Why do we do what we do? Why is what we do important? What are the best practices to ensure that our "why" is accomplished? These are questions of philosophy--a topic of immense importance since the "why" behind the work influences everything about the "how" and "what" of daily affairs in the world of…

The quest to create engaged public research universities requires academe to confront a stark reality: inflexible administrative structures, historically embedded practices, status-quo thinking, and inertia. Until these obstacles are overcome, the retreat from public life will not be arrested. In this article, the author provides a sample of the…

This report is intended to provide current information and integrated analysis of state-level higher education policy developments. Part 1 considers state funding support in the following categories: changing rules, effects of changing rules, survival in a changing game, and the growth industry of higher education. Part 2 examines issues concerned…

The issue of quality at regional state colleges and universities is discussed. While aspiring to become a major research institution is inappropriate for a regional state college or university, research and scholarly activities consistent with the norms of the faculty's disciplines are critical to the development of institutional quality. (MLW)

State colleges and universities (SUs) are being forced by critics of higher education to reassess themselves and redirect their efforts. There is a movement to discover a simplistic and valid means of measuring excellence in higher education. Measuring student outcomes cuts through all the difficulties created by more standard attempts to find a…

A successful college merger is often conditioned by geography, previous cooperation, complementary instructional programs, academic excellence, and common political interest. Suggestions when considering a merger are offered. A case study of a failed merger between Detroit Institute of Technology and Wayne State University is presented. (MLW)

The use of the Advising Intake Form with nontraditional students at University of Maryland's University College is discussed. The form is completed by students for each advising appointment. The following types of data on students are collected: demographic information, educational history, current career field, personal and educational…

A study showed that the longer students have been at the University of California at Santa Barbara, the more negative their feelings about the available academic advising. Students felt intimidated by faculty, but also that advising services were inadequate. A new system making better use of peer advising is recommended. (MSE)

Designed as a formal response to the Report of the Task Group on Retention and Transfer (HE 014 825), by Gerald Kissler, which is sharply critical of the community college transfer program, this report examines issues related to the transfer of community college students to the University of California (UC) and the California State Universities…

This articles examines litigation which has been generated as a result of fiscal cut-backs at institutions of higher education and looks at the rights and obligations of college and university administrators and students as well as possible future trends. A first section details the effects of budget reductions at California state institutions…

A teachers university in Texas is examined from a systemic/ecological framework of analysis with attention to the forces for growth, nongrowth, and energy loss that are currently constraining the existing system. It is argued that this university system is currently maladapted to its environment and stated goals so that it is likely to evolve into…

The historical evolution of academic due process, its current concept as revealed in the Supreme Court ruling in Horowitz vs Board of Curators of the University of Missouri, and the application of that judicial opinion to clinical clerkship programs in pharmacy are discussed. Guidelines to protect faculty and administration are offered. (JMD)

The roles and responsibilities of different constituencies in the governance of state colleges and universities are described, based on the position of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. These constituencies include state legislatures, governing boards, system chancellors, presidents, faculty, middle management, and…

This paper presents the remarks of the President of Indiana University (IU) concerning the state of the university in 1995. It discusses excellence in education and research at IU, noting the contributions of various nationally-recognized faculty, graduates, and current students. The speech also reviews the rapid growth of IU in recent decades,…

Funding and enrollment issues facing higher education are considered in two articles. In "Funding for Higher Education Enrollment Shifts in the 80s," David S. Spence outlines the decline in number of traditional college-age students; the trend to older, part-time, place-bound students; the increasing demands for remedial, continuing, and…