Discussed is a method of small-scale course evaluation that is performed as part of a larger, integrated process of course review and redesign and carried out by a team including an external evaluator and the course teaching staff. (MSE)

A discussion of portfolio analysis in college planning, a technique of determining the attractiveness and competitiveness of given academic courses, looks at the correctness of the technique and its application in the strategic planning process. Data from a British university illustrate the procedure. (MSE)

Three models (structural, social, and personal) giving insight into factors that promote or inhibit change in higher education institutions are described, and themes in which the models support and complement each other are discussed. The models are then applied to the rapid expansion of continuing education in a traditional university.…

A typology of the influencing strategies used in academic decision making in higher education institutions is proposed, then applied to one university program development project. The typology assumes two basic influence modes (pressure and legitimization) and seven types of organizational resources (expertise, money, information, time, rules,…

Two innovative projects at the University of Utrecht, women's studies and the management and policy program, and the role of incentives in these particular cases are evaluated. Problems with innovation and decision making, entrepreneurial innovation and the planning process, and the organization of innovative projects are discussed. (Author/MLW)

The basic pattern of contemporary secondary education in Japan, laid down immediately after World War II according to the American model of comprehensive high schools with elected school boards, has given way to a structure more in keeping with Japanese needs. However, coeducation has taken firm root in Japanese secondary schools. Major policy…

A program of simultaneous curriculum change in ten Indonesian medical schools is described, in which 75 percent of the departments are using sets of instructional objectives for both teaching and evaluating student performance. An "Educational Bureau" at each school serves as a kind of research and development unit. (Author/LBH)

This introductory article describes current research on student loans in developing countries and concludes that student loans in these countries are feasible, can promote wider cost sharing, and can help to generate additional resources for higher education but only if loan programs are well designed and efficiently managed. (Author/DB)

A discussion of the implementation of the Total Quality Management approach at Oregon State University over a number of years describes the planning process, steps and issues in implementation, specific results achieved, obstacles encountered, and lessons learned in the process. (MSE)

Although many higher education institutions are addressing mandated student outcomes assessment as an issue of accountability, state governments appear to be more concerned about program improvement than summative evaluation. The different perspectives frame a fundamental debate over the nature and direction of the assessment movement. (Author/MSE)

Contexts for and developments related to the internationalization of German higher education are discussed, including public financial support to promote student and scholar mobility, both individually and in groups; more structured programs; and a stronger international dimension for larger scientific projects. Means to promote effective…

This article reviews student loan programs around the world; notes the problem of financial inefficiency, particularly in developing nations; discusses strategies to improve loan program performance, such as program targeting and avoidance of hidden subsidies; and considers alternatives to student loans based on principles of deferred payment. (DB)

This article describes current structures of educational finance in Uganda (where college students are supported by the government, whereas families must pay a substantial portion of elementary and secondary costs); considers arguments for increased cost recovery and the introduction of student loans; and examines obstacles to student loans in…

This case study describes why the University of Wolverhampton (England) decided to adopt the Total Quality Management approach to institutional administration, then to develop a quality assurance system to conform to an international quality standard. It chronicles two phases of program development/implementation and assesses successes and…

Drawing on data from a study of business schools in the United Kingdom, key elements of the process of internationalizing higher education programs are identified and a framework for assessing levels of international activity is developed. A model for a strategic internationalization process within institutions is then offered. (Author/MSE)