Ethnographic auditing combines concepts of ethnography, evaluation, and traditional auditing to evaluate university management. It is another tool in the institutional researcher's repertoire that enables the researcher to interpret cultural aspects of the organization to facilitate its academic mission. (MSE)

College faculty live and work in four cultures: that of the academic profession, the discipline, the academy as an organization, and the institution type. Each of these influences how they function in the organization. Colleges should recognize and build on the sometimes conflicting cultures. (Author/MSE)

Higher education has much potential for developing a sense of community and for modeling community behavior and leadership. However, it will not be accomplished by top-down leadership with a fixed vision and focus on ends rather than means. It will require leadership that embodies 10 basic principles of community. (MSE)

If higher education is to fulfill its leadership role in education, it must elevate the status of teaching to one that is coexistent and complementary to research, while also addressing financial and political pressures. This will require changes in the prevailing culture of higher education both within and among institutions. (MSE)

This essay describes how University of Alaska Anchorage (a) mapped academic-based engagement activities into its institutional context and mission and (b) explored academic and administrative leadership strategies to reflect its commitment to engagement. Higher education governing bodies, legislators, administrators, and faculty increasingly…

It is suggested that the American liberal arts college, more than any other institution, claims to be what Alasdair MacIntyre calls a "community within which civility and the intellectual and moral life is sustained." This view is discussed within the context of MacIntyre's philosophical framework. (MSE)

A typology and four models of college character are examined, each model representing a salient dimension of the organization: rational, political, social system, and anarchistic. Conditions and the interplay of the characteristics are discussed. (MSE)

This article compares the standard structural categories of colleges with the "image factors" of the inventory of college activities as predictors of student orientations. The results are that it is difficult to obtain orthogonal "image factors" and, therefore, these factors cannot easily be used in regression equations.…

Demonstrates how perceptual mapping techniques can be used to examine campus perceptions of African American and White students at a predominantly White institution. Reports on data collection methods and influencing factors, such as familiar locations. Provides results of a survey of 411 students, detailing initial perceptions and the validity of…

Colleges need to plan for growing stress among faculty and administrators. There are a number of misunderstandings about stress, its several major causes, and the variety of symptoms. Campus leaders can learn techniques to cope with pressures and organize to reduce stress. Wellness programs hold promise and are increasingly popular on campuses.…

Describes the development of the College and University Community Inventory (CUCI), an instrument designed to measure the extent of community within colleges and universities for students. Article discusses the methods for establishing the instrument's validity and ascertaining reliability indices. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/GCP)

Uses 9 years of applications of award finalists for the Hesburgh Award for innovation in undergraduate teaching to examine leading-edge efforts to improve teaching and learning in 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. Describes efforts in three major categories: improving teaching, redesigning courses, and changing the learning environment of…

Drinking games among American college students, although popular, contribute significantly to excessive drinking and alcohol-related problems. Drinking games appear to facilitate socialization, and are especially prevalent among younger students. This article reviews the qualitative and quantitative research on drinking games. Findings from…

New student orientation programs are designed to ease the transition of new students into their collegiate environments. As diverse enrollments have increased throughout higher education, new student orientation programs have been identified as a key tool for establishing levels of expectation and performance, including the promotion of diversity…

Learning communities, designed primarily to increase student persistence and academic achievement, are a common first-year initiative on university campuses. Assessments of learning communities frequently examine indicators that are easily quantifiable such as student persistence and academic achievement, but also examine factors thought to affect…