While federal law requires students to be tested in math, English-language arts and science in particular grades, states are still struggling to mount the resources and expertise necessary to fully implement college and career readiness standards, let alone new assessments aligned to these higher standards. New assessments are not only more…

Although much has been written about preparing community college leaders, little is known about how presidents believe they might have better prepared for the role. Using presidential narratives from a national study, this article describes how presidents perceive gaps in prior preparation and offers recommendations to support the professional…

Special education administrators must be prepared for their leadership roles in inclusive, culturally diverse, standards-based school settings. These challenges create the need for new skills, required for effective special education leaders in the 21st century. In this article, the authors examine the standards used to prepare special education…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

The director of a college consortium must be a strong leader, whose primary duties range from providing leadership to securing resources and to clearly communicating the consortium's mission. The director must keep in mind that the consortium's work is valuable only to the degree that it eases the load on the individual member institutions and…

Describes the fund-raising activities of Five Colleges, Inc., a consortium of five Massachusetts higher education institutions whose development efforts are limited to contracts and grants. Difficulties inherent in cooperative fund raising are discussed, including competition for foundation resources, the credibility of consortia in light of their…

The Dallas (Texas)-based Alliance for Higher Education is a consortium of colleges, universities, corporations, hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations that strategically links business and higher education through distance education initiatives. The consortium has created an infrastructure that supports economic development in the…

A New York University "magnet" program supported by the Ford Foundation provides opportunities for 11 member institutions' faculty members to pursue research, curricular, and professional projects. (MSE)

A number of college and university consortia have embarked on international educational cooperation ventures, providing valuable experiences and benefits for faculty, students, alumni, and the community. For these programs to be effective, they must have high-level institutional support, equal opportunities to participate, effective marketing and…

What do leaders mean when they talk about networks and whether leadership networks have the power to transform the profession? When it comes to educational leadership networks, there certainly are more than seven important questions. This article focuses on seven key questions about networking in the superintendent ranks by the coordinator of one…

The North Suburban Higher Education Consortium, a regional consortium in metropolitan Chicago (Illinois), illustrates how sharing technological resources can advance state educational technology initiatives. Begun as a modest effort to coordinate academic programs, the consortium has evolved into a complex system for the funding and use of…

Issues concerning a state policy supporting cooperative ventures among colleges and universities in Pennsylvania are discussed. It is suggested that a state policy encouraging successful interinstitutional cooperation must: avoid threatening the institutions, recognize that they must be the actual bargaining entities, inspire their interest…

The magnitude of funds needed to rectify the college deferred maintenance crisis make a quick fix unrealistic. However, by increasing funding levels and shifting spending patterns over time, institutions can address the problem without jeopardizing other goals and projects. A consortium of higher education associations recommends a…

Small colleges can be effective in consortial arrangements because they are more independent and often less fiercely competitive than larger institutions, making better personal relations possible. The Associated Colleges of the St. Lawrence Valley in northern New York, with four member institutions, has expanded student opportunities, shared…

ED QUEST (Quick Environmental Scanning Techniques) is a strategic planning process designed to identify emerging trends, issues, and events which portend threats or opportunities for colleges and universities, analyze their probable impact on the institution, and facilitate the development of appropriate institutional strategies. A workshop was…