Midlevel student services managers (MSSMs) in higher education institutions (HEIs) are middle managers overseeing critical programs and services impacting the retention and engagement of students. Besides having to negotiate competing priorities from superiors above and subordinates below, MSSMs must also navigate HEIs with distinctive features…

As the technology landscape is continually evolving, transitions to newer software are commonplace in higher education. Change is often difficult to navigate, especially when the change that is implemented fundamentally impacts entrenched business processes. In no place is this more evident than when implementing a new system, whether the…

Program reviews are standard practice in higher education. Yet, due to the infancy of the leadership discipline, little is known about the process of conducting reviews of leadership programs. Through interviewing 13 experienced leadership program reviewers in both curricular and co-curricular contexts, the authors of this study aim to address…

A study of the factors related to job satisfaction among financial aid administrators suggests that how well the job fits the individual's expectations of employment accounts for job satisfaction best, regardless of intrinsic or extrinsic job orientation. Implications for the management of financial aid offices are examined. (MSE)

An informal survey of 19 media relations firms whose clients include schools, colleges, and universities revealed that institutions can contribute most to the success of the consultant-client relationship by planning, establishing goals and expectations, building a team, and identifying worthwhile stories. (MSE)

Guidelines offered for working with college alumni volunteers in student recruitment efforts include enlisting local alumni leaders' help; communicating expectations and procedures; requiring up-to-date records on local schools; prompt response to volunteer communications; and recognizing volunteer contributions. (MSE)

College trustees evaluating transfer policies and practices should consider allocation of staff and resources for support services and articulation; institutional expectations and planning goals; transfer population trends in the institution; transfer management within the institution; transfer student characteristics; and self-evaluation of…

The concept of student-institution fit includes much more than institutional searches for students with predetermined characteristics based on the characteristics of graduates. It requires a broad interactionist perspective, links with an institution-wide student retention plan, realistic information dissemination, and response to existing…

Organizational culture is difficult to change, but the norms that exist are the easiest elements to identify and change. Even if changing the norms is not desirable, it is essential to understand and articulate them. A change in cultural norms is communicated through new expectations, different language, and new behaviors. (MSE)

A former corporate public relations (PR) professional shares strategies for communicating and cooperating with the chief executive officer, and particularly for coping with differences in perceptions of the public relations officer's role. Basic attributes of a successful PR professional are outlined: good communication skills, an analytical…

Expectations of graduate medical education consortia are contrasted with the experiences of 36 such groups. Results indicate consortia differ markedly in structure, functions, and other features but have some common concerns. Recommendations for improvement addresses such issues as leadership, needs assessment, and resource allocation. (Author/MSE)

Alternative graduate education is explored from the perspective of one student who has participated in two nontraditional programs. Issues highlighted include: changing roles and responsibilities for faculty and students, problems with shared decision making, need for team building and problem solving, and importance of open communication.…

Information technology services on campuses are in crisis, due to dramatically increased expectations and stable or dwindling funding. The situation can be improved and service effectiveness enhanced by controlling expectations, reducing work, getting help (student volunteers, experiential learning programs, local experts, consultants, faculty and…

Current and developing issues and trends in college and university information resources management are outlined, including retention/retraining/recruitment of information technology staff; policy and technical issues; growing complexity and cost of enterprise systems; student expectations for technology support and services; distributed learning…