A discussion of the use of advisory committees in college and university administration outlines their many potential roles at both program and institutional levels, identifying reasons they are established and often underused. Issues of advisory committee effectiveness are then explored by examining several types of underinvolved and overinvolved…

This guide to regulation of agency fees, the monies that unions collect from individuals in a bargaining unit who decline to join the union, discusses the rationale for the fees, outlines procedures for collecting them, and provides excerpts of representative agency fee provisions of existing contracts. The principle on which agency fees are based…

Advice is offered on promoting diversity within the college alumni association, based on the University of Kansas Alumni Association's experience. Suggestions include providing offerings that appeal to everyone; challenging alumni to participate in reaching out to others; and inviting alumni involvement when dissatisfied. (MSE)

It is important for alumni associations to project a consistent image. This can be accomplished in part by adopting a logo, either similar to or different from the institution's, or by instituting a visual identity program that conveys the association's personality and suits its marketing purposes. (MSE)

An effective campaign to recruit members to student organizations must use contemporary marketing strategies. Market positioning involves understanding the prospect's thinking, simplifying the message being conveyed, being first in the prospect's mind, and finding a market niche. The organization should be treated as a product, the potential…

In a panel discussion, four leaders of the Society of Research Administrators discuss how the organization and the issues it addresses have evolved since publication of an article about it in 1988. Topics include whether the organization has lived up to its founders' ideals, the nature of the membership, comparisons with another research…

An exchange of letters between the president of Temple University and the chairman of the AAUP committee on academic freedom and tenure is presented concerning the appropriateness of the association's censure of Temple on actions permitted under collective bargaining agreements. (MSE)

With the proposed dissolution of the binary system of higher education in the United Kingdom, the central issue facing faculty unions with diverse memberships and interests is how their future relationships will be structured. Greater cooperation is seen as necessary for protection of the higher education teaching profession. (MSE)

The experiences of several colleges and universities in expanding, streamlining, and enhancing alumni association regional programs are presented. Issues discussed include event attendance, offering services efficiently, conducting focus groups, designing events and selecting speakers, and communicating with leaders and members. (MSE)

A survey of 110 private colleges and universities elicited information about the traits presidents regarded as ideal in members of a strategic planning team. The profiles drawn closely match those of "early adopters," a personality type found effective in facilitating acceptance of innovation in nonacademic settings. (MSE)

The senate of the University of Maryland at College Park includes representatives of the entire campus community. The involvement of all constituencies is useful: decisions and policies made result from full information and discussion; there are no decision surprises; and there is strong administrative commitment to act on policies adopted. (MSE)

The use of focus groups to assess existing college student leadership efforts and as a step in developing better programs is examined. Procedures include assembling a planning team, identifying information needs, determining the composition of focus groups, soliciting and training volunteers, and using focus group results to design a program. (MSE)

Donor recognition societies, or gift clubs, are used by colleges and universities to thank and encourage donors. For such giving mechanisms to fulfill their potential, they must be carefully planned and administered. Issues to consider include setting gift levels based on institutional goals, establishing rules for counting eligible gifts, and…

The two segments of membership of the National Association for Campus Activities, commercial and school, can collaborate most effectively for multicultural campus programing through good communication, school identification of specific cultural issues to be addressed in programing, and establishment of standards and expectations for implementation…

This book contains analysis of and advice about work on committees in institutions of higher education. Chapter 1 is an orienting chapter, revealing what kind of creature a committee is; what it does in, for, and against the organizations in which it is embedded; and what the major kinds of committees are. Subsequent chapters deal with: (1) the…