Oregon State University has created a permanent administrative position responsible for providing universitywide administrative and technical support for implementation of Total Quality Management. Introductory, strategic, team, and special-topic training are provided. Communication with the university community is a primary responsibility. The…

Discusses the need for resource sharing among libraries to go beyond traditional interlibrary loans. Topics addressed include resource sharing via circulation; a new publishing model; shared cataloging, acquisitions, serials control, management, personnel and expertise, and facilities; paying for services; and the role of networks. (LRW)

Examines opposing trends in administration and policy that simultaneously influence the size and shape of American school systems. Consolidation has reduced the number of districts, while decentralization reduces the size of the school district by dividing it into smaller units. Twenty issues are identified for districts considering either option.…

The way in which changes in overall university funding can affect systems for paying staff, and in turn affect faculty career patterns and mobility, is examined. Data on pay, responsibilities, and qualifications of different faculty ranks in 8 countries (Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, United States) are compared. (MSE)

Colleges and universities have begun to benefit from advancing technology. Considering the problems higher education faces and the potential that enterprise-wide information access offers, institutional leaders must look ahead and decide where to invest in information technology support to achieve maximum benefits in quality improvement and cost…

Selectively surveys the literature of collection development in 1990. Topics covered include library materials budgets and finances; serials and the economics of scholarly publication; collection evaluation and analysis; cooperative arrangements; selection, deselection, housing, and preservation of library materials; staffing and organization; and…

Discussion of the competence of school administrators in the use of technology focuses on the results of a survey of data processing specialists in 165 school districts that was conducted to determine the importance of various educational computer applications. It is recommended that educational applications of computers be included in preservice…

Describes two state-mandated programs for institutional accountability in New Jersey (i.e., Basic Skills Assessment Program and College Outcomes Evaluation Program), which function through cooperation between the state's higher education agency and its colleges and universities. Highlights research objectives, procedures, responsibilities,…

The World Bank's proposed changes for higher education funding in developing countries include decentralizing management, expanding private schools, introducing selective student loans and scholarships, and cost recovery. Obstacles in Colombia include quality of and access to higher education and upper class opposition to scholarships.…

Identifies a number of centrifugal pressures currently splintering universities which raise questions about academia's sense of community. Uses the analogy of smashing the atom to explore these pressures. Cites increasing numbers of temporary and contract workers which brings about a division of labor that affects the nature of academic discourse…

Compares standardized test data normally used to admit students into U.S. graduate administrator preparation programs with additional criteria used at a university attempting to provide more equitable evaluation of minority students. Results show significant differences in the scores of black and Hispanic females on standardized tests, but not on…

The University of Rochester has developed a third-year medical school clerkship in which students spend the second half of the clerkship in the offices of practicing internists. Participating faculty are carefully chosen and trained. Experience indicates the approach is feasible, academically effective, and acceptable to students and faculty.…

The use of the Absence Registration System (ARS), a computer-assisted system that supports registration of absent students, and its effects on truancy were studied in 30 Dutch urban secondary schools. Reasons why results do not show a significant reduction in absenteeism are discussed. (SLD)

A university president emeritus offers lessons on effective leadership, focusing on five areas presidents often neglect: personal exhaustion; muddled or lack of priorities; relationships with family members and friends; personal isolation; and intellectual starvation. Suggested antidotes include serious reading, continued teaching, participation…

In the new health care environment, academic health center (AHC) faculty must transcend the outdated view that the roles of scholar, scientist, and healer are in opposition to those of leader and manager. If AHCs are to survive and prosper through their current cultural transition, faculty must understand all these roles as part of their…