Many small institutions face difficulties, and the person who bears the brunt of dealing with those challenges is the college president. While each situation is unique, presidents can learn from the experiences of others, and at the very least, commiserate with each other regarding the challenges they face, especially when their institutions are…

A three-day program at the College of the Holy Cross (Massachusetts) was developed to address low retention rates for African-American students meeting the usual predictive criteria for academic success. It familiarized students with the college, allowed them to meet significant college community members, and assisted in adapting to academic…

The case of a fictitious small, private college illustrates how such colleges may require planning strategies differing from those used by other institutions. Such "enlightened brinkmanship" requires exceptional intuitive and market-oriented skills among campus leaders and faculty and a well-run organization. (MSE)

The experience of a small liberal arts college in repackaging and remarketing the entire institution to boost continuing education enrollment is described. The marketing team followed current theories, establishing the division as a self-generating unit with a small annual operating surplus. Proceeds are reinvested for periods of low enrollment.…

A new model for administration of institutional research in small colleges is proposed as an alternative to the traditional centralized program model. Application of the model for two years suggests that its decentralized but integrated approach responds well to the institution's internal and external research needs. (MSE)

A carefully orchestrated capital budget, an essential element of corporate management, is particularly important for a small college with limited resources. A simple management system can be adopted to achieve institutional goals. (MSE)

A survey of American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers members (591 responses) from small colleges and universities identified and ranked 15 salient issues needing to be addressed by the organization. It also helped define "small college" and to identify some special concerns of member subgroups. Tables detail…

The director of physical plant at Rhodes College in Memphis has primary responsibility for all architectural work done on campus and recommends architects to the trustees. He also coordinates all related budgets and contracts and is an integral participant in developing the long-range master plan. His responsibilities are described. (MLW)

Since the late 1960s, Messiah College, a small, church-related college in rural Pennsylvania, has operated an urban satellite campus in Philadelphia in collaboration with Temple University, a public institution in that city. The campus makes accessible to students of both institutions the best of both private and public, urban and rural, and small…

Practical time management and task management advice is offered to small college communications office personnel. Workers must know how to establish priorities and stick to them, what their limits are and how to leverage time, how to promote themselves and their work, when to tap outside resources, and how to network. (MSE)

The ways in which the Medical College of Pennsylvania has coped with exceptional growth in its externally funded research in the last seven years are discussed. Management has used commercially available computer software and two personal computers to establish five databases and facilitate provision of services. (Author/MSE)

Offers advice to administrators and faculty in small colleges on planning, building, and managing campus computer networks. Also included are observations about the network as a strategic asset, funding and staffing issues, and planning for unexpected results. (Author/MSE)

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…

The University of Wisconsin River Falls is a small, primarily undergraduate teaching institution with a limited history of grant support. In 1990 it created an office of grants and research, whose director found writing proposals with faculty to be an effective way to increase external funding. The methods, pitfalls, and results of this approach…

Describes a three-week summer program teaching selected chemistry faculty how to incorporate polymer chemistry into chemistry courses. In addition to lectures, the program conducted many experiments and provided a trip to industry laboratories. (YP)