A discussion of college and university retrenchment based on interviews with 40 faculty and 20 administrators at 2 research universities looks at programs threatened with termination as terrains contested among academic fields, where wide divergences in professional/discipline-based power become evident. Results appeared to have less to do with…

Most public schools, out of financial necessity, have had to reduce costs while maintaining facilities and essential programs and remaining accountable for student outcomes. School downsizing can mean making painful decisions about program elimination and staff layoffs. This digest offers suggestions for using downsizing to some…

Describes recent efforts to combat the downward spiral of music programs in American schools. Increasing enrollments in arts education coupled with financial downsizing have spurred music educators and concerned constituents to fight for inclusion of fine arts programs in school curricula. (LMI)

Diplomacy and political sophistication are as important as sound data and thorough review in the faculty layoff process. Distinguishing characteristics of institutions and departments affected by retrenchment and reasons for retrenchment are discussed, along with institutional research policies needed regarding release of data. (Author/LB)

Planning issues for colleges seeking to maintain quality in institutional programs in the face of retrenchment are analyzed, based on a literature review. An extensive bibliography on the following topics is provided: quality (ratings, rankings, reform, institutional goals, and educational outcomes); retrenchment (enrollment decline, faculty,…

Most administrators approach program reduction as a budget issue; in reality, it is a governance and planning issue of major importance for the 1980s. Steps in a planning process for program discontinuance (including pitfalls) are described, based on a national study supported by the Exxon Foundation. (Author/LB)

Some of the responses of colleges and universities to declining enrollments and diminishing resources are reviewed. Institutions have tried to reduce the size of their operations, reallocate resources internally, and retrench a number of faculty and programs. Several approaches to reductions, reallocations, and retrenchments in specific cases,…

Currently, the Federal Government provides funds to a variety of postsecondary foreign language and international studies education programs authorized under Title VI of the Higher Education Act (HEA). Elementary and secondary foreign language and international studies programs are authorized under Title II of the Elementary and Secondary…