Notes that over the quarter-century of the Council for Economic Co-operation and Development's Program on Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE), study of higher education has developed considerably. New disciplines have emerged, new ideologies have altered perspectives, and higher education's priorities continue to change.…

The organization and role of higher education research and development units (HERDUs) are described, and international perspectives on educational development theory and practices are examined. Factors constraining educational development operations in HERDUs are discussed, and recommendations for addressing current concerns are offered. (MSE)

Problems of bridging the gap between theory and practice in the professional preparation of student affairs practitioners are considered. After briefly discussing the character of professional work and the role of theory and research, attention is directed to problems inherent to the nature of applied educational fields and issues related to the…

A survey of Canadian agencies and institutions collecting materials on higher education is reported. Four problem areas are identified: definitions, collection policies, accessibility, and collection coordination. Further information exchange and the compilation of a more complete directory of collections are recommended. (MSE)

The development and contributions of Professor Ruth Eckert are presented in this autobiographical essay. Focus is on higher education as a field of graduate study and changes in higher education throughout this century. The author's experiences are set in the context of wider happenings in higher education. (Author/JMD)

A study of Dutch universities from 1974-93 examined factors in the emergence of new academic programs and specializations, particularly the effects of government funding mechanisms (external factor) and level of paradigmatic development (internal factor), drawing on social exchange and resource dependency theory. Results indicate these two factors…

The history of comparative higher education for purposes of policy analysis is chronicled from its origins in comparative political science and public administration. Methodology is discussed, and some recent studies are examined. It is concluded that comparative higher education has not gone far beyond the descriptive stage, and must take…

Describes higher education structures of nations sponsoring nonuniversity programs, including Russia, Belarus, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico, and compares their programs with American community colleges. Identifies new nonuniversity systems, and recommends techniques to…

Discusses the role of authority in institutions that provide teacher education and educational studies. Currently, there is no agreement about the types of authority these institutions and the individuals within them should possess in relation to the work they do, which may limit their intellectual respectability and pragmatic credibility. (SM)

This study compared the ideas of researchers with those of practitioners in higher education regarding what is considered significant and useful literature in terms of content, methodology, and format. The findings were interpreted in terms of theories of action research and the quality movement. Data were compiled using focus groups of…

Training programs for college administrators in New Zealand, Canada, and the United States are evaluated for their design and content. Among the observations: traditionalism predominates; a perennial dichotomy of theory v practice exists; program strength is in staff quality; interpersonal competence is not adequately addressed. (MSE)

Despite the growing contributions of community college institutes and associations to educational research, most university-based colleges of education still minimize the value of this research and often contain only one professor whose primary interest and/or expertise is community colleges. To address this issue, researchers should make efforts…

Outlines issues and concerns that should be addressed by graduate programs for community college leaders to help prepare them for the real world. Reviews concerns related to dealing with nontraditional students, developing meaningful curricula, learning conflict resolution skills, using technology to improve instruction, and solving other…

While most comparative higher education research focuses on the transition from elite to mass education, two other aspects deserve study: substantive academic growth, with roots in the research imperative and the dynamics of disciplines; and innovative university organization, a concern among practitioners as universities seek greater capacity for…

Problems and perspectives about the college professoriate are discussed. Attention is directed to: organization and location of graduate programs; enrollment declines and fluctuation; scholarly activities of professors; consulting and field work; and teaching. One of the recent developments of higher education as a field of study has been that…