The chief financial officer of Long Island University (New York) for 50 years recounts the beginnings of her career and traces changes in higher education since 1947 through the post-war boom, unplanned expansion in the 1950s and 1960s, resulting budget problems, and difficulties with public image in the 1980s. Perspectives on her administrative…

In an interview, Blenda J. Wilson discusses aspects of her role as president of the University of California-Northridge, including decision making in the face of an earthquake and of controversial campus freedom-of-speech situations, the preparation and selection of college presidents, the threat to affirmative action policy, and being a role…

In an interview, the incoming president of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), Thomas L. Lewis, discusses his goals for the association, the challenges facing optometric education in the next decade, cooperation between ASCO and other professional organizations in optometry, his mentors in the profession, his focus as a…

A discussion of techniques for developing leaders among two-year college students, designed for student activities professionals, looks at the special situation and characteristics of two-year college students and at research on the characteristics of effective student leaders. Eight programs and activities used for developing student leadership…

Overviews the current status of special education programs in Mexico in general and in Ciudad Juarez (Chihuahua) and surrounding rural areas. Two special education administrators employed in the Ciudad Juarez school system discuss problems associated with teacher training and lack of administrative support, and the importance of parental and…

A feeling of community may be at the heart of child care workers' satisfaction with their job. The director plays a vital role in creating an emotional climate in which staff can feel safe, nurtured, and challenged to grow. Creating a sense of community among staff can be done in much the same way as in the classroom. (EV)

In a videoconference on the future of the U.S. college presidency, focus was on problems faced in dealing with smaller budgets, faculty attitudes, and tensions surrounding affirmative action and campus diversity. Several participants saw the president as spending time fundraising, lobbying, and acting as peacemaker among constituencies rather than…

Evolution of the relationship between academic and administrative functions in Swedish universities is traced over 30 years. Attention is given to a shift toward administrative power during a period of university democratization, and partial restoration of academic leadership in the 1990s. Two distinct patterns of administrative structure are…

A principal of three Ontario "twinned" schools (sharing principal and services) discusses the arrangement's advantages: greater sharing of both human and technical resources and increased opportunities for broader budget negotiations between schools. The disadvantages of twinning relate to the additional stress placed on the principal…

Harrison Wilson will retire as president of Norfolk State University (Virginia) after 22 years. The university has multiplied its annual budget by six, increased enrollment and faculty, added 14 buildings and 51 acres, and increased bachelor's programs. Despite a low graduation rate, the school has maintained open admissions to give low-achieving…

Examines administration, motivation, and compensation among educational leaders. Discusses the high-stakes, high-stress jobs of superintendents, assistant superintendents, subject-area supervisors, principals, and assistant principals. Also looks at the role of school board members and the importance of teamwork in education. (Contains one table…

When a state legislator requested that the president of Southwest Missouri State University stop production of a drama department production about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the administrator refused to accede to pressure and enlisted and won the board's support. (MSE)

Discusses the role of elementary school staff in child-abuse discovery and reporting in Ontario and Michigan. Explores the impact of the abuse issue on relationships based on principals reports. Discusses interactions between principals and the following participants: (1) social services; (2) school staff; (3) children; and (4) children's…

Five strategies used by Rollins College to improve retention are discussed, including examining longitudinal trends, developing and testing hypotheses about the reasons for student dissatisfaction and departure, setting goals for retention improvement, designing and implementing strategies, and measuring progress and assessing programs. (MSE)

Research conducted over the last decade yields no simple solution to increasing job satisfaction among educators. Factors affecting job satisfaction include management styles, demographics, financial support, and class size, to name a few. Focused upon is the role of school administrators in developing and maintaining satisfied teachers. (seven…