This past June, the Iowa River overflowed its banks and deluged 20 buildings on the University of Iowa's Iowa City campus. As the floodwaters finally receded, regents and administrators on the Iowa campus began dealing with all the ramifications and lessons of the flooding--including the key roles of testing emergency plans, nonstop communication,…

The University of Michigan sponsored a 2-day, institution-wide exposition of quality management efforts, which included 64 exhibits staffed by university employees. The underlying principles, planning stages, evidence that the expo was successful, lessons learned, plans for similar future efforts, and ways to obtain further information about this…

The process used to engineer and manage major organizational change at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is described. Issues include defining change, gaining support, organizing to facilitate change, staff development, establishing project strategies, and measuring success. The role of the institution's information…

The University of Delaware developed an intelligent mail server to provide easy, inexpensive access to institutional information for faculty, staff, and students on any node, machine, or operating system on the campuswide computing network. Security concerns have been addressed. The small investment has returned immediate benefits. (MSE)

An experimental program at the University of Woollongong (Australia) identified a quality management framework, developed indicators of institutional performance, created a database for user-defined information needs, and provided access to information at all institutional levels. The project explored use of performance indicators and demonstrated…

San Joaquin Delta Community College has created a graphic, electronic office environment called "Virtual Desk" to operate on employees' desktops. It is a front end to the computer network depicting a desk on which are mounted a calculator, spreadsheet, notepad, calendar, word processor, electronic mail, and file drawers and bookshelves.…

Use of computer technology for specialized communication networks at University of California (Oakland), Lafayette College (Pennsylvania), Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania), the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook is described. The systems feature different forms of internal and…

The University of Trondheim's Norwegian Institute of Technology has redesigned its training program for deans and department heads to enhance the jobs' attractiveness, provide training opportunities, reduce problems of re-integration into the academic career, and introduce professional development talks by department heads with all staff. (MSE)

Four basic models of the organization of college and university communications offices are described: advancement, news bureau model, agency, and marketing models. Pros and cons of each are discussed, and the structure of this function at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) is presented as an ideal…

The approach used at the University of Maryland at College Park to address the problem of shrinking resources is described. The institution's strategic restructuring involved assessment of existing revenue generation and resource use and development of alternatives. Thorough self-assessment and clearly articulated priorities are seen as essential.…

The program of voluntary separation at Smith College (Massachusetts), implemented as an alternative to forced staff layoffs, is described. The plan included generous separation benefits and counseling services. Related issues are discussed, including tax considerations, eligibility, cost estimation, the plan's timeline, information dissemination,…

The process at the University of Maryland at College Park to cut its budget substantially over two years is described. Key principles were avoidance of across-the-board cuts, maintenance of commitments, faculty involvement, openness, and ongoing communication within the institution. Advisory committee, college senate, and off-campus lobbying…

The ways in which five college and university alumni offices increase their effectiveness by pairing up with departments and offices across campus are described. These cooperative efforts include alumni program involvement with academic departments, career development services, admissions office, student organizations, and government relations…

Syracuse University (New York) has found that the focused, collaborative approach to institutional administration embodied in Total Quality Management is beneficial. It requires allocation of adequate time and resources, observation of others, communication, addressing high-need areas first, and willingness to adapt, but it may bring resistance…

The process that Kenyon College (Ohio) used in researching development of a campus-wide information system (CWIS) is outlined, and the most important issues to be considered in launching a successful CWIS are identified, including resources, needs, ownership, access, personnel, content, policy, design, staffing, marketing, and ongoing development.…