Suggests that individuals can compile an action plan for professional and organizational change that aligns personal and organizational priorities by considering leadership, coaching, corporate citizenship, change management, efficiency, teamwork, customer focus, and decision making. Presents models and assessment instruments for personal…

Looks at how two university archive offices changed their informal work relationships and patterns in response to a major technological innovation in their field. Applies the models suggested by social action theory to help explain outcomes. Examines whether the differing organizational responses to new core technology were related to each…

Compares he use of linguistic metaphor and conceptual metaphor in a corpus of English and Spanish financial reports published in newspapers during the October 1997 stock market crash. Findings indicate much similarity in conceptual and linguistic metaphors between the two languages, but some differences in the frequency of particular linguistic…

Provides a critical ethnographic account of how members of a small design company experienced a work environment riddled with ambiguous communication. States that although management's objective in providing vague goals was to spark creative freedom, employees experienced the environment as paradoxical and constraining. Contends that interplay of…

Boulder Valley (Colorado) finds savings with an energy-management strategy that makes conservation automatic. Phase-one strategies included a complete lighting system upgrade and a computerized climate-control system. The energy program has helped the district cut monthly kilowatt consumption by 42%, and natural gas consumption has dropped 27%.…

Describes the process by which the Towson State University (Maryland) Center for Instructional Advancement and Technology was created and grew to a staff of 10 within 18 months, noting six factors: response to clear need; a range of programs; rapid staffing and facilities provision; high-level administrative leadership; supportive institutional…

With the growth of the stock market in the 1990s, donations of $30-million and more to colleges and universities are becoming common, and there are more large gifts in general than ever before. These donations have a major impact on smaller institutions. Information on major private gifts and grants since 1967 is presented. (MSE)

A portion of the results of a national academic advising survey are reported. Advising data on 754 programs are analyzed to determine the performance of seven advising models on eight program goals and their perceived effectiveness on 11 program variables. The data also create a context for deeper consideration of the relationship between an…

According to many psychologists, the connections between motivation and rewards and recognition are crucial to employee satisfaction. A plan for developing a multi-layered recognition program within a division of student affairs is described. These recognitions programs are designed taking into account the differences in perceptions of awards by…

Examines five types of collegiate organizations (collegial, bureaucratic, political, anarchical, cybernetic) in terms of their interactiveness within closely and loosely coupled organizations. The terminology of closely and loosely coupled organizations is examined and existing definitions are refined. Examples are drawn from contemporary…

Socialization of nurses for entry into practice is hampered by the fact that, although bachelor's' degrees are considered the minimal entry requirement, associate degrees are still recognized as terminal degrees. A new organizational climate is needed in which articulation between two- and four-year programs enables elimination of associate…

Discusses how the condition and fate of both the college admissions profession and liberal arts education are linked, and how they are both threatened by elements of commercialism. Argues for reasserting professionalism by looking beyond the competitive advantage of the college's interest to serve a broader function as trustees of students'…

Discusses the problem of low acoustical performance in many of today's K-12 classrooms and its impact on student learning. The following three primary types of classroom noise and their control are explored: reverberation; climate control system noise; and noise from outside the classroom. (GR)

Discussion of change within the university focuses on the radical rethinking of university culture, the importance of all members of the institution being "empowered" to identify their crucial and unique roles, and the concept of "learning organizations" committed to continuous improvement and a spirit of inquiry and continual learning. (Author/DB)

Proposes a set of elements that can be taken to constitute the social context of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and digital information. This "digital information environment" can be useful in guiding research into the structure of the social context and its influences on ways in which people in different social and…