In the wake of the Common Core State Standards and teacher evaluation reform, school leaders increasingly look to district leaders for support, coaching, and leadership. District leaders--superintendents, assistant or area superintendents, specialists, principal supervisors, and school business administrators--can hold varying and multiple roles…

Education data are growing in quantity, quality, and value. When appropriately used to guide action, data can be a powerful tool for improving school operations, teaching, and learning. Education stakeholders who possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to appropriately access, analyze, and interpret data will be able to use data to take…

This study of mentoring 1st-year faculty in physical education departments focused on individual reasons for mentoring and organizational factors inhibiting or facilitating mentoring. A phenomenological research design was used to examine the mentoring relationship between 1st-year faculty and physical education department Chairs (N = 5), and a…

As departmental program review becomes more common in college resource reallocation, department heads will be key figures in decision making. They must know what evaluation criteria will be used, such as program role in institutional mission, enrollment or credit-hour production, job-market demand, external support, program quality, and…

It is proposed that the primary method for college budget reduction should be horizontal, across-the-board cuts by percentage applied to all programs and departments. It is argued further that vertical budget cuts embody imperfect procedural justice and should be considered only in extreme situations. (MSE)

Representatives from North Carolina shared with other members of the Interstate School Building Service a systematic approach to school closure that includes analysis of facility physical condition and useful pupil capacity, current and projected enrollment, cost of operation, transportation responsibilities, racial balance, alternate uses, and…

A model for allocation of college faculty teaching load is proposed. It requires that the department's overall teaching function be identified and broken into components and the components weighted. The model also permits the opportunity cost of decisions made on other criteria to be assessed. (MSE)

The two existing types of academic nursing administrator preparation programs are described and discussed. A third type emphasizing deliberative decision-making is proposed and outlined. (MSE)

Interviews in seven English secondary schools revealed levels of teacher involvement in decisionmaking in the areas of finance and resources that ranged from schools where heads kept information confidential to one where a committee used a formula. (MLF)

Foreign language department chairs are faced with leadership challenges that require them to mediate between new forces and old practices and between youthful enthusiasm and proven experience. While some changes demanded by current circumstances must be opposed, leaders must choose their battles carefully. Several real examples are explored. (MSE)

The organizational model was designed to allow faculty members in a large academic department to participate in decisions concerning courses, curriculum, and programs. Rather than encouraging faculty to work independently on teaching and committee assignments, the model promotes the sharing of information, teamwork, and interdepartmental…

College administrators often overlook the valuable assistance than can be provided by the college internal audit unit as they implement principles of total quality management. This unit is in a good position to conduct performance audits of departments and programs, the results of which can provide meaningful information to assist in…

This resource booklet attempts to describe the new directions of the department head role. In a recent study by Kenneth Leithwood, "The Secondary School Department Head," 1987, department heads identified democratic decision-making, human relations, planning for program and staff development, and teacher supervision as functions crucial…

Analytical techniques used in responding to a series of four substantial budget reductions imposed at Oregon State University are described. Over a 2-year period, each of the budget reductions demanded increasingly severe institutional action to meet the specified monetary targets. Different analytical techniques were required to meet the changing…

This digest summarizes the role of the dean or department chair in dealing with legal issues in higher education. It considers the types of legal issues which might arise for these administrators (such as contract and tort matters for staff and students), the erosion of the legislative and judicial deference given to academic decision making, and…