Increased pressure to "position" the institution, create an image, and "structure" potential students' first impression of the college has caused admissions professionals to participate less in the institution's central mission. Competition among colleges has also overstimulated the higher education market and created confusing pricing schemes,…

The first year of a college presidency is described by Arthur Levine, the president of Bradford College. His proposal for a "practical liberal arts education plan" is described and his efforts to implement it are discussed. (MLW)

Higher education is seen as an industry. The roles of a faculty member who manages a department or a division in an institution are discussed including: planner, evaluator, recruiter, innovator, motivator, and entrepreneur. Faculty members need to increase productivity. (MLW)

Four elements that exercise a perverse influence on academic managerial behavior are identified: lack of objectives and performance criteria, collegiality and shared governance, disdain for administration, and productivity in academe. Three steps necessary to reconcile good management with subcultural values are identified. (MLW)

The national movement toward a stronger, more effective college presidency could be largely obviated unless the trend toward formal presidential evaluation is reversed. Formal assessment reduces the charismastic potential of the president, further politicizes the president's role, and shortens the CEO's term in office (MLW)

A discussion of the influence of Britain's prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, on higher education looks at the relationship between the administrator's 10 years in office and the fiscal, educational, and public policy issues currently under debate. (MSE)

An article on presidential evaluations by James L. Fisher and Gary H. Quehl prompted a college president to look at his own evaluation. Thoughts on his own evaluation are presented. The evaluation produced a mixed review of presidential performance. (MLW)

Areas in which the priorities and concerns of the college admissions officer and the college faculty often conflict are examined, including development of a well-rounded student body, statistical comparisons of student characteristics among institutions, and the image projected by the admissions office in its marketing. (MSE)

In critical times, it is suggested, anything that profoundly affects the basic mission and the ultimate survival of a college or university is a legitimate concern of trustees. The triple crisis facing higher education is identified: funding, quality control, and definition of purpose. (MLW)

A college administrator and a college professor discuss their college backgrounds, how they met at a Black Student Association meeting at New York University, and their commitment to equality, justice, and pluralistic education. Higher education is urged to encourage both pluralism and egalitarianism. (MLW)

Problems in the search and selection of college presidents that make presidential success difficult are examined, including expectations of the search process; need for support of the board, faculty, and executive officers; and expectations about candidates' longevity and mobility. Five salient leadership characteristics are identified:…

Research suggests that academic institutions are not just businesses but have unique characteristics and needs. Business administrators could learn a great deal from their academic colleagues about organizational administration, and college administrators should attempt to chronicle their effective organizational practices. (MSE)

An historical perspective on the role of the college president is presented, including a review of the literature that reveals familiar themes: presidential autocracy; the president as facilitator, caretaker, or leader; and the president as mediator and crisis manager. Increased responsibility is noted, and selected readings are listed. (MLW)

Excerpts from a fictional academic dean's letters to a colleague and friend give insight into a college administrator's struggle to make sense of the institution's investments in technology and to find the best way to use emerging technology to improve curriculum and instruction. (MSE)

The chancellor of the California community college system has begun a controversial effort to achieve higher academic standards through governance reform. (MSE)