The literature about international issues in higher education has increased over the last decade. In recent years there has been a particular emphasis on cross-cultural comparisons of common concerns, as evidenced by the growing number of journals that focus on international education. The new knowledge-based economy has resulted in a move toward…

The literature on professional development covers five major trends: (1) faculty development; (2) professional development for change in a profession or field; (3) mentoring; (4) professional standards for administrators; and (5) staff development, with almost all of the literature focusing on best practices rather than research. Much of the…

Literature on college curriculum has been declining since the early 1990s, representing under 5 percent of the literature added to the ERIC database in 1996. One reason seems to be the emphasis on instruction; another is that information on curricular movements are often addressed in the literature on instructional change. Trends in 1996 in the…

The literature on financial issues in higher education is limited. Six major themes in the literature in l996 include the reduced federal role and increased state role in funding; managing costs, including deferred maintenance and capital spending in times of shrinking resources; concern about rising tuition and its impact on access; concern about…

Several themes are prevalent in the literature on college administration. Motivating staff, planning, conflict management, ethics, power and influence, communication, strategy and decision making, vision, and financial issues are consistently discussed. However, common administrative processes such as planning, morale, and administrative climate…

The literature on college faculty in 1996 has increased; however, two themes described in the practice literature--identifying and rewarding exemplary teaching and experimental pedagogies--are only minimally represented in the research literature. The Carnegie Foundation, the American Association for Higher Education, and the Council for the…

The literature on college instruction reached a peak in 1996, one reason being that this topic relates to the larger discussion about the changing role of higher education and to faculty members' changing priorities. Trends identified include the integration of technology into instruction; an emphasis on interdisciplinary teaching and learning;…

The amount of literature on program evaluation decreased in 1996, continuing a trend begun in the late 1980s. One exception to this is the literature on assessment. Another frequent issue is the technique of evaluation. Many examples of research on evaluation are from international settings, where accountability and evaluation appear to be…

Historically, legal issues have not been well represented in the higher education research literature. Two sources, however, regularly discuss legal issues: the Journal of College and University Law and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Three main themes emerge in the literature on legal issues: (1) rethinking and refining of traditional…

Higher education's relationship with and contribution to the public good emerged as a trend in the higher education literature in 1996. Three major themes are represented: the role of higher education, public relations, and collaboration. The literature and research continue to illustrate the valuable role of higher education in the important…

The literature on higher education policy and governance has increased since the late 1980s, possibly in response to campuses' questioning of their traditional missions and processes, and focuses on five main areas: financial issues; assessment; accreditation and standards, especially for new forms of teaching and learning; nondiscrimination…

The literature on graduate and professional education reflects many of the trends present in the literature on undergraduate education, including concerns about student learning; transforming the curriculum to be more inclusive; internationalization of the curriculum; incorporation of technology; growth in interdisciplinary education; and outcomes…