Analyzes the discourse on individual schools' autonomy in developing their own profiles, and the withdrawal of the state, to the point of privatizing the school system against the background trend of increasing social and economic segregation. Defends the school system's equalizing function against neo-liberal trends in school policy and theory.…

A survey of 692 business-administration graduate students in four countries (Canada, Poland, Latvia, Philippines) indicates that students from different countries assign different rankings to the importance of business-administration courses in the curriculum, group courses into different thematic groups, and prefer different instructional…

The president of a historically black college provides his personal perspective on the evolution of race and affirmative action issues in higher education in the United States within the context of broader social change and activism. Continuing problems and successes in the movement toward cultural diversity in higher education are examined. (MSE)

Describes the exchange program between the Virginia Council for International Education (VaCIE) and Cheshire Education Management Programme (CEMP). The program pairs teaching and professional faculty and administrators within the Virginia Community College System with their counterparts in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland for two-week study…

Gives an overview of the Ball State University (Indiana) academic assessment program, from its origins through present and future efforts. Several current assessment activities are described--university-wide, in general education, and discipline-specific. Areas of strength in the program and challenges to conducting successful assessment are…

The president of California State University, Northridge, at the time of the 1994 earthquake reflects on the decisions she made following the disaster, concluding that leadership in such a crisis is dependent on an individual's value system and that leadership is seen in performance, not position. Specific examples are discussed, including…

The role of the college athletic coach has changed substantially in recent decades, with the ideal of the coach as an educator obsolescent. Institutions must work with the National Collegiate Athletic Association and coaches' associations for reform, addressing three major issues: need for a better hiring process, provision of meaningful…

It is argued that colleges and universities can become more productive by enhancing the efficiency of student learning. This requires both acceleration of learning through individually paced mastery learning, better academic focus, year-round schooling, and an earlier start to graduate and professional education. Eight strategies for enhancing…

A conceptual framework is offered for understanding the role of program review in college, particularly a community college. Such a framework should account for the following institutional factors: purpose of the review, stakeholder involvement, leadership support for review, organizational communication, degree of organizational centralization,…

The limited research available and the observations and experiences of college admissions officers suggest that college guidebooks and ratings have a small to negligible impact on the college choices of most students. However, many families buy the guides, and their publication is likely to continue. It is important that institutions provide…

The Lancaster County (Pennsylvania) public library, which receives many school districts' interlibrary loan requests, experienced a 100% increase in periodical article requests. Working cooperatively, school and public librarians developed a LSCA Title II grant to study magazine usage to make cost-effective decisions about improving timely access…

Describes a computer-based training program for library staff developed at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, that used HyperCard stacks on Macintosh computers. Highlights include staff involvement; evaluation of modules; trainee participation and feedback; staff recognition; administrative support; implementation plan; supervisory…

Introduces the symposium on arts integration in other countries. Provides brief summaries of the papers included and biographical information on the authors. Authors include Andre Karpati and Emil Gaul on Hungary, Shifra Schonman writing from Israel, Gary E. McPherson discussing Australia, and David Best on England. (MJP)

A study measured the economic utility of language study for 84 graduate students in international management by comparing their reasons for language study with several major economic indicators, including corporate job opportunities. The study, though limited in scope, yields insights into the real and perceived costs and benefits of language…

Argues that creation of a World Wide Web site that makes good use of the available digital audio and visual technologies can be useful in campus activities planning and advertising. The design of a good Web site and the potential uses of digital video and compact discs are discussed. Costs of these technologies are also outlined. (MSE)