A case study of a large research university illustrates the increasing use of nontenured faculty. Origins of the expansion are examined, arrangements used to resolve staffing problems are described, and their effectiveness and general consequences for departments are assessed. It is concluded that while short-term negative outcomes can be…

The Waite Campus at the University of Adelaide, South Australia, houses industrial, research, and educational organizations. One advantage of this co-location is sharing the cost of facilities and equipment. The facilities described include Plant Research Center, Wine Science Laboratory, refectory, library, conference facilities, teleteaching,…

Because the diversity of metropolitan Orlando (Florida) is both a major strength and a complex issue, diversity and diversity education are important components of the University of Central Florida's metropolitan mission and strategic-planning process. That process links the institution's strategic priorities with its budgetary process, and has…

Describes three examples of learning environments that were created for the Web at Clyde Virtual University (Scotland) to enable task-oriented learning by allowing students to develop and apply skills and knowledge in a simulated environment. Discusses the staff's team approach, focusing on the end user, and the appropriate use of technology.…

Discusses Lansing Community College's (Michigan) Virtual College, initiated in 1997 and now offering 47 courses for online delivery. Reviews ColdFusion 3.1, a database-driven Web application server, and describes how the college has successfully used it to support students and faculty. (EMH)

Describes a faculty initiative involving twelve Pennsylvania State University colleges, its library system, and two historically black colleges (Cheyney and Lincoln Universities) in the design of distance-education programs, and presents a set of principles and practices developed by the faculty that address issues in design and development of a…

Examines the work of the college or university chief financial officer (CFO) in government relations, focusing on the CFO's responsibilities, methods of working with state legislatures, pitfalls in legislative relations, and special problems faced by institutions in capital cities. (Author/MSE)

Focus groups comprised of Alaska Native students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks identified factors contributing to or serving as barriers to student academic success. Contributors included student persistence, financial support from native corporations, family support, employment, and availability of developmental classes. Barriers included…

A three-year longitudinal study surveyed newly hired faculty (n=259) at five higher education institutions concerning adjustment factors and research productivity. Results suggest that perceived control, the milieu of research-oriented institutions, and age (but not gender) are important predictors of faculty research productivity. (DB)

Describes the innovations in general and distance education at Pennsylvania State University in an effort to bind the goals of general education, to those of distance learning. Asserts that one emerging role of general education is to create the skills needed for effective citizenship in a global, information-rich society. (VWC)

Presents a case study involving the University of Texas (San Antonio) revealing the role of geography in aggravating race and class inequities among university students. It shows that the spatial location of the school on the urban periphery contributes to various disparities in auxiliary educational costs for the very groups of students that the…

A study investigated the attitudes of college and university employees concerning the recent privatization of dining services at three universities. Results indicate the employees saw the contractor, not the institution, as benefitting most from the changes. Employees had little understanding of the benefits of the arrangement to the university or…

A study of 1,568 students in 10 2- and 4-year colleges and universities found that while students' self-reports of academic development and test scores developed from the same test specifications did measure the same constructs, the measures are not necessarily interchangeable. Analyses also produced ambiguous results concerning stability of…

The administration of a comprehensive fringe benefits program at the University of Florida, a large institution with about 11,000 faculty, support, and administrative and professional employees, is described. Topics examined include the benefits office function, retirement, obstacles in program administration and information dissemination, special…

The evolution of research misconduct policies in universities is traced since the late 1970s. It is argued that research universities have been slow to accept responsibility for research misconduct, and they are urged to examine their research environments and place more emphasis on research ethics education. (MSE)