Discusses the history of Alaska's higher education system, including the founding of its community colleges. Describes the 1986-87 restructuring of the colleges following the oil crisis in 1986, which left Alaska with one official community college. Indicates that universities have broadened their role to include many college functions. (19…

Following Orange County, California's well-publicized bankruptcy, Willard Intermediate School staff worry about program cuts and a possible state takeover. Voters oppose a sales tax increase to rescue programs. Located in an urban ghetto with a predominantly Hispanic population, the school was overcrowded before the bankruptcy. Future cutbacks…

Cautions that the economic woes faced by many colleges involve the risk of losing many graduate programs. Describes a scenario in which primarily research-oriented staff are forced to teach, thus forcing the collapse of graduate programs at all but a few institutions. Discusses a typical workload at many universities and its implications. (PA)

The 1980s were a "lost decade" for Latin America, due to the international debt crisis. This paper explores the lost decade's effects on schooling indicators in Mexico. Falling opportunity costs improved schooling indicators at the same time a reduced national income worsened them. Enrollment rates were stagnant. (33 references) (MLH)

In order to strengthen midwestern higher education, and despite two previously unsuccessful attempts, the possibility of pursuing regional cooperation in higher education through a higher education compact among the midwestern states is once more being explored. This report seeks to facilitate the decision making process by providing background…

In light of the current period of higher education financial retrenchment, a model for athletic program fund raising is proposed. It is stressed that any program must respond to individual donor needs through open lines of communication that link the act of giving to some aspect, belief, or feeling of the donor. Fund raisers are seen as typically…

Early retirement plans (ERPs) have recently been considered and implemented at a number of universities as a means to address their need to contain costs while simultaneously generating new ideas and energy within the institution through the revitalization of faculty ranks. This endorsement of ERPs by university administrators, however, is…

A study examined how coordinators and management committees successfully manage adult education agencies in rural New South Wales (Australia) during periods of adverse economic conditions. The harsh economic background consisted of economic recession combined with a crippling drought, which led to fewer course enrollments and, therefore, decreased…

The political trend toward holding down the labor costs associated with public education continues unabated. Until elected officials are prepared to fund the high cost of quality education--including improving instructional wages and benefits in a significant way--dissatisfaction and frustration will continue to plague the bargaining process for…

Takeover artists are a rare breed. Persons hired to put bankrupt school systems back on the road to academic solvency need stamina, clout, and plenty of experience. For all their state-given powers, takeover superintendents must identify key constituencies, build bridges, and promote belief in change from within. (MLH)

Rampant inflation in serials' pricing is forcing many academic libraries to initiate serials cancellation projects. If libraries plan carefully and involve faculty throughout the process, serials can be canceled without excessive damage to the collection or to the library's relationship with the rest of the college. (six references) (LAE)

The legislated abolition of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) has resulted in a catastrophic decline in adult education, a market approach as opposed to ILEA's equal opportunities policies, reduction in staff, and narrowing of curricular focus. (SK)

Most public schools, out of financial necessity, have had to reduce costs while maintaining facilities and essential programs and remaining accountable for student outcomes. School downsizing can mean making painful decisions about program elimination and staff layoffs. This digest offers suggestions for using downsizing to some…

This paper examines the impact on higher education of funding shortfalls that are due to significant reductions of college budgets by state legislatures and that result in trimming of services and laying off of employees. First, an overview of national trends and statistics describes retrenchment as a key institutional response. A look at some…

This report examines the change process at a regional university in achieving a higher level of excellence in all its programs and activities. Results from 30 interviews are discussed in explaining how this university endured a major retrenchment and survived and thrived while simultaneously contributing to the surrounding community's economic…