An address to faculty and staff considers the question of how quality can be improved at the various levels of a college. The importance of a shared sense of purpose is emphasized. Three goals of postsecondary education are discussed: to produce desirable changes in people; to do so through means that are consistent with social values; and to…

This speech examines the image of the university as a powerful center of knowledge in the contexts of both the traditional university and the modern research university. The institution's role in thinking and research, personal growth, and social change are discussed, especially as these areas interrelate and can create an exciting intellectual…

The Academic Career Studies (ACS) program at Clovis Community College focuses on time management, concentration and memory techniques, effective reading and note taking, test-taking skills, creativity, and the qualities of people who are "masters" at what they do. The program targets students who are working on their General Educational…

Concerns about college fraternities and sororities and student values are identified for student personnel administrators. It is noted that fraternities and sororities are exclusionary by practice, sexist in nature, and gender specific by design. They reinforce, without reexamining, the values that their members possess upon entering. Attention is…

Elements of educational quality and ways in which quality is estimated are identified, with specific attention to conditions that are prerequisite to achieving high levels of quality in universities. The quality of a university may be estimated by examining prestigous institutions based on reputational studies, by quantitative descriptions of…

The influence of the concept of organizational culture on computer use by colleges and universities is discussed, and five case studies of anonymous northeast colleges are presented. Attention is directed to the extent and nature of the connections between computer use and organizational factors, both structural and cultural. Structural influences…

Problems facing Brazilian universities are rooted in a problem of goals, the disintegration of the community of scholars, and growth and bureaucratization. Different goals of the university that need to be conciliated are the roles of teaching and research, or helping the young become men and conducting scientific and technological investigations…

Developments in the late 1830's and early 1840's concerning Franklin College, academic freedom, and slavery are traced. In the small eastern Ohio community of New Athens, there were political, economic, social, cultural, and religious influences that focused on the question of American slavery. The drama unfolded at the nondenominational but…

Siena Heights College conducted a number of projects designed to enhance institutional vitality through support from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. Institutional vitality is viewed as involving: a clearly designed and accepted mission for the unit in question; direction, attainable goals, and programs that enable…

Three issues regarding general education are addressed in this paper: What does "general education" mean? Why do many faculty members and the public have little regard for general education? Can general education be established as an important part of the college curriculum? It is suggested that a concern for moral values is an important part of…

Societal and political and economic forces that affect college instruction are considered. Classroom interaction is affected by the culture, the personalities of teachers and students, and the social situation (the physical and social environment). All the factors that influence the classroom are affected by political and economic factors both…

Strategic planning in higher education is discussed from the perspective of institutional research. Attention is directed to: institutional mission, institutional assessment, institutional leadership, environmental assessment, market analysis, and competitive position. Strategic planning merges incrementalism, which focuses on flexibility,…

Educational practice and barriers to full participation of Alaska Natives in postsecondary education were examined in an ethnographic study begun in October 1980 by the University of Alaska. Focus was on the institutional placement, organization, and functioning of gatekeeping encounters within the university, primarily the central Fairbanks…

In an effort to establish priorities for long- and short-range planning, Palo Verde College (PVC) administered the Educational Testing Service's Community College Goals Inventory to all PVC faculty and administrators, 20 community residents, five trustees, and approximately 200 students. The inventory asked respondents to rate the importance of…

The tri-dimensional mandate of the land-grant institution--to teach, to research, and to serve--finds a common meeting place at the New Mexico State University. The New Mexico State University has tri-cultural concerns arising from the special needs of the population that it serves. The age-old problem of water in an arid land, the new challenge…