The philosophy of the cluster system operating at Oakton Community College (OCC) is described in this paper along with changes that have occurred in the system over the past few years. Part I describes the social, political, and educational environment in which the philosophy of the cluster system was forged. Additionally, this section identifies…

Focusing on the problem of authority, an analysis of the theories of Max Weber, James D. Thompson, and Elliott Jaques forms the basis for this proposal for improved organizational effectiveness in public schools. Basic assumptions are that modern organizations are established and operated under rational principles and subject to rational analysis,…

This exploratory study focuses on the management of decline as characterized by shrinking resources and substantial reductions in operating budgets (retrenchment) in academic research libraries in Canada. The first of four major sections of the report addresses the management of retrenchment in Canadian research libraries, including the design of…

In June 1988, 28 principals and assistant principals from public and private schools throughout New Mexico gathered for the first Summer Institute, sponsored by the New Mexico Principals' Center. The goals of the meeting were to share professional knowledge, to engage in "reflective practice," and to construct personal and professional…

In fall 1988, the Board of Directors of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) created a task force to study the training needs of the mining industry in the province and evaluate SIAST's responsiveness to those needs. After assessing the technological changes taking place in the industry, surveying manpower needs,…

The history of Montgomery College from 1966 to 1979 is traced in this guide to the personal archival collection of the individual who served as Acting President and then President during that period. Introductory comments trace the major changes that Montgomery College underwent between 1966 and 1979, including its administrative separation from…

The difficulties faced by Chicago's public school system have prompted two state-level investigative bodies to recommend the breaking up of the system into smaller, locally controlled units. Without exhaustively reviewing all of the factors involved in making the transition from a centralized to a decentralized school governance structure, this…

In the last two decades, increasing concern has been expressed about the ability (or inability) of various governmental agencies, service organizations, and manufacturing organizations to effectively perform their tasks. Psychologists have only recently become involved in researching issues concerning the adoption, implementation, and…

The reorganization of the College of Education and Allied Professions at the University of Toledo is discussed. The analysis is based on Baldridge's political model, Bacharach and Lawler's views of politics and power, Pirsig's concept of quality, and the Oxford English Dictionary definitions of "passion." To investigate the…

The commonalities and uniquenesses of the organizational structural patterns in 52 colleges of education in land grant unitversities are analyzed. Variables studied include relation of college to university, organizational structures, span of control, single executive, governance, and instructional units. A special section analyzes 34…

The polytechnical schools in Great Britain, previously low in social and educational status, have in recent years raised themselves on these dimensions, concomitant with corresponding changes along other dimensions such as the social strata from which their students are drawn. This process is given the name "institutional mobility." Two…

The materials included in this booklet are designed for use by participants in Application Sessions A and B for physical activity personnel working in elementary and secondary schools. These materials are initial drafts prepared for field testing only. They are not the final products to be delivered at the completion of the project. The materials…

A comprehensive model of the process of organizational innovation was developed by casting a sequential, five-stage model of the process against five broad sets of factors previously found to influence organizational innovation. Using the model, the relative importance of each set of factors within and across each stage of the process was…

The history of postsecondary education in the province of Alberta (Canada) since its beginning in 1905 is chronicled, including its transformation from an agriculturally-based frontier society to a modern industrial state. Although little emphasis is placed on historical narrative, a number of time periods are identified to illustrate certain…