Most succession planning practices are based on the premise that ambitious people have and want only one career direction--upwardly mobile. However, employees have 10 career direction options at any stage of their working lives. A minority want the career action requiring promotion. Employers with a comprehensive career planning support program…

This study examined institutional researchers' perceptions regarding their effectiveness in influencing institutional policy changes, the factors that make institutional researchers effective in the policy arena, and researchers perspectives regarding job-related rewards; challenges encountered in seeking to establish influential roles in decision…

The U.S. economy, workplace, and work are in the midst of historic change. New ways of organizing and managing the workplace and new ways of working are becoming increasingly common. Large companies are giving way to smaller and leaner organizations. Today, the typical business establishment employs 15 people. Across all industries, smaller…

Amid unprecedented social, demographic, and economic changes, leaders must enhance performance and deliver desired results. The growing importance of managing the explosion in information requires attention to defining organizational missions and visions. The 37 chapters in this work are divided into 7 parts. Part 1, "On Leaders and…

Researchers at Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) recently completed a study of "beat-the-odds" schools--high-needs schools that demonstrated atypically high student achievement. This policy brief draws from the report of the study's findings, "High-Needs Schools--What Does It Take to Beat the Odds?"…

Proposes scenario planning in preparing for the future of higher education. Delineates a methodology for effective scenario planning: identifying potential future scenarios; examining social, economic, political, environmental, and technological influences; exploring mental models while looking through systems maps, and developing potential…

Moderate expansion of higher education in the 1950s and deliberate expansion in the 1960s aimed at economic growth and reduction of inequality. The 1970s' pessimism about college education and its relationship to employment has given way to a variety of institutional strategies--structural, procedural, and conceptual--to make higher education more…

At the University of Oulu (Finland), a 1992-93 institutional evaluation included both self-assessment and external evaluation. The self-evaluation paid little attention to institutional human resource management, while the external assessment gave substantial attention to personnel policy, staff development, and manpower planning. A more strategic…

Describes the four-year process by which the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater redefined its faculty evaluation, promotion, and tenure system to link faculty rewards to student learning outcomes and to promote faculty priorities more consistent with the institution's mission. At the outset, two-thirds of the faculty were tenured. Topics discussed…

Describes the New American Schools effort of the New American Schools Development Corporation, a private corporation underwriting development of new educational institutions and the dissemination of innovative ideas. A random sampling of ideas from competing design teams highlights nine program proposals. (SLD)

Discusses ways to decrease costs when planning the design of a new library or an addition that also considers future needs. Topics discussed include space allocation considerations for the collection, users, and staff; entrances and exits; structural loading; building configuration; information technology considerations; and staff willingness to…

A description of the recent development of Florida State University's administrative information services looks at the role of faculty input, the strategic plan, underlying administrative principles and considerations, networking and telecommunications, integration of instructional and research computing, and centralization of computing service…

Early collaborative efforts between librarians and computing professionals at Rice University (Texas) led to the realization that some organizational restructuring was needed to effectively serve changing user needs. A new approach to delivering user services has not only benefited users but also resulted in growth and skills development for…

Failings in the efforts of British Columbia (Canada) to promote curricular integration illustrates a wide tendency in education systems to attempt systemic reform by responding in simpleminded ways to complex challenges. If reform is to succeed, the collective ability to conceptualize and operationalize educational initiatives must be improved.…

Librarians from the University of Arizona describe the process of reorganizing from a traditional to a team-centered, user-focused organization. The reasons for reorganizing, the preliminary self-study process, the design and implementation of the new structure, staff participation and reaction, developing staff teamwork, and advice for other…