Using results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) administered at Central Connecticut State University, a public Carnegie master's-larger programs university in the Northeast, this study demonstrates time on spent on the test, student motivation, and to a lesser extent the local institutional administration procedures represent…

Since the complete understanding of an institution is impossible, an administrator must base his decisions on models of institutional structure. State and federal trends towards accountability and detailed cost accounting restrict the administrator's ability to cope with the problems of the institution. Similarly, efforts to make each component of…

This paper discusses the development and design of an analysis model for governance of teacher centers organized in consortium form. A consortium is descirbed as "an organization of autonomous bodies or individuals which bond together by some relatively formal agreement to secure some benefit." The consortium generally functions in a collaborative…

Explored are some of the current problems in the functioning and planning of higher education institutions, particularly viewed through the experience of British institutions. A framework of institutional analysis, the open systems approach, is presented as an essential prerequisite to the understanding of the organization. From this framework is…

This case study of academic deans was undertaken to investigate the organizational socialization process of deans and draw practical implications for institutions and academic leaders. Four researchers conducted in-depth interviews of 24 deans at different stages ("seasons") of the deanship using an open-ended interview guide developed…

The universe of postsecondary education is expanding. It is an era of rapid demographic and labor market changes, increased competition and shifts in institutional form (e.g., the rise of for profit degree granters, the hybrid form of nonprofit/for profit partnerships, corporate universities), and new forms of delivery driven by emerging…

Case studies of two colleges of very different financial status are contrasted to illustrate principles of leadership during both good economic times and difficult times. Visits and interviews at four prospering colleges and four colleges under financial stress were conducted to determine the financial state of each college and the role of…

This paper reports selected findings from a study of formal, institution-wide planning in the United States undertaken by the National Center for Postsecondary Governance and Finance, located at the University of Maryland. The study included a review of higher education planning literature, a survey of administrators at 256 institutions, and…

The office of the Los Angeles Superintendent of schools has provided program audit consultation service within the county school and community college districts. A procedure, "Audit Dress Rehearsal," which lowers anxiety and raises awareness of concern for program success by allowing program personnel to practice the evaluation/audit…

Three problems currently facing education are: reduced public confidence and reduced willingness to support budgets for all government agencies; unnecessarily expensive public education; and no recognized way to determine if an educational program is cost effective. A realistic system of management by objectives may be the best defense against all…

The nature, causes, and values of the methods of governing higher educational institutions in Great Britain and the United States are discussed. Types of governing bodies are considered in terms of hierarchical rank and membership, along with the external institutions, groups, and individuals influencing the decisions made by academic governors.…

A program cost study was conducted at a large midwestern university to determine department-level expenses and revenues associated with the mission-critical activities of instruction, research, and service. The study (or program) is based on a model for allocating costs, called responsibility centered management, that has been used for nearly a…

A decision-focused paradigm is presented to guide the development of a comprehensive institutional plan. The primary emphasis is the identification of strategic decisions to be resolved by individual institutions and the key determinants of those decisions. Based on the paradigm, a more active role for institutional research is suggested in order…

The development of information systems in higher education in the United States has paralleled the development of large-scale electronic computers. There are a number of conceptual designs for information systems in higher education. There also exist different information requirements for operation of a university, coordination of educational…

Changes in the institutional control of faculty behavior are examined, stressing that such control includes not only control by a faculty member's own university, but also, increasingly, regulation and other influences exerted by institutions outside the university. The review of the literature focuses on ways in which changes in the external…