Higher education institutions have traditionally nurtured artistic and scientific development and served as catalysts for innovative ideas and products. However, contemporary discourse too often relegates the concept of innovation to the private sector, where the rhetoric of "disruption" frequently reduces innovation to economic terms.…

Discusses five core reasons why reform efforts in institutions of higher education so often fail. Roadblocks to reform are identified as: 1) lack of agreement on problems to be solved; 2) unclear time frames and structures; 3) lack of evaluative criteria; 4) failure to articulate changes to the rest of the campus; 5) cultural exhaustion and system…

Twenty-seven key resources for understanding, researching, and managing organizational climates and cultures are cited and described. The articles, books, and monographs reflect a relatively recent wave of interest in culture as a tool for understanding organizational settings. (Author/MSE)

By analyzing ethnographic case studies, the ways that two colleges and one university conceive of and construct knowledge are examined. In contrast to assertions that disciplinary activity is the agent of knowledge production, it is argued that institutional contexts powerfully influence knowledge production and that knowledge is a cultural…

We learn about differences by existing in communities of difference, among diverse races, classes, genders, and sexual orientations. Enabling silenced groups to speak out and ensuring all have equal protection enhances both individuals and the community. Higher education's obligation is to capitalize on the strength of U.S. diversity. (MSE)

A case study of a state college illustrating a framework to diagnose culture in collegiate institutions is presented. Organizational culture as a concept for understanding management and performance in higher education is explained, previous attempts to define culture in higher education are outlined, and essential elements of academic culture are…

Summarizes prominent current arguments on academic freedom's endangerment by managerialism and discusses their limitations. Defines a new vision of academic freedom informed by thinking on globalization. Presents findings from interviews with Australian faculty about academic freedom and discusses ways to ensure that academic freedom endures in…

The implications for researchers and administrators are considered if the organizational environment is interpreted as "enacted." Objective and enacted environments are differentiated and the ways are suggested for how administrators might identify what they need to do and how they do it, given the socially constructed organization in which they…

Effective management of time is described from a cultural viewpoint, using examples from four case studies based on a one-year research project on college and university decision-making. Three dimensions of time in colleges and universities are important: formal/informal; historical; and seasonal/ceremonial. The environment, external…

Leadership is discussed from the perspective of post-secondary organizations as socially constructed and subjective entities. Six symbolic categories used by presidents are examined: metaphorical, physical, communicative, structural, personification, and ideational. Implications for administrators of understanding the symbolism of their leadership…

Interviews with a faculty member, college president, and three students, all American Indians, reflect both common and unique experiences in a predominantly White academic world. It is concluded that cultural diversity must become a higher priority for colleges and universities, and persistence, coordination, and clear goals are essential to…

Four strategies that college leaders can use to encourage a sense of community are offered. The strategies, focusing on the campus culture, involve allowing conflict to be heard and examined, emphasizing cultural rather than managerial leadership, honoring differences, and creating awareness of differences in others. (MSE)

Heterosexism and homophobia, revealed by surveys to be common on university campuses, must be countered by positive, proactive administrative and faculty action, including statements of nondiscrimination, equal treatment, unequivocal response to acts and words of intolerance, and encouragement of research and curriculum on this and related issues.…

A hands-on study for executives, researchers, and students who want to better understand how organizational culture can support or impede decision making strategies in a complex changing collegiate environment is provided. Leadership strategies and institutional problems are described. Seven different collegiate cultures are explored via case…

This book offers a critique of the current state of academe, focusing on such issues as what constitutes a well-rounded curriculum or an educated citizen, are business principles developed almost a century ago still viable, the public perception of college campus activities, and the "decline" of academia. The book's overall intent is to suggest…