The Medical School Learning Environment Survey was developed to measure aspects of the learning environment relevant to student stress. Results of the first administration and plans for future projects using the survey are discussed. (Author/LBH)

The State University of New York-Plattsburgh is examining the total impact of the college experience on its students with standardized tests to measure academic achievement and student surveys to measure attitudes about learning, their own experience, and the institutional environment. (MSE)

The simplest form of institutional identity program is a wordmark--a typographic treatment of the institution's name--and a set of guidelines for presenting the wordmark on all communications. A more detailed program might include a logo, standards for the placement of information on the paper, family of typefaces, etc. (MLW)

A case study of a state college illustrating a framework to diagnose culture in collegiate institutions is presented. Organizational culture as a concept for understanding management and performance in higher education is explained, previous attempts to define culture in higher education are outlined, and essential elements of academic culture are…

The University of California at Berkeley, with a tradition of supporting social change, is openly confronting serious racial issues. Black students and others support the institution's new public stand against racism. (MSE)

Learned journals are swollen with academic mediocrity. Suggestions for authors of the many second-rate manuscripts needed to pad the contents of learned journals are presented along with suggestions on marketing mediocrity. (MLW)

The concepts of institutional saga and culture were used to describe the dynamics at work when a new president was selected at three Catholic colleges sponsored by women's religious orders. Institutional data analyzed were transcripts of interviews, field notes, and documents. (Author/MLW)

Describes attempts to develop quantitative formulas for determining book fund allocations, and discusses the difficulties of this approach in a university environment characterized by scarce resources and conflicting departmental goals. A set of procedural rules intended to promote fair and equitable allocations is presented. (36 references) (CLB)

Discusses the implications for college campuses of the change to a minimum drinking age of 21. Reviews the historical background of the issue and presents evidence both supporting and not supporting the age change. Emphasizes institutional responsibility in complying with the law. Suggests programs of alcohol education. (ABB)

The Corporate Council on the Liberal Arts, a group of corporate executives having agreed that the liberal arts can provide better preparation for business careers than many people realize, has embarked on the difficult task of getting colleges and businesses to put that principle into practice. (MLW)

Information about materials on environmental scanning is offered. Suggestions about sources of data for scanning are provided, organized into six facets of the environment: demographic, economic, political, organizational, technological, and social-cultural. (MLW)

The major benefit of an environmental scanning/forecasting system is in providing critical information for strategic planning. Such a system allows the institution to detect social, technological, economic, and political trends and potential events. The environmental scanning database developed by United Way of America is described. (MLW)

A campus report criticizes the University of Massachusetts' handling of a racial brawl after the 1986 World Series. It was the most violent of several racial incidents reported on college campuses this year. The report called for administrative and educational changes to improve the quality of life for Black students. (MLW)

Presents the Campus Ecology Model which advocates an ecological perspective on commuting. Suggests that campus ecology should infer the ecology of the student, so that the physical/social environment residing outside of the university's property boundaries is of great importance. An ecosystem design process, its application to commuter…

A survey concerning sexual harrassment of 356 women graduate students at a major public university documents the extent and complexity of incidents of "everyday harassment" and both consensual and coercive dating and sex with male faculty. Current university policy is evaluated. (Author/MSE)