Although technology is affecting the way organizations conduct business, there still remains a need to pay attention to good business meeting practices. Based on observations of the meeting practices of a business firm, a consultant found several areas in which meetings can be made more productive. The purpose of the meeting should be defined.…

A study revealed that many faculty and administrators believe most decisions are made in informal meetings that occur at times other than in the formally convened and formally conducted business meetings. The concept of meeting is expanded to include any gathering of members of an organization who assemble together informally and deliberately in…

"Illuminative evaluation," as defined by Parlett and Hamilton, "is not a standard methodological package but a general strategy. It aims to be both adaptable and eclectic. The choice of research tactics follows not from research doctrine, but from decisions in each case as to the best available techniques; the problem defines the…

Misconceptions about the teaching of writing prevail on many college campuses, partially because writing teachers fail to communicate with their colleagues. It is especially important for writing teachers to let their colleagues know that learning to write is a long term developmental process that needs support and reinforcement from the entire…

Coordinators, as described in this speech, refer to persons called department chairmen, chairpersons, heads, or leaders. The history of the use of coordinators and the responsibilities assigned to them by principals are discussed. The major emphasis of the paper is placed on the considerations necessary for the successful use of coordinators in…

Field research was conducted to evaluate the workgroup meetings of an organization. The evaluation served to determine whether management's established objectives for the meetings were reached and to develop research strategies useful in examining individual communication activities. Two questionnaires (for supervisory/nonsupervisory personnel)…

This paper describes a child development project implemented in an attempt to demonstrate that a full range of child development services can be centered in an elementary school. Child development services are defined as a broad array of support systems to children and their families which facilitate the children's progression through life--their…

Based on Barker's Manning Theory, the behavioral and attitudinal consequences of participation in undermanned settings were examined among university faculty. Faculty from the four smallest (undermanned) and four largest liberal arts departments at Central Connecticut State College were surveyed regarding their academic activities and their…

A step-by-step approach is provided for developing an environmental scanning system for colleges and universities to assist them in planning for the future. The objectives of such a system are to detect social, scientific, economic, technical, and political interactions important to the organization; define potential threats and opportunities from…

Small community or vocational colleges often face the problem of trying to run quality academic programs with adjunct or part-time faculty who have little contact with the regular faculty and little say in policy-making. The Utah Valley Community College writing program, which successfully combined regular and adjunct faculty in planning and…

Since the size of the small school presents difficulties in implementation of in-service programs, program development should be carefully considered. Initially, faculty support must be gained via: (1) careful needs assessment; (2) solicitation and utilization of outside consultants (from universities, the Department of Public Instruction, and/or…

A study was conducted to examine current concepts and procedures of community college governance in the United States and the United Kingdom. Agendas and minutes of board meetings were analyzed and interviews were conducted with administrators and board members at four institutions, one rural and one urban from each country. The participating…

While small rural colleges have much the same goals as larger institutions, they have fewer resources with which to work, and therefore their management problems are unique. In the areas of staffing, time management, staff development, and recruitment and promotion, the small college can increase management effectiveness. Despite increasing…