Effective use of technology in areas that include admissions, record keeping, billing, compliance, athletic administration, and more hold untold potential to transform higher education by introducing significant efficiencies and dramatic cost reductions in serving students. How the institution organizes itself will to a large extent depend on how…

The number of staff members serving American higher education institutions has more than doubled in the past twenty years, as occupations in technology, development, government relations, and even athletic administration have grown as never before in the history of the academy. As the number, variety, and importance of these positions have grown,…

The concept of program life-cycle management is applied to college fund raising. Program life-cycle stages (introduction, take-off, maturation, saturation, decline) and fund-raising steps (identification of objectives, targeting of markets, estimate potential for contribution, organization, strategy development, fund-raising performance…

Analysis of the first cycle of academic program review at the College of St. Catherine (Minnesota) discusses recommendations resulting from reviews, insights about faculty and committee perceptions, and new directions for the second cycle. It is noted that the second cycle will focus more on program activities and output than on traditional input…

The origins, ethos, academic organization, and funding basis of the first private universities in Germany (University of Witten/Herdecke) and Great Britain (University of Buckingham) are described and compared, and their roles within their respective higher education systems are discussed. The general value of nonstate universities is examined.…

Issues of strategy and statesmanship that characterize the period prior to a decision for a college merger are addressed. Attention is directed to models of private college merger, based on patterns used in the 1970s, and innovations sponsored by foundations in the early 1980s. Factors that increase the chance of a voluntary merger taking place…

The College of Idaho responded successfully to serious fiscal problems by renewing its commitment to excellence as a liberal arts institution with a regional service mission. (MSE)

Argues that, with technology costs and revenue opportunities changing rapidly, colleges' future financial strategies concerning technology will have to be more agile and adaptable than ever. Presents financial models from 20 independent colleges and universities, and discusses how they have been used to define a financial strategy for technology…

Strategic planning can successfully counter crises threatening a college's survival by clarifying the mission, by shaping institutional reorganization and curriculum development and by focusing marketing efforts and attracting new support. Crisis background, financial exigency, and reorganizing strategically are discussed. (MLW)

A case study of a small, private, selective college that made institutional changes to respond to needs of disabled students found that changes needed to effectively serve this group are complex and multidimensional. Six key factors facilitating organizational change are identified, changes are cited, and suggestions for further improvement are…

Channeling the energy of volunteer boards of parents and community members can produce unexpected dividends. At Alma College (Michigan), a parent board raises $250,000 annually and helps recruit new students. A formal and communicative relationship between advisory board and governing board is essential for effective operation. (Author/MSE)

A study investigated the importance to 578 applicants of various benefits offered by a moderately selective private university. Applicants rated the institution on 43 academic, social, financial, religious, and curricular attributes. The objective was to test the efficacy of one approach to college market segmentation. Results support the utility…

A program of small foundation grants and a broad definition of the kinds of excellence to be supported by the institution combined to create faculty commitment to professional development at the College of Charleston since 1976. (MSE)

The development and use of financial planning models, with a focus on the Stanford University financial tradeoff (TRADES) methodology, are covered in conference papers, along with the application of the Stanford conceptual framework in five institutional settings. Additional papers consider an experimental modeling language that was developed to…

The tax-exempt status of most independent colleges and universities will likely be challenged eventually, and institutions would be wise to take preemptive action by developing arguments, both financial and cultural, to support the claim that they provide substantial benefits to the community. A Rollins College (Florida) economic impact study…