What follows is a slightly revised version of a story that Ted Estess read at the ceremony honoring his retirement after thirty-one years from the position of Dean of the Honors College at the University of Houston. The story, as he explained to those assembled, was written some years ago in Colorado, where he spent time most summers with his…

Samuel Schuman writes that in the year after the 1983 national conference in Philadelphia, he had a gripe, and was not hesitant to express it. He wondered why an organization like this one does not do a better job of welcoming and orienting newcomers to Honors. At that point one of the elders of the organization, Dr. John Portz, responded,…

Coaching is a strategy employed by districts to improve teacher skill and advance student learning. Despite widespread adoption of coaching, research has not yet explored teachers' emotional responses to coaching, which may impact the success of the coaching practice. This study examines teacher perception of coaching and coinciding emotional…

Despite growing research about exclusionary practices affecting Black male adolescents, little is known about their interactions with teachers or administrators. Images from the literature are negative and cyclical: Black male adolescents believe their teachers don't care; educators believe Black males don't care about academics. This practitioner…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of doctoral students in a western Canadian university about the doctoral programs offered in the Faculty of Education. The research for the study was undertaken using a mixed-method explanatory design. Our initial research question was: "what are some of the factors that doctoral…

The role of the chief academic officer within an institution is discussed. Some theoretical descriptions of the role of the Academic Dean in the community college in the U.S. are given. The results of a survey of 22 Academic Deans (or their equivalents) are given as they relate to the dean's position in the college, the line-staff relationship,…

The study aimed at finding out whether online courses are currently used at Saudi higher education institutions, in which majors online courses are offered and which delivery systems are used. It was found that only 6 universities (43%) are currently offering online courses using WebCT or Blackboard. The amount and type of online courses offered…

Asserting that in order to determine the effectiveness of those in leadership positions accurately and fairly, an understanding of how individuals and groups of individuals construct their notions of effective leadership within complex organizations must be developed. This study sought to: (1) define and measure effective leadership empirically…

This paper addresses the evolution of the kinds of challenges that deans have met over time and examines perceptions of today's deans concerning their ability to deal effectively with current challenges. A sample of deans (n=695) in the colleges of education, business, liberal arts, and nursing at 360 public and private institutions was surveyed…

This paper, which examines mentor relationships of academic deans, is part of a study conducted by the Center for Academic Leadership at Washington State University between October 1996 and January 1997. The study sample consisted of 1,370 deans (response rate 60 percent) at 360 public and private institutions, and the survey gathered information…

This paper examines various career paths leading to deanship and considers the implications of the findings for women and minorities who aspire to this position. The paper is part of a larger study of academic deanship conducted by the Center for Academic Leadership at Washington State University between October 1996 and January 1997. Data for the…

This study examined the relationships among the roles of college deans and conflict and ambiguity in deans' work. Challenges deans perceived as imminent in the future were also studied. The sample included 1,370 deans from 360 universities. They were asked about their roles, conflicts and ambiguities they faced, and possible challenges for the…

A survey of 422 faculty and interviews with 11 deans, department heads, and administrators at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst were conducted to determine faculty awareness of disability. At the time of the study, there were approximately 425 individuals with documented disabilities receiving services at the University. These included…

This study first reviews research on factors that influence the ways individuals make decisions, such as the size of an organization and its structure, the nature of the power coalitions within the organization, and certain traits such as risk-taking, self-concept, and gender. The study interviewed 33 administrators at varying levels within six…

On May 14-15, in Washington, a Conference on Education for Highway Engineering and Highway Transport was held. This was attended by about 75 highway engineers, deans and supervisors of engineering in colleges, universities, and technical schools, National, State, and County highway commissioners, and men interested in highway and automotive…