This case study examines the impacts of South Plains College (SPC) (Levelland, Texas) on the local rural economy of Hockley County in which it is situated, as well as on the economy of neighboring, more metropolitan Lubbock County. The study addressed both business volume and employment impacts. Direct business volume impact was derived from four…

A systematic understanding of how various behavioral components (vision, articulation skills, empowerment, unconventionality, and risk-taking) work together to set apart certain individuals as charismatic leaders is presented. Using illustrations from the careers of charismatic leaders, including Steve Jobs, Lee Iacocca, Mary Kay, John DeLorean,…

Faculty replacement needs for the next 15 years are projected at a multi-institutional level within the context of a simulated attrition model. Study participants are members of the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium. The first study phase consisted of summary data from 60 institutions on mean age, standard deviation, and median age of…

The role of the college/university president in institutional advancement was examined in a national study. There were interviews with nine presidents and surveys done by 27 chief executive officers. Five areas of investigation are: demographic characteristics of institutional advancement programs; how presidents perceive their role in…

Thrasher School is a K-12 unit school in Prentiss County, Mississippi, that has survived and flourished in an economically disadvantaged area because of its close community connections. The K-12 school enrolls 482 students, of which 144 attend grades 9-12. The community has vigorously resisted high school consolidation, financing reconstruction of…

Dutch colleges of education for primary school teachers have undergone several mergers. The article examines how to fully utilize primary teacher education characteristics in large institutions of higher vocational education. It describes studies of integration and differentiation in other countries, concluding that mergers threaten the…

Examines 3 stabilizing principles of small town organization that are intertwined with the survival of local schools: (1) centripetalism (inwardly focused community involvement); (2) inclusiveness of local associations and activities; and (3) distinctive identity. Discusses the effects of state pro-consolidation policies on rural economic…

Examination of 10 small private successful liberal arts colleges identified the following key characteristics: clear and articulate leadership, strong management support, collegial atmosphere, well-focused institutional mission, and continuous innovation. Colleges were Bates (Maine), Beloit (Wisconsin), Berry (Georgia), Centre (Kentucky),…

A study of five private liberal arts colleges (Arkansas, Catawba, Pomona, Waldorf, Washington) examined organizational changes in the 1980s, contributing factors, and overall institutional impact. Results suggest the colleges were better places to work and learn than a decade earlier, with improvements in campus life, curricula, faculty…

This book presents the story of small colleges in American higher education and how they can best respond to meet contemporary challenges. Chapter 1, an introduction, discusses the importance of the topic, small schools' strategic strengths, and market and institutional realities. Chapter 2 looks at the history of the small liberal arts college,…

A study comparing the commitment to social change of college students in 1978 and 1988 is presented, focusing on those issues that directly affect black students. The responses of 541 incoming freshmen attending the 1988 orientation program at the University of Maryland, College Park, were compared to those of 1,091 freshmen who attended the…

This paper examines the impact on small rural school districts of school choice programs available in Minnesota. An opening section traces the history of school choice in Minnesota since 1983, focusing on two programs enacted in 1990: enrollment options (EO), which allows students to attend any public school without cost, and postsecondary…

Examines factors currently affecting the viability of small elementary schools (90 students or less) in England and Wales. While centralization of educational control since 1988 has worsened the educational and economic environment for small schools, locally based support strategies (interschool cooperation, anti-closure campaigns, voluntary fund…

This study analyzed the development of the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) to see how resources, "investment on the margin," and environmental forces have changed the institution from a "domestic" to a "wild" institution. "Wild" and "domestic" are ways of conceptualizing the…

A case study of Oneida High School (Oneida, Tennessee) in December 1997 examined influences and unique circumstances that sustained the school in the face of possible closure and enabled it to "flourish." The study included structured interviews with over 70 individuals in the school and community, focus groups, and informal…