Retaining quality teachers is a global challenge for schools, particularly those in rural districts. A nation-wide study conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) found that 55 % of teachers in South Africa would leave teaching if they could. Resignation was found to be one of the three largest causes of attrition (Hall et al.…

State support for colleges and universities has been in decline since the 1970s. Institutions of higher learning have been forced to rely increasingly on private gifts to balance their budgets. The private gifts are managed by each school's foundation, a separate non-profit entity that exists to raise money for its respective institution. The…

This study explored whether financial leaders and institutional governing boards use financial indicators as a tool to inform decision making, solely as a compliance measurement tool, or not at all. The purpose of this qualitative study was two-fold to: (a) identify the use of financial indicators in strategic decision making, and (b) investigate…

The crucial importance of the research university as a key asset in achieving economic prosperity and security is widely understood, as evidenced by the efforts that nations around the globe are making to create and sustain institutions of world-class quality. Yet, while America's research universities remain the strongest in the world, they are…

Whether hiring a sitting president or one beginning a first presidency, the board of trustees should be keenly interested in ensuring that the new president's first months in office flow as smoothly as possible. Increasing attention has been paid in recent years to the idea of using a transition team to assist the new president. Using a transition…

The new strategic paradigm of resource development described in this paper recognizes that there are a number of important resources, in addition to financial ones, that are important to support the mission and to achieve the vision of a nonprofit organization, such as a college or university. It acknowledges and utilizes board members, with…

Louisiana was the first state in the nation to develop and implement a statewide Value-Added Teacher Preparation Assessment to identify the extent to which teacher preparation programs prepare graduates to teach effectively in grades 4-9. The model was developed by Dr. George Noell (Louisiana State University and A&M College), piloted during…

Questions of efficacy have always plagued the use of mission statement as a strategic planning tool. In most planning models, the mission statement serves to clarify goals and guide the formation of strategies. However, little empirical evidence exists validating that mission statements actually improve the performance of organizations, even…

In settings across the United States, governing boards, state officials, and campus leaders are intensely examining, refining, and reprioritizing post-secondary education missions and spending to optimize value-added economic and social returns. In this article, the authors discuss the nation's changing research and innovation context, the…

The State University System 2025 Strategic Plan strengthens the Board of Governors' commitment to achieving excellence in the tripartite mission of its state universities--teaching, research, and public service--for the benefit of Florida's citizens, their communities, and the state economy. The Strategic Plan is a living document that helps align…

The challenges facing public higher education are placing new demands and pressures on colleges and universities and those responsible for their governance and leadership. As higher education seeks to negotiate these and other 21st-century changes, the role of its "guardians" in stimulating change, supporting purposeful leadership, and…

The Articulation Committee Companion is designed to serve as both an introductory resource for new articulation committee members and as an ongoing reference for committees. The Companion includes a brief overview of the province's articulation committees and their essential role in the post-secondary system. In addition, the Companion outlines…

This is the 11th paper in AGB's series summarizing federal and state public policy issues affecting higher education. We hope that governing boards, institutional and university-system leaders, and senior staffs will find it useful for board discussions and retreats and in formulating institutional responses to these issues. For the next two…

The original paper, "The Role of Counseling Faculty in the California Community Colleges" (1994), provided principled positions of the Academic Senate regarding the essential functions of counselors and the delivery of counseling services in helping students achieve success. The paper concluded with specific guidance on appropriate roles…

For more than four decades the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has tracked the achievement of U.S. students in major academic subjects. This national resource is the only assessment that states and now many urban districts can look to as an objective yardstick of their performance over time, relative to national benchmarks, and…