The tension at the heart of pension politics is the incentive to satisfy today's claimants in the here-and-now at the expense of long-term concerns. Rules and auditing standards are intended to tame this kind of short-sighted behavior in the private sector. In the public sector, the primary safeguard is the hope that public officials will not be…

The premise that institutions pass through a grief process in adjusting to declining resources and radical changes, is proposed. In addition, strategies that administrators can use to respond to institutional grief are suggested. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's paradigm of five grief stages/reactions to serious loss are described: denial, anger,…

A discussion of academic freedom and university autonomy in Africa first looks at the concept and social utility of those two attributes, and the operational conditions for their realization, then examines the general conditions under which African intellectuals work and the specific situation of academic freedom. Several directions for the future…

The paper challenges teachers to creatively use current educational reforms and challenges reformers to consider seven questions concerning the effect of proposed reforms on the emotional atmosphere of schools, student attitudes toward learning, student feelings toward self, teachers' creativity, student needs, and nonmainstream students. (DB)

Franklyn G. Jenifer, Chancellor of the Board of Regents of Higher Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, proposes residential urban schools for at-risk inner city youth. These "urban academies" would remove those who are most vulnerable from the destructive ghetto environment and totally involve them in the educational environment. (FMW)

In this White Paper, the Business Roundtable recommends access to AMERICA 21, a 21st-century approach to lifelong learning for workers, as well as assistance for job dislocation. AMERICA 21 would channel funding from the myriad of existing initiatives into a modernized, streamlined system that leverages and builds on today's best private and…

At present, there is an ongoing re-examination of the practicality of the existence of many small rural community schools. In some states there is a continuing battle over a new round of small school closings, and reconsolidation efforts are underway to once again change or reorganize the educational infrastructure of rural community schools.…

In this presentation, made to the White House Conference on Character and Community, the author advocates creating a preventive intervention system for chronic violence; that scientific research supports this system; that it is cost-beneficial to do so; and that it is necessary in order to help the next generation become productive citizens. He…

Purpose: The school environment in the islands of Malta is experiencing important changes that need to be critically addressed if school improvement and, more importantly, student learning is going to be enhanced. This paper aims to present the education authorities with an introductory review which aims to contextualise the potential networking…

Research extending back into the 1890's reveals that the quality of classroom instruction depends not upon differing curricula, for example, but rather upon the attitudes and actions of teachers. Instructional effectiveness is especially important for independent schools, yet availability as well as quality of candidates has dropped markedly.…

College leaders are cracking down on illegal and destructive behavior by fraternities and other campus groups. In establishing and implementing policy, trustees and presidents should collect data on how Greek life affects education, focus on campus physical conditions, reward appropriate behavior and punish destructive behavior, encourage student…

Activities at Hunter College of the City University of New York to deal creatively and democratically with hate crimes on campus are reported including establishment of a Diversity Commission and heavy commitment of trustees and college president. (DB)

The Ohio Sea Grant Education Program has produced this series of publications designed to help people understand how global change may affect the Great Lakes region. The possible implications of global change for this region of the world are explained in the hope that policymakers and individuals will be more inclined to make responsible decisions…

Reports results of a survey of 800 library staff members on aspects of library work that they find stressful. The findings include sources of satisfaction and stress for all participants, and sources of stress specific to public services librarians, technical services librarians, and support staff members. (CLB)

Summarizes two cases emphasizing teaching in major research universities: (1) an address by the president of Stanford University and (2) efforts of the Alliance for Undergraduate Education. (YP)