"Better Evidence, Better Choices, Better Schools," a recent report from the Center for American Progress and the Knowledge Alliance, focuses on the evidence-based research provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA provisions ask districts and schools to consider various sources of evidence, make judgments about the…

Colleges and universities looking to recruit leaders from within the faculty ranks will face more and more difficulty. From their respective positions--as a provost (Janel) and a search consultant (Dennis)--they often hear senior executives in higher education say that building a new generation of faculty leaders will be a major challenge in the…

Briefly reviews personal experiences as an English department chair and compares the relative advantages of two systems of department administration: long-standing and short-term headships. (AEA)

Relates some of the good and bad of chairing an English department. (HOD)

Discusses conflict resolution and describes the experiences of dealing with conflict encountered by a new chair of the foreign language department at the University of Nebraska. (six references) (VWL)

Discusses how department chairs can adapt psychological research about decision making to help carve out a central place for departments in the changing and increasingly international campus, presenting five areas to explore: alliances with units on campus, alliances with the college of education, training of graduate students, opportunity for…

Ten management problems for chairs of small departments in small colleges are discussed, along with problem-solving strategies for these administrators. Serious disagreements within a small and intimate department may create a country club culture in which differences are smoothed over and the personal idiosyncrasies of individual members are…

It is proposed that the primary method for college budget reduction should be horizontal, across-the-board cuts by percentage applied to all programs and departments. It is argued further that vertical budget cuts embody imperfect procedural justice and should be considered only in extreme situations. (MSE)

An interview with the Illinois State director of research and evaluation, covers issues related to commissioning and using evaluators. Pancrazio's position is with the State Board of Education. Focus is on the preparation of research reports to facilitate decision making and policy making. (TJH)

The role of a department chairperson is considered, based on personal experience in six years of department building at the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. The leadership position was assumed when the department was small, consisting of five faculty members. In six years, it grew to 12 faculty…

Drawing on literature concerning department chairs' role as either administrators (line personnel) or teachers (staff personnel), this essay concludes that both roles are important and that well-developed human relations skills and managerial skills are equally necessary. (MJL)

The two existing types of academic nursing administrator preparation programs are described and discussed. A third type emphasizing deliberative decision-making is proposed and outlined. (MSE)

Urges the sociology profession to make ethical practices in teaching and research a first priority. Argues that the mentor/apprenticeship model is an inadequate solution for teaching ethical decision making. Suggests that ethical training should be infused in the curriculum and supported by programs at the department, college, and university…

For a geography department to be successful, it must develop qualitatively superior images and relationships within the university. Aggressive participation by geographers is advocated in matters involving relationships with other disciplines, the university decision-making process, concerns of students, alumni and developmental activities, and…

Analyzes how 13 state education agencies (SEAs) use instrumental strategic and symbolic decisions and structures in attempting to provide leadership for improvements in educational quality. Data suggest that as the difficulties facing them increase, SEAs rely more on the strategic and symbolic dimensions of structure for their own protection. (CMG)