Migrating from a traditional to a relational database technology requires more than traditional project management techniques. An overview of what to consider before migrating to relational database technology is presented. Leadership, staffing, vendor support, hardware, software, and application development are discussed. (MLW)

Special education directors in Colorado, where the profession requires separate certification, were asked to rank 16 competency statements that comprise the state-approved endorsement program for special educators. Results are analyzed by agency type, size, and population density, and their implications are discussed. (MSE)

Increasingly, large universities are requiring their individual schools to be financially independent, encouraging more fiscal responsibility. However, none of the institutions turning to decentralization have succeeded in making all divisions self-supporting. (MSE)

Seven simple ways for college fund-raisers to recognize donors successfully are outlined, illustrated with the experiences of colleges, universities, and other organizations. Institutions are urged to thank donors accurately, publicly, privately, frequently, appropriately, innovatively, and sincerely. (MSE)

The winner of the 1994 CAUSE Award for Exemplary Leadership and Information Technology Excellence offers his view of information technology, resources, and management. Engineering principles are applied to information technology issues, such as access versus security and client/server versus mainframe systems. College/university information…

Advice is offered on promoting diversity within the college alumni association, based on the University of Kansas Alumni Association's experience. Suggestions include providing offerings that appeal to everyone; challenging alumni to participate in reaching out to others; and inviting alumni involvement when dissatisfied. (MSE)

This article presents an interview with Robert Deware, associate professor of organization behavior at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, who offers advice on setting up and managing a university public relations office. It focuses on issues of office size, staffing, structure, and strategy. (MDM)

The staff of an outdoor recreational or adventure program inadvertently, through its actions, may plant the idea of a lawsuit in an injured participant's mind. Lawsuits may be avoided by continuing the relationship of trust developed in the program and by helping the injured party get back to normal life or even rejoin the program. (SV)

Offers five strategies to help high school drama teachers establish a planning strategy for implementing and managing a theater program, helping them to shift from the defensive role and redirect their focus to administrative and management issues. (SR)

Applying a consumer satisfaction model to higher education program administration provides the manager with a systemic view of satisfaction, related variables, and postpurchase (alumni) actions. By manipulating the variables leading to consumer satisfaction, the institution can satisfy its consumers and increase the likelihood the consumer will…

A survey sought information on the administrative factors contributing to high-quality funded research activity in 33 high-ranked but changing research universities. Influential environmental factors, faculty participation, research visibility, and key success strategies were considered. Results were linked to patterns in decline, rise, and…

A discussion of the student activities administrator's role in solving substantial problems on the job looks at typical difficult situations and offers models for dealing with them. Each model consists of five practical steps for problem resolution. Situations addressed include emergencies, motivational crises, and externally imposed…

The discussion reviews preservation issues as they relate to campus planning and provides examples of how some colleges have approached circumstances requiring attention to preservation. A general process by which colleges can incorporate historic preservation into campus master planning is outlined. (MSE)

Project management (PM) software, used by business to facilitate planning and implementation of complex projects through database building, is discussed. Typical PM tools are reviewed, uses of the technique on campus are examined, availability of microcomputer PM software is noted, and its functional uses and benefits are explored. (Author/MSE)

Without feasible integration strategies, the institutional researcher and decision maker remain isolated from each other, to the ultimate disadvantage of the higher education institution. Practical and achievable strategies for the researcher include knowledge of the institutional climate and norms, developing communication skills, and practicing…