Based on a national study of community college trustees, this book describes the role of trustees in college operations and provides data on trustee characteristics and attitudes. Introductory materials describe the purpose and methodology of the study, indicating that three distinct questionnaires were sent to 505 college presidents, 505 board of…

This essay describes benefits of the Learning Paradigm and discusses policy governance as an example of this paradigm. In education, the current dominant paradigm is known as the "Instruction Paradigm." According to this paradigm, instructors should serve to transfer information and offer some practice using this information in such a…

This paper examines system leadership and the role of system heads, using data from interviews of state system leaders (board members and chief executives), as well as campus heads and selected state and association officials. System heads have crucial responsibilities within public higher education. The relationship between board members and…

The charter renewal decision is one of the most significant high stakes decision in public education. It determines the continuing existence or termination of a school. It has the potential to be a celebration of the accomplishments and success of a school--and its students--that was built from the ground up a few years earlier. In some sense, the…

Two potentially successful forms of search and selection are distinguished: one using separate committees for search and screening and for selection, and one using a single committee combining membership from the board, faculty, administrators, students, and alumni. Five caveats are offered regardless of committee approach. (MSE)

Surveyed college chief fiscal officers (N=115) to study the state of student/college legal relationships. Results indicated student activity fees are mandatory in over 85 percent of responding institutions and are usually established without student participation. Several court cases concerning the legal aspects of student activity fees are…

A statement about the decision to close an educational institution that was approved by the Board of Trustees of the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation is provided. It calls for well-planned and conscientious effort to ensure that the institution's students, faculty, and staff will be optimally provided for. (MLW)

The relationships within the Pennsylvania postsecondary education system are examined with a focus on planning for resource and enrollment decline, the relationship between private colleges and state government, and the state-level structure for enrollment and resource decision making. (MLW)

Faculty participation in governance is discussed, and the experiences of a trustee at the City University of New York are described. The faculty is seen as too conservative and subject to conflicts of interest. Faculty representation on the board of trustees is opposed because it leads to a confusion of roles. (MLW)

Higher education's commitment to equal educational opportunity is shown to have eroded in the past decade. In faculty posts, in administration, on governing boards, Blacks are still underrepresented. Black student enrollment is concentrated disproportionately in the community colleges. Black colleges, the credibility crisis, and overcoming past…

A survey of board chairmen and presidents is discussed and it was discovered that how well chairman and president work together depends less on any characteristic of the institution than on the personal factor, the degree of trust and respect the two feel for each other. (Author/MLW)

The role and responsibility of trustees of private colleges in fund raising are discussed. Four areas are identified: (1) concentration on large gifts, (2) alumni financial support, (3) the voluntary support of the friends and non-alumni of the college community, and (4) deferred gifts. (MLW)