The article describes how one liberal arts college, Mount Saint Mary's College (Maryland), developed a core curriculum over a four-year period. The curriculum's roots in a faculty survey and issues of consensus and debate (especially the curriculum's principle of integration) are discussed. Principles such as detailed organization with flexibility…

The experiences of Wellesley College (Massachusetts) with developing a long-range plan for institutional survival in the 1990s illustrate the value of two strategies: devising a planning process that reflects the institutional culture, and spending time early in the process to gain broad agreement on basic financial principles and planning…

A small consulting firm, the Registry for College and University Administrators, places retired college presidents in interim positions, usually after an administrator has left suddenly. Interim presidents have been placed at 19 institutions in seven years, mostly at small, private colleges. Almost always, the underlying mission is to lay a strong…

Initiating a consulting model for librarianship in a small college library involved a transition to an organizational model that defines positions by their relationship to constituencies. As a case study of such a transformation demonstrates, such an ''outward'' looking organization has resulted in an increased number of instruction sessions,…

Presidents tend to fall into one of several categories. A few are totally informed and totally committed, aware of the latest developments in IT and ready to support faculty. More likely, however, one's president will be informed and interested but busy, or uninformed but interested and busy. In these situations, the president needs information…

This report presents information to make more visible the advantages of small colleges and to make explicit why small colleges choose to remain small. Nine topics of discussion are as follows: focus on the education of the undergraduate student; providing high quality education to all kinds of students; providing a liberal arts education for a…

A small college's communication arts curriculum, designed for students either going on to graduate school or interested in meeting more immediate vocational needs, is described in this paper. The following components of the curriculum are discussed: (1) use of field experience courses, (2) use of on-campus "practicum" courses and extra-curricular…

This paper discusses the problems and benefits of conducting research in a small institution. Problems related to personnel, finances, expertise, and credibility, and advantages such as communication and cooperation are described. The University of Lethbridge has created a common data-gathering system, QAULTEP (Qualitative Analysis of the…

The telecommunication system at Buena Vista College has given the college the potential for greater dissemination of learning and for bringing the world to its doorstep. Three areas of interest related to the telecommunication system are: telemarketing, teleconferencing, and telent courses. (MLW)

The director of physical plant at Rhodes College in Memphis has primary responsibility for all architectural work done on campus and recommends architects to the trustees. He also coordinates all related budgets and contracts and is an integral participant in developing the long-range master plan. His responsibilities are described. (MLW)

In 1981 a project to determine the current information needs of the institution was outlined and strategies for meeting those needs were identified. Each administrative office has full responsibility for data and production scheduling, while the computing center ensures that the software and hardware are operational. (MLW)

The design of a database interface, the different types of decisions supported, the nature and applications of the system outputs, and continuing work on extending the system are described. The system was designed to forecast the enrollment for Guilford College. (Author/MLW)

Institutional advancement is defined as the craft of securing understanding and support from internal and external constituencies for all the programs and activities of the college, and selling is seen as the means for achieving institutional advancement goals. The making of friends who become donors is discussed. (MLW)

Austin College's approach to raising large amounts of capital funds with severe limits on number of staff, size of budget, and available time is presented. Some suggestions on locating prospects, cultivating donors, involving the president and trustees and thanking donors are provided. (MLW)

The rationale and history behind the merger of the University of Tasmania and the College of Advanced Education in Southern Tasmania are explained. The merger will expand a small regional university into a more comprehensive institution serving a broader clientele. The problems of such a change are discussed. (MSE)