "think about it" implementation campaign to extend…

A study tested a model for assessing the impact of financial aid offers on 2,558 accepted students' college enrollment decisions. The analysis demonstrates that financial aid strategies have a substantial influence on enrollment and the systematic analysis of student enrollment decisions can help institutional administrators refine their financing…