Ways in which specific pieces of scholarship can be useful to college and university administrators, planners, and policymakers are discussed. Five journal articles and portions of books on research universities, strategy-making for complex organizations, leadership, collegiality, and institutional research are examined in relation to how they…

Five brief essays are presented in response to an earlier article on leadership in college foreign-language departments. They address issues of curriculum redesign, pedagogical change, the nature of language teaching, the professional identity of language teachers, the role of professional organizations, and the traditional departmental model. A…

Discusses leadership and governance issues in implementing curricular reform at eight medical schools participating in a large-scale medical curriculum development project. Attention is given to the definition of leadership, characteristics of successful leaders, management of resistance to change, the role of curriculum committees, the use of…

A community college president who left the position to pursue other interests discusses issues affecting life after the presidency: demands on time and finding opportunities for relaxation; solicitations of advice from colleagues; and practical considerations such as loss of support staff, keeping up-to-date with colleagues, and employment…

Developments in the state role in higher education in the 1980s, and how this role changed in the recession period of 1989-92, are reviewed. Seven major issues that will affect government-higher education relationships in the next decade are examined: supply/demand, commitment to universal access, quality control, federal fiscal constraints,…

This article argues that conflict has been a part of higher education since its inception, and that many problems faced by academics today have centuries-old prototypes. Conflict types include those between academics and community, religion and secularism, research and teaching, administration and the teaching profession, students and institution,…

The evolution of the student tracking system at Amarillo College, a Texas community college, is chronicled for three stages: (1) early efforts; (2) participation in the development of a consortium-based longitudinal student tracking project beginning in 1986; and (3) more recent developments. Tools and techniques used at each stage are discussed…

Development, structure, and uses of multi-institutional and statewide student databases at the state level are examined, based on results of a national survey of state higher education agencies. The issue of confidentiality is also discussed. Construction and uses of a multi-institutional system in Colorado are then described, and its advantages…

Issues concerning the professional development of university administrators in Australia are discussed, including the lack of a body of knowledge about university administration; the need for a well-defined level of expertise, theory supporting administration's role, and political pressures for professionalization; and resistance to change. A slow…

In the U.S. Congress, attention to scientific fraud and misconduct has involved extensive use of oversight authority. Because scientists and universities have failed to respond promptly to calls for self-regulation, Congress has imposed formal regulations and favors increased scrutiny of research and a reassessment of university-government-science…

At Birmingham-Southern College (Alabama), the business administration program's senior year capstone course in strategic business management serves three purposes: allows evaluation of the school's academic program; helps assess student capabilities; and allows integration of learning across disciplines. The course occurs during the January…

A survey of 96 past leaders of college Greek organizations (chapter presidents, Pan-Hellenic councils, Greek service organizations) at Western Illinois University investigated the impact of Greek leadership experience on work-related and personal life skills. Ninety-five percent felt their undergraduate Greek leadership position was extremely…

Institutional responses to the fiscal crisis in American higher education, as well as state and federal initiatives, are pushing universities toward four interrelated structural reforms: institutional differentiation; shift from basic to applied research and development; increased interdisciplinarity; and a shift from department-based research to…

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has created quality assurance guidelines that help technology trainers and educators manage and organize training programs. This article briefly outlines program design principles, emphasizing needs analysis and outcome evaluation, performance documentation, and process management. ISO 9000…

Examined interventions and strategies used by Chapter 1 Program Improvement (PI) schools to improve academic program and Chapter 1 services. Site visits to 15 California elementary and middle schools show that schools engaged in change have common elements: strong leadership, quality core curriculum, school autonomy, district support, and parent…