Author Margaret Wheatley discusses her theory that life and work are self-organizing and that organizations must be approached as dynamic, living systems. The interview focuses on how the theory applies to higher education institutions, university leadership, physical proximity in learning, development of communities of practice, attitudes toward…

To initiate a campuswide restructuring process, governing boards should begin by asking some fundamental questions about the institution concerning what and how students should learn, equitable faculty teaching load, quality and definition of research, and the role of tenure in promoting institutional mission. Barriers in the process of…

Harvard University's new dental school curriculum, and the changes mandated for its implementation, are discussed. The curriculum is characterized by small tutorial groups, student-centered instruction, and clinical treatment teams. The innovations have required significant institutional revitalization efforts and financial investment, with…

A survey of 67 Canadian university vice presidents and 66 deans concerning reform in recent years found that the many changes reported were modest and reactive rather than bold and proactive. Most common changes involved strategic planning, retrenchment, curriculum expansion, response to enrollment changes, administrative restructuring, and more…

Stresses the need for research libraries to develop conscious, explicit processes for organizational change through an understanding of organizational development. Internal restructuring, parallel organization for problem solving and guiding change, organizational culture and organizational politics, strategic organizational change, training, and…

The University of Michigan's Detroit Community Outreach Partnership Center fields student-faculty teams who work on community-development projects with community organizations. Projects are designed to enrich students' experiential learning and build communities' organizational capacity. The relationship has exposed a culture clash between…

In the last three decades, Bluefield State College (West Virginia), an historically black public residential college, has been transformed into a predominantly white commuter school with community college offerings. For the first time in its 103-year history, it has no black faculty members. Alumni and community members are disappointed in the…

Three faculty workload planning methods in United Kingdom universities are compared, focusing on workload planning principles, computerized decision support, institutional contexts, political dimensions, and management of change. One is based on contact hours; the second on actual hours; and the third on translating supervision, teaching,…

Argues that the centralized, bureaucratic model of education management has created more problems than solutions. Contrasts the current situation with an earlier model defined by local autonomy and personal commitment. Explores a broad set of issues and approaches designed to make arts education more autonomous and less divisive. (MJP)

The designation of district central-office administrators to operate as boundary spanners among the central office, schools, and community agencies can help with the implementation of challenging policy demands. However, educational research teaches little about central-office boundary spanners in practice. This article addresses that gap with…

The blurring of the boundary between Australian vocational education and training and higher education is leading to a reconsideration of the current structure of Australian tertiary education. This paper starts with the main overlap of the Australian tertiary education sectors, diplomas and advanced diplomas. The ambiguous treatment of these…

In 1985, the Chinese Mainland introduced a policy of decentralization in order to help facilitate the spread of basic education. By looking specifically at the developmental experiences of Shanghai and Shenzhen, we can gain an in depth understanding of the specific circumstances incurred under new education reforms. While undergoing…

This essay traces the history of the school reform movement from colonial times to the present. Public school reform tends either toward equalizing educational opportunity or higher academic achievement, but seldom both. The essay asks the question: Can public school provide equal educational opportunity and be excellent too? By tracing the…

Well-designed performance appraisals should provide employees with feedback concerning their performance, serve as a basis for modifying behavior toward more effective work habits, and provide managers with data which they can use to judge future job assignments and compensation. Poorly-designed ones, used as short-term control systems, can create…

This report provides data on 1993-94 student outcomes, public relations, and changes in teaching, curricula, and learning at the Community College of Denver (CCD). Following a summary of CCD's success in meeting its accountability goals, section I reviews 1993-94 changes in teaching, curricula, and learning and section II notes plans to…