Three college instructors, teaching very different content (management, political science, and literature) and using classroom assessment techniques (CATs), compared the results. All found that CATs contributed to self-reflection, that designing CATs helps faculty focus on course and class goals, and that responding to CATs requires students to…

Because efforts to curb campus alcohol abuse have largely failed, some colleges are contacting parents when students violate campus alcohol rules. Some institutions fear that sharing disciplinary records with parents violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which protects student privacy, but a recent amendment to the Higher…

Describes and evaluates four alternatives for planning and budgeting for capital reinvestment for college and university facilities: physical plant auditing; a depreciation-based approach; percentage of current replacement value; and facility subsystem modeling, or life-cycle modeling. Each has advantages and limitations in budgeting for and…

Reviews five serious issues that can result in lawsuits against child care centers and suggests ways directors can make them less likely. Discusses suits resulting from: injuries to a child; sexual abuse of a child; contractual matters with parents; wrongful termination of employees; and failing to care for a child with special health needs. (TJQ)

A national survey investigated full-time graduate management students' indebtedness and sources of financing, comparing less competitive/more competitive schools, racial/ethnic groups, and genders. Results indicate that among students who rely on loans to finance graduate education, those who borrow the most can expect to owe $47,000 by…

Includes three articles that consider the effects of the Internet on public library reference services. Highlights include the reliability of Internet information sources, its timeliness as a tool for information access and dissemination, the Internet as change agent for libraries; reference publishing, helping the searcher refine requests, and an…

Describes application of collaborative learning in a German business school, focusing on use of self-managed learning and examining the cultural implications for student-directed pedagogies. Strategies for dealing with student resistance are offered, including not taking students' resistant behavior personally, designing many process options,…

Discusses the following challenges institutions must consider as they enter the new marketplace of distributed learning: library access, faculty workload, faculty incentives, faculty-support structures, intellectual property, articulation agreements, financial aid, pricing, cross-subsidization of programs, institutional loyalty and philanthropy,…

Argues that gendered identities are in context more fluid and shifting than depicted in feminist leadership texts, drawing on a small case study of female (British) headteachers. Femininities are varied and shaped by the roles women undertake, the leadership context, and the amount of power women have access to. (Contains 65 references.) (MLH)

Used focus groups with 23 Head Start staff from 5 urban programs to identify naturally occurring strategies to cope with children's inappropriate behavior. Found that horizontally managed centers used a more collaborative approach, whereas vertically managed centers required that teachers consult with a gatekeeper before consulting with others.…

Legal problems surround college administrators; those who fail to take precautions may encounter situations that result in legal or other administrative actions. Issues discussed include: hiring and firing; unfair treatment by administrators or colleagues; running afoul of state law or institutional policy; providing materials for defense against…

Institutional researchers should know state and federal laws and attorneys general opinions applicable to higher education concerning open meetings and open records, and be prepared for information requests by media and concerned citizens. Case law is examined, and practical steps researchers can take are outlined, including knowing who will…

It is argued that college presidents should concentrate their efforts in five specific areas: (1) interpreting and managing change; (2) leading academic transformation; (3) balancing constituencies and their opposing claims; (4) finding financial resources; and (5) defending and promoting higher education, by meeting growing and inconsistent…

A discussion of standardized statewide electronic transcript formats and national standardization of electronic data exchange for college student records looks at implications for tracking transfer students' progress. Relative ease of use of the formats and the information contained in the records are examined, technical requirements are noted,…

Discussion of European funding models for higher education looks first at different funding mechanisms used in several countries, with particular attention to formula funding and its increasing use. Institutional responses to differing financial and planning environments are noted, particularly when circumstances produce unwanted outcomes.…