College officials often assume that college students of the 1980's are radically different from their counterparts in the 1960's and 1970's, but attitude change is rarely measured. To study perceptions of peer group attitudes over the past decade, the responses of 310 white, incoming University of Maryland freshmen were compared to those of 204…

The influence of immediate working environment upon research productivity of 1,009 academic, physical scientists was examined. Working environment was classified as being either professionally oriented and supportive of scientific productivity, or organizationally oriented and supportive of bureaucratic advancement. Liberal arts, parochial, and…

Upon the occasion of the University of Heidelberg (the oldest higher education institution in the Federal Republic of Germany) celebration of its 600th anniversary in 1986, this historical overview and current review of higher education in the Federal Republic looks at a wide range of topics. Contents include: "The Historical Growth of Higher…

This discussion of the value given to teaching in higher education offers research-based insights on how institutions can make a stronger commitment to teaching. Recognizing that change initiatives must be planned and made on a number of fronts, examples and illustrations of how improvements may be made in a variety of areas are presented. The…

The development of a principled microcomputer-based adventure game that simulates the experience of higher education for prospective students in British schools is discussed. Playing the game is intended to provide prospective students a "realistic role preview." Consideration is given to an earlier board game and research on student…

A model to distinguish persisters and nonpersisters at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, was developed. Persisters and nonpersisters differed in background characteristics, attitudes toward and interaction with the university, opportunities to leave, and intentions. Responses to a mail survey were returned by 86 first-time freshmen…

The role of nine academic vice presidents in managing Christian, liberal arts colleges was assessed, as part of research conducted at Christian or church-related liberal arts colleges that were identified as being well managed by one or more persons. Data collected on the academic vice presidents provided the following profile: the average age was…

The history of the Mississippi University for Women (MUW) from 1884 to 1984 is described. MUW, the first state-supported college for women is now coeducational, but adheres to its original mission of providing educational opportunity for women. Educational, administrative, and architectural developments are traced, with attention to leaders who…

The subject of peer harassment for women on college campuses is explored. In order to handle such situations effectively, administrators need to know the parameters of the problem, what they are dealing with, and ways to prevent bad situations. The topic is presented as follows: a definition of peer harassment; the prevalence of peer harassment;…

Leadership of colleges and universities poses problems for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the President. Ambiguous constituencies and the pull of various support groups inside and outside the institution present continual dilemmas for each academic CEO. Two instances of academic leadership are presented that compare and analyze the styles of…

This paper summarizes the first year of research at Tompkins Cortland Community College, Dryden, New York, to develop an alternative process for determining characteristics of graduates and leavers from the college, and to uncover attitudes of those students about their college experience. The paper summarizes findings to date, although the author…

Many adjustment problems may stem from the difference between initial expectations and later, experienced perceptions. To test this theory in relation to the social climate of university living units, and to assess initial perceptions and predictions of the future in relation to level of social exploration as a coping style, 92 entering freshmen…

The conditions that intensify conflict avoidance by the central administration in making strategic decisions, and the consequences of such avoidance for the management of college affairs, are discussed. The implication of an emerging decision-making style for adapting the organization to changing environments is also considered. Some of the…

The effect of differences in student and faculty learning styles on student evaluation of faculty was studied at the University of Alabama's College of Education. It was assumed that the professor's learning style influenced teaching behavior. In the final week of the spring semester, the Productivity Environmental Preference Survey (PEPS) was…

A qualitative study was conducted of the contributions that institutional leaders make to fostering conditions that encourage high-quality out-of-class experiences for college students. A nine-member research team conducted the study. A process of nominations, recommendations and review yielded the selection of 14 institutions for the study. Site…