University officials and faculty are frequently required to make decisions based on interpretations of disputed facts. By applying the concept of due process within the context of higher education, they can meet legal challenges of contract and constitutional law and the pedagogical demand for justice. To guide their efforts, decision makers can…

Student ratings of instruction are widely used as a basis for personnel decisions and faculty development recommendations. This digest discusses concerns about the validity of student ratings and presents a case for their use in teacher evaluation. There are several strong arguments for using student ratings to evaluate teachers. Students are in a…

This information digest emphasizes that learning-disabled students must be cautious in selecting a higher education program that matches the student's unique needs with the features of the learning disabilities program. Planning for a successful postsecondary education begins with developing an appropriate individualized educational program in…

Faculty participation in college or university decision making is accepted as intrinsically good and as having positive effects on institutional functioning, but it is reflected in varying degrees in actual practice. The rationale for faculty participation is related to increased employee satisfaction and performance; faculty also tend to afford…

Factors that have led to post-tenure evaluation of faculty are considered, along with concerns that should be examined before designing a post-tenure review process. Post-tenure evaluation is not in opposition to the principle of tenure and to policy statements about tenure issued by the American Association of University Professors, provided that…

This digest addresses some of the special career planning needs of gifted and talented students and offers intervention guidelines for the elementary, junior high, senior high, college, and adult levels. Indications that students are having difficulty coping with the multipotentiality of their talents may be evidenced by early difficulty in making…

This digest summarizes a longer document with the same title concerning the introduction of enduring innovations into a higher education organization. Organizational change involves three steps: (1) mobilization, (2) implementation, and (3) institutionalization. Without institutionalization, the innovation is likely to be terminated no matter how…

This digest summarizes the role of the dean or department chair in dealing with legal issues in higher education. It considers the types of legal issues which might arise for these administrators (such as contract and tort matters for staff and students), the erosion of the legislative and judicial deference given to academic decision making, and…

This digest, based on a larger report of the same title, summarizes principles for improving quality in higher education institutions. Emphasis is on the effect of the principles when they are used holistically to create a culture of academic excellence. The quality principles are based on the conceptual framework of total quality management (TQM)…

This digest discusses how secondary students with learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can investigate postsecondary programs and find the right college to meet their needs. It begins by exploring when students should begin their college planning and the role of transition plans in determining student goals and vision…

Career and vocational educators must prepare people with the attitudes and skills needed for successful integration of work and family life. Ideally, life and career planning should be taught as a unit beginning in the middle school. A life/career planning course should incorporate such topics as interdependence of individual, family, and career…