Over the past decade, the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) has been documenting what colleges and universities are doing to gather evidence about student learning and helping institutions to productively use assessment data to strengthen undergraduate education. NILOA also has been monitoring how institutions communicate…

A descriptive study was conducted to identify the problems met by university department chairs and describe the most common methods for dealing with them. The data were gathered by both qualitative and quantitative methods using a national survey of 808 department chairs (with a 70.2% response rate) as well as a series of semi-structured…

This paper presents a realistic assessment of the pressures and problems facing college deans. Deans are in the position of having to deal with their faculty on one hand and the university administration on the other, placing them in the position of balancing interests and interpreting positions between two groups who often do not understand each…

Individual and organizational stress management strategies that have been used by many administrators and managers in academic organizations are described. The need to be a diagnostician as well as an effective decision maker and implementor is discussed. (MLW)

A study of 10 public colleges in Alberta (Canada) examined the role of value judgments in presidential decision making. Data were drawn from surveys of 10 administrators and interviews with 4 concerning decision making in representative situations. Findings are presented concerning the types of decisions made, processes used in making them, and…

Changes in education and technology have substantially altered the kinds of skills required of university administrators, emphasizing the need for managerial and problem-solving abilities. Many of these skills can be acquired with appropriate training, but it will be increasingly necessary for institutions to assure that their managers have them.…

Broad contextual and cultural influences of reforms on employment and higher education in Lithuania are examined, effects of this transition on higher education administration are considered, and conditions that would encourage administrators to take an entrepreneurial or proactive approach are discussed. A model for training programs to assist…

Administrative leadership is examined with focus on the processes and problems of campus decision-making. Chapters include: the need for administrators; morals, ethics, and values in higher education; improving administrative communication; conceptions of decision-making; focusing administration interest; understanding external influences,…

Surviving the position of college president requires the development of a presidential survival kit filled with idiosyncratic items not normally associated with formal educational training. Strength, agility, control, and the ability to improvise are some of the talents required of a college president. In addition, the longevity and success of a…

Chief academic officers at 1,053 institutions of higher education across the United States were surveyed about the barriers to improving teaching and learning. Using factor analysis, responses were reduced to nine general problem areas. In order of importance from most important to least important, the problems identified were: financial support,…

This report examines the problem of strained relations between State universities and the State government and addresses why this condition might exist for many schools of higher education. It suggests that the proper role of the campus Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in improving state relations, and in all other institutional relations, is as…

Educational administrators in the future will have to be proactive, anticipatory, and flexible if they are to provide effective leadership. International exchange experiences can offer administrators professional development opportunities for examining administrative issues from different perspectives. (Author/MSE)

Strategic planning in higher education is seen in this book as an essential element in the life of a successful college or university. This book begins by defining strategic planning and explains how to identify the core problems a college or university wants to address and solve through the planning process. It continues with advice on how to…

The leadership, management, and academic concerns of deans and provosts are addressed in this casebook based on 25 original case studies on issues related to finance, personnel, organizational structure, curriculum, and academic freedom and standards. Two or more practical options for action accompany each presentation of a challenging problem.…

Nine campus public relations professionals offer solutions and strategies to address three campus communication dilemmas: (1) display of a controversial student photograph; (2) a state budget scare; and (3) a rape on campus. (MSE)