A survey of 522 colleges and universities investigated the impact of health care reform proposals. Results provide an overview of typical current medical plan design, including coverage for part- and full-time employees, and give insight into attitudes toward the idea of regional health alliances, a potentially useful reform approach. (MSE)

Allison Rossett and Roger Kaufman, developers of two contrasting needs assessment models (the purposed-based assessment and organizational elements models), answer questions about using their models as frameworks for addressing performance problems affecting public education. The models present contrasting, yet complementary, approaches to needs…

Describes the Total Quality Management (TQM) effort undertaken three years ago by Jackson Community College (JCC), in Michigan. Discusses the history of JCC, its early TQM efforts, the basic tenets of TQM, steps taken by JCC to integrate TQM practices into its evaluation methods, and benefits of TQM. (MAB)

Trends in college student activism and volunteer community service are examined. It is concluded that this generation of students is redefining social consciousness by focusing on practical and rational responses to immediate social issues. Colleges and universities are urged to help students reflect and build on volunteer experiences. (MSE)

Eureka (Illinois) Middle School has found some user-friendly ways to clarify communication and keep learning personal and accessible. Despite resource deficits, options and output have increased by actively using the school's philosophy: shared ownership for student success. Various community-building programs for students, faculty, and parents…

To gain others' consistent and active cooperation, administrators should convince faculty and staff that a task should be done. An administrator who uses persuasion communicates a degree of respect that strengthens the supervisor-subordinate relationship. Compliance-gaining strategies may be classified according to expectancies and consequences,…

A November 1993 conference in Seattle, Washington, is recommended as a national model for initiating change in public policy as it impacts adult learning disability and literacy issues. Participants included a coalition of federal, state, and local policymakers and agencies as well as adults with learning disabilities and persons providing…

The Secretary of Labor discusses the relationship of education and the changing domestic and global economic climate. Educators are urged to work cooperatively to assure that growing disparities between economic groups does not produce a two-tiered learning society in which only some are prepared for lifelong learning. (MSE)

A debate over the use of commercial management companies to run public schools is reported. Issues discussed include concerns about layoffs, the school board's role in policy formation, and the effectiveness of privatization in addressing current administrative problems. (MSE)

Initiatives of the Interuniversity Consortium on Poverty Law include the implementation by a group of institutions of innovative projects testing new concepts of scholarship, teaching, and advocacy on behalf of poor or otherwise marginalized persons. The group has demonstrated that legal education can create social change strategies, agents, and…

In response to anticipated federal intervention in higher education accreditation, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges has made recommendations that did not unite but alienated its members. Two current major debates concern diversity standards and the future of accrediting agencies in higher education. (MSE)

Argues that much work needs to be done to assess the impacts of global networking on academic institutional performance. How the academic networked environment can be defined, possible assessment criteria, the need for a user perspective, and specific research needs are discussed. (Contains 11 references.) (KRN)

Examined relationship between therapist verbal behavior and family cooperation and resistance during second session of family therapy with juvenile delinquents (n=12 families). Results of sequential analysis revealed that therapist "support" and "teach" behaviors were associated with significant increases in likelihood of family cooperation.…

This article suggests that, although advancing information technology is treated as a boon for institutional administration, it has yet to be exploited to improve learning in higher education. A reengineering process to enhance customization of instruction, with the goal of Socratic individuation of learning, is discussed. (MSE)

Social and technological changes foretell higher education as a fast-growing, highly competitive business expected to provide nontraditional educational services. Colleges and universities are having difficulty identifying and taking advantage of these new services. Higher education can and must create a value-added university or face destruction.…